In the most recent draft of the Montgomery County budget, County Executive Marc Elrich announced 2.65 billion dollars will be allocated for Montgomery County Public Schools, 12.5 million dollars short of the Board of Education’s request. The Board requested 2.66 billion dollars which would amount to a two percent increase from the current operating budget.
This new budget amounts to 51 million more dollars than the currently enacted budget, which is far above the money needed to maintain the public school system. However, critics fear that there will not be enough money budgeted to fund new policies. As a result, students may suffer consequences.
These new policies would include hiring assistant principals for schools that do not have them, along with supporting special education students and ESOL programs. Other key initiatives include internal improvements, reducing class sizes, and promoting mental health resources and counselors for students.
When such budgetary problems arise, it is important to look to the needs of those affected the most: students and teachers.
Some students feel frustrated when they hear initiatives to improve schools but they never see the results.
“I think it’s not fair that our parents pay taxes so we get to go to schools with safe environments so we can learn efficiently, but with the budget cut short it seems like everyone’s efforts are wasted and the schools that actually need internal improvements just can’t get them,” Clarksburg High School sophomore Siya Behl said.
Similarly, other students have their own ideas about what causes money should be allocated for.
“They should use the money to hire more really qualified teachers,” Clarksburg HS sophomore Vishaal Saravanan said.
Money allocated to hiring more highly skilled teachers would improve learning environments by improving education quality, all the while increasing the amount of teachers. A higher teacher to student ratio would help the problem of reducing class sizes.
Teachers often prioritize reducing class sizes as a key factor in the budget because students’ education can be harmed when their learning environment is packed to the brim with other students.
“Class sizes are also important to get smaller because you are trying to help all students, and it is a challenge when there are 32 or 33 students to reach every student every period– that’s a challenge,” Martioski-Taylor said.
Also, teachers have observed problems within the public education system and enjoyed hearing initiatives to promote mental health in students. However, this potential lack of funding poses issues.
“Over my years, I have definitely seen students’ mental health really need to become more of an issue. I hope that that is not a place that is cut because more and more students are feeling anxious and stressed out and I think we need more things to help them … learn how to cope because even after high school, things don’t get easier,” Clarksburg HS science teacher Lori Martioski-Taylor said.
Students themselves understand that mental health initiatives are crucial for their success. “I think school counselors are very important because high school is a very stressful time, and everyone can benefit from someone to talk to,” Clarksburg HS sophomore Charlotte Sanford said.
Despite budgetary challenges, School board Shebra Evans and Superintendent Jack Smith reported that in the next two months they will determine if they can restore any funding and minimize the impact of budget reductions. Similarly, Governor Larry Hogan’s recommended budget for the state of Maryland included 737 million dollars for MCPS schools which is 4 percent higher than the current budget. Therefore, it is likely that MCPS would be able to minimize any negative effects of potential budget decreases.
When examining the budget, students, teachers, and county officials all have different ideas on where budget money should go, but at the end of the day, everyone wants what is best for their students.
“There has to be a balance. Everything is really important. You can’t cut staff, and supplies, and all that. Unfortunately, we’re just getting more and more students. You get more and more students and you need more and more money for all those students,” Martioski-Taylor said.
Budgets are complex, which is only worsened as MCPS grows, adding more and more students. There are conflicts of interest in the budget; the Board of Education and Montgomery County citizens alike all have ideas of their own, but there simply isn’t always enough money.
Article by MoCo Student Staff writer Kara Peeler of Clarksburg High School
Featured graphic by MoCo Student Graphic Artist Ela Shroff of Walt Whitman High School