ANSWER:

With the $3.3 million in additional funding received through the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future legislation in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) created 240 full-day seats and wrap-around supports for prekindergarten students. Although FY 2024 Blueprint funding has not yet been allocated, MCPS anticipates continued expansion of full-day prekindergarten programming. These positions include classroom teachers, paraeducators, special teachers (art, music, and physical education), speech-language pathologists, and special education teachers to support inclusion. Positions for wraparound services also will be created and staffed. Those positions include family service workers, social workers, and psychologists.

Head Start classes are funded through the Department of Health and Human Services, which delegates program implementation to MCPS. As such, funding for Head Start classes is not impacted by the Blueprint legislation.

All general education prekindergarten classes will maintain their ratio of two instructional staff for 20 students.