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Officials Now Focusing on State Dollars for New High School

December 12th, 2011 by WCBC Radio

With an apparent agreement between the Allegany County Commisioners, Board of Education and the city of Cumberland regarding the potential remediation of the current Allegany High School- education officials are now focused on the business of lobbying for state dollars for a new high school.  A three way land swap  in which the Western Maryland Health System would give the former 22-acre Sacred Heart Hospital site to the BOE in exchange for 40 acres of land near Constitution Park, owned by the city is expected to be officially approved by the city at the December 20th public meeting.  Allegany County is competing with other Maryland school systems for a limited amount of state funding for school construction projects. The BOE must have a land option in hand by the end of the year in order to qualify for planning funds under a favorable 93-7 formula, meaning the state pays 93 percent and local entities pay 7 percent.  Earlier this monthm School Superintendent David Cox and several others from the school system traveled to Baltimore to make their case for a new Allegany High School before the Interagency Committee on School Construction. Next month, the same pitch will be made to Governor Martin O’Malley and the state board of public works.





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