[0:00] Good afternoon.

[0:13] Good afternoon, and welcome to the fiscal 28, capital budget and the fiscal 28 through 33, capital improvement program, public hearing, and work session of the Board of Education of Thursday, September 10, 2026. The public has been invited to attend board meetings in person and to access the virtual board meetings through several telecommunications platforms. Those are Verizon 42, Comcast 95, and via live stream online.

[0:42] In alignment with board policy, an individual group or organization attending an open session of the board may not engage in any conduct, including visual demonstrations such as the waving of placards, signs or banners that disrupts the session or the interferes with the rights of others to attend and observe the session.

[0:59] The board will have a hard stop at 7 p.m. There is no evening, start again, there is no evening session.

[1:08] Please stand for the pledge.

[1:11] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God,

[1:20] indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

[1:26] Mrs. Harrison, please do rule call.

[1:27] Ms. Mosley.

[1:29] Present.

[1:30] Ms. Watts.

[1:32] Ms. Rick's.

[1:33] Present.

[1:34] Mr. Lee.

[1:36] Dr. Chen.

[1:37] Present.

[1:38] Ms. McCoy.

[1:43] Present.

[1:45] Ms. Shambley.

[1:51] Ms. Mallow.

[1:52] Present.

[1:52] I'm confirming a quorum.

[1:54] Thank you.

[1:55] We will now move on to the approval of the agenda.

[1:57] Mr. Barnes, do you have any changes?

[2:00] Chair Mallow, there are no changes.

[2:02] Can I please have a motion to approve the agenda?

[2:04] So moved.

[2:05] So again.

[2:08] Ms. Mosley?

[2:10] No.

[2:12] Ms. Watts?

[2:13] Yes.

[2:13] Ms. Ricks?

[2:15] Yes.

[2:16] Dr. Ten?

[2:17] Yes.

[2:18] Ms. McCoy?

[2:19] Yes.

[2:21] Ms. Chambley?

[2:24] Ms. Chambley, you're barely audible, so we know that you said yes, but can you please see

[2:31] if you can adjust your audio so that we may hear you better?

[2:36] Thank you.

[2:37] Yes, I'm having some technical difficulties at my end and I'll try to find out what the issue is but yes, thank you

[2:43] Okay, Miss Malo. Yes motion carries six zero. Thank you

[2:49] We will now move on to public hearing

[2:51] Public hearing provides an opportunity for community members to share their views with the board on a specific topic

[2:58] Tonight's topic is the fiscal 28 capital budget and fiscal 28 through 33 capital improvement program

[3:05] Please note that these comments do not represent the views of the board, the superintendent, or the school system.

[3:12] In accordance with board policy 2040, public comments may not address personnel matters, individual students, individual staff, or matters that are under appeal.

[3:23] We ask the all speakers maintain respectful and appropriate decorum, as meetings are broadcast and streamed remarks should be suitable for a broad audience, including young children.

[3:33] Consistent with policy 1000, please refrain from language that is in decent, profane, or threatening.

[3:40] Community members will have three minutes.

[3:43] A buzzer will sound when time has expired, and the microphone will automatically cut off.

[3:49] If you have materials to be provided to the board members, please give them to one of the security officers for distribution.

[3:57] or, and please email your full testimony to boe at hcpss.org.

[4:04] So I will call your names in order.

[4:07] You will come up to the desk there and sit in the middle seat preferably

[4:15] and then make sure the microphone is on with the green light.

[4:20] First up, I am going to call multiple names in order.

[4:25] I will start with the first three.

[4:27] First up will be Sylvia Johnson.

[4:29] She will be followed by Satvik Jane, followed by Ming Sun.

[4:56] Please go ahead when you're ready.

[4:58] Hello, members of the Board of Education.

[5:00] My name is Sylvia Johnson, a junior at Centennial High School,

[5:03] speaking today on behalf of our student body and SGA.

[5:06] For years, our community has spoken out.

[5:08] As Centennial's renovation completion date keeps getting pushed back.

[5:11] Originally scheduled for 2024 and now all the way to 2036.

[5:15] We need action now, while our renovation is repeatedly delayed, our building is failing us.

[5:21] Centennials indoor bathrooms are 50 years old and haven't been renovated since the school opened.

[5:26] Half of them are entirely out of order with multiple restrooms left with only a single functional stall.

[5:32] Over the break, chemistry classrooms flooded, leaving missing ceiling tiles and

[5:36] active rain lakes directly into instructional spaces.

[5:39] Numerous work requests were completely unadjusted in the spring, and

[5:44] SB Stills was found in the cafeteria last spring.

[5:47] And despite its removal over the summer, serious concerns remain in other sections of the building.

[5:52] Furthermore, last spring, our primary chiller broke completely due to its age in complete lack of replacement parts.

[5:58] This led us to meet missing two full days of school leading up to final exams.

[6:03] Our temporary fix is a giant portable chiller taking up space in our parking lot until at least November.

[6:08] Blocking one of our two only drop off lanes and not even providing reliable cooling to the building because of the unreliable HVAC.

[6:16] Students have noted physical discomfort in classes such as sweating in hot rooms and shivering in freezing rooms,

[6:21] directly impairing student focus and academic performance.

[6:24] Within the first two weeks of school, three evacuations have occurred due to building deficiencies,

[6:29] such as motor and boiler room and HVAC issues that generated smoke, burnt odors and gas smells.

[6:34] many students have reported throat irritation, loss of voice, headaches, and difficulty breathing following these incidents.

[6:42] Just two days ago, an evacuation lasted up to 1.5 to 2.5 hours, leading to missed instructional time,

[6:49] derailed lesson plans, and disrupted extracurricular activities such as band and theater rehearsals.

[6:54] Just yesterday, another evacuation occurred, again disrupting our learning environment.

[6:58] When asked to rank aspects of the school out of five, on average our students ranked

[7:02] HVAC consistency a 1.5 out of five, and cleanliness a 2 out of 5, and a 100% of students listed

[7:09] HVAC as a top priority, followed by an emphasis on plumbing, windows, and flooring.

[7:13] Students frequently mentioned poor airflow, visible dust particles, and mold throughout the

[7:17] building, dysfunctional bathroom lock mechanisms, metallic tasting fountain water, lack of

[7:22] all dividers, empty paper towel and hygiene products, and unpleasant odors and restrooms.

[7:28] Students overwhelmingly describe the building atmosphere as depressing and windowless.

[7:32] Although we recognize the Buie's tight budget, our students and staff cannot wait until

[7:36] 2036 for a safe, functional environment for learning.

[7:39] We urge the board to stop delaying our renovation and address these critical conditions immediately.

[7:44] Thank you for your time.

[7:57] Next up is Satvik Jane, followed by Ming Sun, followed by Brian Trish, who will be virtual.

[8:14] members of the board. My name is Saatvik. I am a junior at Centennial and I am tired. I am tired of

[8:21] missing class when the fire alarms go off. I am tired of not being able to focus because it's

[8:26] either frigid or boiling. I am tired of waking up conflicted, eager to go to school and dreading to

[8:32] go in that building. But most of all, I am tired of how, despite everything that we have gone through,

[8:37] change seems far away. I know we are not the only high school facing problems in Howard County,

[8:43] but in Centennial, there is a continuous feeling of neglect among students and staff alike at the lack of action.

[8:49] Our school is turning 50 soon and you can tell. We don't know how it has stayed together, and we don't understand why

[8:55] HCPSS has let this decline continue.

[8:58] What if you were in our position?

[9:00] Chair Mallow, how would you feel if your three children repeatedly fell sick from exposure to drastically different classroom temperatures?

[9:08] VICE CHAIR RICS, you once wrote that every student and every staff member deserves to learn

[9:13] and work in a school building that is in good repair and will not make them sick.

[9:16] What anxieties would you feel about the air quality if you were the PTSA president of

[9:20] Centennial in Notkielford Park?

[9:23] Board Member Chambley, how would you feel if your alma mater wasn't Glenn Elg, but Centennial?

[9:27] How it hasn't changed even decades later?

[9:31] Board Member Chen, what if every day Julia, Jim and Janine came home feeling hopeless

[9:36] since they can't focus from how much they shiver in their classes.

[9:40] Member at large McCoy, what if your 35 years as an educator were spent in the classroom

[9:44] with fluorescent lighting and a lack of windows that made you and your students equally unmotivated?

[9:49] Board Member Mosley, what if one of your four children had to come home early because

[9:52] the HVAC system stopped working, and then the next day your drop off is blocked by a loud

[9:57] ever active tank keeping the possibility of education alive?

[10:00] Board Member Watts, what if when your two children start high school, you arrive outside for orientation

[10:05] and wonder if you misread that it was one of the best in the state.

[10:09] Superintendent Barnes, the 2003 winner of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics

[10:13] and Science Teaching, how would you feel when your explanation of a fundamental concept

[10:16] is interrupted by the fire alarm ringing for the end time?

[10:20] And student member Mark Lee, what if your travel west, along 108 to get to the board of

[10:24] ed, was a possibility, and you had a building whose structural problems in your freshman year

[10:28] remained unsolved despite significant financial expenditures that often work like duct tape?

[10:34] That is how we, centennial students, staff, and families feel, and we are tired of waiting patiently.

[10:39] Our education will stay fixed until it's fixed for us, even if it takes impetus after impetus,

[10:44] even if time waxes or wanes the interest, even if you make the possibility of change hard to trust.

[10:50] We won't stop for a minute, even when the going gets tough, we won't drop for a bit even though we may be rebuffed.

[10:55] We won't roll with it when we know it's not enough.

[10:58] We keep your name on the map. That's the least you could do for us.

[11:02] Thank you.

[11:12] Next up is Ming Sun, followed by Brian Trish, online, followed by Karen Beaterman.

[11:25] Test, test, all right.

[11:27] Come on afternoon board.

[11:30] Three times.

[11:31] Three times over the past two or three weeks, our fire alarm have rang.

[11:35] In the middle of classes, driving us outside, the longest one driving us out for one or two hours about,

[11:42] I can't remember those specific figures.

