Montgomery Blair High School is in line to receive a High School Wellness Center following the County Council’s passage yesterday of special appropriations to fund HSWCs in all county high schools.
“This groundbreaking initiative would set up interim wellness centers immediately using existing spaces and relocatable classrooms as we work to stand up the permanent facilities over a five-year period,” said Councilmember Nancy Navarro (D–District 4), who proposed the idea, said in a press release.
A $3 million special appropriation to the FY22 Capital Budget and amendment to the FY21-26 Capital Improvements Program “will support relocatable classrooms needed to provide additional space in schools to implement expanded mental health and positive youth development services,” according to the release.
Another $2 million special appropriation to the FY22 budget and amendment to the FY21-26 CIP “would provide funding to begin planning and initial build out of interior modifications for the expansion of HSWCs to every high school.”
Finally, a $3 million special appropriation to the FY22 Operating Budget “would fund implementation of mental health and positive youth development services in MCPS high schools that do not currently have a wellness center.”
There are now five HSWCs in the county, including one locally at Northwood High School, with one under construction at Kennedy High School.
Photo: G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
