Starting in 2018, Garrett County Public Schools (GCPS) began an initiative to examine facility utilization and to develop plans addressing the needs arising within the system. Objectives include the elimination of open-space formats, the installation of air conditioning in all facilities, and the completion of safety vestibules in each location. Implementation of instructional priorities and the mandatory requirements of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future are becoming increasingly difficult, and impossible, with the existing footprint. Additionally, if facilities are utilized appropriately, capital projects to improve facilities can have as high as a 90% participation rate of the total cost by the state. The following items provide a review of the steps GCPS has taken up to this point, along with plans for the coming years. For information regarding GCPS Facility Utilization or Grade-Band Alignment, please select the appropriate section below to expand and view the contents for each.