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Fiscal Year 2021 → Question 1
ANSWER:
The amount in the Superintendent’s Recommended FY 2021 Operating Budget for MCPS music and art instructional materials is $471,419, which includes $168,353 in elementary schools, $104,066 in middle schools, and $199,000 in high schools. In addition, the FY 2021 recommended budget has 159.60 Full-time Equivalent (FTE) art teacher positions totaling $17,044,882, and 202.20 FTE music teacher positions totaling $21,507,950. The distribution of these teacher positions are as follows:
Music Teachers
Art Teachers
Full Time Equivalent Positions
Budget Amount
Budget in Dollars
Early Childhood Centers
0.50
$38,096
$26,152
Elementary Schools
199.00
16,668,939
155.60
13,102,469
Special Education Schools
2.70
225,692
3.50
290,433
Total FTE and Funding
202.20
$21,507,950
159.60
$17,044,882
There also is a strategic accelerator in the FY 2021 recommended budget of $100,000 for musical instruments for students who want to participate in programs and do not own an instrument.
In addition, each school is allocated per pupil funding for instructional materials based on school type; this includes $85.50 per pupil in elementary schools, $120.00 in middle schools, and $134.00 in high schools. The funds are used to purchase textbooks, online media, program supplies, academic interventions, and other instructional materials for all courses. As such, staff in each school determine the materials and funding necessary for their respective art, music, and other programs based on the curriculum requirements and needs of the students in the schools. In addition, there are extracurricular activity stipend opportunities for teachers and staff to support arts programs that schools can request.
Annually, MCPS budgets a lump sum for the county’s Pre-K–12 instrument repair and piano tuning needs. The total amount for FY 2020 is $105,600. Instrument repair accounts for $76,700 and the balance, $28,900, supports piano tuning in schools. The Office of Curriculum and Instructional Programs (OCIP) coordinates piano tunings for all schools, with the average tuning each piano once per year. OCIP staff analyzes enrollment numbers for all middle and high school instrumental ensembles and applies a per pupil amount based on those enrollment numbers.
For FY 2020, the high school per pupil amount is $7.17, the middle school amount is $5.72, and the elementary school amount is $4.17.
In addition, the MCPS Fine Arts Office facilitates 31 co-curricular festivals at no charge for students for art, music, drama, and dance students. MCPS provides field trip buses which help offset some festival bus fees. MCPS also provides funds to support external clinicians, external adjudicators, and stipends for lead teachers for the music festivals.