History of the Public School Construction Program
2023
July 1 - IAC Established as an Independent Agency
The passage of 2023 Md. Laws, Ch. 679 Public School Construction – Programs, Approvals, and Administration, established the IAC as an independent unit of State Government effective July 1, 2023. Previously, the IAC operated as an independent unit of the Maryland State Department of Education.
2021
February 12 - Built to Learn Act
The Built to Learn Act of 2020 allows the Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA) to issue up to $2.2 billion in revenue bonds (depending on amount of funding available to support debt service) to fund school construction projects. MSA is also required to manage school construction projects, which must be approved for funding and scope by the Interagency Commission on School Construction as described in the statutorily required memorandum of understanding between MSA and the IAC.
Additionally, the Built to Learn Act:
- Creates the Public School Facilities Priority Fund, which uses the results of the Statewide Facilities Assessment required by Education Article § 5-310 to prioritize funding to schools with the highest needs
- Makes design and other project expenses eligible for State participation
- Mandates an increase to Enrollment Growth and Relocatable Classroom (EGRC) funding beginning in FY 2026
- Extends the Workgroup on the Assessment and Funding of School Facilities to December 2021
- Extends the Healthy School Facility Fund
Visit the Built to Learn Act page of the IAC website or more information about the legislation and funding.
2018
May - 21st Century School Facilities Act
The 21st Century School Facilities Act of 2018 (House Bill 1783/Chapter 14) statutorily codified many recommendations of the Knott Commission’s Final Report and transformed the Interagency Committee on School Construction to the Interagency Commission on School Construction—an expanded body of nine members that inherited school construction responsibilities previously held by the Board of Public Works. The Act also created the Workgroup on Educational Development Specifications and the Workgroup on the Assessment and Funding of School Facilities. For more information about the IAC’s ongoing efforts to implement the 21st Century School Facilities Act or the initiatives of the Workgroups, please visit the IAC page and the Workgroup page.
2016
January - Knott Commission
In 2016 the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the house appointed the 21st Century School Facilities Commission. The Commission was charged with reviewing all aspects of the school facilities process and ensure that the State is positioned to build modern schools for the 21st century. Members included legislators, state and local officials, teachers, school board representatives, and members representing the private sector, including the Chair, Martin G. Knott, Jr. The commission became informally known as the Knott Commission.
The Knott Commission worked diligently for two years, meeting 17 times and publishing their final report which included recommendations organized around four themes of:
- Flexibility
- Streamlining the process
- Providing incentives
- Focusing the role of the State on providing technical assistance and serving as a clearinghouse for best practices
The Knott Commission made 36 recommendations in its final report, including a recommendation that a statewide school facility assessment be conducted by an outside vendor and that the State and LEAs should continually update the facility data.
2003
February - Kopp Commission
The Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act of 2002 (Senate Bill 856/Chapter 288) created the Task Force to Study Public School Facilities, which was chaired by Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp and was informally known as the Kopp Commission. In 2003 the Task Force conducted a Facility Assessment Survey designed to identify the basic, minimum facility needs required for educational programs in public schools across the State. The final report of the Task Force indicated that the cost of bringing all schools up to minimum standards would be approximately $2.85 billion in 2003 dollars, with 40% of the amount required for additional student capacity. The Task Force made a recommendation that at least $250 million per year be allocated to school construction efforts over 8 years to address critical deficiencies. The report further recommends that the IAC complete a survey on the condition of school facilities at least every four years. However, a complete survey of school conditions has not been conducted since the initial survey in 2003.
1971
June 29 - Creation of the IAC
As a result, legislation was introduced to establish the State School Construction Program and initial program funding of $150 million for fiscal year 1972. The statute establishing the Public School Construction Program authorized the State Board of Public Works (BPW) to determine the organization, structure, rules, regulations, and procedures for the administration of the program. The Board of Public Works adopted rules and procedures on June 29, 1971 creating the Interagency Committee on School Construction.
1970
May - Hughes Commission Founded
In 1970, Governor Marvin Mandel and the presiding officers of both houses of the Maryland State Legislature, Senator William S. James and Delegate Thomas Hunter Lowe, appointed a commission to study the need to revise the State aid foundation program for education and the possibility of full State funding of all operating costs. The Commission to Study the State’s Role in Financing Public Education held its first meeting in May of 1970, chaired by then State Senator Harry R. Hughes and informally known as the Hughes Commission.