Montgomery school board amends construction budget amid rising enrollment Montgomery County's school board voted unanimously this past week to boost the district's school construction budget by $223.3 million amid continuing enrollment growth. The request for more funds, which requires county and state action, largely reflects recommendations Superintendent Joshua P. Starr outlined in October. The school board increased Starr's proposal by another $2.5 million in an effort to cover improvements to deteriorating buildings that are awaiting capital projects. Parents and students testified at hearings recently about a range of facility problems at schools. Starr said at the meeting Monday that the budget figures reflect the district's "very real needs" as its enrollment swells. Montgomery's enrollment for 2014-2015 is 153,852, up by nearly 2,600 students from last school year, according to recently finalized figures. "Without an infusion of significantly more revenue, we will fall further behind," Starr said. The added funds, which would increase the district's six-year capital improvements program to about $1.75 billion, are intended to move up by a year the construction schedules of 20 school revitalization and expansion projects, as well as 14 classroom-addition projects and the building of two new schools. All 36 projects were previously delayed amid budget constraints and unsuccessful efforts to secure new state funding. By the 2020-2021 school year, Starr said the six-year plan would increase elementary school capacity by 5,400 seats, middle school capacity by 2,900 seats and high school capacity by 4,300 seats.