Sustaining and Modernizing Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Facilities
PURPOSE: To affirm the Board of Education’s (Board) commitment to maintain all school facilities
in conditions that maximize learning opportunities for every student in the county.
Sustaining Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) facilities is accomplished by
pursuing systematic maintenance programs that renew facilities on a life cycle
replacement basis. Modernizing MCPS facilities is accomplished by pursuing the
systematic assessment of older facilities that have reached the end of their useful
lifecycle, and placing these schools in a queue for modernization based on their relative
condition.
To establish a systematic approach for replacement of building systems and facilities for
MCPS. The approach is intended to address changing educational program standards and
aging of building systems at reasonable cost while providing appropriate spaces for
educational programs and services and maintaining a safe, secure, and healthy physical
environment for students and staff.
Many schools were built in the decades between 1950 and 1980. Since that time many
code requirements have changed and construction methods have been improved, resulting
in facilities that are capable of being sustained in good condition over a longer period of
time than was the case with older school facilities. A rigorous maintenance program for
well-built schools is critical to ensuring that the substantial taxpayer investment in school
infrastructure is preserved. This policy recognizes that maintenance and systemic
replacement activities need to serve as the primary means for keeping all schools in good
condition over the extended life of a facility. At the same time, the policy recognizes that
at some point the useful life-cycle of a facility has been reached and major modernization
is necessary.
