Senator Jack Bailey announced today that he has secured $5 million in State funding for a new Southern Maryland campus of the Kennedy Krieger Institute School in this year’s Capital Budget. This $5 million in State funding will be in addition to the philanthropic efforts of Kennedy Krieger who will fund the remainder of what is needed to build this school.
This campus will establish a more feasible location to provide needed services to our special needs students in Calvert, Charles, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s Counties without students having to travel the long distances currently required to attend programs in other parts of the State, or entirely opting out of the most appropriate placement for those students. The success of this endeavor is the result of collaborative efforts between federal, state, and local officials over the past few years. Some details, including the exact location of the school, will be forthcoming, but this funding will allow the project to move forward as soon as possible.
Following the passage of the Capital Budget, Senator Bailey issued the following statement:
“I am very happy to announce that funding for a new Southern Maryland campus of the Kennedy Krieger Institute has been included in this year’s Capital Budget. Since I was first elected to the Senate, I have heard from many parents of students with special needs in District 29 and throughout Southern Maryland about the needs of their children. Currently, these families’ only option to give their children the quality education that they deserve requires them to travel long distances each day. This campus will allow families to have their children receive the services that they require closer to home.
I have been proud to work with Kennedy Krieger for the past several years to advance this important project. This would also not be possible without the support of Delegate Rachel Jones, Dr. Scott Smith and the Superintendents of our Southern Maryland school systems, the Southern Maryland Delegation, and the leadership of General Assembly. I thank all of them for their support and assistance during this process.
My primary goal in the Senate has been to ensure that Southern Maryland has the resources we need to maintain and improve our economy and our quality of life. It has been a high honor to help lead this effort to ensure that our students with special needs can receive the services they need and the best possible educational supports right here in our area.”