On May 21, the Montgomery County Council voted 9-2 to approve a $7.9 billion countywide operating budget for the next fiscal year. Though this included a $143 million year-over-year increase for MCPS, it falls $36 million short of what the Board of Education requested.
Starting next school year, students at Churchill will quickly notice the effects of these reductions. Every family will be affected, whether it is that of an educator, staff member or the families of the students themselves, whose lives and learning depend on the decisions made by the Montgomery County Council.
“Students could notice things like larger class sizes, [as well as] missing Support Staff,” said WCHS English teacher Alison Deli. “We could also see the loss of our College and Career Navigator, Ms. Applebaum, who is invaluable in helping students with life beyond Churchill; our school Social Worker, Ms. Barbee, who offers assistance to students and families struggling with things like being unhoused to needing food assistance; and Mr. Schapp, our Media Services Technician who is invaluable with his support with the theater and music department.”
Though budget concerns come up every year in Montgomery County, this year’s consequences are entirely unavoidable. According to MCPS Superintendent Thomas W. Taylor, the county is facing a $150 million deficit. The county has rushed to fix this by whatever means necessary. If they cannot realistically reduce costs for the most accessible items, which mainly include Support Staff, the county must consider alternative solutions, potentially including the downsizing of athletics or maintenance.
“While every year we are concerned about our budget, this is the first year in many years that deep cuts will be made,” Deli said. “All three unions (MCEA, SEIU and MCAAP) have been working hard to get the word out to all members of the MCPS and Montgomery County community about what these cuts will mean in schools.”
The potential reductions have quickly sparked outrage. Educators and staff have held walk-outs across the county, including here at WCHS. The May 14 straw vote was delayed an additional day after protests erupted in the county council session. For months, protestors have been demanding support from the council. MCPS Board of Education member Julie Yang has had to face the consequences of the County Council’s actions.
“I believe education is the foundation to many things, that is why I will always prioritize classrooms,” Yang said. “As we work on the school budget, my goal is to preserve teachers, teaching assistants and direct support staff in schools. As a county, we need to grow our economy, so that we can generate funds to support education and other crucial county services.”
For students across the county, the stakes are much more personal. While board members and county officials work on the budget, students worry about how their lives will change come August. Whether it is staff or services, every student has a support system that is at risk of being taken from them. With worry must come action, and with action must come hope.
“I worry for students needing extra assistance with classwork and some of our most fragile students in terms of mental health,” Deli said. “Students can and should contact the Board of Education and demand that money should continue to be spent on the all-important jobs that work with students. The jobs that are most threatened are ones that work with students. Asking the Board to fund the most important stuff is what they have to hear from students. Students are the consumers.”
