County Board of Education unanimously approves new $3.2 billion budget for MCPS

The Montgomery County Board of Education has recently unanimously approved a 3.2 billion dollar budget for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). The budget includes improvements in math and literacy programs as well as pay raises for teachers, according to MoCo 360, a local newspaper. 

According to MoCo 360, the board raised the budget by 10%. Maryland’s “maintenance and effort” law requires counties to invest a minimum budget, which Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) now surpasses by $272 million according to information released by the county.

Dr. Monifa McKnight, the county superintendent, released a report where she released specifics regarding what the budget would be used for. Although many areas are scheduled to be targeted, the most significant changes occurred in administrative payment and supporting student growth in areas by increasing the amount of money put towards textbooks and instructional materials along with special education. 

Richard Montgomery freshman Kat Xue said, “I have heard of teachers with younger students paying [for materials] out of pocket. Even a small stipend that need to buy classroom materials out of pocket would suffice and result in a substantial improvement in students’ education.” 

According to McKnight, the primary purpose of the budget’s escalation is to “provide a high-quality education for our growing student population, continuing our recovery from the impact of lost learning time from the pandemic.” Another core purpose of the increased spending is to “[prepare] all students to thrive in their future and graduate with deep academic knowledge and preparation for the complex world and workplace of tomorrow.”

In addition to providing increased administrative payment and putting money into instructional materials, the budget will also cover “Student Personnel Services” or provide additional security to ensure students’ safety while in school. 

Students are especially supportive of this change because it may lead to a safer school environment, especially after recent incidents in MCPS regarding weapons and more. Richard Montgomery High School alum Sophie Huang said, “An increase in security would make me feel more secure.” 

Although Huang is in support of the budget and the additional protection it’ll bring her, she does acknowledge its possible effects. “If there is too much security increase, it feels like we would be constantly watched while just a moderate amount of increase will be better, allowing us personal space while still feeling safe everywhere in the school,” Huang said. 

Another significant portion of the proposed budget includes a focus on student transportation and health services. According to McKnight, the combination of “…new research-based innovative approaches to teaching and learning in our district, providing competitive salaries for our staff and the rising cost of health care for our employees and retirees….supporting the increased cost of goods and services in our district [and more]” will drastically improve students’ experience in the county and benefit the student population as a whole. 

This new budget was proposed by McKnight in December and was discussed various times throughout January and February. According to MoCo 360, the tentative budget will be proposed to Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich who will be responsible for submitting a budget proposal by mid-March.

MCPS officials have reported that the County Council will be “holding public hearings on the county budget in April” which will then be passed sometime in May. The board will vote on the final budget in June to solidify MCPS’s new operating budget. 

Written by Malena Martin of Richard Montgomery High School

Photo Courtesy of Flickr

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