Joint Statement from Montgomery County Board of Education President Ms. Karla Silvestre and Interim Superintendent Dr. Monique Felder on Operating Budget

On behalf of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), we express our deep appreciation to  Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich for his consideration of the Board of Education’s recommended MCPS operating budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025.

We recognize that difficult fiscal decisions must be made, especially in the face of evolving economic landscapes, and we are very aware of the budget pressures our families are feeling, especially from inflation and rising healthcare costs. However, we remain optimistic that working together with our county elected leaders, MCPS will enter FY25 with the funding necessary to provide the high-quality teaching and learning that our students deserve and our community expects.

We remain committed to our core instructional purpose of supporting excellent teaching and learning in every school and every classroom for every student. We look forward to sharing our plans for that work with the County Council and explaining how fully funding the MCPS operating budget is money well spent.

A recent economic analysis of the impact of MCPSon the county economy, conducted by Stephen S. Fuller, Ph.D., in September of 2023, demonstrated investment in public schools provides a direct fiscal impact on our community. The study found, for example:

• MCPS generates $3.68 billion in economic activity annually in the county.
• MCPS supports 37,400 jobs in the county (directly and indirectly).
• 71% of MCPS’ payroll goes to residents living in Montgomery County.
• Every dollar spent by MCPS in Montgomery County generates $1.45 in county economic activity.

We remain committed to reaching a final MCPS budget rooted in collaboration, responsibility, honesty and transparency. We will continue to work with our elected leaders as we set the highest standards for academic excellence for all of our students.