Dear PTA colleagues,
MCPS’s capital budget is on a 6-year cycle, reviewed in full every two years. This means, for example, that if the County Council approves a $1.8 billion budget, only $300,000,000 is available in a given year for construction projects, system replacements, building improvements, and the like. Watch for training on the Capital Improvements Program (CIP) later this fall.
Today, let’s focus on the 6-year part of the CIP. While that can feel like a long time if the project at your school is scheduled for the later years, with a portfolio the size of MCPS’s (224 buildings), it’s important to also take a longer view and consider what needs shold be expected in 10-15 years and even further into the future. Regulation FAA-RA, which guides the processes for Educational Facilities Planning, includes a provision for a Facilities Advisory Committee (FAC) to make suggestions about that long-term planning (see section IX.D. on p. 13 at the link).
This FAC has been dormant for many years, but the upcoming MCPS real estate portfolio review and advocacy by some of our highly-engaged MCCPTA CIP leaders of past years has motivated MCPS to re-constitute the committee. They want to tap into the wealth of experience and knowledge that members of the Montgomery County community have regarding long-term facility planning issues and strategies. Indeed, the FAC has the potential to be an effective group and perhaps a source of long-range expertise and advice for MCPS.
For the first two years of the FAC’s re-existence (i.e., during the real estate portfolio review and elementary boundary study), the committee may meet as often as monthly. In the future, the commitment will likely be for a quarterly meeting. The initial term of service is for the 2026-27 school year.
Please share this opportunity with your networks, especially folks who work in any aspect of real estate, construction, environmental, or transportation/logistics careers. The blurb distributed by MCPS is below my signature. The direct link to the application is here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScSF3-tHBGn4c0rkx0tUZVihyqlcvh1-q17Yv48h56LZtuj5A/viewform . Submissions close on Friday, September 4.
If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to me and/or to Joseph Finneran, MCCPTA’s Data Subcommittee chair, cipdata@mccpta.org or joseph@podiumarts.com .
Thanks,
Amy A-H
Amy Ackerberg-Hastings, PhD
Interim CIP Chair
(as well as hopefully soon-outgoing MCCPTA Central Area Vice-President)
301-275-4019
cip@mccpta.org
Help Shape the Future of MCPS School Facilities
MCPS is seeking community members to serve on the Facility Advisory Committee for the 2026-2027 school year. Committee members will share their knowledge, experience and perspectives to help inform long-term planning for MCPS school facilities. Members of this committee will advise MCPS on a variety of topics related to the community’s vision for school facilities and planning that are outside the six-year Capital Improvements Program (CIP) time frame, but that may require attention in the 10-15 year time frame or beyond.
If you’re interested in helping shape the future of MCPS facilities, complete the application by Friday, Sept. 4.