[11:45] We cannot, we as a student body cannot be lectured about missing class and the importance of being present for class when our own building keeps us out of the classroom and learning.

[11:54] As a member of the band, we lost most of our period on the second evacuation and proportion of it on the first one.

[12:04] In the world of band, it is extremely detrimental,

[12:08] it will be the word for it, to lose that amount of rehearsal,

[12:11] especially in the very important period of time

[12:14] that is the beginning of the year.

[12:17] Also, these evacuations and the deterioration of this building

[12:21] come, especially as a stop in the face after last year

[12:25] or most or previously, our renovation date was pushed back.

[12:28] Yet again, after, I believe, more than a decade

[12:32] of that happening repeatedly.

[12:35] I have a younger sister and younger cousins who will be graduating around the years.

[12:41] 2032 give or take a couple of years because I have a couple of cousins.

[12:45] And I honestly say from the bottom of my heart that I would rather that our family approved for

[12:50] the third time since we came to the United States, they have moved to a different district

[12:54] and they put them through this building and having them being in the fluorescent light and

[12:58] the moldy air for another further high school.

[13:03] I would like to close, I don't have much prepared today but I will close with this and let it be noted that this is not a threat.

[13:09] This is a rather just a promise and it's just a message.

[13:12] We will be back.

[13:13] The student body, we will be back for the next budget meeting and the budget meeting after that.

[13:19] We will be here, relentless the intel, our building will be renovated.

[13:22] Thank you very much.

[13:33] Next up is Brian Trish.

[13:36] I don't see the name online but if you are on here, please go ahead and unmute yourself.

[13:42] and speak. Okay, next up is Karen Beaterman.

[13:54] Karen will be followed by Anthony

[13:56] de Bella, who will be followed by Eileen Felix.

[14:10] Good evening, DOE and

[14:11] Superintendent Barnes. I'm Karen Beaterman with a personal testimony. I was

[14:15] thrilled to hear that you voted to replace Patapsco Middle School because they

[14:18] needed. I will also ask that you reconsider replacing Dunlug in Middle School

[14:23] instead of renovations as the shovels will not hit the ground for another year.

[14:27] All the reasons you listen to replace Patapska Middle School can also be applied to Dunlog and Middle School.

[14:32] Meeting all ed specs, less construction disruption, shortening construction timeline,

[14:37] thus containing cost, geothermal, energy, long-term savings, and not being confined to existing structure with a new design.

[14:44] Please reread the testimony of structural engineer Sheryl Zeren that I passed around stating that placing Dunlog in will not be more expensive than rebuilding Dunlog in.

[14:55] Shara Zian is a structural engineer for Oklahoma's middle school with the...

[15:00] Thank you, Mr. Mayor, for Hammond High School renovation, and ARL. You originally voted to replace Don Logan on 427, 2023, 4 years ago, and the building continues to rapidly deteriorate with a broken chiller deteriorating age back, leaking roof, mice, and very tight classrooms. Don Logan had a sprinkler failure on Tuesday, and there's currently a bladder and a hose hooked up to the sprinkler at Don Logan that is draining into a bucket with maintenance unable to repair. On your vote, replace Don Logan Middle School.

[15:29] There's a flat field behind the school that'd be very easy to construct new school that we need to last another 50 years.

[15:36] Flipping years to Centennial, I want to make sure everyone is aware of another facility failure this week causing burning fumes with an evacuation and fire department call, loss of instruction time.

[15:49] This is an addition to the sprinkler failure and the building evacuation the week prior.

[15:54] Centennial High School capital issues continued to build.

[15:56] This is on top of their unrepairable chiller failure from June that resulted in a temporary

[16:01] chiller taking up one lane of the car drop off and causing students to walk between the

[16:07] chain link fence and car loop in order to get the class on time risking life and limb

[16:12] in addition to the porta-potties that have been the only bathroom at the stadium facility

[16:16] for 50 years, the only high school like that, leaving children without access to running

[16:22] water and flushable toilets, which is totally a CPS issue neglectful, CHS is literally falling

[16:28] apart and is health and safety hazard and brick box without windows, least and out of windows

[16:34] of any high school if you drive around like I have. They have a 50-year-old age back that has been

[16:39] patched multiple times in recent years. In addition, I am very concerned that you are revisiting

[16:44] the facilities prioritization criteria. It has been unanimously approved April 9, 2025. You know

[16:50] this by all seven board members when the schools were blinded.

[16:55] A couple of BLE members did not like the results, but that is not a reason to throw away

[16:59] the methodology and redo the whole system which already echoed state priorities.

[17:04] Many parents are concerned that they're redoing this entire methodology of reassessing

[17:08] HCPSS capital improvement needs, we'll incorporate personal.

[17:22] Next up is Anthony DeBella, Eileen Felix, followed by Huay Sal.

[17:27] And

[17:30] I do not see either Mr.

[17:33] Debella nor Ms. Felix.

[17:36] So

[17:46] I'll come back to him.

[17:53] Kwe, Sal.

[17:55] I

[18:08] have to know, what a members.

[18:10] I'm just a regular parent at Centennial High School.

[18:13] I have always been a quiet mom, but today I cannot be quiet anymore.

[18:18] I'm seeing here with profound concern and frustration regarding the unsafe and

[18:23] and entirely unacceptable facility conditions

[18:26] as Centennial High School.

[18:28] We are only three weeks into the school year,

[18:30] but safety hazards have already reached an intolerable level.

[18:35] The frequency of fire alarms and emergency vacuations

[18:38] is alarming.

[18:40] On August 31st, when I arrived at 11.35 AM

[18:44] to pick up my daughter for a doctor appointment,

[18:47] I walked into an evacuation.

[18:48] I waited with the entire school outside for nearly an hour.

[18:53] On September 8th, students and staff were forced outside for almost two hours, missing

[18:59] the first two class periods.

[19:01] On September 9th, which was yesterday, there was another evacuation.

[19:05] Missing class time is frustrating, but the primary issue is safety.

[19:10] Students and staff are seeing smoke and regularly smelling burning odors, fire trucks with extended

[19:17] related letters to the roof have become a new norm.

[19:21] Beyond fire hazards, basic infrastructure is failing.

[19:25] At the end of last school year, our students missed two

[19:28] four days of school in the week of final exams.

[19:32] Until now, the AC remains not completely repaired,

[19:35] with an expensive chair or sitting unused outside.

[19:39] Students have been complaining some classrooms are freezing

[19:42] but some are very hot.

[19:44] But attempted repairs have resulted in damage to the gymnasium floor.

[19:49] Centennial heights filled with talented students and dedicated educators.

[19:54] They deserve a safe, functional environment.

[19:58] Centennial has documented infrastructure needs and has been slated for major renovations

[20:04] in long-range master plans, but this renovation keeps being pushed back.

[20:08] Parents' promise repairs when their kids were little, but watched those children graduate college.

[20:15] Pushing these renovations to 2036 is negligent.

[20:21] We entrust the county to keep our children safe, but right now the facility is failing.

[20:27] I have lived in Howard County for 20 years, two of my children have graduated from Centennial High,

[20:33] and I really want my youngest daughter to finish here as well.

[20:36] However, if these safety issues are not addressed, families like mine might have to move.

[20:44] I urge the board to prioritize our students and staff by funding the comprehensive renovation

[20:50] of Centennial High School now, now in 2036. Thank you.

[21:05] Next up, we will return to Anthony Debella. Now that he is online, please go ahead, Mr. Debella.

[21:14] Greetings on behalf of the PGA Council of Howard County. I'm Anthony Debella,

[21:22] The board's practice of separately deliberating and submitting projects with state funding to meet submission deadlines leaves the community with no scheduled public hearing opportunity after the presentation of locally funded projects to the board.

[21:36] Detect recommends adding a public hearing after the presentation of local projects and before the board approval expected in November.

[21:42] The FIRD maintenance is described in detail by the recently approved EFNP, the year-by-year

[21:48] accounting of the accrual of $312 million over nine years, provides a community with

[21:54] a realistic understanding of system-wide needs.

[21:57] The FY28 proposed projects for state funding include booths that are on the FY27 deferred

[22:03] maintenance list, and PTAQ hopes that more of those deferred maintenance projects can be

[22:07] included in the FY28 local budget request, especially given the potential availability

[22:12] ability of surplus funds enabled by County Council Bill 1026.

[22:16] The attack recommends that the board work with the County Council to establish the specific

[22:20] process for allocating potential surpluses to designated projects in order to expedite

[22:25] deferred maintenance projects in advance of expected surpluses indicated by recent county investment

[22:30] reports and to be quantified by the issuance of the FY26 comprehensive financial report this

[22:36] fall.

[22:36] All. Other county resources are provided under County Project E-1058, systemic renovations,

[22:43] which averages roughly $38 million in county funding alone over the next five years. State

[22:48] aid for school increases the available total to $50 million, which would reduce the current

[22:53] total deferred maintenance by about $20 million a year, essentially having the current $193 million.

[22:59] The capital planning cycle recently presented to this board outlines the timeline of comprehensive

[23:03] of maintenance, systemic upgrades, and complete renovations over the life of a school.

[23:08] This should provide clear and objective needs so that the county resource providers and

[23:12] individual school communities understand ACPSS's individual and collective responsibilities,

[23:18] especially as rising construction costs will necessitate adjustments to this funding.

[23:23] Other sources of capital funding should be explored, including the school's surcharge fees,

[23:27] which are detailed in an annual report mandated by the state legislature,

[23:31] and newly available via the Maryland General Assembly's

[23:34] Department of Legislative Services under mandated reports.

[23:37] With a growing portfolio of over 80 buildings,

[23:40] HCPSS will need to start major renovation projects

[23:43] on an ongoing basis so that a steady, predictable stream

[23:46] of revenue can be dedicated to school construction

[23:49] without overburdening the budget at any one time.

[23:52] Given public information and time to digest it,

[23:55] our community can help inform the necessary deliberation

[23:57] and take up the cause for a well justified,

[23:59] identified, prioritized long-range master plan and advocate for commitments to the county council, county executive, and state delegation to develop a capital funding plan that optimizes all available funding sources.

[24:11] Thank you.

