What does tabling the SSIMS closure mean for the boundary options?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Elrich released his CIP today and he did not fund the expansions to Sligo and Eastern, saying he believes in smaller middle schools. He also said he does not agree with the proposal to close SSIMS.

So I guess this means E, F, and G are off the table and we are back to A, B, C, or D.

This isn't really news re: the boundary study. We already knew in December the decision on closing SSIMS would be delayed. Of course the county exec is not going to agree to fund Sligo & Eastern expansions now before we even know if they're needed. In 2027 there will be a decision made on whether or not to close SSIMS and they'll add money to the budget then for the expansions if they decide to close it.

[Anonymous]

I disagree. The CE could have just approved the dollar figure amount that the county could spend and then let Montgomery County public schools figure out which projects to cut—that’s what usually happens in this process.

But he didn’t do that. He actually removed Sligo and the extra expansion to eastern from the CIP. (He also removed funding for a new Sligo creek). My read on this is that there will now no longer be a vote on whether to close SSIMS because he is saying the county will not support funding for that project.

Obviously this could change as the CIP goes to the council, a new CE takes office, etc. but I believe if Elrich’s version of the CIP passes the SSIMS closure is off the table for the foreseeable future.

Hopefully MCPS will clarify what this all means but I’m not holding my breath.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I disagree. The CE could have just approved the dollar figure amount that the county could spend and then let Montgomery County public schools figure out which projects to cut—that’s what usually happens in this process.

But he didn’t do that. He actually removed Sligo and the extra expansion to eastern from the CIP. (He also removed funding for a new Sligo creek). My read on this is that there will now no longer be a vote on whether to close SSIMS because he is saying the county will not support funding for that project.

Obviously this could change as the CIP goes to the council, a new CE takes office, etc. but I believe if Elrich’s version of the CIP passes the SSIMS closure is off the table for the foreseeable future.

Hopefully MCPS will clarify what this all means but I’m not holding my breath.

I mean, this is literally Elrich's last budget, so I don't think that his lack of support for the project this year indicates much of anything about what will be supported next year or the year after? Honestly what it indicates to me is "MCPS asked for a ton of money, there's no way the County can afford it, lots of people are pissed about the SSIMS/SCES closure proposal and it's not going to happen next year in any event, so leaving out funding for those things for this year kills two birds with one stone-- no-brainer."

And folks who follow this closer than I do should correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the exec's proposed capital budget always looks like this one, where he goes through each of the specific MCPS requests and says whether he supports them/is including funding for them or not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I disagree. The CE could have just approved the dollar figure amount that the county could spend and then let Montgomery County public schools figure out which projects to cut—that’s what usually happens in this process.

But he didn’t do that. He actually removed Sligo and the extra expansion to eastern from the CIP. (He also removed funding for a new Sligo creek). My read on this is that there will now no longer be a vote on whether to close SSIMS because he is saying the county will not support funding for that project.

Obviously this could change as the CIP goes to the council, a new CE takes office, etc. but I believe if Elrich’s version of the CIP passes the SSIMS closure is off the table for the foreseeable future.

Hopefully MCPS will clarify what this all means but I’m not holding my breath.

I mean, this is literally Elrich's last budget, so I don't think that his lack of support for the project this year indicates much of anything about what will be supported next year or the year after? Honestly what it indicates to me is "MCPS asked for a ton of money, there's no way the County can afford it, lots of people are pissed about the SSIMS/SCES closure proposal and it's not going to happen next year in any event, so leaving out funding for those things for this year kills two birds with one stone-- no-brainer."

And folks who follow this closer than I do should correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the exec's proposed capital budget always looks like this one, where he goes through each of the specific MCPS requests and says whether he supports them/is including funding for them or not?

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I disagree. The CE could have just approved the dollar figure amount that the county could spend and then let Montgomery County public schools figure out which projects to cut—that’s what usually happens in this process.

But he didn’t do that. He actually removed Sligo and the extra expansion to eastern from the CIP. (He also removed funding for a new Sligo creek). My read on this is that there will now no longer be a vote on whether to close SSIMS because he is saying the county will not support funding for that project.

Obviously this could change as the CIP goes to the council, a new CE takes office, etc. but I believe if Elrich’s version of the CIP passes the SSIMS closure is off the table for the foreseeable future.

Hopefully MCPS will clarify what this all means but I’m not holding my breath.

I mean, this is literally Elrich's last budget, so I don't think that his lack of support for the project this year indicates much of anything about what will be supported next year or the year after? Honestly what it indicates to me is "MCPS asked for a ton of money, there's no way the County can afford it, lots of people are pissed about the SSIMS/SCES closure proposal and it's not going to happen next year in any event, so leaving out funding for those things for this year kills two birds with one stone-- no-brainer."

