SNOW HILL– A new committee will review public school construction funding in Worcester County.
The Worcester County Commissioners this week voted 6-1 to create a committee to consider development of a policy on school construction funding. According to county staff, this is an ideal time for the issue to be considered because a new school is being planned in Berlin.
“Given the Buckingham project is in its early stages this is an opportune time for a discussion of this nature,” said Chief Administrative Officer Weston Young.
Young told the commissioners this week that the state provides a 50-50 match for school construction up to a certain gross square footage that’s based on enrollment. He said any square footage beyond the formulated footprint would have to be funded locally. Currently, there are four schools, including Buckingham, in the governor’s budget, Young said. He explained that all four are above the state calculated size, which means there will be a portion of each facility that will be funded locally.
“With the upcoming Buckingham Elementary School replacement project, we wanted to facilitate a conversation with the group setting a policy, something that would set expectations for future school construction,” Young said.
You can build all the new buildings you want. But if you don’t change what’s going on inside. It’s just lipstick on a pig.
Taxpayers should vote on all new schools, yay or nay.