DELEGATE CONWAY ANNOUNCES SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION FUNDING FOR WICOMICO COUNTY

Construction for new Bennett Middle School receives $10 million from State

May 24, 2012 -- Salisbury, MD Delegate Norman Conway, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, met today with Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt and his staff to inform them that the State Board of Public Works has approved more than $10.8 million in school construction funding for Wicomico County for the coming fiscal year. Topping the list of projects to be funded is the new Bennett Middle School, which will receive $10 million in State support. Another $808,000 was approved for various capital projects at Delmar Elementary School and Pittsville Elementary and Middle School.

County Executive Pollitt expressed his gratitude to the State for the appropriation and especially to Delegate Conway for “extraordinary efforts” that led to the funding for Bennett Middle School. Pollitt said, “When we started the process, the State allocated about $4 million for Bennett Middle. Norm’s diligence in reaching out to the members of the Interagency Committee on School Construction and the Board of Public Works convinced them of the need and the importance of this crucial project for our school system.” Construction of a new Bennett Middle School and completion of James M. Bennett High has been a priority for Pollitt for several years, going back to his service on the Board of Education.

The Board of Public Works consists of Governor Martin O’Malley, Comptroller Peter Franchot and State Treasurer Nancy Kopp.

Earlier this year, the County Executive and members of the Board of Education traveled to Annapolis to request additional funding for FY2013 school construction projects after County Council members voted to send a letter of intent to complete the Bennett Middle School/James M. Bennett High School project.

The importance of a quality education is fundamental to Pollitt’s overarching vision of ‘Building Bridges – Building Community’ to engage all citizens. In addition to meeting the Maintenance of Effort baseline of $36.4 million in education funding, an additional $517,830 over MOE was included in Pollitt’s proposed operating budget, as requested by the Board of Education. Additionally, the County Executive's proposed Capital Improvements Budget for FY 2013 includes the following investments for schools:

· Three-year commitment of County capital funding for Bennett Middle School-- $33,942,666
· First-year funding to support Bennett Middle School -- $300,000
· Funding for additional school capital improvement projects-- $373,700

Pollitt emphasized that none of this success would have been possible without the strong partnership that exists between Wicomico County and the State government. “All areas of government services have been hit hard by the Recession, particularly our public school systems,” Pollitt said, “However, by working cooperatively and with a sense of team, we have been able to craft a budget and secure a much-needed capital program that meets our immediate needs and opens the way for more progress to come. I cannot over-state the importance of a positive working relationship among our stakeholders and this latest action by the Board of Public Works is a perfect example.”