[Baltimore Sun] Baltimore County Council delays vote on school overcrowding legislation
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A much-anticipated vote to adopt a bill that would tie development in Baltimore County districts to capacity in nearby schools was delayed by the County Council on Thursday to give members more time to consider amendments.
The bill, which will now be considered June 3, would adopt an ordinance halting the issuance of building permits for projects in districts with overcrowded schools, an issue that has plagued Baltimore County for over three decades.
Proponents, such as its sponsor, Baltimore County Council Chair Izzy Patoka, say the bill would stop developers from constructing homes that could flood already-overcrowded schools with more children.
While nearly a third of county public schools are at or overcapacity, the county has also begun losing population amid a housing shortage. Developers said earlier this month the bill unfairly blames builders despite planning authorities issuing record-low numbers of housing permits, and that overcrowding is concentrated to a few areas with high-performing schools.
Other fixes, like a 2019 law levying fees on developments to fund schools and roads, have also not yielded much success.
The bill expands the county’s ability to withhold permits in overcrowded areas from residential homes to commercial buildings, and closes a loophole that allows proposed buildings in an overcrowded district if a neighboring area has space to absorb extra students.
The legislation also changes the criteria for a school being considered “overcrowded” from 115% of capacity to 100%.
Nearly a third of county schools were at capacity or overcrowded, according to data released last year by Baltimore County Public Schools.
Councilmembers Mike Ertel, a Towson Democrat, and Republicans Todd Crandell, David Marks, and Wade Kach put forth amendments Thursday tweaking who would be allowed to participate on a county-appointed taskforce studying the impact of potential developments on nearby schools.
The now-delayed bill is set to be discussed at a May 28 work session before the council gives it a final vote June 3.
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