Business, Education, Politics

Olszewski announces $80 million in state grant funds to accelerate key school construction projects

TOWSON, MD—Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski on Tuesday announced $80 million in additional state grant funds that will be leveraged to support a number of major ongoing school construction projects.

Specifically, Olszewski announced:

  • $26 million in additional funds towards a new Lansdowne High School;
  • $20 million in additional funds towards a like-new Towson High School;
  • $15 million in additiPine Grove Middle School.onal funds towards a new Deer Park Elementary School;
  • $10 million towards in additional funds a new Scotts Branch Elementary School;
  • $8 million in additional funds towards a new addition at Dundalk High School; and
  • $1 million in additional funds towards a new addition at new Pine Grove Middle School.

“Baltimore County children and educators deserve world class school facilities that are modern and safe, which is why we continue to invest historic resources in the fulfillment of this promise,” said County Executive Johnny Olszewski. “I’m grateful to all our state legislators whose partnership and shared commitment on this critical issue is allowing Baltimore County to raise the bar for school construction investments across all of our communities.”

Md. Laws, Ch. 344 (SB 291) appropriated $237 million in state pass-through block grant funds administered by the Maryland Interagency Commission on School Construction (IAC) for school construction projects in specified jurisdictions. Baltimore County was awarded $80 million in these one-time grant funds for county-selected school construction projects.

These grant funds announced today will amplify Baltimore County’s record investments in school construction, including nearly $210 million of new local capital funding in Olszewski’s recently approved FY24 budget for school construction.

By providing additional funds to these existing projects, Baltimore County will be able to move forward more quickly in future years on other critical projects, such as a new Dulaney High school, solutions for high school overcrowding in the Northeast and Southeast areas of the County, plans for a new CTE Center in Northwest Baltimore County, and more.

The upcoming school rebuilds and renovations are part of Olszewski’s $3.3 billion plan to improve every school in Baltimore County over 15 years. The long-term vision aims to eliminate the need for trailers within a decade and includes hundreds of millions of dollars in new investments in CTE, pre-k, aging high schools, security upgrades, special and alternative schools, and community schools, which provide essential wraparound services.

Photo via Pixabay

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