[24:15] Next up is Sandy Shao, followed by Korean official, followed by Cindy Luffalette.

[24:32] Good evening, board members and superintendents.

[24:36] My name is Sandy Shao.

[24:39] I'm a taxpayer, a registered voter, and a parent of two children.

[24:46] One has graduated and now in college, and the other one is a 9th grader.

[24:52] I have watched this building decline for years and I trusted our leaders to be able to

[25:01] make the right decisions.

[25:03] But today I can't stay silent anymore because this is beyond acceptable.

[25:11] Centennial High School has been on the capital improvement list for 13 years and its renovation

[25:18] date has been pushed back repeatedly from 2024 to 2028 to 2030, 31, 32, now 36.

[25:30] That means an entire generation of students was banned their high school years in buildings

[25:39] that fall apart. This past June, the HVAC failed and was deemed

[25:46] In reparable, forcing students to miss two days of school during final exams and temporary

[25:54] cheerleaders had to be placed in the parking lot, just keep the building running.

[26:00] And in less than two weeks in this school year, the school, the students, has been evacuated

[26:06] three times already and we heard new issues reported today.

[26:14] It's a huge safety concern.

[26:18] Centennial has rotting portables, bathrooms with rusty doors, broken tiles, my nice

[26:25] greater coming home say school sucks.

[26:29] And my oldest child still remembered uncomfortableness.

[26:34] And at the back to school night, I was directly experienced, the temperature change from

[26:42] high to freezing cold and that's the condition our children, our faculties have to endure

[26:51] every day. I recently learned the school's HVAC system is from 1977. We're all home

[26:58] owners, we know HVAC system last, usually 15 to 25 years. The system at Centennial should

[27:06] have been replaced twice already. What are we waiting for? Waiting for a complete shutdown of the

[27:13] school? I come from a culture where education, health, safety, happiness is our core values.

[27:22] I moved across the world to give our children a better future. It is heartbreaking and honestly

[27:31] shameful. For me to mention this even to my family, to my friends in China,

[27:40] your time is expired.

[27:52] Next up is Karina Fisher, who will be followed by Cindy Love. What? Followed by Laurie Rainey.

[28:05] Good evening. My name is Karina Fisher. I'm testifying and know other capacity but of a parent,

[28:11] of a centennial student. I have no written testimony because my father passed away, but I am here,

[28:18] because I don't trust this board. I don't trust anything about the county, this board, at all,

[28:25] anymore. And I'm coming in between a burial site and a funeral home because of it.

[28:32] To show this sign to make it very clear that Centennial High School is the high school based on data

[28:39] to move forward this capital budget season if a high school is voted upon.

[28:45] and there are a lot of people testifying it is disgusting that our kids are

[28:50] here after they're walking up after drop-off, smushed between moving

[28:55] steel that vehicle and a chiller risking their lives. That students you've heard

[29:01] already have been evacuated three times since the beginning of school. We have

[29:07] burning air in our ninth grade hallways. What is it gonna take? And now we hear

[29:14] about this revision and this revisiting to a system because why the blinded system didn't yield

[29:20] the results that Jolene mostly wanted because that's the only conclusion that is reasonable.

[29:26] And I thank you, Dr. Chen, for always being the voice of truth and saying twice last year,

[29:33] not out of your mouth, but asking the school system which school has the highest capital need.

[29:38] I am exhausted. It is year eight. Three years coming up to Dunlagen vote because I knew it was going to happen. The writing was on the wall.

[29:48] So we sat for three years as a community testifying for all three schools ahead of Dunlagen High School.

[29:55] Then Dunlagen comes and all of the magic.

[30:00] Our school can get bumped, although it was the list by dead data. So what happens? There are efforts to strip capacity points. But then add them later on to schools that might be at preference. There is an attempt to subtract feeder schools and redistricting. That didn't work either. Nothing erases the data that has been in front of you since I've been showing up here. Now for the eighth year, three years in support of schools.

[30:29] ahead of us because we don't jump lines. We don't show up to the county council trying

[30:35] to get our school of head of others risking millions of dollars that we do not have.

[30:41] And then for three years, fighting to get done long and back up where it belonged. After

[30:46] this board bumped it. And now we're here in Centennial. This is the second years our

[30:51] kids are in danger. I don't know how else to make this clear. And please acknowledge what

[30:58] has gone on in this boardroom by board member Jolyne Mosley. I appreciate it if you both are

[31:04] kids because they are in

[31:23] next up is Cindy Laffalette followed by Laurie Rainey followed by Megan

[31:30] Benedict.

[31:42] Hello everyone that's nice to see you all after a long hiatus. I'm here tonight as well

[31:47] on behalf of capital improvement and the effects that it has on our students and community and especially

[31:53] from the amazing Centennial High School students that you heard from here this evening.

[31:58] We have $790 million in capital improvement needs, 600 million of that, is in projects,

[32:04] new builds, renovations, and addition, and $193 million in deferred maintenance.

[32:09] I know you all don't need me to tell you that the fine print on page 66 of the EMFP dated 65 states

[32:16] and escalation rate of 3% year-over-year with 10-year unaddressed total of a half a billion

[32:22] dollars, but I think that the community needs to hear that half a billion dollars in ten

[32:27] years. That chart on the pages deceiving because it makes it look like we're running

[32:31] smooth when we're really not. And the state of our schools is also deceiving, especially

[32:36] at Centennial High School, where you've heard we face closures. During finals, we've recently

[32:41] had evacuations, due to all kinds of issues, massive safety concerns, and just trying to

[32:47] work a quick HVAC fix. Simon, up that we were getting a new one at the end of the school

[32:51] year last year and then that sign came right down. Our kids are missing vital instruction

[32:55] time in the school with no windows, routing portables, not feeling safe even going to the bathroom.

[33:01] I could go on and on, but the data on page 17 of the same EFMP can speak plainly enough as it's

[33:08] still less Centennial High School, as the highest ranked high school on the facility prioritization list

[33:13] and as well as Karina's very impassioned testimony that she gave before. That ranking will only

[33:19] continue to rise as health and safety issues and our student's ability to learn, continue to plummet.

[33:24] During the recent primaries, the Maryweather Post released a growth and development score card that contained the question.

[33:30] The county should allocate a higher percentage of its budget to debt service payments to fund school and other infrastructure projects, even if doing so puts pressure on the county's triple A bond rating.

[33:40] Most disagreed with that, or were neutral, yet bonds in Pego were often discussed throughout the primaries.

[33:49] Let me see here.

[33:50] The recent surcharge report released in August of this year even mentions bond sales and debt repayments.

[33:56] And we just keep hearing about bonds, bonds, bonds.

[33:58] So I've taken a suggestion of a bond referendum for capital improvement to incoming elected officials,

[34:04] general members of the public, as well as the current members of this board and to our at large board of ID candidates.

[34:11] And I would also ask, what data are we using to get our equitable share of state money for our systemic renovations?

[34:17] money that we put into the state.

[34:19] What can we do to help get the data that we need to help get some of that money back?

[34:24] And I would also say that on the topic of board referendum that gives power to the people,

[34:29] should the county decide how do we advocate for that and let the people decide how we're

[34:33] going to get the money and help get the money to pay for our schools.

[34:37] But you can't talk money without a plan, I believe if we have a public facing plan that

[34:41] matches the needs outlining the FMP, we can help you work to get that money.

[34:45] My children will never see a benefit of a centennial school renovation, but they will see a-

[35:00] Next up is Lori Rainey, who will be followed by Megan Benedict, who will be followed by Namesh Chahida.

[35:07] A

[35:12] proud parent of three Howard County public school children.

[35:15] My daughter graduated from Centennial High in 2019.

[35:19] My son in 2024 and my youngest is currently a sophomore at Centennial.

[35:24] I've spent a lot of time in and around the building over the last 12 years.

[35:29] My children have been involved in a variety of activities and I've been able to volunteer for a variety of things.

[35:36] Currently I run the staff appreciation programs for our PTSA.

[35:41] We have two cabinets in the staff lounge where we keep non-food supplies.

[35:45] Every couple of months when I open those cabinets, I have to clean out mouse poop and not just a little.

[35:51] We keep everything in plastic bins and still it's a huge problem.

[35:56] These cabinets are in a room next to the kitchen, and in an area where staff members eat.

[36:02] My concern is that if it's rampant in an area that doesn't attract mice, then what is it like in other parts of the building?

[36:10] When my daughter started in high school in 2015, Centennial was supposed to be renovated.

[36:17] And while it wouldn't have affected her time there, it would have affected her brothers, but it's wrong.

[36:23] long. Centennial has been consistently overlooked.

[36:27] Over 10 years ago, the concerns about overcrowding were an issue, but nothing was really done

[36:33] except to put in some portables.

[36:35] Those portables are useless when it comes to extreme temperatures, like the cold that

[36:41] we had last winter, they're uninhabitable.

[36:44] Inside the building is really not much better.

[36:48] Some rooms are freezing while others are boiling.

[36:50] Students need to dress in layers like they're going into the great outdoors.

[36:57] Unfortunately, students and staff don't get to see much of the outdoors unless they're going to portables.

[37:03] Because there are so few windows.

[37:06] Many classrooms have no natural light at all.

[37:09] The fluorescent lighting is a migraine trigger for some, including my son.

[37:15] and those classrooms are completely sealed off

[37:19] from any natural light.

[37:21] The Centennial High School Building

[37:22] is and has been in desperate need of help.

[37:26] It's been a long time coming.

[37:28] Please consider finally funding the long overdue maintenance

[37:32] that the students and staff deserve.

[37:34] Thank you.

[37:42] Next up is Megan Benedict, then Namesh Chahirah,

[37:46] online, then Beth Hema.

[37:50] Good afternoon.

[37:51] My name is Megan Benedict, and I have a son

[37:52] who graduated from Centennial in 2024 and a daughter who is currently a junior there.

[37:57] We moved here in 2014 in large part because of the schools and Centennial's reputation

[38:01] in particular. We were delighted to hear that the school was slated for renovation before

[38:05] our oldest sons started there in 2020. Well, here we are in 2026 and Centennial's renovations

[38:11] have been pushed off six times, if my count is correct, and supposedly will start in 2036.

