BALTIMORE (WBOC/AP)- Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley's administration says $336 million in school construction funding and upgrades will be in the budget for the next fiscal year.
The governor made the announcement in Baltimore on Monday.
The budget will include $325 million for the state's Public School Construction Program. That will include $25 million for air conditioning in schools.
Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown said in a statement that air conditioning is essential to the health of students.
"Air conditioning isn't a luxury, it's a necessity that helps fight against mold and allergens in the air, which can cause students to miss class because of asthma or severe allergies," Brown said. "And we won't rest until all 1,396 of Maryland's schools are safe places for our children to learn."
The administration also said it will include $6.1 million for the Aging Schools Program and $4.5 million in Qualified Zone Academy Bonds that provide investors with federal tax credits in lieu of tax-free interest payments to make improvements to schools serving a significant number of students from low-income families.
The O'Malley administration says it has allocated $2.4 billion for school construction since O'Malley, a Democrat, took office in 2007.
