By Adam Pagnucco.
The primary elections overshadowed the budget during the recent news cycles, but now that they are both done, the budget’s passage is generating fireworks. First, County Executive Marc Elrich criticized the council over its funding decisions, its lack of interest in commercial property taxes and, above all, its lack of transparency. Now the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) and SEIU Local 500, which together represent most MCPS employees, are criticizing both Elrich and the council for not fully funding MCPS’s operating budget request.
Let’s bear in mind that Elrich recommended a $128 million increase for MCPS and the council passed a $157 million increase, which is one of the largest increases MCPS has received in the last 20 years. But that’s less than the $188 million increase the school board requested in February. Moreover, the unions consider MCPS’s request inadequate for its needs, so any amount below that would be even more inadequate in their view.
Lastly, the most interesting part of the unions’ statement is its use of quotes by Council Members Will Jawando, Kristin Mink and Natali Fani-Gonzalez to embarrass the rest of the council. (All three voted for the budget.) That tactic will definitely draw attention inside the council building.
Here is what the unions had to say last night.
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MCEA and SEIU Local 500 Respond to County Council Straw Vote on FY25 MCPS Budget Recommendation
Rockville, MD – MCEA and SEIU Local 500 members are deeply concerned regarding the Montgomery County Public Schools FY2025 budget.
First, in February, MCPS put forward a budget proposal that did not request enough resources for the school system.
Next, County Executive Marc Elrich put forward a budget proposal in March that cut over $50 million from the already bare-bones MCPS budget.
Today, in a straw vote, the Montgomery County Council indicated that they would add back $26.3 million that the County Executive had cut from the MCPS Board of Education’s FY2025 budget request.
On the one hand, the cuts won’t be as severe as they would have been under Marc Elrich’s proposal. Unfortunately, today’s decision by the County Council still leaves the school system approximately $30 million under what is necessary to maintain current services. It’s dismaying to see that painful cuts to programs and positions will now be unavoidable in the coming year.
MCEA and SEIU Local 500 appreciate the efforts of the council members who attempted to fund the schools Montgomery County families deserve.
In remarks today, Councilmember Will Jawando stated, “I must express my deep concern with this level of funding for the MCPS budget which will be borne by a majority female workforce who again is being asked to do more with less.” He went on to say, “We must openly acknowledge that the population MCPS serves has fundamentally changed. Forty-five percent of our students now qualify for Free and Reduced-price Meals Service (FARMS), we have a growing need for special education services, and a 44% increase in students with Section 504 plans. We have a deep need, and this budget will not meet the need.”
Councilmember Natali Fani-Gonzales criticized the cuts, saying, “It really hurts to see kids who are really vulnerable not getting what they need to succeed.”
Councilmember Kristin Mink also reflected on the impact of the cuts. She stated, “There is no way to prevent it from hurting.” Commenting on the role MCPS plays in the broader community, she shared, “Good schools are fundamental to all our other goals as a county.”
Funding a world-class education system was once a badge of pride for Montgomery County. But the budget process is broken, and the County Council and the Board of Education no longer work together to ensure that every child has what they need for academic success.
“As we recover from this unacceptable blow, we must now pivot our attention to MCPS’s next steps in the budget process. Any resulting cuts the Board of Education is forced to make should come from the top, not from our classrooms. Our students must have reasonable class sizes and access to the supports that will enable them to meet learning goals,” said MCEA President Jennifer Martin. “MCEA members remain committed to ensuring the social-emotional wellbeing of every student, and to helping each one meet their full potential.”
SEIU Local 500 President Pia Morrison stated, “We know that failing to fully fund the school system will only hurt our students and those who dedicate their lives each day to serving their needs. Next year students may find reduced services or even non-existent ones where once they had support. When we hear elected officials say they had tough choices in their budget deliberations, the difficulty they faced pales in comparison with the choices students and their families must make when met with increasing class sizes, understaffed classrooms, and economic hardships. Our education support staff at SEIU Local 500 will rise to the challenge to continue to support our students in these times.
We all saw during this week’s primary election that educators are trusted messengers when it comes to identifying who can best lead the school system. We will continue to hold elected officials accountable and inform the community who in county leadership is trying to improve the schools and who is willing to underfund them.