Construction of new Buckingham Elementary School paused due to lack of state funding

SNOW HILL, Md. – Due to the lack of state funding for design plans, the Worcester County Commissioners voted on Tuesday to pause construction of the new Buckingham Elementary School.

Worcester County Government staff members completed an internal review of the Capital Improvement Plan and discovered an irregularity. It was then that they contacted school Board of Education officials, who confirmed that they had known since February 2023 that the state would not allocate any funds for the design or construction of the new school.

“The commissioners understand the concerns of parents and the community and remain committed to the BES project,” Commissioner President Chip Bertino said. “Before moving the project forward, however, it is incumbent upon the BOE to take the necessary steps to determine a path forward.

Bertino added that the commissions were not aware that no state funding was available, even as plans continued moving forward.

The state of Maryland provides a 50/50 match for school construction based on certain factors, including square footage, classroom sizes, number of students, site conditions, and overall square footage. It was noted that proposed plans for a new 102,968 gross square foot Buckingham Elementary exceeded the State maximum of 65,218 square feet. The county allocated $1.6 million in Fiscal Year 2022 surplus funding for the project. The Board of Education reallocated the county funding to cover design costs and the project was set to go to the bond market in Fiscal Year 2025.