Montgomery Board of Education Adopts Fiscally Responsible Budget for FY25 Focused on Maintaining School Supports and Strengthening Accountability

February 22, 2024

The Board of Education has tentatively adopted an Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2025 that maintains teaching and learning supports and strengthens accountability, while also being sensitive to the tough economic climate.

The Recommended Fiscal Year 2025 Operating Budget, adopted by the Board at Thursday's business meeting, maintains the level of the original request proposed by the administration in December 2023.

Following extensive public engagement, the tentatively adopted FY25 Operating Budget restores critical positions the Board views as essential to student success, while retaining the ISY calendar at Arcola Elementary School and the Montgomery Virtual Academy for FY25.

“The Board of Education has reviewed the proposed budget very carefully and has tried to balance the difficult economic climate and the ending of the ESSER grant with what we heard from our families and staff,” said Board of Education President, Karla Silvestre.

“The result is a budget that focuses on future accountability, and the maintenance of positions and programs essential to student success in FY25. It is particularly important this year that MCPS is a fiscally responsible partner with the County and we look forward to collaborating with them on the next steps.”

The Board worked with Interim Superintendent Dr. Monique Felder to ensure the budget maintains services for the school system and strengthens program delivery.

Following analysis of student achievement data, enrollment data and community input on the ISY calendar, the Board of Education moved Roscoe Nix Elementary School from an innovative school year calendar to a traditional calendar school, while opting to retain it for another year of analysis at Arcola Elementary School.

In response to community advocacy about the Montgomery Virtual Academy and its value in providing a safe and secure learning environment for some MCPS students, the Board opted to continue to fund the full program for FY25. However, they have asked the administration to analyze the elementary school offerings this coming year and emphasized their commitment to phasing out this part of the program.

Following feedback from MCPS staff, the Board also recommended reinstating positions originally recommended for elimination. They voted to reinstate an instructional specialist for 504, a career pathways manager, a career pathways specialist, a consulting teacher with a preferred background in Special Education, a counseling coordinator, and a media specialist technician to support middle school arts programs. These positions all increase support for students, teaching and learning.

In addition, the Board of Education recommended a classification specialist to strengthen oversight and increase internal capacity within HR and to ensure MCPS has the skills needed to deliver on its public commitment to stronger accountability.

The Tentatively Adopted Recommended Fiscal Year 2025 Operating Budget will now go to the Montgomery County Executive and Council for review and consideration this March.

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