Cumberland Area Secondary Schools

 The Board of Education of Allegany County hired Eperitus, an educational planning committee, to conduct the Utilization Study of Cumberland Secondary Schools.  The results of this study provided information and recommendations for subsequent decisions of the school board related to the development of a long-range capital improvement plan for the secondary schools in Cumberland, which include Allegany and Fort Hill High Schools, Braddock and Washington Middle Schools, and the Center for Career and Technical Education.

Additionally, a resource committee comprised of school staff, students, parents, and community and business members was selected to work collaboratively with Eperitus to provide them with information and recommendations regarding long-range capital improvement priorities for these schools.  

After convening a total of five times and carefully reviewing more than fifteen options, the committee presented the school board with the following two options:

Option 1:  Two high schools/two middle schools

• New Allegany High School on a site to be determined
• Renovated Fort Hill High School
• Renovated Center for Career and Technical Education
• Two middle schools (new or renovated to be determined by the feasibility study)

Option 1:  Combined high school/two middle schools

• Combine Allegany and Fort Hill High Schools into one Cumberland high school (renovation/addition to the Fort Hill facility)
• Renovated Center for Career and Technical Education
• Two middle schools (new or renovated to be determined by the feasibility study) 

 Feasibility Study of Cumberland Secondary Schools

In February 2011, the school board approved the award of a contract to complete a feasibility study of Allegany High School and Braddock and Washington Middle Schools to Grimm & Parker Architects of Calverton, MD, for a total cost of $68,000.  Grimm & Parker Architects also designed Mountain Ridge High School.  The study was based on several recommendations resulting from the 2010 Utilization Study of Cumberland Secondary Schools as well as Educational Specifications reports that describe every space and activity that takes place in the schools. 

A feasibility study is a requirement of the State Public School Construction Program when a school construction project includes the abandonment of an existing facility or demolition of more than 50% of the facility.  The study included the evaluation of the existing facilities and building components, 35-year life cycle cost analyses, and how well the buildings will accommodate the school system's educational program.  It is also the required first step for capital improvements funding through the Public School Construction Program.

After the months-long extensive study by Grimm & Parker, the experts recommended the replacement of Allegany High School on a new site and modernization and additions to both Braddock and Washington Middle Schools.  For each of the three schools, the architect provided multiple design schemes/renovation options - 4 for Allegany, 4 for Braddock, 4 for Washington, and 1 that would allow for a combination high school/middle school - and cost estimates for each option.  The study can be viewed in its entirety by clicking the appropriate link in the yellow resource bar on the right. 

The current cost sharing formula for Allegany County is 93% of eligible construction costs, which include total gross allowable area, being funded by the state and the remaining 7% being locally funded.  In addition, other local cost responsibilities include furniture, fixtures, equipment, some site preparation and project costs, contingency costs, and architect fees. 

The local cost at the allowable square footage is estimated to be somewhere between $9-$15 million. This feasibility study is an initial analysis of these capital improvement projects and figures may changes as they continue to progress.