One of the key initiatives of the BCPS Strategic Plan, The Compass: Our Pathway to Excellence (SY2020-2021 through SY2027-2028), is that “All school buildings need to provide for the latest technologies and accommodate the best teaching techniques as well as create environments that effectively, efficiently, and equitably serve students, staff, and the broader school community. Therefore, capital improvements must be made in many school buildings throughout the county to modernize the facilities and address these needs.” The first step to effectively implement this strategy is to assess all facilities throughout Baltimore County and establish each building’s needs.
Therefore, in early 2020 a consultant was commissioned to assess all school buildings to develop the Multi-Year Improvement Plan for All Schools (MYIPAS). The vision of the MYIPAS is to provide BCPS facilities with a full 21st century instructional capability that addresses student enrollment trends and incorporates future flexibility, fully supports the highest performance of students and staff while accommodating enrollment projections, and provides safety, comfort, and well-being for every student.
If instruction is going to drive facilities, then the MYIPAS must (and does) focus on each facility as it relates to the following three critical functions:
Enrollment projections, capacity, and utilization
Facility condition, and
Educational adequacy, and equity.
The result is a prioritized Master Plan that can be implemented by BCPS when making recommendations for capital projects through the Capital Budget requests starting in FY2022.