[38:17] Centennial cannot function as it is for the next 10 years. Yes, there are numerous internal

[38:22] issues like overcrowding, non-functioning restrooms, rodents, and portables that are literally

[38:27] falling apart. Sadly, many schools in our county are facing similar problems, but I was

[38:32] compelled to speak here today because of the issues that have been going on with the HVAC

[38:36] system and Chiller since June 2026. I am not an HVAC expert by my understanding that is that

[38:42] in June, the Chiller broke. This forced our students to miss two days of school during exam week

[38:47] because there was no functioning air conditioning. A temporary Chiller was brought in so we could

[38:51] to finish out our school year.

[38:53] Three months later, and it is still not fixed.

[38:56] Despite the fancy sign outside of the school

[38:58] that says building bright futures in America,

[39:00] the state of Maryland and the Howard County Board of Education

[39:02] are performing HVAC upgrade services.

[39:05] We are 13 days into this academic year

[39:08] and the building has been evacuated three times.

[39:11] On August 31st, there was a sprinkler failure.

[39:13] On September 8th, there was a burnt motor belt

[39:16] that led to an extended student evacuation,

[39:19] so the fire department could investigate

[39:21] and perform an indoor environmental quality assessment

[39:23] to evaluate the safety of the building and the air inside.

[39:27] And then there was another sprinkler failure

[39:29] due to water pressure issues on September 9th.

[39:32] After the September 8th incident, my daughter came home

[39:35] and for the first time in either of my children's academic careers,

[39:38] she told me she no longer feels safe at school.

[39:41] She scared there would be a fire.

[39:44] This is unacceptable. This is a major safety concern.

[39:47] My understanding is that the Chiller at Centennial is so old, they no longer make the parts needed to fix it, and it has to be custom ordered, hence all these issues and delays.

[39:57] So now what? The temporary Chiller isn't working, it isn't safe. Our children, the students you are supposed to advocate for, aren't safe.

[40:05] With all due respect, these children aren't safe because of the inaction of this board and your predecessors.

[40:10] You have pushed Centennials renovations off year after year after year.

[40:15] No more.

[40:15] I am begging you to fix this dangerous mess that you have made.

[40:19] Yes, Centennials in need of a complete renovation before 2036.

[40:24] But more urgently, Centennial needs a safe, reliable, permanent solution to its broken chiller

[40:29] and HVAC system today.

[40:31] Thank you.

[40:39] Next up is Namesh Chahedath online.

[40:45] Good evening.

[40:46] My name is Namesh Chahedath.

[40:53] I am here tonight to ask the board to move CHS to the top of the capital improvement priority list.

[41:02] Not in the next cycle and not in 2036, but now CHS has been on the long range plan for almost 13 or maybe 15 years.

[41:16] and its renovation dates continuously keep getting pushed out.

[41:21] This is not a delay, that's a pattern and somebody needs to be held responsible for that.

[41:27] While we wait, the building is falling in real time.

[41:31] I don't want to repeat everything that the previous members have said,

[41:35] but the chillers, the continuous evacuations three times in two weeks is unacceptable.

[41:42] The

[41:47] building has mice and the bathrooms,

[41:53] broken tiles, original since 1977.

[41:58] They've never been touched upon, rusted doors.

[42:01] I think my daughter doesn't even go to the bathroom

[42:03] at school because of such horrid conditions.

[42:09] It is over 100% capacity with only natural light

[42:13] coming from fluorescent lights.

[42:15] there have been no windows in an only a quarter of the classrooms have some IT

[42:22] and pressure. I would just ask the board here to follow the data that is being

[42:31] driven and commit to a transparent data driven process. So no community has to

[42:38] wonder why the school keeps getting pushed out of line. Thank you.

[42:50] Next up is Beth Hema.

[43:04] Good afternoon, board members and superintendent Barnes.

[43:08] I am here testifying as a community member,

[43:10] as a parent of a recent graduate of Centennial High School,

[43:13] and as a former president of a Centennial PTSA.

[43:17] I have seen up close and lived with the poor quality

[43:20] of the facilities at Centennial.

[43:22] After four years of seeing my kid

[43:23] and her fellow students struggle to make doing a building

[43:26] that was substandard, inadequate, deteriorated,

[43:29] and depressing to be in,

[43:30] I have been a guest to watch since last spring, the facility dramatically deteriorate even further.

[43:38] And to see that HCPSS has no immediate or comprehensive answer to these appalling conditions.

[43:44] After years of patching and repairs, the HVAC system at Centennial reached the end of its

[43:48] life in June of this year and was declared irreparable.

[43:51] Our kids were forced out of school for two days during final exams.

[43:55] A chiller unit was brought to the school at grade expense and installed temporarily to get

[43:59] us through the hot season, which could last well into the fall.

[44:03] The chiller has provided some relief but also brought its own problems.

[44:07] The physical space that it takes up exacerbates vehicular and pedestrian traffic issues.

[44:12] The noise it makes can be overwhelming, and its performance has been inconsistent.

[44:17] It is a crazily expensive and inadequate patch on an already broken system.

[44:22] It has been the capper on an already intolerable list of inadequacies at the school.

[44:27] Our student population is well beyond the physical capacity of the building.

[44:31] We have multiple portable classrooms that are themselves aged in poor condition.

[44:35] The lab instruction rooms, the gym, the locker rooms, the studios, the bathrooms,

[44:39] none of them are up to modern standards.

[44:42] We have outdated technology, leaks, mold, mice, I could go on.

[44:48] There's also an almost complete lack of natural light in the building,

[44:51] which affects the mental well-being of everyone inside.

[44:55] Unlike every other high school in the county, our sports stadium has no-

[45:00] No bathroom facilities, other than port-a-potties, which are located up a steep hill, and in practical terms, these port-a-potties are unusable for handicap attendees, and for the rest, they're unsanitary and unsavory. In this day and in this county, how has this school been left with bathroom options that are inaccessible and have no running water available to wash with? The failing HVAC system forced our kids out of school for two days in June, and just since the start of the new school year, there have already been three forced evacuations of the building during the school day for one physical failure,

[45:29] or another. This has been highly disruptive for teaching and learning and speaks volumes

[45:34] about unsafe conditions that our kids and teachers are living with daily. By any objective

[45:40] analysis, Centennial is in dire need of renovation and has been for a very long time.

[45:46] With all the glaring inadequacies that Centennial and now acute system failures affecting daily

[45:51] life for students and staff, the renovation of this facility must take priority. We expect

[45:57] the ranking decision process to be transparent and to rely on objective data.

[46:01] This is a crisis happening now and the board needs to address it with a permanent solution.

[46:17] This concludes public hearing. We will now move on to the work session with board members.

[46:23] This work session will be focused on the fiscal 28 superintendents proposed state capital budget.

[46:31] But there will not be approval action tonight.

[46:36] The board will take action on the superintendents proposed state capital budget on September 24th at the regular meeting.

[46:45] It will be in the consent agenda.

[46:49] So this takes us to the fiscal 28 state capital budget work session.

[46:59] The associated documentation is the document that was prepared for the meeting on the 24th and is available online.

[47:16] Mr. Lutley, do you want to begin with any remarks or Mr. Brown, would you prefer to begin with any remarks?

[47:25] And I'm going to,

[47:32] we're going to pause.

[47:34] Can we please go into recess?

[48:13] The meeting will now resume.

[48:20] Thank you, Chair Malum.

[48:21] My name is Dan Lubli, Executive Director of Capital Planning and Construction.

[48:25] And with me this evening, Mr. Cornel Brown, our Chief Operating Officer.

[48:30] As indicated by Chair Malum, we are here to assist the Board of Education in their work session for the fiscal year 2028.

[48:38] Superintendents proposed state capital projects.

[48:43] As was presented on August 20th, there are four projects that are currently recommended for consideration to request state funding in the CIP, which is capital improvement program from the state for fiscal year 2028.

[49:00] Those projects include the Dunlog and Middle School Renovation In-Dition Project,

[49:06] two roof projects and a roof and envelope project at Long Reach High School.

[49:14] Mr. Brown and myself are here to assist the board in their discussion.

[49:23] Board members, if you would like to begin, does anyone want to kick this off?

[49:29] Please raise your hand.

[49:33] Ms. Watts, please go ahead.

[49:36] You may have answered this already.

[49:37] I apologize for asking this again.

[49:39] Can you explain the Longreach High School roof project

[49:43] what led to that project coming forward?

[49:46] I know I've seen Longreach coming up more and more.

[49:49] So I would just curious about the roof of the school.

[49:52] Yes, ma'am.

[49:52] Thank you for that question.

[49:53] So the Longreach roof and on the low project

[49:56] is actually a prior project that was in the capital budget

[50:00] previously.

[50:01] During the initial design of that project,

[50:05] In fact, there were several items that cropped up that forced that project to be held off due to scope as well as swing space issues.

[50:17] It has been a project that has been continuously in the capital budget under that systemic renovation modernization line item.

[50:24] The specific items that lead to the Longreach Project being recommended are one the roof.

[50:33] The Longreach roof is the next roof on our deferred maintenance for roof projects, as well

[50:38] as the envelope.

[50:40] There are several items that could cause concerns with infiltration of moisture, including some

[50:49] items with the exterior veneer, as well as flashing, as well as several window items that lead us to recommend this project.

[51:00] Ambalote means the surrounding package around the school, right?

[51:03] That is correct, yes, ma'am.

[51:05] I talked to the principal when she was saying it's falling off, so it's good here.

[51:09] I'm not aware of a section that has fallen off yet, but there are areas that you can see movement in the veneer.

[51:15] Okay, maybe that's I've taken a step further, but that's the issue saying that she can definitely see that there's some movement there.

[51:21] Understood. Okay, thank you.

[51:26] Dr. Chen, please go ahead.

[51:28] Yeah, I think first, you know, as a part, we do receive a lot of incident report when a school star, I think it's including Centennial.

[51:38] That's the other school happening.

[51:41] My question will be in terms of the Centennial three accidents.

[51:45] That's a separate the right.

