Last year, Baltimore County Government and Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) initiated a process to assess school construction needs and develop a long-range plan that addresses those needs and allocates resources equitably. The Multi-Year Improvement Plan for All Schools (MYIPAS) is being facilitated by CannonDesign, a national architecture and planning company that has led over 1,300 education facility projects across the country, including over 200 education master plans.
The purpose of the MYIPAS is to develop a capital improvement program that maximizes state funding, defines facility priorities with community input; and assesses existing facilities based on three factors:
- Review all relevant data provided by Baltimore County Government and BCPS.
- Interview subject matter experts.
- Based on enrollment projections and capacity ratings, determine if there is sufficient capacity to meet current and future needs.
- Review current school boundaries and feeder patterns for possible adjustment due to enrollment patterns and school capacities.
- Review existing BCPS mission, goals, objectives, and programmatic priorities.
- Prioritize, using a rating system, the educational facilities based on equity of educational adequacy.
- Review current educational specifications for new facilities and all other relevant data provided by Baltimore County Government and BCPS.
- Interview senior staff from various BCPS divisions of business and curriculum and instruction and school leadership.
- Analyze the current and future facility implications of each school facility in relation to BCPS’ current 21st century educational specifications.
- Facility assessment for all schools, centers and programs using national standardized methodology for exterior and interior walls, windows, doors, mechanical systems, etc.
- Interview subject matter experts.
- Develop Facility Condition Index (FCI) scores for buildings and Discipline Condition Index (DCI) scores for individual systems.
- Prioritize building systems based on need, observe deficiencies, remaining useful life, and classify each system based on a recommended timeframe for when these systems should be repaired/replaced.
- Review and inventory BCPS’ undeveloped sites and analyze future use.
- Review relevant data provided by BCG and BCPS.
A Phased Approach
The MYIPAS is comprised of two phases. The first focused on interim recommendations for high school facilities (PDF) that was presented to both the Board of Education and Baltimore County Council in September 2020 and the second is scheduled to begin this January, including elementary, middle schools and other specialty schools/centers. There will also be additional community engagement effort as part of the second phase. Final recommendations are expected to be delivered in the Fall of 2021.
Community Engagement
Community input is an integral part of the MYIPAS development. During the first phase (spring to fall 2020), focus groups were created in the areas of Facility, Capacity, Equity. Their tasks included oversight of an industry-standard assessment of BCPS buildings and grounds, review of enrollment projections and capacity utilization, guidance on a facility educational equity and adequacy assessment, and oversight of the design and implementation of an online community survey which resulted in 22,000 responses.
Residents are encouraged to continue engaging in the process by:
- Attending virtual community forums to review proposed options and considerations
- Participating in online surveys
- Submitting comments and suggestions in the Online Comment Form to Baltimore County Public Schools
- Participating in general public comment and/or write to the Board of Education at boe@bcps.info
Virtual Community Forums and Surveys
Links to the forums and surveys will be posted when they become available.
| Event | Forum | Survey |
|---|---|---|
| MYIPAS 101 - Virtual Community Forum Join for an overview of the MYIPAS, including a presentation on the purpose, process, timeline, and status. | Tuesday, January 26 7 to 8 p.m. | N/A |
| MYIPAS Guiding Principles - Virtual Community Forum and Survey Join to review the MYIPAS guiding principles, planning criteria and parameters used to develop recommendations. Participants will have an opportunity to engage in small group discussions. | Wednesday, February 3 6 to 8:30 p.m. | Wednesday, February 3 through Midnight, Monday, February 15 |
| MYIPAS Options - Virtual Community Forum and Survey Join to review and provide feedback on options. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in breakout groups. | Thursday, April 8 6 to 8:30 p.m. | Thursday, April 8 through Midnight, Friday, April 23 |
Comment Form
Provide your feedback based on your experience as a BCPS user.
Phase One Process and Recommendations for High Schools
March 10, 2020 - MYIPAS update presented to the BCPS Board of Education
- Review the Presentation
- Watch the Recorded Meeting
August 11, 2020 - MYIPAS update presented to the BCPS Board of Education
- Review the Presentation
- Watch the Recorded Meeting
September 29, 2020 - Phase One Recommendations Presentation to BCPS Board of Education
- Watch the Recorded Meeting
October 13, 2020 - Report to the BCPS Board of Education
- Review the Response to Board Member Questions
- Watch the Recorded Meeting