Prince George’s County School Board approves $2B budget
LAUREL, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - The Prince George’s County School Board passed the school system’s $2 billion budget Monday, declined to eliminate school resource officers from schools and passed a measure that will provide learning hubs for vulnerable students.
The budget was passed on the same day it was due to the county council.
READ MORE: Prince George’s County Executive speaks exclusively to FOX 5 on school board drama
The board decided to hold Monday’s meeting after the newly appointed board chair canceled the Feb. 11 meeting and then failed to schedule a normal board meeting last week.
After a long conversation, the board did not move forward with an effort by Board Member Raaheela Ahmed to remove school resource officers from schools and eliminate arrest powers of school security guards. District data shows 274 students were arrested last school year and 311 the year before.
Instead, a plan proposed by CEO Dr. Monica Goldson will move forward. It invests more money in mental health support for students and reduces the number of school security guards. Read the plan here.
The board also approved an initiative to provide learning hubs for students.
Students would meet in person in small groups to do virtual learning with an adult there to help them.
READ MORE: Prince George’s County schools to resume in person learning in April
Newly-elected board member Shayla Stafford-Adams has been working for months to make learning hubs a reality for students, including those who have not signed on for virtual learning, homeless students and students without Internet access or adult supervision at home.
FOX 5 has been covering the controversy on the board after the newly appointed board chair Dr. Juanita Miller made serious allegations against some of her board colleagues and suggested halting board operations until her claims were investigated.
Dr. Miller was not present for Monday’s meeting and did not respond to a request asking why.
Download the FOX 5 DC News App for Local Breaking News and Weather