[51:47] So is anything we can do to prevent similar thing happen?

[51:54] Yeah, thank you for that question.

[51:55] Cornel Brown chief operating officer.

[51:57] So the incidents as then presented through public testimony issues with our sprinkler system.

[52:07] While contractors were in the building performing work, we have some air bubbles in the system

[52:13] and they set off the fire alarm.

[52:15] So we have to evacuate, investigate, find out what the source of the problem is,

[52:21] correct it, students return to the building.

[52:24] In this case, for those fire alarm sprinkler issues, just take some time to troubleshoot and

[52:30] diagnose, but those issues were caused by work that was being performed in the building.

[52:37] The other issue with the VAV boxes could not be prevented.

[52:44] We have V of e boxes there and you spelled that out V as in Victor a as an air V as in Victor V a V in stands for yeah variable air volume.

[52:58] Thank you so there in the ceiling there are

[53:03] motors and components that push the air into the space at a certain volume so that they

[53:13] treated so you can cool it or they increase or decrease the flow of air to a particular

[53:19] space.

[53:20] So in this case the motor and belts failed and started to cause the burning in the odor and

[53:30] And we have several hundred VAV boxes through a high school facility, and yeah, there are several throughout the building.

[53:41] In this case, there was one that failed and caused the problem.

[53:47] So we had identified which VAV box failed, then we had to inspect the area, you know, just to see how extreme.

[53:58] And it was, the older was, and then I asked our HVAC team to adjust the air cycle to help dissipate the order within the building.

[54:16] So they had to work on the equipment to increase the air exchange so that we could dissipate the order over a quicker amount of time.

[54:26] identify where the variable air volume box failed and then make that, you know, repair was a belt or something that they had to replace.

[54:38] Nothing that you can avoid because we have those type of failures even on new systems.

[54:47] Even, you know, systems that are not as old, but we've been having some challenges, obviously,

[54:55] over as Centennial High, being that the equipment is old.

[54:59] But we have invested, once we replace the chiller,

[55:04] we're talking about some $3 million, and making repairs to the existing HVAC equipment,

[55:10] through the pneumatic controls, a new chiller is going to come online for the next cooling season.

[55:18] And we'll just continue to do our best to maintain the system as we do some of our other facilities.

[55:26] Thank you. I think, you know, from pan-society to care about, you know, care is a safety, but from the board, we do receive a lot of report.

[55:36] Centennial is one of them. I think it's another easy job to solve this quickly and respond quickly. I think, follow up with a question about Centennial.

[55:45] The trailer is a temporary, but by November, they will be removed by the permanent one.

[55:53] So the temporary chiller is a 330 pound tonne chiller that they're going to remove, I believe October the 26th is the date where we'll remove the temporary chiller, we'll be at the end of the cooling season and then December through February where the new chiller would be installed to get prepared for the cooling season.

[56:24] so when will start will be next year or because of this school year when we go

[56:28] after the winter when we transition back from our heating plant to our cooling

[56:34] plant the plan is to have the new chiller in place by spring by this okay

[56:41] got you okay well thank you I think I think I'm you know I've been the

[56:47] both for three years. Every year we try to get more money to solving those difficult issues.

[56:55] And I think from the county side, last year we got a very good support from county.

[57:03] But over the years, I think 70 million per year is not enough. The cost is increasing.

[57:09] The number of schools, we don't want to say, okay, we're coming here,

[57:13] Centennial coming here, then the Moscow coming. I think it really needs a team work. How can we increase the funding?

[57:21] It's 70 minutes, not acceptable. I think we need to figure out the solution.

[57:26] I know it's a harder burden on you guys because anything happens. People will look at the operation department, but it's probably the bigger than the operation.

[57:36] It's the whole funding formula.

[57:38] When I look at it, as you see, they have a big change.

[57:42] In the last 10 years, they have so much new buildings coming up.

[57:45] I don't know any funding is different.

[57:47] It's the use of different funding formula,

[57:51] what are we can do different?

[57:53] So for who using a different?

[57:54] For county community college.

[57:56] Because every time I saw, they have so much new buildings

[57:59] in the last 10 years.

[58:00] The parking lot, you know, they have new buildings

[58:03] and the new sports complex and a lot of new construction.

[58:07] Right, so I don't know until you know jealousy, but that's some comparison that people were wondering yeah

[58:15] Yeah, the community college they have a whole different funding stream between local government and state

[58:21] And and also it's a community college and you know, they have a

[58:25] tuition and you know, so it's a whole different on funding strategy then

[58:30] You know your local public school system

[58:33] So, we usually rely on state and local and at GCC can gather the tuition and the state

[58:43] and then the county.

[58:45] Yeah, I can go and specifically pull the information on, you know, the community college

[58:53] funding in the state of Maryland, but it's not the same funding structure that public schools

[58:59] have for, you know, capital development. But I don't want to misquote our

[59:04] mixed speak, but we can pull that information and just have some conversation

[59:08] with the board just for educational purposes to see the difference between

[59:13] how community colleges are funded for capital development and school districts

[59:19] are funded for capital development. Thank you. I think just from my person

[59:23] and the observance of 10 years, they have a lot of construction, right?

[59:28] I think, by any way, thank you.

[59:32] Next up, Mr. Ricks.

[59:36] Thank you.

[59:37] And they appreciate the update since we haven't had a meeting yet

[59:42] and all these things have come up before the meeting on things they were going on.

[59:45] So thank you.

[59:47] So my question, why I have to, the first was about the list.

[59:52] So we have four projects and I know it's on there that the total that is in here presented is higher than what we're doing.

[1:00:00] We're anticipating to get, so when we do get the final number, and if that number's less, then does it just go 1, 2, 3, and then 4 is off? Or does it depend on what the number is kind of how it all slots in? Like, how does that play out then when we find the final number? So the projects that are listed are listed in priority order. So it would be 1, 2, 3, 4. The state will fund them based off of the order that we provide them.

[1:00:29] to the state and that's one reason that we indicate that when we request the board to approve

[1:00:37] the state projects, we also request approval of the priority ordering so that when that does happen,

[1:00:44] the state knows where to put the money. The state does not want to just act on their own,

[1:00:50] they want to make sure that they are putting the money in the priority that we see as a county

[1:00:55] of where it needs to go.

[1:00:57] Okay, so then the number that we get from them

[1:01:00] is going to be some like denomination of one to two

[1:01:04] or one to three.

[1:01:05] Like they're not going to say like,

[1:01:07] well, we would have given you a little more than one

[1:01:09] through three, but that, you know,

[1:01:11] we can't afford number four.

[1:01:12] Like is that kind of how that goes?

[1:01:15] No, so the number one project right now in the priority

[1:01:18] is the Dunloggin Middle School.

[1:01:20] So that one, again, it's the HCPSS staff estimate

[1:01:24] that that project is actually eligible for more funding than we are requesting in fiscal year 28.

[1:01:30] The state is not going to increase our request because that is what we are actually requesting.

[1:01:36] They will honor our requests and then in the next year, the additional funds that will allow us to ask for that funding in the next fiscal year.

[1:01:47] Okay, so they're going to figure out an amount based on whatever how they figure it out.

[1:01:52] And then if there's a difference, the eligibility of that first project rolls over to the next year.

[1:02:00] So we're just saying, okay, great.

[1:02:04] And then just another question that I had, Ms. Watson is mentioning about long reach and

[1:02:08] about the outside of the building.

[1:02:10] I know that's the 90s vintage building and I recall Alchorgel's inventory also 90s vintage

[1:02:17] having a lot of issues with their bricks outside they had ones that were just crumbling

[1:02:22] and then they had an issue with the gymnasium wall that was sinking and daylight was visible.

[1:02:30] Is there a sprint some kind of quality concern with some of those materials of that time period?

[1:02:39] But are we seeing that at other buildings as well?

[1:02:41] Not in general, no.

[1:02:44] The construction and the quality or the material that has been used is fairly standard.

[1:02:49] I'm aware of both of these situations, and

[1:02:52] the preliminary investigation at Longreach is shown as because of flashing issues,

[1:03:00] needing for flashing, and some tie-back of that veneer.

[1:03:03] At Elk Ridge, it was due to underground water.

[1:03:06] There are streams and aquifers there that unfortunately had it sink, and that unsettled the wall, so it's not really the same at both different projects.

[1:03:19] Okay, and I know that there were also in other areas, the brick that was, it wasn't like a structural wall, but there were like, kind of walls around the stairs and walls around the dumpsters and stuff.

[1:03:29] but they were just kind of like crumbling and I don't know if that's similar to what's being seen at Longreach or it's all related to that flashing.

[1:03:41] It at Longreach is primarily related to the flashing there are different bricks that are used and they are fired differently so that could be something that shows up but at Longreach is more due to the actual construction of the flashing items like that.

[1:03:54] Okay. Thank you.

[1:03:59] Okay. Before Ms. Watts has a second turn, with regards to the Longreach

[1:04:05] High School envelope and roof project, is there any unspent prior appropriations being

[1:04:14] allocated towards this? Not prior allocations from the previous

[1:04:22] this would be a new request to the state and the local.

[1:04:27] Okay, so when the previous allocations were given,

[1:04:31] what were those allocations spent on since there were at some point,

[1:04:38] since the project never went forward, what was the allocation spent on,

[1:04:44] and is that going to be a problem with asking the state for money?

[1:04:51] So they were prior allocations.

[1:04:53] Understood.

[1:04:54] And that's a great question.

[1:04:56] And there will not be a problem.

[1:04:58] The prior project was actually rescinded from the state.

[1:05:00] So we did not actually receive funds.

[1:05:03] So they were not spent on anything else.

[1:05:06] So the project started.

[1:05:10] And it was a state project.

[1:05:11] But it did not actually get into full design and construction.

[1:05:15] So we did not receive any actual money from the state.

[1:05:18] So the project itself was rescinded, so there should be no issue from the state's perspective with regards to that.

[1:05:25] Okay, so how often do we have projects rescinded?

[1:05:32] It's not that often. Most of the projects go forward as planned.

[1:05:36] This was one, as I noted previously, the project started and there were several items that started to crop up in the design and investigation.

