Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Superintendent Dr. Thomas W. Taylor released a facilities assessment revealing that the school system needs more than $5 billion to address critical building conditions across the district, nearly double what can be requested under current county funding guidelines.

MCPS has a huge problem: one that has been decades in the making. Running from it or denying it will not work. For years, the system has added capacity to keep pace with growth while deferring major system upgrades and repairs. Short-term fixes became the norm. The result is a backlog that will take years and discipline to resolve.

The FY 2027 Capital Budget and FY 2027–2032 Capital Improvements Program (CIP), a recommendation presented during today's Board of Education meeting, requests $2.7 billion over six years. However, it represents only about half of what district facilities actually need. The gap exists because county bonding capacity and state resources cannot keep pace with the accumulated impact of decades of enrollment growth, deferred maintenance, and system-by-system aging across 238 schools and facilities. Three-quarters of MCPS buildings now require significant repair or are considered functionally unreliable, according to a recent report by the State Comptroller.

This is the first step in a long, multi-decade plan of correction. No single plan can fix everything overnight—but this Capital Improvements Plan will change the trajectory. It lays the groundwork for lasting improvements to MCPS facilities, creating spaces to better support teaching and learning.

What We Are Going to Do to Improve MCPS Schools and Facilities
The Superintendent's recommended CIP sets in motion new strategies, setting the district on a course to improve learning and working environments for all MCPS staff, students, and families. Our shifting circumstances require a change to new strategies:

• Grow investment to "catch up" to an equilibrium point where buildings and systems are replaced before they have deteriorated well past their useful life;
• Use data to address full building projects rather than small, short-term fixes;
• Solve long-standing district infrastructure problems to create operational efficiency; and
• Make effective and prudent use of existing facility resources, such as holding schools, to maximize value.

Key Priorities of the Recommended CIP

• Slow the Widening of the Facilities Gap –  Take planful action now to prevent conditions from worsening. By addressing the most urgent needs first, we can slow the rate of decline of district schools and facilities.
• Complete Projects in Process – Funding to finish major efforts already underway, including Crown High School, Woodward High School, Burtonsville Elementary School, Northwood High School, and Broad Acres Elementary School.
• Invest in Systemic Upgrades – Significant increases in HVAC, roof replacement, emergency component replacement, and restroom renovation projects. For example, HVAC funding rises from $39.5 million in FY 2026 to $55 million in FY 2027 and will double by FY 2032.
• Address Aging Schools – Major projects initiated in this CIP include Sligo Creek, Burning Tree, Piney Branch, Highland View, and Cold Spring elementary schools; Eastern and Sligo middle schools; and Damascus High School.
• Account for Inflation – Each project includes cost-of-time factors to keep pace with rising construction expenses.
• Renew Operational Facilities – Planning for upgrades at the Carver Educational Services Center, Materials Management Warehouse, and transportation depots to ensure continuity of essential services.
• Strategic Stewardship – A data-driven, "must-do" approach that prioritizes lifecycle maintenance and renewal over discretionary expansion, ensuring fiscal responsibility and sustainability.

Budget Spreadsheets Tell the Story
See the “Real Ask” $2.7 Billion Superintendent’s Spreadsheet
See the “Hard Truth” $5 Billion Spreadsheet

See the Full 2027-2032 Recommended Capital Improvements Plan
Highlights of the Recommended CIP / The "Real Ask"

• A CIP Request to Make Progress – $2.7 Billion for renovation, renewal, and replacement projects systemwide.
• New Prioritization Framework based on building condition, utilization, educational adequacy, enhanced student needs, and swing-space availability.
• Lifecycle Planning that sets benchmarks for systematic renovations, renewals, and replacements over the next 20 years.
• Countywide Initiatives including investments in holding schools, early childhood centers, alternative education sites, and regional support facilities.
• Equity and Access investments to expand early childhood classrooms and alternative learning spaces for students who need them most.
• Sustainability and Efficiency through modernized systems, energy-efficient upgrades, and a greater emphasis on renovations over full replacements.
• Non-Capital Actions such as a countywide elementary boundary study to balance utilization and reduce island assignments.

Addressing Inequities
The backlog has created disparities across the county. Schools in older, established neighborhoods—many built 50-60 years ago—face more critical infrastructure needs than recently constructed facilities. Students in these buildings experience inconsistent heating and cooling, aging restrooms, and outdated learning spaces. The CIP prioritizes these high-need facilities while ensuring that investments in early childhood centers, alternative education programs, and accessibility improvements reach the students who need them most.

Reimagining Sites for Long-Term Use
The plan also calls for repurposing facilities to better serve students and staff. For example, the aging Silver Spring International Middle School (SIMS) and Sligo Creek Elementary School (SCES) building—known as "Old Blair"—has reached the end of its useful life due to structural and site limitations. The proposal recommends:

• Constructing a new Sligo Creek Elementary School on nearby Board-owned property;
• Accommodating Silver Spring International Middle School students through new construction at Eastern and Sligo Middle Schools; and
• Converting the existing Old Blair building into a secondary holding school for future down-county projects.

