Earlier this week, Montgomery County Public Schools submitted the Superintendent’s Recommended FY 2026 Capital Budget and Amendments to the FY 2025–2030 Capital Improvements Program to the Montgomery County Board of Education. 

Superintendent Dr. Thomas Taylor expects staff at all levels of the organization to identify and adhere to proper financial protocols and practices. The superintendent believes that it is critical for MCPS to share details about project performance, including shortcomings. 

To that end, in preparing the Fiscal Year 2026 Capital Budget this year, we’ve identified an error in our submission for state aid in the Charles E. Woodward High School construction project, creating a revenue shortfall of $39.3 million in the FY 2026 Capital Budget. Dating back to 2021, MCPS miscalculated prevailing wage and bid awards across the multiple phases of the project. This error was entirely MCPS'.

This revelation is supremely disappointing and the superintendent believes that it is essential for MCPS to present this issue transparently and to work with funding partners proactively to keep project progress moving forward. We thank our state partners for working with us to address this development. And we look forward to collaborating with the Montgomery County Council on how best to complete necessary school construction projects.

MCPS is proactively working to close the revenue gap by reallocating unexpended funds from completed capital projects. These reallocations will not affect planned upgrades or infrastructure improvements for those projects.

The superintendent also recommends reallocating placeholder funds from later in the CIP period to keep the major current construction projects whole and on track. These projects include:

• The balance of construction funding for the reopening of Charles W. Woodward High School, including the auditorium.
• Construction of the new Crown High School, including the auditorium, stadium and other classroom spaces.
• Funds for the stadium and outdoor spaces in the replacement of the Northwood High School building.
• Funds to complete the critical heating, ventilation and air conditioning infrastructure project at A. Mario Loiederman Middle School.

While we’ve mitigated some of the impact, MCPS is requesting $21.6 million in new local funding to complete these school projects.

The superintendent will present these recommendations in more detail during a work session at the Montgomery County Board of Education on Thursday, Oct. 24.

We are committed to prioritizing transparency, internal controls and financial accountability. By doing so, we hope we demonstrate our dedication to providing our students with the best possible education.