[1:05:44] One example would be the fireproofing.

[1:05:47] The fireproofing on the roof was expected to be solid, but as we started to do investigations and work on the roof, we started to notice that there were sections that were falling, that would impact the actual classrooms, and as part of the project there was, that was not part of the initial scope, and there was not swing space to accommodate that so the project could not move forward as it was originally conceived.

[1:06:13] Was

[1:06:18] the original Long Beach High School envelope project in the systemic renovations category?

[1:06:27] Yes, ma'am.

[1:06:28] At what point was that number adjusted for the rescission?

[1:06:37] Because I thought we had received funding and it was listed previously as an unspent prior allocation.

[1:06:44] So if we didn't receive the money,

[1:06:50] when we were in the initial investigation stages,

[1:06:55] how much was spent, where was that money allocated from,

[1:07:00] and then how was the board to know that there was a rescission?

[1:07:06] So with a state funder project, as the board knows,

[1:07:10] there's funding from the county and funding from the state.

[1:07:13] So during the design, that's typically funding that is spent from the county, not the state.

[1:07:20] And the state funding is received, or the state funding is initially allocated, but not

[1:07:27] actually provided until you actually start to expend it, and then it's a reimbursement.

[1:07:32] So even, and I'd have to go back and take a look to speak about it at 100% confidence, but

[1:07:38] But even if the long-reach project received an allocation, we did not actually receive any money.

[1:07:44] So rescinding a project with a state essentially means that we're taking it back as a request from the state and they eliminate that allocation.

[1:07:56] But no money was actually provided to us, so no state money was actually spent on that project.

[1:08:02] In fact, during the initial investigation, initial design, that was local dollar, that was spent, not state dollar.

[1:08:09] Right, how much was spent?

[1:08:11] I do not know that off the top of my head.

[1:08:13] We can take a look at that, and I can also look to see how the board was informed about the rescission.

[1:08:21] Okay, that would be great.

[1:08:23] I would like that follow up.

[1:08:26] Ms. Watts, please go ahead.

[1:08:28] I have a question. It's on page 117 of this book, the EFMP. I need someone to come with

[1:08:37] that acronym for this thing.

[1:08:40] I notice my hope that we just marched on this list, right?

[1:08:43] So looking at this, I can see where we are taking care of or have listed in here. Everything

[1:08:51] thing through Hollyfield Station Elementary.

[1:08:55] But then Lyme-Kill, for example, is right after Hollyfield Station, the deferred maintenance

[1:09:00] is 10.9.

[1:09:02] Mayfield Woods, the FCI score is 20 points, which is the highest, currently the highest

[1:09:08] FCI score of anything, bolts in elementary, the deferred maintenance is 13, and then we

[1:09:14] get to long reach.

[1:09:15] So I'm curious, why have we skipped over these three schools?

[1:09:19] I guess I can understand why Mayfield Woods, FCI because it seems like retargeting deferred maintenance right now, right?

[1:09:25] So, I'm curious why we skipped over

[1:09:28] Lyme-Kill and Fulton in favor of the Longreach project.

[1:09:32] So Lyme-Kill actually has an HVAC project that is currently in construction right now.

[1:09:38] Okay.

[1:09:38] So that is one project that, and it's literally in construction, this was the first summer, first phase of construction.

[1:09:44] So that will address a lot of the, not all, but a lot of the needs at Lyme-Kill

[1:09:49] and deferred maintenance items.

[1:09:51] Mayfield Woods was looked at and considered Mayfield Woods is a project that is currently in the long range master plan.

[1:09:58] And as we discussed, we're holding off on any modifications to that until we have the prioritization process completed.

[1:10:06] Fulton, we did look at that and it's not the only, but

[1:10:10] one of the largest aspects of deferred maintenance for Fulton is a roof project.

[1:10:14] And that was, I can tell you the look at it and tell you the year, but

[1:10:18] that was a project that is also currently in the works right now as the replacement of the roof at Fulton as well, which will address a lot of the deferred maintenance there.

[1:10:29] Why is it not before long reach?

[1:10:31] It is, that is already happening.

[1:10:35] The Fulton one?

[1:10:36] The Fulton one?

[1:10:36] Yes, ma'am.

[1:10:37] And maybe I line came is the one not happening may feel the woods is the one that's not happening because it is in the long range master plan.

[1:10:45] Fulton is currently under construction for HVAC and the Fulton roof and I'm surprised to have it right in front of me.

[1:10:57] Sorry, I don't have the year it started, but Fulton roof is a project, a recent project that's in the capital budget, so it is already in design to happen.

[1:11:07] So it is also happening before the long reach project.

[1:11:10] Okay, so and I'm going to make sure I have these notes of them right because I keep drawing arrows different things.

[1:11:16] Yes ma'am.

[1:11:16] Lime kiln is what's happening at Lime kiln?

[1:11:18] A full HVSE heating ventilation and air conditioning renovation project.

[1:11:25] And do you know what year it was a wrap up?

[1:11:30] 2028, it's got two more summers.

[1:11:32] So summer 27 and summer 28.

[1:11:34] So we are going through our list systematically.

[1:11:37] Well, you're trying.

[1:11:38] Yes.

[1:11:38] Okay. That was my question.

[1:11:39] All right. Thank you.

[1:11:40] Yes.

[1:11:42] Ms. Watts, can you reiterate what page that was?

[1:11:45] It is 117.

[1:11:47] It's the condition prioritization view.

[1:11:49] So that's like kind of what we're talking about right now.

[1:11:52] And if you go through like right now,

[1:11:54] we're talking about ill-chester.

[1:11:55] And this is the problem.

[1:11:56] I need to attach these things that are currently happening

[1:12:00] right in progress.

[1:12:01] So I know what, you know, we've done.

[1:12:03] So, Ilchester right now is on this list for a roof.

[1:12:07] We have Patapsco, Jeffertail, brought in Branch, Worthington, we've talked about those

[1:12:12] before.

[1:12:13] Holly Fulcation is also on our current list.

[1:12:17] And then my questions were about Ryan Kilm and Fulton, which both have projects that will

[1:12:23] address some of the deferred maintenance and Maple Woods is on a long range master plan.

[1:12:28] So it is in line as well.

[1:12:31] and then we get to the long-reach

[1:12:34] dogmark in Oakland, most often.

[1:12:36] Yes, ma'am.

[1:12:38] Okay.

[1:12:39] I need, if there is a way for me to, like,

[1:12:42] in this view or somewhere connect all these pieces,

[1:12:45] that'd be great for me to think about the timeline.

[1:12:49] Point me to the page.

[1:12:51] Is the request clear?

[1:12:53] It is clear.

[1:12:54] It's something that we will have to provide to you.

[1:12:56] There's not a chart in here that marches down.

[1:13:00] the different lists, because there is the one that's combined of the utilization space and facility condition.

[1:13:07] Page 117 is specifically looking at facility condition, but we can provide a list that shows how we.

[1:13:13] So it works down.

[1:13:14] For example, on 125, so I was looking at it on 125, but on 125, it doesn't actually have all of those other schools in there.

[1:13:22] So that I could like, it only has a handful of projects, right?

[1:13:26] So it'd be nice if maybe this chart was expanded so we can see the things that are being addressed.

[1:13:33] Yeah, that's why thank you for that.

[1:13:35] I was kind of clicking through, I was going to draw your attention to 125, and we kind of worked on that in this version of the educational facilities master plan this year, trying to see, because we got the same feedback, and I guess addition one of our EFMP and the project strategies chart.

[1:13:56] was designed this year to start to capture that information, and we're going to continue to develop it so that we can more comprehensively identify our high priorities and the strategies that we're using, and as you see here, the timeline for addressing those items.

[1:14:15] Yeah, that'd be great, because it looks like these are like the bigger projects on this 125, but it'd be nice to know the little projects that are different maintenance is picking those items.

[1:14:23] It's a lot.

[1:14:24] So again, we're completing the valuation of our program spaces and we're having conversations

[1:14:33] around what our 2027 EFMP would look like and how we will lay out the long range strategies

[1:14:40] and plans to the board in our FY29 capital budget and the conversations we're going to be

[1:14:46] having in the spring and in the next summer.

[1:14:48] Okay.

[1:14:49] Perfect.

[1:14:49] Thank you.

[1:14:51] And while we would like to have that for next summer if we could have it sooner, that would be even more helpful.

[1:15:00] The information and we can provide that information to the board. Thank you. Not that information, and I was talking about an expansion on this chart, but not the information that we're going to be putting together for next year's. Right. I understand. Okay. Oh, yes. Yes, ma'am.

[1:15:19] Director Chen, please go ahead.

[1:15:21] Yeah, I think I just follow up some questions.

[1:15:24] I emailed, keep up pretty much the same.

[1:15:27] So right now, every year, the budget seems

[1:15:29] to getting more expensive.

[1:15:32] Like at the log in, I'd remember the 70 and now it's 90.

[1:15:38] In terms of funding, that way it's a secure

[1:15:41] or we potentially will ask a little bit more funding.

[1:15:44] So the cost of construction is still in the 70 million down, this is the total estimate to include soft costs, and we have the done log in middle school, is it the CD that's when it comes?

[1:16:00] Yeah, the CD report, we'll have it at the October board meeting and by CD you meet the construction document report, thank you.

[1:16:09] The final final design phase right where we'll show what the

[1:16:13] Estimated construction cost are then have that conversation with the board

[1:16:18] But where it's 93.5 million is the total project cost to include you know design

[1:16:24] Construction management services and those type of activities in addition to the bricks and mortar construction

[1:16:31] Thank you. I think that's a good information. I think and that's also kind of answer because of the stage right now

[1:16:37] So it's a construction site.

[1:16:38] I think it's too far out to consider replacement, right?

[1:16:42] It's I think I'm trying to answer the question.

[1:16:44] Mr. Peter Man mentioned.

[1:16:46] For Dunlogging?

[1:16:47] If for Dunlogging, yeah.

[1:16:49] Yes, we're well along in the design phase.

[1:16:52] And I believe we've kind of start on that project prior to

[1:16:56] going back and forth, you know,

[1:16:58] whether it's replacement, renovation, addition.

