Pandemic Forces PGCPS To Save Up Despite Growing Schools, Costs

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — Enrollment is growing in Prince George's County Public Schools. That means costs are also on the rise.

The coronavirus pandemic has put a hurting on the county's revenue, however. School system CEO Monica Goldson tried to be conscious of that in this year's budget recommendation, which she submitted on Dec. 10, 2020.

"We face unprecedented fiscal challenges due to COVID-19," Goldson said in her proposal, noting that salaries, technology, books and inflation cost more each year. "As we confront declining revenues, our expenditures continue to escalate."

Budget Constraints

The PGCPS budget grew by an annual average of $95.5 million over the past four years. This year, Goldson requested $19 million more than last year's proposed budget.

The budget is composed of county, state and federal money. These totals tend to grow every year, but revenue constraints have forced Prince George's schools to get crafty.

Each year, PGCPS usually requests $29 million more from the county than the previous year. This time, Goldson is asking for the same amount of county money. The CEO is also redirecting some of the money saved from 2020's cuts and freezes toward her budget proposal.

"Despite these daunting fiscal challenges, we must continue our progress towards system-wide educational and operational improvement," Goldson said. "This budget recommendation continues our work to build trust, resolve long-standing concerns and build pride in PGCPS."

Community Feedback

The budget is now in the hands of the Prince George's County Board of Education. Before school officials approve the proposal and pass it to the county government, they want to hear from their constituents.

The school board will host budget events on Jan. 19 and Feb. 2. Both meetings will start with a work session at 5 p.m. A public hearing will follow each at 7 p.m. To request a three-minute speaking slot, fill out this form.

This week's work session will cover these departments:

• Accountability
• Business Management Services
• Human Resources
• Information Technology
• Operations and Supporting Services.

Click this link to watch the meeting. The passcode is 271288.

The February conference will address the offices of:

• Academics
• Chief of Staff
• CEO
• School Support and Leadership.

That discussion will be viewable at this link with the same passcode as above.

To listen to the hearings after each work session, call (855) 756-7520. For the January townhall, dial the extension 70022#. To participate in February's, key in 70023# as the extension. Spanish translation is available for all these events by calling (508) 924-5155.

Next Steps

After all the hearings, the Board of Education must approve the budget recommendation by March 1. Board members will then forward the proposal to County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. She must send the budget to the Prince George's County Council by March 15.

The Maryland General Assembly will adopt its final budget in April. This will give the counties a clearer picture of how much state money they will get.

The County Council will hold two budget hearings starting in April. After those public events, the council must approve the budget by the end of May.

The county-approved budget then goes back to the school board. School officials will adapt their plan to meet the county's bottom line throughout June. By the end of the month, the Board of Education will officially adopt the budget, which takes effect on July 1.

"In spite of the current uncertainty, our mission and goal remain clear," Goldson said. "Prince George’s County Public Schools will provide a great education that empowers all students and contributes to thriving communities."

To learn more about the budget process, head to this PGCPS webpage.

*Editor's Note: The PGCPS website does not list the adopted budgets for the years starting on July 1, 2020 and July 1, 2021. All calculations including those years use the requested budget amount instead of the finalized budget.*

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Have a story idea? Please contact me at jacob.baumgart@patch.com with any pitches, tips or questions. Follow me on Twitter @JacobBaumgart and on Facebook @JacobBaumgartJournalist to stay up-to-date with the latest Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County news.