(8/2024) With the first day of school a few short weeks away, it’s a good time to look at how our growing community is tackling the issue of school overcrowding.

Because Frederick County is such a great place to live, more families are moving here. That means we need more classroom space. At the same time, many of our older schools need updates. My Administration is looking at ways to address both challenges at the same time.

For the first time in Frederick County’s history, I established a dedicated, ongoing source of funding to help the County address the needs of our existing and aging schools more quickly.

And just last week, I announced several steps to bring us closer to solving the school construction challenges. These steps will add new capacity sooner than anticipated, create extra space at our most overcrowded school, and add more sites for future schools.

How We Got Here

Growth has been an issue here for many years. Between 2011-2014 – more than 10 years ago – 44 residential housing developments were approved. You see the new houses being built, and there are several of these developments that are still being built out.

Because of this, over the last 10 years the County has constructed news schools and expanded others. More than 5,000 seats have been added to accommodate the increase in students who come from these new homes.

My Administration has been working hard with Frederick County Public Schools to find even more space. Last September, I announced the purchase of a 100-acre site in the Monrovia area. We expect that site will be home to the County’s 11th high school. And in April, I added a new Brunswick High School to the County’s Capital Improvement Plan.

We also need space at the elementary level. I am happy to report we have identified a property near Mussetter Road and MD Rt. 144, in the Greenview neighborhood of New Market. This will be the location for Elementary School #41, an 881-seat elementary school.

Paying for Construction

My FY-25 budget includes over $680M in for school construction projects. With the County’s support, I also put in place an ongoing, dedicated revenue stream to help with our aging school buildings. This new funding, along with existing fees developers pay to build new capacity, will help us address school construction needs.

The cost to build a school is a shared responsibility between the State and the County. The Board of Education sets the priority for the order schools are built. Elementary School #41 was the top priority in this year’s BOE request. While the State Interagency Commission on School Construction approved the location for the school, they did not approve any funding or give local planning approval this year. Local planning approval is the State’s assurance that they will share in the cost to build a school.

Creative Solutions

Frederick County can no longer wait for the State. Oakdale Elementary School is projected to be over 170% of its capacity when it reopens for the new school year later this month.

I have a plan to lessen the impact of school overcrowding and new residential growth. This plan includes three new components.

First, I will commit $3 million to begin the design of School #41. The money will come from fees the developers have already paid to the County in the form of school mitigation fees. I want to be clear – this is 100% developer-funded and not taxpayer dollars. The County Council would need to approve this as a supplemental budget. By starting the design work now, the school could open a year sooner than planned, in August 2027, assuming the State grants planning approval for construction to begin in FY-26.

The second step will help relieve crowding at Oakdale Elementary until the new school is built. There isn’t enough space at Oakdale for the portable classrooms that are needed. So I directed staff to work with the school system on a creative solution. Next to the school is land where a library will be built in four years. For the next few years, until Elementary School #41 is built, that site can be used for field space for Oakdale students. That allows FCPS to use land next to the main building for extra indoor space for core uses, like a cafeteria or gymnasium. This plan would still allow the library to open on time.

Finally, we know Oakdale isn’t the only school facing overcrowding. The County and FCPS are always anticipating future needs. School sites are extremely hard to find, and they are growing more expensive. So I am excited that we have purchased almost 20 acres of land on Gas House Pike for a future school. The land was paid for by developers, not taxpayers. It’s a real win!

We aren’t stopping there. Two other developers are in the process of donating land for school sites, one for a middle school in Gordon Mills, and the other or an elementary school on the Casey property. My staff and FCPS are working together every day to find the best solutions for our students, our families, and our community.