October 22, 2020
For Immediate Release
CONTACT:
Office of Communications
301-952-6001
communications@pgcps.org
UPPER MARLBORO, MD — On Thursday, the Prince George’s County Board of Education voted to approve Prince George’s County Education & Community Partners as the preferred builder for the Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) Alternative Construction Finance (ACF) plan. This decision follows the recommendation of Chief Executive Officer Dr. Monica Goldson to select the developer as the next step in addressing the school system’s aging school buildings through an innovative construction program.
Prince George’s County Education & Community Partners is comprised of Fengate Asset Management and Gilbane Development Company as the developer; Gilbane Building Company as the design-build contractor; Stantec as the designer and architect; and Honeywell as the services provider.
Through this initiative, Prince George’s County Education & Community Partners will build, design and maintain Drew-Freeman, Hyattsville, Kenmoor and Walker Mill middle schools, as well as new buildings in the Adelphi and southern areas of the county for approximately 8,000 students. This innovative delivery approach is the first of its kind for a U.S. public school system and designed to accelerate the delivery of critical school facilities.
“Prince George’s County Public Schools is proud to take a major step forward in our work to address aging school buildings with transparency and accountability,” said Dr. Monica Goldson, Chief Executive Officer. “Schools are at the heart of neighborhoods and communities around the world. We are excited about the commitment from Prince George’s County Education & Community Partners to be a true partner in designing, building and maintaining world-class schools. We also offer special appreciation for the support from families, students, educators, our Board of Education, County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, County Council, state legislative delegation and business community in doing what we must do for our students.”
“The Board of Education made a decision to move Prince George’s County Public Schools forward by approving the Alternative Construction Finance (ACF) initiative,” said Dr. Alvin Thornton, Chair of the Board of Education. The Board's decision signals its commitment to ensuring that all students will be treated equally, regardless of their economic class, race, or zip code, and have access to modern school facilities and educational opportunities. During the implementation of the ACF initiative, the Board will work with CEO Dr. Monica Goldson, the County Executive and Council to ensure accountability and transparency in all dimensions of the initiative. The Board appreciates the community's input that informed its deliberations.”
The ACF school construction plan will achieve the following:
Prince George’s County Public Schools, the second-largest school system in the state, has the second-oldest buildings in Maryland. More than half of the 207 schools are over 50 years old.
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