[1:17:01] So we would like to continue to move.

[1:17:03] So it's not to impact the schedule.

[1:17:05] Okay.

[1:17:06] The other question is different maintenance.

[1:17:08] I remember last year, last season, it's a $193 million.

[1:17:13] Do we, data number is flat?

[1:17:17] Is it reduced or is growing?

[1:17:19] Every year, there's additional deferred maintenance

[1:17:23] and it's estimated at the $38 or whatever million annually.

[1:17:27] So we'll have to update that number

[1:17:30] from what we published last year

[1:17:33] and we can come to the board with that updated figure.

[1:17:37] Okay, what would be the timeline to see the number or be?

[1:17:41] Let me get back, I need to speak with our folks

[1:17:45] who are updating that data because we definitely would have that

[1:17:49] for this capital budget cycle to share that information

[1:17:53] so we can update that and provide when we'll have it.

[1:17:57] And that's the conversation that we'd like to couple

[1:17:59] with the local project discussion.

[1:18:02] And so we should they should have that you know almost done, but I'll come back to the board with the you know date. Okay

[1:18:10] My final one is the in terms of a centennial permanent at fact is that a limit of scope

[1:18:16] But just make sure AC functioning chiller. We are not a touch any inside doctor work in anything way

[1:18:24] Is that the chiller of a centennial? Yeah, yeah, that's just to replace the

[1:18:28] the chiller that failed, so they're engineering it to, you know,

[1:18:33] rice size it, it was 440, whatever tons.

[1:18:37] Now, I mean, yeah, 440 toned chiller was oversized.

[1:18:42] I'm told it's going to be engineered to a 400 toned chiller.

[1:18:48] The temporary chiller that's there is a 330 toned chiller,

[1:18:52] but that's the largest temporary chiller you can get.

[1:18:55] So we know it's not ideal.

[1:18:57] So, we're, you know, it's undersized, and that's why we're experiencing some of the challenges.

[1:19:02] Right.

[1:19:04] So, if that permanent solution materialized, that's the impact, that will be the impact on

[1:19:10] the score, is that make a centennial more further down, or how do we update that?

[1:19:19] It's like, yeah, so in the deferred maintenance, it will have a new chiller, but the overall

[1:19:26] plan itself is still retrofit it. So it's just the chiller. Okay. So the

[1:19:33] arteries and everything are still vintage with DDC controls that have been, you

[1:19:40] know, modified, but the rest of the building with the FCI score would still be

[1:19:45] the 50-year facility. There will be some improvement. We have to go through that

[1:19:50] process with the state on the updated, the updated. And I believe they are doing

[1:19:56] that with the next version of the SFA?

[1:19:59] Actually, this year does, yes, the Centennial

[1:20:02] and Oakland Mills High School were both part

[1:20:04] of the Fiscal Year 26 Refresh Review.

[1:20:07] So we're looking to get that information

[1:20:09] and go through it to make sure

[1:20:11] that we understand their numbers and any changes.

[1:20:14] But that should not,

[1:20:16] the Chiller should not be reflected in that

[1:20:17] as it has not been replaced yet.

[1:20:20] Okay, so they're re-evaluating those facilities now

[1:20:24] in the next update and we'll get new information based on the DDC and

[1:20:30] retrofit work that we did on both facilities and then you know at some point

[1:20:36] later then then the chiller and DDC is direct digital control it's the

[1:20:42] control of the HVAC system okay and a hypothetical question if we were

[1:20:47] run away is the chiller will be reuse basically oh we have to buy a new

[1:20:55] We've done that before, depends on the when, and if there's a facility where a 400-ton

[1:21:02] chiller would work and is needed based on a facility.

[1:21:07] But if we were to go and renovate any school building and we put in new air handling units,

[1:21:14] new rooftop units, new chillers, they could be salvaged and placed in another facility, but

[1:21:22] We have to marry it with the right facility in terms of the thermal needs.

[1:21:27] Yeah, the needs system, the type of system, it will work.

[1:21:31] Yeah.

[1:21:32] But I know last time I asked about how much just a referral bill should renovate the AC associated system.

[1:21:41] Even beyond each other seems to be expensive.

[1:21:44] It's almost one third of cost, more than one third cost of the total renovation.

[1:21:50] Is that correct number?

[1:21:51] You're asking about the level of investment that we've made in Centennial?

[1:21:57] No, Dr. Chin previously asked and I forget exactly when it was served in one of the prior capital budget processes.

[1:22:05] The question was asked if HVAC is one of the largest aspects, what would it cost to do in HVAC project there?

[1:22:14] And we took a look at that and we were trying to address that plus several other items.

[1:22:19] And you write that cost came out to around $70 something million.

[1:22:23] And that was roughly two thirds or so, the cost of a full renovation.

[1:22:32] But it would not address all the aspects.

[1:22:35] And that's one of the other things that we discussed is that there are multiple facility condition needs at Centennial.

[1:22:41] And while this would address the HVAC, it would not address a lot of the other items that we know about in that we have heard here.

[1:22:49] tonight. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Good. Thank you.

[1:22:52] That's all. Next up, Ms. McCoy. Yeah. Thank you. I appreciate the discussion. I just wanted to

[1:23:01] chime in about the feasibility of a high school renovation in the next few years.

[1:23:12] Based on the decision that the board made to do the smaller projects,

[1:23:16] and to use up all the bill to learn funds.

[1:23:20] What is the likelihood that any high school

[1:23:24] will be in the running for any funding

[1:23:30] outside of what's already been cast

[1:23:34] with in particular Oakland Mills and Centennial High Schools.

[1:23:38] Because I know both schools are in desperate need of renovation

[1:23:43] or replacement, but in the fiscal environment that we're in, what is the likelihood?

[1:23:53] Because all the passionate pleading and all of that won't change the fact that the money is not there.

[1:24:02] And so unless there is something that you all see down the road that would change,

[1:24:10] You know, even with working on the prioritization process and all of that, the high schools are going to be where they are up or down.

[1:24:19] And even if it's number one, if the funding doesn't come in, then we're going to get project number two.

[1:24:27] Is that correct?

[1:24:28] I just don't want people to get their hopes up that their pleading is going to make a difference because the ship has sailed

[1:24:37] with the bill to learn funds, unfortunately. The funding was used in a way that was not in favor

[1:24:47] of a large project with the leftover funding. So I don't know, I don't want people to think that

[1:24:56] their calling and writing and pleading is going to move it anywhere unless we've got some secret funds.

[1:25:03] And I just want to hear from you all what is the likelihood that we would even be able

[1:25:10] to touch Centennial or Oakland Mills High School schools, which are the next schools,

[1:25:19] I guess, that high schools that would need renovated.

[1:25:24] Yeah, currently, Oakland Mills High School, when you just go going back to page 125 in our

[1:25:32] educational facilities master plan, you'll see after Jeffers Hill Elementary, HVAC,

[1:25:40] Oakland Mills High, Mary Hill Middle, Brandwood Elementary, and Centennial High.

[1:25:45] After we get through the projects that would take us through 2031, they're the next major

[1:25:53] projects that we currently are identifying, and we're going to continue to be fine and

[1:26:01] and use the data that we have to kind of show up our priorities and our recommendation to the board for future projects.

[1:26:13] I'd just like to lift up that we are also per the board's direction and

[1:26:19] approval moving forward with evaluating public private partnerships,

[1:26:23] fingers crossed that could bring some opportunities to be creative and how we're doing our

[1:26:33] alternative financing and working with the county to get deeper into our list and to

[1:26:39] address some of our other needs in a different fiscal way.

[1:26:45] So we're looking to see if we can be more nimble and have more tools in our toolkit to address

[1:26:52] our needs so that we can get to more of our needs.

[1:26:56] So through the traditional funding, we've identified,

[1:27:00] we're built to learn, and capital dollars, how we want to pursue those.

[1:27:05] We're going to look at alternative financing with public private partnerships.

[1:27:10] We're going to move forward with our energy performance contracting so

[1:27:14] that we can identify other strategies to address our capital needs.

[1:27:20] So, we're trying to deploy all the strategies that are available to us and more to see how

[1:27:27] we can.

[1:27:28] I can't answer, you know, what's the likelihood, because then I, you know, that would

[1:27:33] be a guess on my part, but we want to look at the data, evaluate the data, look at the

[1:27:40] possibilities, evaluate those possibilities, and come up with strategies or implementation

[1:27:47] that we think we can execute and work with our partners,

[1:27:50] state and local and private entities once identified

[1:27:56] to do that, to catch up because we're behind.

[1:28:01] So I don't think that gives you an answer to say what's the likelihood

[1:28:04] but we're looking to see how creative we can to do more.

[1:28:09] I think I'm really trying to help people with their expectations because it is, you know,

[1:28:19] these are some hard fiscal times, and I'll be able to count on funding on the federal

[1:28:26] level.

[1:28:27] I'm just, you know, I'm glad you're talking about the P-3 public-private partnerships.

[1:28:35] But specifically about the high school projects is what I'm concerned because they're the bigger.

[1:28:42] They take the biggest chunk of money.

[1:28:44] And we've got so many other needs that have been delayed.

[1:28:49] I just want to help people with their expectations.

[1:28:55] I mean, both the high school, the 50-year-old high schools are in desperate need of renovation

[1:29:03] and they should have been done.

[1:29:05] But even before I got on the board or anybody who's on the board or on the board, the things

[1:29:09] have done, been done, the way they've been done.

[1:29:11] I just want to help people with their expectations.

[1:29:16] Thank you.

[1:29:17] And I think the reasonableness of that question, you know, as people in schools,

[1:29:22] community start to exert energy, we heard, you know, people keep coming back,

[1:29:27] keep coming back. But it is appropriate. Like, so my question curiosity,

[1:29:32] if the answer is we don't know yet, as we don't know yet. But based on the way the board

[1:29:36] is voted and laid out, all those projects you listed, and you said,

[1:29:41] this, this, this, and this before we get to the next batch, like, is before

[1:29:44] Before we get the next batch a month from now, where we start allocating and asking the

[1:29:48] board for funding that would initiate those projects or might it be, or we don't, it

[1:29:54] just can't be, because the dollars are extended, so we're, you know, and if the answer is,

[1:29:59] That's what we're doing.

