School Superintendent Wants Construction Funding Restored

Smith says county executive’s capital budget plan could stifle vocational program expansion

By Caitlynn Peetz

Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Jack Smith speaks during a press conference Thursday morning in Rockville. Caitlynn Peetz

Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Jack Smith is raising “concern” over cuts to the county’s capital budget proposed this week by County Executive Marc Elrich.

Elrich’s recommendation to not fund the school system’s request for an additional $37 million in its six-year capital improvements program would stunt plans to expand Seneca Valley High School’s technology programs, Smith said at a regularly scheduled meeting with reporters Thursday.

The school system wants to transform Seneca Valley, in Germantown, into the second regional hub for career readiness vocational programs. Thomas Edison High School of Technology in Wheaton has the county’s only similar program.

“I’m really hoping the County Council will take a hard look at that $37 million and add that back into the capital budget,” he said.

Since taking the helm of Montgomery County schools, Smith has advocated for college and career readiness programs, emphasizing students should be prepared to pursue the path of their choosing after high school.

Roughly $28 million of the requested increases to the school’s CIP was intended for security upgrades at local schools, while $7.5 million was allocated for the Seneca Valley project.

The school district receives about $1.78 billion of the county’s $4.3 billion fiscal 2019-2024 capital budget, adopted last year.

At recent public meetings, the county executive has indicated his support of expanding career and technical education programs in Montgomery County, but his staff said Thursday the financial constraints of the capital budget put him in a difficult position.

Elrich’s top priority is education, county Capital Budget Manager Mary Beck said, so he advised county staff to maintain funding for previously approved projects, but funding new projects wasn’t feasible.

The County Council and school district will have the opportunity to reprioritize projects in the coming months before the county’s capital budget and CIP amendments are finalized.

“The county executive essentially said, ‘Here’s the funding I have available right now,’ and left it to the schools and council to decide if some newer requests are more important than previously approved projects,” Beck said. “I understand the school district may not feel they came out ahead staying where they are funding-wise, but they did.”

With about 1,200 students, Seneca Valley offers five “Career Academies” intended to prepare students for college and career opportunities focused on technology, science, arts and media, business and finance and human services.

Academy students complete between four and six academy courses and have internship opportunities, related field trips and other career-centered activities to provide real-world connections between school curriculum and careers, according to the school’s website.

Thomas Edison, a vocational school offering career-oriented programs in technical programs, provides students the opportunity to earn degrees and certifications that could help them secure jobs paying more than double the minimum wage, all before even earning their high school diploma, according to county school officials.