BCPS and Baltimore County Release Updated Recommendations for Long Term School Construction
Baltimore County Public Schools and Baltimore County Government today released updated recommendations for the County’s Multi-Year Improvement Plan for All Schools (MYIPAS), developed by CannonDesign, a nationally recognized architecture and planning company.
Under the updated recommendations, every school in Baltimore County would receive equitable capital improvements within 15 years and could be completed without any additional revenue increases.
“I am proud of the way that our communities, families, and staff have come together to plan for every school to have a modern and equitable learning environment as called for in The Compass, our strategic plan,” said BCPS Superintendent Dr. Darryl L. Williams. “The thoughtful MYIPAS process has ensured that our way forward is guided by multiple stakeholder perspectives as well as independent, objective advice.”
“Every child and every educator deserves a modern, safe, and supportive learning environment. These recommendations from CannonDesign provide a comprehensive, equitable, and fully funded roadmap to accomplish just that,” said Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski. “These data-driven recommendations will help guide our work with the Board of Education, BCPS, and our communities to ensure high quality schools in every ZIP code and to fulfill our County’s obligations to the Blueprint for Maryland’s future.”
In total, the recommendations call for $2.5 billion in school construction, including all remaining Schools for our Future projects. The CannonDesign proposal also outlines strategies to bring school capacity down to 100 percent through additions and redistricting – eliminating the need for makeshift spaces or trailers.
The recommendations also account for the County’s expansion of Pre-Kindergarten, career and technical education programs, and community schools in alignment in the newly passed Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. Special education, alternative education, and select educational strategy projects were also given special consideration to address the unique instructional, social-emotional, and wellness needs of students.
About the Multi-Year Improvement Plan for All Schools
BCPS and Baltimore County jointly launched MYIPAS to develop a long-range plan for identifying and equitably prioritizing capital improvements to all schools.
CannonDesign, which has led over 1,300 education facility projects across the country, including over 200 education master plans, was selected to take a detailed look at current school facilities, with a focus on educational adequacy and equity, facility conditions, and capacity utilization.
The first phase of recommendations, which focused on recommendations for high schools,
was released in September 2020. The updated recommendations released today are focused on the county's elementary and middle school buildings as well as specialty schools and centers.
As part of the MYIPAS process, community members were offered opportunities to provide input through public surveys, virtual community forums, focus groups, and a public comment period. In total, more than 25,000 stakeholders provided input during this process.
A final report will be issued in fall 2021.