"This plan lays out the hard truths about the condition of every school and facility in MCPS," said Superintendent Taylor. "We are facing challenges that have been building for decades, and while we can't fix everything at once, we are prioritizing what must be addressed right now. This is about disciplined, focused action—climbing the ladder one rung at a time to tackle the most urgent needs first."

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How We Got Here: Understanding the Challenges

• True Needs Far Outpace Request: While the $2.7 billion request is significant, it represents just more than half of the system's actual facility needs. For decades, MCPS has responded to enrollment growth with short-term fixes—adding classroom wings onto existing schools, postponing system upgrades, and deferring critical maintenance. This "duct tape and bubble gum" approach has kicked the can down the road, leading to aging schools, outdated systems, and growing inequities across the county.
• Aging Infrastructure: Nearly two-thirds of MCPS schools are more than 25 years old. Critical building systems such as roofs, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical infrastructure are nearing or past their useful life.
• Enrollment Shifts: Unofficial enrollment (as of Sept. 25, 2025), now 156,705 students, remains 10,000 below its 2019 peak. Projections show further declines to around 149,920 by 2032, shifting the focus from expansion to modernization and right-sizing.

Understanding the Funding Constraints—Montgomery County Government Spending Affordability Guidelines (SAG)
On October 7, 2025, the Montgomery County Council approved an increase to the county's Spending Affordability Guidelines (SAG) for the FY 2027 Capital Budget and FY 2027–2032 Capital Improvements Program (CIP), raising the General Obligation bond limit by $20 million annually to a total of $1.8 billion over six years. While this increase provides some additional capacity, it still only allows for approximately $300 million per year in bonded funding to support capital projects across the county, including schools, transportation, and other critical infrastructure. This level of investment remains far short of the total capital needs identified across the county, and it is notably the same overall level approved in the FY 2009–2014 cycle and below the $2 billion peak set for the FY 2017–2024 CIP.

Understanding How Building Conditions are Determined
The Facility Condition Index (FCI) Depleted Value measures how much life and value remain in a building's key systems—from roofs and HVAC to plumbing and electrical. Lower scores (closer to 0) indicate a facility in good condition, while higher scores (closer to 1) reflect buildings in poor condition that require significant investment.
Current MCPS results show an average FCI of 0.491, meaning the overall condition of the system's facilities is below optimal and approaching major renewal needs.

• 14% of facilities are in good or like-new condition (below 30%)
• 11% are satisfactory (30–45%)
• 38% need repair (45–60%)
• 37% are functionally unreliable (above 60%)

MCPS's facilities were ranked 4th best out of 24 local education agencies in Maryland by the state's Interagency Commission for School Construction—yet 75% of district facilities fall into the two most critical categories, with 38% needing repair and 37% considered functionally unreliable. Learn more about the MCPS FCI here.
MCPS is taking an analytical approach to planning. The FCI data are combined with other key factors—such as student need, facility utilization, and educational adequacy—to create a quantitative, transparent understanding of every building's relative condition. This formula will guide future decisions about which projects move forward and in what sequence.

The Long-Term Vision: Lifecycle Planning
The long-term goal is to pursue a funding plan and strategic roadmap that follows clear lifecycle benchmarks. Until the system catches up to modern standards, each project will be evaluated individually and prioritized according to need and impact:

• Renovation (every 25 years): Upgrade at least five major systems—HVAC, roofs, plumbing, electrical, flooring, life safety, windows, doors, and hardware—to proactively address aging infrastructure, improve comfort and reliability, and preserve the value of the facility.
• Renewal (every 50 years): Conduct a full interior reconstruction down to the structural frame while retaining the shell when viable. The result is a building that performs like new but is more cost-effective than full replacement.
• Replacement (every 50 years, when renewal isn't viable): Complete demolition and rebuild when the existing structure or site can no longer meet current or future educational and operational needs.

This disciplined, data-informed approach marks a new era of facilities stewardship—one that shifts MCPS from reacting to problems toward strategically rebuilding and sustaining the learning environments our students and staff deserve.

Alignment with the MCPS Strategic Plan
The proposed CIP aligns with Goal 3 of the MCPS Strategic Plan—to ensure a safe, welcoming, and inclusive learning and work environment. Investments are designed to guarantee that every student and staff member learns and works in facilities that are safe, modern, accessible, and sustainable.

Next Steps
The Board of Education will hold public hearings and work sessions throughout October and November, with final Board action scheduled for November 20, 2025. Community members are encouraged to review the plan and share feedback during the process. Following this process, a Board of Education approved request will be submitted to the county executive and county council for consideration.

"For too long, we've patched problems and delayed replacements—now we must build with purpose," said Superintendent Taylor. "This Capital Improvements Program represents a turning point. We're being honest with our community about the true condition of our facilities and what it will take to ensure every student and staff member learns and works in safe, modern, appropriate spaces. This is a 20-year commitment, and this CIP is where it begins."