• Featured News
    • QuickNotes
    • Bulletin
    • TV
    • Press Releases
    • All In: The Superintendent’s Blog
    • Board of Education
February 26, 2021
  • Montgomery County Public Schools
  • Featured News
  • QuickNotes
  • Bulletin
  • TV
  • Press Releases
  • All In: The Superintendent’s Blog
  • Board of Education

All In: Where We Spend Our Money Matters

Jack R. Smith, Superintendent of Schools Posted On December 4, 2019
0


0
Shares
  • Share On Facebook
  • Tweet It

Late fall is budget season for our school system. While on the surface, budgets sound dry and mundane, they provide us the opportunity to evaluate our priorities and put our money where our mouth is, so to speak. Where we spend our money matters. We must be intentional in what we prioritize, ensuring that our programs are strategically funded so they help us reach our goals.

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) operates under two major budgets: the Operating Budget, which I will write about in several weeks, and the Capital Budget. The Capital Budget is where we address new school construction, additions and other renovations, and major systemic projects (such as roofing, window and door replacement, and air conditioning and heating units).   It is based on a six-year Capital Improvements Program (CIP), which is updated annually based on current and anticipated enrollment, as well as on the condition of our aging buildings.

Montgomery County is growing rapidly. This current school year, for example, MCPS welcomed more than 2,700 additional students to our schools. Our enrollment by the 2025-2026 school year—the last year in our proposed six-year plan—is projected to increase by 5,880 students.  Each of these additional students will need a spot in a classroom and access to adequate gym facilities, media centers and other gathering spaces. This is a remarkable amount of growth and equates to several new schools and numerous building additions.

In addition to growth, our schools are aging. We must maintain them adequately so they do not deteriorate beyond repair. We must make sure that our buildings provide safe and inviting learning environments for our students, staff and communities.

On October 25, 2019, I presented my Recommended Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Capital Budget and the FY 2021-2026 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) to the Board of Education for its consideration and adoption. After three public hearings and several in-depth public discussions, the Board adopted its Capital Budget and CIP. These documents and other related information can be found here. I am confident that these capital requests are fiscally prudent and address many of our critical capacity and aging school needs. While we could have included many more projects, the Board and I believe it is important to also consider the fiscal environment of the county.

The decisions about which capital projects to include were difficult. There are many needs and competing interests among our more than one million residents, more than 165,000 students, and 208 schools. The Adopted Capital Budget and CIP were developed over the past year by analyzing the Key Facility Indicator data, along with other facility, program and enrollment information. Once we determined the projects that would be included in the CIP, we sequenced them throughout the six-year CIP period. We propose spending approximately 29 percent of the funds on major capital projects; 30 percent on countywide projects, such as heating and air conditioning, window and door replacement, fire safety and ADA-compliance projects; and 41 percent on projects to increase building capacity.

MCPS is a fiscally dependent organization. We do not raise our own funds, but rely on the county and state governments to fund our requests. For the FY 2021 Capital Budget and the FY 2021-2026 Capital Improvements Program, MCPS is requesting $1.8 billion over the six-year period. Typically, this represents an approximately 80/20 percent funding split between Montgomery County and the state of Maryland.

The Board’s adopted FY 2021 Capital Budget and the FY 2021-2026 Capital Improvements Program will be forwarded to the county government for its consideration. The county executive will publish his CIP recommendations for all county agencies—which includes the school system—by mid-January for consideration by the County Council. The County Council will hold public hearings before adopting the budget in late May 2020.

I call on the County Council to fund our Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Capital Budget and the FY 2021-2026 Capital Improvements Program request; the need is greater than this request. The projects included in this planning document are critical for our community, students and schools. If we do not fund these projects now, they will backlog into future years, which leads to the question, “If not now, when?”

Good Reads

Is college worth it? A Georgetown study measures return on investment — with some surprising results, The Washington Post

John U. Monro, 89, Dies; Left Harvard to Follow Ideals, The New York Times 

 

0
Shares
  • Share On Facebook
  • Tweet It


CIPFY 2021 Capital BudgetFY 2021-2026 Capital Improvements Program


  • MCPS Bulletin

    Print the Current Issue of the Bulletin

  • Submit

    • General News Story Idea
    • Retirement Celebration
    • Shout Out
  • Staff Bulletin Current Issue

    • Five Things You Need to Know About the Return to In-Person...
      February 24, 2021
    • Board of Education Tentatively Adopts Fiscal Year 2022...
      February 24, 2021
    • County Testing Available for MCPS Staff and Students
      February 24, 2021
    • MCPS Graduation Rate Increases for Class of 2020
      February 24, 2021
    • Dramatic Rise in Unemployment Benefits Fraud Impacts...
      February 24, 2021
    • MCPS Replacing 326 Diesel School Buses with Electric...
      February 24, 2021
    • BOE Seeking Comment on Nondiscrimination and Equity...
      February 24, 2021
    • Don’t Forget: Anti-Vaping Symposium is Saturday,...
      February 24, 2021
    • Tutoring Services Offer Free Homework Help
      February 24, 2021
    • Apply for Student Debt Relief by March 31
      February 24, 2021
    • Honor Coworkers, Retirees with Donations to MCPS Cares
      February 24, 2021
    • Join the Mind/Body Reboot!
      February 24, 2021
    • KID Museum, Amazon Future Engineer Offering Professional...
      February 24, 2021
    • Montgomery County History Day Competition Looking for Judges
      February 24, 2021
    • Minority Scholars Program Holding 10th Annual Retreat...
      February 24, 2021
    • NAACP Offering Scholarships to Graduating Seniors
      February 24, 2021
    • Game Changer Conference Set for February 27
      February 24, 2021


  • QuickNotes Languages

    • español (Spanish)
    • français (French)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • 中文 (Chinese)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • አማርኛ (Amharic)
    • English
    • Portuguese
  • Recent Posts

    • MCPS Moment: Farquhar Middle School Return to School Model
    • Five Things You Need to Know About MCPS’ Return to In-Person Learning
    • County COVID Testing Available for MCPS Staff and Students
  • Connect with MCPS


  • Featured News
  • QuickNotes
  • Bulletin
  • TV
  • Press Releases
  • All In: The Superintendent’s Blog
  • Board of Education
© Copyright Montgomery County Public Schools
Press enter/return to begin your search