By Adam Pagnucco.
MCPS Superintendent Thomas Taylor’s massive recommended Capital Improvements Program (CIP), which is his proposed six-year capital budget, is due for a vote by the Board of Education tomorrow. The version of the capital budget approved by the board will then head to the county executive for his consideration in his recommended CIP (due on January 15) and then to the county council for its final decision. Elements of Taylor’s capital budget have provoked protests in the community, especially for his plans in Silver Spring and his proposal to use the new Crown High School in Gaithersburg as a holding school.
Accordingly, freshman Board of Education Member Rita Montoya will be proposing two amendments to Taylor’s capital budget tomorrow. The first amendment would remove the Sligo Creek Elementary School Replacement and Sligo Middle School Renewal/Addition projects from the budget. This would essentially prevent them from being converted into holding schools, at least for now, pending a vote by the school board to recharacterize these buildings. The second amendment would delete two replacement elementary school projects (Cold Spring and Highland View) and shift the money into HVAC replacements. Montoya’s rationale is that elementary school enrollment is declining and an elementary school boundary study will be underway shortly, so building new schools now is premature, while HVAC is a well-understood and urgent need.
Montoya’s amendments require a second from a colleague and then must pass a vote by the full board to take effect.
Below is a statement by Montoya on the rationale for her amendments.
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As Montgomery County Public Schools comes to terms with declining enrollment and increasing budget constraints, strong fiscal stewardship and transparency in decision-making are crucial. Budgets ARE value statements. MCPS’ facilities budget and Capital Improvements Plan must reflect the reality of the school district. Accordingly, these amendments to the CIP are proposed in the spirit of good fiscal stewardship and systemic transparency. The Board of Education has not held a vote to close Silver Spring International Middle School and our budget should reflect that. Additionally, as we grapple with the impacts of declining projected enrollment; major elementary school facility needs, including some that we are still learning about; unstable fiscal environments; and an incoming elementary school boundary study, a prudent choice is to pause on building more schools and invest in what we have. With over $700 million in HVAC needs, allocating the money to HVAC rather than to build two new elementary schools, demonstrates historic awareness and investment into thousands of Montgomery County children and employees. It is imperative that the community’s money be spent wisely and in full transparency to the public.
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The text of her amendments, which affect this draft budget resolution, appears below.
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TEXT OF MOTION (DRAFT – 11-19-25).
”I move that the Board amend the Resolution as follows:
- On Attachment A, remove the Sligo Creek Elementary School Replacement to decrease funding in Individual School Projects by $70,516,000.
- On Attachment A, add ‘Major Capital Project’ and increase funding by $70,516,000 in Elementary School Major Capital Projects.
- On Attachment A, re-title ‘Sligo Middle School (renewal/addition)’ in Secondary School Major Capital Projects as ‘Major Capital Project’ as a placeholder for a Major Capital Project at a middle school.”
TEXT OF MOTION (DRAFT – 11-19-25).
”I move that the Board amend the Resolution as follows:
- On Attachment A, remove the Cold Spring Elementary School and Highland View Elementary School replacement projects to decrease funding recommended in the Major Capital Projects – Elementary Countywide Project by $127,365,000.
- On Attachment A, increase funding recommended in the HVAC Replacement Countywide Project in Fiscal Years 2027 and 2028 by $127,365,000.
- On Attachment B, revise the list of Systemic Maintenance Projects in the FY 2027 State Capital Improvements Program request consistent with the referenced project removal and funding reallocation.
- In the second Resolved, revise the amount of the Fiscal Year 2027 State Capital Improvements Program request consistent with the referenced project removal and funding reallocation.”
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