The Prince George’s County Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously to approve its final $2.9 billion budget for the upcoming school year during a board meeting on Feb. 27.

The budget will be introduced to the Prince George’s County Council to be approved in June. The proposed budget increases funding for human resources and special education, but could include less money for some community services.

Here are some key takeaways from the proposed budget.

PGCPS is experiencing a budget shortfall

The school district is facing an $18.3 million deficit due to decreased funding from the state and federal government, PGCPS Chief Financial Officer Lisa Howell said during a Feb. 27 board meeting.

This comes as a result of federal COVID-19 relief grants expiring, increased costs and Maryland’s own budget deficit, which is projected at around $3 billion. The state’s deficit is due to increased spending and slow economic growth, according to Gov. Wes Moore’s state budget proposal.

Howell said PGCPS will continue to work toward a balanced budget by revising cost estimates for summer school personnel and terminal leave payouts. The county would reduce “non-personnel” spending by adapting its contracts with vendors, she added.

[PGCPS faces $37 million budget deficit amid state, federal funding cuts]

According to Howell, there are still many changes that could impact the final budget, including the school budget assessment process, grant adjustments, negotiations with local labor unions and updated vendor estimates. Funding allocations from the council, state and federal government could also impact the final budget, Howell said.

“We’re not done,” Howell said. “We have a good path to get to where we are right now, but we are still very early in the budgeting process.”

Some budget uncertainties tied to two bills in the Maryland General Assembly would delay the implementation of funding needed for the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. The education reform program passed by the Maryland General Assembly in 2021 aims to provide $3.8 billion a year to the state’s public schools over the next decade.

The passage of these bills, including one that would halt funding for some community services, could potentially lead PGCPS to an even larger deficit, Howell said during a board meeting on Feb. 19.

District 6 Prince George’s County Council member Wala Blegay told The Diamondback the council will monitor the amount of money granted by the state and federal government to better understand what the county needs to provide.

“I would say that we probably shouldn’t approve the entire budget of the school system until we see what happens at the state level because there might be some changes there,” Blegay said.

PGCPS is allocating more funding toward student support

The proposed budget increases funding for student support by about $12 million, or 9 percent compared to the previous fiscal year.

This funding will allow for improved instructional support for students, special education programs and early learning interventions within PGCPS.

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Improving literacy rates amongst students, especially early learners, was a priority for PGCPS when drafting the budget, House said during the Dec. 5 meeting. House wanted to increase support for multilingual students and improve resources for students with disabilities, he added.

The increase in funding for student support is provided by the state government due to an increased population of students with disabilities within the school district, District 7 Board of Education member Phelton Moss told The Diamondback.

“I think you’ll see that funding go towards … making sure we have the most up to date intervention systems to intervene when necessary,” Moss said.

PGCPS is experiencing a loss in funding for community schools

The budget proposal shows a 29.5 percent loss in funding for community services from last year’s budget.

According to Moss, this figure reflects the amount of funding lost if the Maryland General Assembly passes legislation to halt funding for some services, including community schools.

Moss told The Diamondback parents in his district are concerned about the loss of community schools funding, a program that provides “wraparound” services to students and their families, such as extracurricular activities, further learning opportunities and medical support.

PGCPS is allocating increased funding to address staff shortages

Jonathan Briggs, who represents District 2 on the Board of Education, said one of the board’s priorities was to address the teacher shortage occurring on a local and state level.

There were 1,126 resignations between July 2022 and July 2023 in PGCPS, according to The Washington Post, while there were 989 resignations the year before.

Briggs said he was able to increase funds for the human resources department to improve the recruitment and retention of teachers within the county.

The teacher shortage is a primary concern of many PGCPS community members, Briggs said.

“The teacher shortage is just something that they really want to focus in on,” Briggs said.