Baltimore County Schools Superintendent Joe Hairston is asking members of the county?s Board of Education to approve requests for more than $155 million in county funds and $95 million in state funds for school construction projects next year.
Hairston will introduce his operating budget request and ask the board to adopt his capital budget request at a meeting tonight. School officials said at least $27.9 million in state funds are firm to date ? about a third of their total request for fiscal 2008 for scheduled projects, including a new northeast elementary school and systematic renovations of county high schools.
Members of the House of Delegates? Appropriations Committee said they don?t know yet how much they have to distribute between the state?s 24 counties, but said Baltimore County?s efforts to forward-fund projects might help secure additional funds compared to counties who don?t. The state awarded the county $35 million for school construction last year.
“We have to see what the governor proposes,” said Speaker Pro Tem Adrienne Jones, D-District 10. “There are a lot of factors.”
Likewise, county officials said it?s too early to determine if Hairston?s request can be met.
The county contributed $115 million to the school system?s capital budget for fiscal 2007.
“We?re in the process of reviewing all the budgets and as we get further down in the reviews, we?ll be able to make decisions on a case by case basis,” Smith spokesman Don Mohler said Monday. “But it would be way too premature to comment on anything right now.”
About 44 percent, or $69 million, of the request for county money will fund high school renovations. The request also includes $6.7 million for additions to Catonsville Middle School and Hillcrest Elementary School, and $4 million for a food service warehouse.
Hairston is expected to announce figures for his proposed operating budget tonight. A public hearing on those requests is scheduled for Jan. 24, and the board likely will adopt them in February.