[1:30:00] That's what we're in the process of doing. That's the answer and we'll people are being given. I'm just talking about like a high school project. That's to miss McCoy's exit. I mean, simplifying it is the community likely to see any high school project advances a local project. Is that reasonable given the way the dollars were laying out? Or do we just don't have that information until a month from now? Yeah, we don't we don't have that information, but we like to think that this time next year, we will have that laid out.

[1:30:30] But not this time next month, but this time next year.

[1:30:33] Okay, that's what I think Miss McCoy's getting at is, you know, what are people likely, you know, as they spend their energy?

[1:30:41] It feels like we need to spend some energy advocating and pointing out the things that we're observing.

[1:30:46] But also on securing funding, supporting P3, supporting all the things that you're doing because I appreciate the effort you've taken to increase alternative revenues.

[1:30:56] And it's going to pay really long-term dividends.

[1:31:00] But if money is spent in such a way and

[1:31:04] built and learned is expended and spoken for, and that doesn't provide Centennial Longreach,

[1:31:12] Oklahoma Mills, any of the high schools to be a realistic something we bring to the board.

[1:31:18] And I think it is fair to say to people this time next year.

[1:31:22] And that's what yes, and thank you, thank you for that and that perspective.

[1:31:27] So, the true cost of ownership is what we want to define for the board.

[1:31:33] And we've kind of benchmarked that and put that number out there when you look at industry standard.

[1:31:40] So, when we get all this information and start to lay it out, then I'd like to prepare a 20 year snapshot

[1:31:49] not of when we will go through what year one and what year 20 would look like and what

[1:31:55] the cost would be above and beyond what we have been presenting to the public, right?

[1:32:03] I'm through, you know, through the superintendent board and to our local officials.

[1:32:09] I had one other question, but is my time up?

[1:32:14] No.

[1:32:15] Okay.

[1:32:16] My question was, someone, I believe a couple of people advocated for changing the

[1:32:22] done log in from a renovation to a replacement. I remember when I first came on the board,

[1:32:28] I forgot what it was, it was changed. Oh, it was, what they switched projects, I believe.

[1:32:34] And the money was already spent on design. As far as we, as far down the road as we are with the

[1:32:43] done log in project, please help the public to understand the cost. If we said, oh, you know,

[1:32:51] We really should get them a new building.

[1:32:55] What would be the cost of that because it sounds good, but is it realistic, and is it even possible?

[1:33:04] Is it possible, yes, anything is possible, because as was indicated in the public hearing, the shovels have not hit the ground yet.

[1:33:12] As Mr. Brown indicated that on at the October meeting, we are scheduled to bring the final design phase,

[1:33:21] the construction document design phase to the Board of Education for approval.

[1:33:24] When that is approved, that is submitted to the state for their final review to allow us to go to bidding.

[1:33:31] And I indicate that so that the public will understand that we are essentially through the complete design of the renovation and addition portion.

[1:33:40] So if the decision was made to change the Dunlog and project scope from a renovation back to a replacement that would essentially stop the project and we would have to start over from the beginning because of the, bless you, because of the requirements with the state to county.

[1:34:03] that would start the process over and the design would be two years from that point on before we would then even get into construction.

[1:34:12] So, that's one aspect to consider is, if that decision was made, it would ultimately be a new facility.

[1:34:21] That would delay the delivery of that facility as well in the schedule of that project.

[1:34:26] So I just want to interrupt you.

[1:34:29] I was asking about the cost.

[1:34:31] The design process isn't free.

[1:34:34] That's correct.

[1:34:36] And you haven't talked about the cost.

[1:34:38] If we do, if we were to change it to a replacement,

[1:34:46] what monies have already been spent for the design of the renovation project.

[1:34:55] And, you know, because that is a huge amount, I think we wasted a whole bunch of money when I first came on the board because the board changes mine.

[1:35:08] So just want to speak to the cost of changing, you know, when we're at this part, the stage of the process.

[1:35:16] Yes, thank you.

[1:35:17] Yes, ma'am.

[1:35:18] So, I don't want to misquote a dollar amount, but essentially, we have expended just about

[1:35:24] the entire design fee for the renovation and addition that is easily between the entire

[1:35:31] design team and the construction manager well over a million, if memory serves is closer

[1:35:37] to $2 million, that would have to, that the work has been done so that has been paid out.

[1:35:43] So, that would be, let's just call it the $2 million that would have to be then forfitted.

[1:35:50] We'd have to start back over and essentially that would be the same fee for the next design for the replacement as well.

[1:35:58] Right, and we don't have money to waste.

[1:36:00] Thank you.

[1:36:01] Yes, ma'am.

[1:36:02] Ms. Watts.

[1:36:06] The superintendent started down the path of level setting, kind of trying to pick up some more pieces there.

[1:36:11] and I also just wanted to point out that in on 117, which is the page I thought you were going to refer to,

[1:36:19] I think while the high school, as long as you're high school, then while the high school, then you're attending a high school.

[1:36:26] So if we're looking at the, right now we're talking about state fundings and what we can do there,

[1:36:33] we have some top 10s that are before, even some of the high schools that have been mentioned on 125.

[1:36:40] And so when you're saying that to level set what's going to happen in, I hope you would explain, what's going to happen in this time of next year, that would give us even more level setting.

[1:36:55] Like what are we planning on doing and what's like, you know, what would also feed into some of what's going to change with these, with these values, assuming nothing even changes with this, whatever the committee is going to bring back.

[1:37:05] So, you know, we're going to have different numbers here.

[1:37:10] These are going to be shuffled around.

[1:37:11] And I, you know, I want a dashboard, right?

[1:37:14] Like, I want something that's live and, like, constantly updating to Dr.

[1:37:17] Ten's point. Like, I can look at, he mentioned Centennial from last year.

[1:37:21] They were, you know, a different score than they are this year.

[1:37:24] And we don't have a lot of, like, transparency in how we,

[1:37:27] or what that move will look like.

[1:37:29] What that move will look like when we put all these roofs on these other schools, right?

[1:37:32] So, like, I don't know where it's going to be.

[1:37:35] Just trying to, like, even more so level set and we're talking about what community, it is my hope

[1:37:41] and I'll keep saying this that we don't have to have anybody in here with any signs or shirts.

[1:37:45] It doesn't find for anything because we have a process built out that allows us to just march down these lists and

[1:37:50] just go through, like, the schools that this school needs us, the school needs us and like, so can you explain your vision

[1:37:56] a little bit more crude oil that like what a year from now, Mr. Brown.

[1:38:03] A year from now, what's going to happen and what are you envision seeing and then that?

[1:38:08] Yes, I will, Mr. Looley had a point of clarification to make prior to the answer to that question.

[1:38:14] Yes, thank you, Mr. Brown.

[1:38:15] I do want to just provide a clarification for level setting.

[1:38:19] Is we have been talking about the chart that is on page 117.

[1:38:24] that is specifically for the facility condition.

[1:38:28] Yeah, yeah.

[1:38:28] What the Board of Education has approved, though, in the process is condition utilization is based combined, which is actually the chart on page 115.

[1:38:38] So the reason why I'm pointing that out is because the conversation we're centered on right now is specific to these kinds of projects that are on capacity or on a condition and that index.

[1:38:51] Yes, ma'am, I just wanted to provide the clarification for the community because as we level set with all the different items that are happening

[1:38:59] That stuff and as Mr. Brown is going to mention in a moment the

[1:39:03] Sufficiency study would affect the chart that is on page 115, but would not affect it on 117

[1:39:08] So I wanted to find any need to be understanding which chart we should actually be looking at

[1:39:13] So we've been moving forward. Thank you for that. Yes, definitely

[1:39:16] Well, we've been moving forward with building condition as the main data point and decision driver.

[1:39:24] But we know that we have program requirements, whether it's special ed, early childhood,

[1:39:30] what does our high school look like for us, and so on and so forth.

[1:39:35] So we will be working with our instructional counter parts to evaluate the program sufficiency data.

[1:39:44] And then a couple of that with the building condition data to come back to the board with a more comprehensive implementation strategy to address the needs of the school system, not only for the aging air conditioning system or roofing system, but also for those spaces that should accommodate our wraparound services for our students.

[1:40:08] But we have a 1970 building, but, you know, a 2026 program requirements, yes.

[1:40:18] And maybe this is a conversation you and I just had.

[1:40:23] Do we envision educational sufficiency staying within the utilization category?

[1:40:28] Or we imagine because it's directly related to the building that it would be in the condition aspect of it.

[1:40:37] The board directs us to have a work session, so does the report, does being generated with recommendations on what the work group is recommending to how to modify the prioritization metrics and ranking and scoring and how those categories will be adjusted.

[1:41:00] So that will be presented to the superintendent that come to the board for the board to deliberate and then to make it, you know, come to a decision on how the prioritization process will work moving forward.

[1:41:15] I think that's why I was asking about it on 117 because I thought this thinking about where we're going, okay.

[1:41:23] Yeah, you're correct there. Thank you.

[1:41:25] Okay,

[1:41:30] folks, there are no more hands,

[1:41:35] so unless someone raises their hand and has a question,

[1:41:39] this meeting will be almost done.

[1:41:43] There are no more items on the agenda.

[1:41:45] I just want to give people a chance to raise their hand and to remind folks that the action

[1:41:53] will be on the state's, the submission to the state request for budget items.

[1:42:01] And that would be done log in minutes, middle school,

[1:42:05] ill-tuster elementary school roof,

[1:42:08] high-level field station, elementary school roof,

[1:42:11] and long-reach high school envelope and roof.

[1:42:16] And that will be on September 24th.

[1:42:19] And then after that,

[1:42:21] We will move on to local projects, etc.

[1:42:27] Okay, there are no hands.

[1:42:29] This meeting is now adjourned.

4 p.m. FY28 Capital Budget & FY28-33 Capital Improvement Program Public Hearing and Work Session of the Board of Education of Howard County - Sep 10 2026

Agenda

Transcript