School Board Member Shebra Evans said, “There are no winners” in the budget approved Tuesday for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). The board voted to approve a $3.32 billion operating budget with cutbacks.
Evans said, “I have the worst taste in my mouth ever.”
According to MCPS, the budget is $30 million under what the board requested, leading to decisions like delaying expansion of the pre-kindergarten program, increasing class size guidelines, reducing contractual services, and eliminating the school system’s virtual academy — the Montgomery Virtual Academy (MVA).
School Board Member Rebecca Smondrowski said she advocated for the virtual academy years ago.
“It’s important to me, and it’s going to kill me to raise my hand,” Smondrowski said.
Parents of students in the MVA were in the audience during the meeting and gave testimony in support of the academy. Following the vote, parents spoke out against the elimination of the academy.
And the day before the vote, teachers marched in downtown Silver Spring to demand full funding so MCPS does not have to have class size increases, furloughs or involuntary transfers.
Evans suggested showing budgets two or three years out so projections can be seen — “We cannot end up in this situation again.”
School Board President Karla Silvestre said, “As has been stated here today, we have made decisions that nobody wanted to make, because we know that our children and families need all of the services that we are currently providing and more.”
“Since we asked for a limited financial budget that represents our needs, there are no easy reductions to take,” said MCPS Interim Superintendent Dr. Monique Felder.
