11/10/2026 - GCPS Board of Education Meeting

At its November 10, 2026 regular meeting, the Garrett County Board of Education approved two facility procurements. It awarded Cunningham Recreation a $204,513.21 contract to supply and install replacement playground equipment at Friendsville Elementary through the OMNIA cooperative contract. A $200,000 Community Parks and Playgrounds grant will cover most of the cost, with $4,513.21 from the maintenance budget. The Board also approved CMTA’s $2,263,000 chiller replacement project at Friendsville Elementary through the Sourcewell contract; the project is fully funded by a Maryland Energy Administration grant. The Board approved signing a declaration of intent to pursue a third-party provider for the Maryland Time to Care Act program, with the goal of obtaining a rate at or below the state plan; no provider was selected or contract awarded at this meeting.

The Superintendent presented, for information only, a proposal to lease renovated county space at 40 South 2nd Street for the central office, construct a maintenance building at Bradford, and return the Dennett Road Education Complex to the county. The proposal estimates annual operating savings of $10,000–$15,000 and avoidance of at least $6 million in future capital costs; the maintenance building is estimated at $650,000, with $575,000 requested from the county and $75,000 identified from the current operating budget. Board action is planned for December, followed by a formal request to county commissioners in January. The Board also approved the 2026–27 virtual learning plan and reviewed a tentative FY2028 budget development calendar. A new background-check and self-reporting policy was presented for consideration, with action scheduled for a future meeting.