Montgomery Public Schools Capital Improvement Program

Challenge

Approving new school funding was only the beginning. Montgomery Public Schools then had to turn that investment into a districtwide capital program while helping residents understand what was being planned, how priorities were set, and what the work meant for individual schools.

Major construction programs can lose public trust when technical plans, timelines, and changing conditions are not communicated clearly. Residents who supported the tax increase needed a visible connection between the public decision and the work that followed.

Families wanted to know what would happen at their schools. Residents without children enrolled still had a stake in whether the public investment produced visible results. Local minority and disadvantaged businesses needed clear information about how they could participate.

Role

Tania Johns served as a subconsultant to Volkert, the prime consultant supporting the MPS capital-improvement program. The engagement continued for approximately five years and included community engagement strategy, public communications, town halls and public forums, community questions, school-board communications, and support for communications and media activity as the program moved from assessment and planning into implementation.

Approach

The work centered on translating facilities assessments, construction planning, and program decisions into information residents could use. Responsibilities included planning and moderating town halls and public forums where families, residents, school stakeholders, and board members could hear directly from the project team, ask questions, and raise concerns. The work also helped board members relay accurate information to their constituents.

The engagement addressed the practical questions that shape public understanding: what is happening at a particular school, why a decision was made, how long work may take, and where residents can raise concerns.

Later responsibilities included stakeholder communications and tracking minority and disadvantaged business participation connected to the capital program.

Outcome

Community forums and stakeholder communication accompanied the program as it advanced from districtwide assessment into active implementation. Residents had opportunities to hear what was planned, understand how the process was progressing, and bring questions about school facilities and construction priorities directly to the project team.

The engagement concluded after approximately five years. The capital program continues under MPS and Volkert.

Why it matters

Public approval does not guarantee lasting public confidence. Large investments require clear communication after the vote, especially when implementation extends across years. This work demonstrates how sustained engagement can help communities follow a complex public program from promise to construction.

Read alongside the funding-referendum case, it shows both sides of public investment: building support for a decision and maintaining communication while that decision is implemented.