Receiving only 24 percent of its $80 million request for state fundsfor public school construction, Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith said he remains optimistic he can secure more to improve the county?s aging facilities.
Gov. Martin O?Malley reserved $19.6 million for county schools in his proposed capital budget unveiled last week ? a fraction of the $80.7 million Smith said is needed to ensure county schools meet educational standards.
Smith said he hopes to land substantially more from an unallocated $108 million O?Malley will request from the legislature.
“With a $20 million head start, we are confident we will do very well,” said Don Mohler, a Smith spokesman.
“Baltimore County has a very good friend in the State House. The winners of that will be the schools.”
Smith, who joined O?Malley last week to announce the rebuilding of the Charles H. Hickey Jr. School juvenile detention center in Parkville, highlighted the county?s $513 million allotment for transportation projects.
He emphasized the county?s success in past years securing additional education funds at the annual “begathon” parade of legislators and local officials pleading for money to build local schools before the state Board of Public Works.
O?Malley said last week he plans to scale the event down this year and allow testimony only from schools superintendents and school board members.
Baltimore County last year received $52 million of the $95 million Smith requested for schools, and in 2006 received $36 million after requesting $110 million.
The county this year received $78 million total for capital projects, with only Baltimore City and Montgomery County receiving more. Baltimore County is home to the second oldest stock of schools in the state, and Smith launched systemic renovations of all schools when he took office in 2002.
Renovations of all elementary schools are finished and improvements at all middle schools are near completion, he said.
BY THE NUMBERS
Gov. Martin O?Malley?s fiscal 2009 proposed capital budget includes these Baltimore County school construction project:
Cockeysville Middle: $6,826,000
Hereford Middle: $5,175,000
Hillcrest Elementary: $1,789,000
Loch Raven High: $1,091,000
Western School of Technology and Science: $860,000
Sandalwood Elementary: $815,000
Joppa View Elementary: $623,000
Woodbridge Elementary: $517,000
Kingsville Elementary: $514,000
Riderwood Elementary: $451,000
Arbutus Elementary: $355,000
Winand Elementary: $233,000
Sandy Plains Elementary: $167,000
Red House Run Elementary: $125,000
Winfield Elementary: $118,000
