Md. panel considers how to build a better school building

ANNAPOLIS — Aging schools, population shifts and changing educational needs — not to mention changes in the economy — present new challenges as state and local governments try to keep up with construction and renovation needs.

A new state panel looking into the methods and costs of school construction met for the first time Thursday in Annapolis, and got an overview of current funding and construction requirements.

The 21st Century School Facilities Commission, which includes state officials and private-sector professionals, will spend the next seven months reviewing building specifications, construction practices, enrollment, maintenance and financing to make recommendations for future projects in the state's 24 public-school systems.

Key to the discussions will be how curricula and technology will change the way schools educate students, said state Sen. Andrew A. Serafini, R-Washington, and building facilities with the flexibility to handle it.

Serafini and Washington County Public Schools Superintendent Clayton Wilcox were named to the commission earlier this month.

The commission will meet regularly through December, examining construction needs, funding mechanisms, potential cost efficiencies and the relationship between local and state government departments and contractors.

The commission must file a report in December for legislators to consider when the Maryland General Assembly reconvenes in January.

Its work comes as Washington County Public Schools complete Jonathan Hager Elementary School in Hagerstown and plan future construction and replacement projects.

The recently replaced Bester Elementary School in Hagerstown was among 13 examples of recently approved construction that the commission looked at Thursday.

The cost to replace Bester was the lowest of the 13 projects at $19.02 million. The per-student cost also was the lowest at $31,278.

The new Allegany High School in Cumberland had the highest per-student cost at $68,769, but the school with the highest total price tag was the new Frederick High School, which came in at more than $87 million.

And that doesn't count design, engineering or furnishings.

"One of the things that I heard clearly is that there’s a momentum building to build more efficient buildings, to build buildings that are less expensive," Wilcox said. "We’ve tried hard in Washington County to do that already, so I’m going to be excited to hear the new ideas that people might have to add value to our facilities."

How to pay for those schools is a major component of the commission's work.

The public-private partnership used to renovate the downtown building that houses the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts in Hagerstown was cited as an example of alternative financing that could be used for school-construction projects.

A 2004 study recommended such partnerships, but legislative analyst Rachel Hise noted BISFA is "really the only example to date of a full-blown (public-private) project."

But that likely will change. Wilcox said he believed commission members wanted to see more engagement between school systems and the private sector.

"It's impressive at some level that Washington County schools are considered leaders," Serafini said.

"I feel pretty good that Washington County has two people on the commission," he said, adding the number of members from the private sector was an advantage. "I know there's some concern: 'Is this gonna be political?,' but I don't think so," Serafini said

The commission will meet next on July 21 to discuss construction needs and maintenance practices.