Comptroller Visits Cabin John Middle School to Assess Construction Funding Needs

Donning hard hats, PTA members, representatives from Montgomery County Public Schools, local officials and Comptroller Peter Franchot got an exclusive tour of Cabin John Middle School on Tuesday, just a few months before the completion of the school’s modernization.

Franchot — who is a member of the state’s Board of Public Works, which approves school construction funding — stopped by to get a firsthand look at the new facility and assess construction funding needs.

The school system is asking the state for more than $18 million to complete the construction for 160,000 square-foot school, which will be finished around the end of June so students can use the school when classes start in the fall. The $32 million project is about 85 percent complete, said Jan Sadowski, Vice President of Dustin Construction, the company behind the school's construction.

Twenty-one school districts throughout Maryland are requesting a total of $606 million. Also, Cabin John Middle School is one out of 30 projects where Montgomery County is asking for more funding, Franchot said.

Franchot said he was impressed with the design and environmental consciousness that went into planning for the school.

“I’ve seen designs across the state and this one stands out,” Franchot said.

During the tour, representatives from Dustin Construction showcased some of the school’s new features including a gymnasium, media center, science labs, main lobby and classrooms.

As with all school modernizations in the county, Cabin John Middle School will use geothermal heating — a system that uses heat retained within the Earth to warm up or cool down the building. Franchot applauded the school for its use of geothermal heating and said it is the “wave of the future.”

“I commend the school for using geothermal heating,” Franchot said. “I didn’t realized the school would have geothermal heating and that that caught my eye as something that will help save money in the long run and also help the environment.”

Franchot will meet with the Board of Public Works in May to discuss funding Cabin John Middle School’s construction needs.

Sadowski said he was proud to give people a look at the work Dustin Construction has done at the site. 

“It was a fantastic opportunity and we are thrilled that the Comptroller could come by,” Sadowski said. “We are so proud of the building.”