Enrollment growth of more than 2,000 students a year for the past decade is prompting Superintendent Jack Smith to propose nearly 200 new staff positions in next year’s Montgomery County school system operating budget.
In an online presentation Tuesday night, Smith unveiled more details of his proposed $2.65 billion budget for fiscal 2020, which focuses heavily on increasing staff to manage growth and expanding programs intended to close an achievement gap in academic performance between white and minority students.
Overall, the $2.65 billion budget represents a 2.1 percent increase from this year’s $2.6 billion budget.
About 65 percent of the school system is funded by Montgomery County and the state contributes 27 percent, with the rest from the federal government and other sources.
About 90 percent of the budget funds salaries and benefits, consistent with recent years.
The school district recently adopted a separate $280 million capital budget for fiscal 2020 to fund building projects throughout the county, some of which address enrollment growth.
Student enrollment has jumped from 142,000 to 163,000 students since 2009. As a result, Smith’s proposed budget recommends adding about 60 general teaching positions, 40 special education teaching positions, 15 staff to assist English language learners and three psychologists, as well as transportation and operational staff.
Montgomery County’s student enrollment next year is expected to increase by fewer than 2,000 students for the first time in a decade.
The budget designates about $500 million for elementary school operations, $256 million for middle schools and about $344 million for high schools. Approximately $233 million is allocated for special education.
The county school board recently adopted extended-year calendars for two Silver Spring elementary schools to operate nearly year-round in an effort to reduce achievement disparities between students from high-and low-income households. The move will cost the school district an additional $2.2 million, according to the budget.
A total of $2,589,045 and about four full-time positions are included to provide general maintenance at schools, such as carpet replacement and heating and ventilation overhauls, technology improvements, installing seat belts on special education buses and furniture purchases for some schools.
Departments that would see a decrease in funding under Smith’s proposal the Department of Secondary Curriculum and Districtwide Programs, the Department of Systemwide Safety and some administrative offices.
The draft budget also recommends eliminating nine full-time positions throughout the district, including three from central services and six from “support operations.” The cuts would total $1,831,688 in operating costs.
The school board will hold public hearings in January before adopting the budget in February. The budget will then be considered by the County Council and Marc Elrich, the county executive, before final adoption of the budget occurs in mid-June by Elrich and the Council.
