With Scott’s record of limited borrowing, a major PECO bonding plan is unlikely and a more modest plan remains in doubt.
The debate over bonding has to be put in the context of the $373 million PECO request, which education advocates say is a conservative number that does not reflect the true construction and maintenance needs for public schools, state colleges and universities.
For instance, the official PECO request for state universities is $124 million, but does not include a $284 million list of “supplemental” construction and maintenance projects also approved by the state Board of Governors, which oversees the university system.
The 12 universities last September identified more than $500 million in construction needs for the 2017-18 budget year, which was the list used by the Board of Governors to develop its more modest request.
Similar needs have been identified by the 28 state colleges, with the official PECO request reflecting $55 million in construction projects out of a three-year list of $167 million. The three-year list doesn’t include more than $600 million in other construction and maintenance needs identified by the colleges.
