MCPS board considers program cuts in 2024-25 budget

MCPS board to vote on 2024-25 budget

The Board of Education is actively working to develop a responsible and effective Operating Budget for the 2024-25 school year that focuses on the needs of MCPS students and employees. FOX 5's Lili Zheng has the latest details.

ROCKVILLE, Md. - The Board of Education is actively working to develop a responsible and effective Operating Budget for the 2024-25 school year that focuses on the needs of MCPS students and employees.

Members of the Montgomery County Public Schools board are considering modifying or eliminating three programs as part of the budget process.

On Feb. 20, the board will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. on three programs:

The MCPS Virtual Academy, which was funded through the use of the ESSER grant during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The MCPS Innovative Schools Initiative that includes an extended academic calendar at Arcola Elementary School and Roscoe R. Nix Elementary School.
The Leader in Me Program, offered at a handful of schools across MCPS.

Byron Johns, who serves as Education and Parent Council chair for the NAACP’s Montgomery County branch, said the programs are worth reevaluating. The parent council has been a part of the board’s budget advisory group.

"There are hundreds and hundreds of programs that are allocated tens of millions of dollars. As the budget keeps increasing, we realize there’s pressure on how you fund what’s a priority?" Johns told FOX 5 Tuesday.

Regarding the virtual learning program, Johns said some parents have found it beneficial. Though, he added the board needs to look at the cost of programs versus the benefits they provide.

"Priority has to be programs getting the reading up especially in the early literacy years. Also, the math, core education has to be invested in equitably and resources are being provided to the communities that are being underserved," he said. "I know the COO Brian Hull has initiated an effort to do a program budget. That’s something they need to get back to. Look at each program. There are hundreds of these programs. What is the cost? What is the benefit? Budgets are not going to continue to go up and up and up."

Iris Reyes is a parent of a first-grade student in MCPS.

Reyes has been active in the budget process, regularly attending the meetings. MCPS’ Innovative Schools initiative applies to Roscoe R. Nix Elementary School and

Arcola Elementary School, which start school 30 days earlier than most schools. Their academic year begins just after July 4 and continues for six weeks into mid-August, then resumes in September.

The initiative began in the 2019-2020 school year. Reyes said she would prefer to follow the traditional school calendar.

"The school calendar, it’s not just affecting us as parents. It’s affecting the teachers, the school staff who don’t get that little time with their families," she said. "Teachers, you’re there, but you don’t really want to be there.

"You want to be with your families, especially during summertime," she added.

According to an MCPS spokesperson, the board will vote on the budget on Thursday, Feb. 22 at its regular business meeting.