ROCK HALL — Even though the bill to help fund a new middle school in Chestertown did not make it to the floor for a vote this legislative session, all is not lost for Kent County Public Schools.
At their April 14 meeting, Superintendent Mary McComas told members of the Kent County Board of Education that “while we did not walk away with exactly what we were asking for, we did not walk away empty-handed either.”
According to McComas, the Maryland General Assembly issued KCPS an additional $150,000 for the fiscal year 2026 budget — FY26 begins July 1, 2025 — to directly support any maintenance needs at the current middle school.
The state legislature also put in a pre-authorization of $4 million for fiscal year 2027 and $4 million for fiscal year 2028 to fund the construction of a new middle school.
A pre-authorization is the legislators’ way of indicating to Gov. Wes Moore what they want to see funded in the future, McComas explained.
The governor can choose to follow the General Assembly’s suggestion, or not.
“We of course will continue to champion with elected officials and the governor’s office the urgent need around the additional financial support to build a new middle school,” McComas told the Board of Education.
The legislation, which was cross filed in the House by District 36 delegates Jeff Ghrist (R-Caroline), Steve Arentz (R-Queen Anne’s) and Jay Jacobs (R-Kent) and in the Senate by Sen. Steve Hershey (R-36-Upper Shore), would have adjusted the local cost-share levels between the state and county for new school construction.
According to the Maryland General Assembly website, the bill was amended by the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee after a public hearing and then passed by the full Senate.
The amended bill did not get a vote in the House Appropriations Committee and did not get moved to the House floor for a vote. In layman’s terms, the bill died in committee.
McComas thanked the District 36 delegation for their “relentless effort” in supporting the bill.
She also thanked the more than 750 community members who signed a letter in support of the project, those who testified at various committee hearings in Annapolis, the Kent County Commissioners and school board members.
An update on the middle school project is expected in June when McComas plans to present the proposed architectural drawings to the public.
Trish McGee, the owner and publisher of The Evening Enterprise, is president of the Kent County Board of Education. She did not contribute to this report.
