Montgomery County Public Schools to discuss possible budget cuts

Three programs within Montgomery County Public Schools may see changes in the next school year or be cut completely.

ROCKVILLE, Md. - Three programs within Montgomery County Public Schools may see changes in the next school year or be cut completely.

FOX 5’s Maureen Umeh says some groups that have served as advisors for MCPS say this is a matter of weighing the cost to maintain the programs versus how much they’re benefitting the community.

The programs are:

-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.

Some parents are upset about the cuts and say they haven’t been given enough information about why the programs are being eliminated or enough time to react, Umeh says.

A statement sent to FOX 5 by Arcola Elementary PTA member Matthew Hladiuk says in part, "Parents of this community are unaware this is happening, through lack of communication, translation, and confusion. This will be highly impactful for the community and staff. As parents will not have time to save money and/or arrange for summer care, food, and education the ISY program provides."

The public hearing over the three programs begins Tuesday at 6 p.m. The Board is expected to make a final vote on the budget next Thursday.

More on the programs can be found online.