MoCo Board of Education Adopts Final $2.78 Billion Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2022

MoCo Board of Education Adopts Final $2.78 Billion Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2022

Per MCPS:

The Montgomery County Board of Education on Thursday (June 10) adopted a $2.78 billion Operating Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022. This is an increase of $24.3 million (0.9 percent) from the current FY 2021 budget. The budget will allow Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) to provide a continuation of key services and reflects the significant impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on operating costs.

“This budget will help the school system mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on teaching and learning, and advance equity and excellence for all students in MCPS,” said Board President Brenda Wolff. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to eliminating disparities in academic achievement. We want to thank County Executive Marc Elrich, County Council President Tom Hucker, and the entire County Council for its unwavering commitment to the students of Montgomery County Public Schools.”

The budget focuses on four priority areas for the school system:

• Maintaining critical staffing levels for students returning to MCPS
• Providing additional supports to combat learning loss and assist struggling learners
• Providing mental health and social-emotional supports for students and staff
• Making needed investments in technology to support continued virtual learning and innovation

The operating budget continues the system’s focus on students, classrooms and schools and is centered on MCPS’ core purpose of preparing all students to thrive in their futures.

In December 2020, former Superintendent Jack Smith proposed a $2.71 billion budget for FY 2022 that was a decrease of $42.6 million from the current FY 2021 operating budget. Superintendent Smith’s budget proposal reflected an anticipated decrease in both state and local funding as a result of a decline in enrollment. In January 2021, Governor Larry Hogan announced his state budget for FY 2022, which reflected $69.2 million of additional state aid for MCPS than was previously anticipated.

In February 2021, the Board proposed and tentatively approved amendments to the FY 2022 Operating Budget. This process included engaging stakeholders through the establishment of workgroups for each of the focus areas. The amendments include the following:

• $30 million in support of a 2 1/2-year plan that prioritizes how MCPS strategically uses resources to support the needs of students, staff and community as a result of the pandemic. It is centered on four areas of support:
  • mitigating learning disruption;
  • focusing on schools most impacted by poverty;
  • providing well-being support; and
  • digital learning and support.

The Board’s adopted FY 2022 operating budget reflects input from an array of stakeholders, including staff, parents and guardians, students, employee associations and community members. The Board held two budget hearings and four work sessions and submitted the budget to the County Executive and County Council in March.

Learn more about the Operating Budget