Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced a plan Tuesday to fund $3.5 billion in school construction projects across the state, thanks in part to a new constitutional amendment that forces the addition of casino revenue to school funding.
Hogan plans to submit legislation during the 2019 General Assembly session that would add $1.9 billion in new school construction projects over five years. That funding would be in addition to the $1.6 billion in public school construction funding currently included in the state’s five-year capital budget.
“This represents the largest investment in school construction ever in Maryland history,” Hogan said.
While announcing the plans for new capital funds, however, Hogan said he believed a preliminary price tag of recommendations from a General Assembly commission studying school funding for classroom expenses was too high.
The Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education is considering recommending a phased-in annual increase of $4.4 billion for operating schools in Maryland. But Hogan said spending tens of billions more over the next decade on school operations could not be done without raising taxes — which he pledged not to do.
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