From The Baltimore Sun: Maryland officials have approved more than $161 million in school construction funding that will enable districts in the Baltimore area to undertake renovation projects. Together with $187.5 million that the state allocated in January, the total amount allocated for school construction projects in fiscal 2013 comes to nearly $350 million, a more than $85 million increase from fiscal year 2012. Collectively, districts have requested funding for 40 more projects than they did the previous year.