And folks who follow this closer than I do should correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the exec's proposed capital budget always looks like this one, where he goes through each of the specific MCPS requests and says whether he supports them/is including funding for them or not?

Also, there's no way Elrich was going to piss off his Silver Spring base by funding the closure of SSIMS as he prepares to run for the County Council again. Now he can campaign on "I stopped MCPS from closing SSIMS."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Newbie question.... How closely related are the county budget and MCPS budget? I know county has to approve MCPS budget - was that what happened today? And is that final or subject to back and forth with Taylor/BOE?

+1
Where do I find this story?

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2026/01/15/elrich-proposes-6b-capital-improvements-program-for-next-six-years/

It's kind of disheartening that Elrich kept in the funding for building 2 new elementary schools when there'll soon be an elementary boundary study that might tell us we don't need those schools.

The BOE always could take Cold Spring off the table with this in mind. Perhaps they could reallocate the funding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I disagree. The CE could have just approved the dollar figure amount that the county could spend and then let Montgomery County public schools figure out which projects to cut—that’s what usually happens in this process.

But he didn’t do that. He actually removed Sligo and the extra expansion to eastern from the CIP. (He also removed funding for a new Sligo creek). My read on this is that there will now no longer be a vote on whether to close SSIMS because he is saying the county will not support funding for that project.

Obviously this could change as the CIP goes to the council, a new CE takes office, etc. but I believe if Elrich’s version of the CIP passes the SSIMS closure is off the table for the foreseeable future.

Hopefully MCPS will clarify what this all means but I’m not holding my breath.

I mean, this is literally Elrich's last budget, so I don't think that his lack of support for the project this year indicates much of anything about what will be supported next year or the year after? Honestly what it indicates to me is "MCPS asked for a ton of money, there's no way the County can afford it, lots of people are pissed about the SSIMS/SCES closure proposal and it's not going to happen next year in any event, so leaving out funding for those things for this year kills two birds with one stone-- no-brainer."

And folks who follow this closer than I do should correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the exec's proposed capital budget always looks like this one, where he goes through each of the specific MCPS requests and says whether he supports them/is including funding for them or not?

Don't forget that Elrich was an MCPS teacher at Rolling terrace. He knows education - he knows that 1500 students is too big for a middle school, and Taylor is going against recommended practices, so Taylor got called out by Elrich. Taylor has been giving the Silver Sporing schools the bum's rush. Sligo Creek ES was being shoved out of its co-located space into ANOTHER colocated space at Parkside with a Waldorf school. Elrich put a very specific stop to that. Let's hope this stop holds at the council level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I disagree. The CE could have just approved the dollar figure amount that the county could spend and then let Montgomery County public schools figure out which projects to cut—that’s what usually happens in this process.

But he didn’t do that. He actually removed Sligo and the extra expansion to eastern from the CIP. (He also removed funding for a new Sligo creek). My read on this is that there will now no longer be a vote on whether to close SSIMS because he is saying the county will not support funding for that project.

Obviously this could change as the CIP goes to the council, a new CE takes office, etc. but I believe if Elrich’s version of the CIP passes the SSIMS closure is off the table for the foreseeable future.

Hopefully MCPS will clarify what this all means but I’m not holding my breath.

I mean, this is literally Elrich's last budget, so I don't think that his lack of support for the project this year indicates much of anything about what will be supported next year or the year after? Honestly what it indicates to me is "MCPS asked for a ton of money, there's no way the County can afford it, lots of people are pissed about the SSIMS/SCES closure proposal and it's not going to happen next year in any event, so leaving out funding for those things for this year kills two birds with one stone-- no-brainer."

And folks who follow this closer than I do should correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the exec's proposed capital budget always looks like this one, where he goes through each of the specific MCPS requests and says whether he supports them/is including funding for them or not?

Don't forget that Elrich was an MCPS teacher at Rolling terrace. He knows education - he knows that 1500 students is too big for a middle school, and Taylor is going against recommended practices, so Taylor got called out by Elrich. Taylor has been giving the Silver Sporing schools the bum's rush. Sligo Creek ES was being shoved out of its co-located space into ANOTHER colocated space at Parkside with a Waldorf school. Elrich put a very specific stop to that. Let's hope this stop holds at the council level.

Yeah I haven't always been a fan of Elrich, but there are times he calls out the BS and I'm glad he did here.

[Anonymous]

There is not nearly enough money for the CE's request nevermind the Superintendent's request. This is going to be a brutal CIP cycle.