This testimony was written and submitted to County Executive Calvin Ball by Samuel Hahn on behalf of the organization during the County Executive's 2nd FY24 Residents' Budget Hearing
3/13/2023
Good evening County Executive Ball,
Thank you for taking the time to read our organizational testimony tonight. For the past two years, Oakland Mills United has worked to spread awareness on the deferred maintenance placed on schools in the Oakland Mills cluster. Oakland Mills United, countless students, parents, educators, community members, and alumni have worked tirelessly to highlight the importance of renovating Oakland Mills High School and Oakland Mills Middle School, which have a combined $160 million in deferred maintenance.
The Board of Education has approved a Capital Improvement Plan that will finally renovate Oakland Mills Middle and High School. These renovations are long overdue and hope that you will support the submitted Capital Budget to renovate these two schools.
In addition HCPSS has made improvements to invest in student support services to support student well-being. In a post COVID-19 learning environment, it is crucial that we ensure that all students are supported mentally, physically, and socially. We support the proposed 15 student well-being & support positions for HCPSS and hope that you will support this item in the proposed HCPSS operating budget.
It is crucial that this county continues to support its students and schools to ensure that we leave no one behind. We hope that the County Executive’s office will make it a priority to ensure the success of all students to provide every student with the opportunity to succeed both inside and outside the classroom.
Thank you for your service to this county and community.
Sincerely,
Samuel Hahn
Executive Director & CEO
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