Board approves cost proposal to design new elementary school
The Frederick County Board of Education has approved a cost proposal to design Elementary School #41, a new project intended to ease overcrowding at Oakdale Elementary School.
In October, the board approved an amendment to the districtwide construction budget that added $3 million from Frederick County to design Elementary School #41.
The board voted at a work session on Wednesday to approve the design fee proposal for the school, which includes architectural and engineering services and their costs.
The proposed cost for the design phase of the project is $2,421,280, made up of architectural fees, structural fees and other services, according to the proposal. A traffic study is included in that figure, at a cost of $68,310.
FCPS expects to begin the design and development phase for Elementary School #41 next month, have the site plan approved by May 2025 and begin construction by April 2026, according to the fee proposal.
The new school is intended to relieve crowding at Oakdale Elementary School, which was projected to be operating at 174% capacity as of Sept. 30 of this year.
After redistricting Valley and Brunswick elementary schools, FCPS plans to focus on rebalancing Blue Heron, Oakdale, Spring Ridge, Deer Crossing and New Market elementary schools and Elementary School #41 through redistricting, as well, according to the 2024 Educational Facilities Master Plan.
Enrollment projections also show 18 elementary schools in FCPS operating at or over capacity for the 2024-25 school year, including six schools over 120% capacity — Oakdale, Green Valley, Yellow Springs, Tuscarora, Whittier and Kemptown.
Elementary School #41 — which does not have a name yet — will have a state-rated capacity of 882 students.
School construction funding involves collaboration between local and state agencies, and Frederick County often covers the state's share of school construction funding before the state pays the county back.
Once the state's Interagency Commission on School Construction issues local planning approval, the state is guaranteed to pay the county back within six years.
In May of this year, the IAC did not issue local planning approval for the design and planning phase of Elementary School #41. As a result, Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater, D, submitted a $3 million budget supplement in July to the Frederick County Council meant to ensure the design phase began in fiscal year 2025.
Elementary School #41 will be built near the intersection of Whiterose Drive and Mussetter Road, right outside the New Market town limits. The school will be about a mile from Oakdale High School.
The site presents challenges for construction, including steep slopes, a forested area and a stream.
FCPS staff members recommended using the Yellow Springs Elementary replacement school prototype for Elementary School #41. The Yellow Springs site, which is near Christophers Crossing and Spring Run Drive, has a similarly challenging topography with a steep hill and a forested area.
The Yellow Springs replacement school is scheduled to open in August 2026.
Paul Lebo, chief operating officer of FCPS, said at the work session that the architectural company, Smolen Emr Ilkovitch Architects of Rockville, has "come up with a really creative solution to deal with a not-so nice piece of property."
At the work session on Wednesday, board member Nancy Allen asked if using the replacement Yellow Springs prototype would save the school district money during the design phase.
Brian Staiger, senior project manager for capital programs at FCPS, said the efficiencies of using the replacement school prototype will trickle down through the construction of Yellow Springs.
He said changes will be requested and made while the Yellow Springs replacement is constructed, and can then be applied to the design and construction of Elementary School #41.
"When we do those changes during construction, we're paying a little bit of a markup from the contractor," he said. "If we get those out in front into the design, we save that money."
Board Vice President Rae Gallagher asked if a capacity of 882 students, considering both the growth in the area of the county and the current enrollment of Oakdale Elementary, was enough to meet the needs of students in the area.
Lebo said at the work session that he is confident the capacity will meet the immediate needs of the area, but not in the long term.
He added that the growing county will need more schools than just Elementary School #41.
"There will be a need in probably the near term for Elementary School #42 and #43," he said.
