A group of civic activists and volunteers will pore over the county school system’s $2.39 billion budget request next week in Bethesda.
The Montgomery County Civic Federation, Montgomery County Taxpayers League and the Parents’ Coalition of Montgomery County are hosting the third annual “Budgetpalooza” on Thursday, Feb. 26 at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center (4805 Edgemoor Lane). The event is set for 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
Participants will go chapter-by-chapter while analyzing the FY16 budget request finalized last week by the Board of Education. The effort is meant to provide an outside review. The MCPS budget traditionally makes up almost half of the county’s entire annual operating budget.
Because of anticipated state education cuts, the Board of Education shaved $10.2 million off of the budget proposed in December by then-Superintendent Joshua Starr. School officials have said more cuts are possible.
The County Council must approve the budget this spring.
The Civic Federation describes itself as a group of volunteers who “have committed themselves to providing an effective citizen voice to government policy makers, both elected and appointed.”
