Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Superintendent Jerry Weast is proposing a $2.2 billion budget, which asks for increased funding from the county council.
Weast’s proposed 2012 budget for MCPS is a 2.8 percent increase from the 2011 budget.  However, if Weast’s budget is not approved by the county council, funding for class size, staff development teachers, outdoor education and high school athletics may potentially be cut.
“Don’t panic,” Principal Joan Benz advised. “Dr. Weast has been great in being able to fund a good budget for us that meets the school system’s needs.”
Currently, CHS has over-enrolled classes, and with more budget cuts, fewer teachers will be working, which impacts the student learning environment.
“If and when Dr. Weast’s budget is not fully funded by the county council, there will be cuts across the board that will affect students, staff and parents, as well as other members of the MCPS community,” senior MCR representative Alex Abdun-Nabi said. “The full effect of the cuts will be felt throughout the school system, with the loss of counselors, academic support teachers and other critical support staff [and] at CHS, the most visible manifestation of the budget cuts will be an increase in the average class size.”
If Weast’s proposal is not accepted, further cuts will need to be made, including funding for athletic events.  The number of coaches, games, practices and teams will be reduced, and these cuts will impact students’ involvement in extracurricular activities.
According to a Jan. 28 Washington Post article, Weast’s proposal, if denied, would lead to the elimination of 600 teacher and support positions at the same time MCPS is preparing to gain 2,000 more students this fall. This decrease in the number of teachers and increase in the number of students would increase class sizes by about one student per class.
“It is important for people to know what is going on,” Benz said. “The community [needs] to get together and realize what are the county’s greatest needs.”
According to the same Post article, Weast and county officials are not hopeful that the large budget will get approved.
“Dr. Weast’s proposal is optimistic and unrealistic because the county council has stated there will not be a fully funded budget,” Abdun-Nabi said.
The county council will take budget action regarding Weast’s proposal May 19.
“These [budget] cuts will have far-reaching implications on the classroom and school environment, ultimately hurting our quality of education,” said MCPS Student Member of the Board Alan Xie.
According to Xie, this year county executive Ike Leggett and other members of the county council have publicly declared that Weast’s proposed budget will not be funded.
“[Since Dr. Weast is retiring] we need someone who will fight for MCPS’s strong share of money,” Benz said.