A Very Disturbing Update From Our Superintendent

It is no secret that countless school districts have been devastated by severe budget cuts this school year, my district being no exception. We are fortunate to have a superintendent who truly fights for the best interest and needs of his teachers and students, no matter what. Even with his adamant support, though, harsh financial realities still exist.

On Thursday afternoon, our superintendent sent an email to all of his staff members that made me want to cry. You can see why:

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June 3, 2010

To My Colleagues,

When I released my budget recommendation in December, I made it clear that we were facing unprecedented economic times in Montgomery County and that we would very likely have to make some difficult decisions for Fiscal Year 2011. The time for those decisions is upon us and I want to share this information with you as quickly as possible.

As was reported in The Bulletin on Tuesday, June 1, the Montgomery County Council passed a $2.1 billion budget for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) last week, which is nearly $160 million less than what was requested by the Board of Education in February. This reduction includes a $137.7 million budget cut proposed by the County Executive in March, and an additional $24.4 million cut agreed to in the closing days of the budget process. The district had already begun to take the necessary actions to meet the County Executive’s recommended cut, including the reduction of more than 400 positions, an increase in class size, the elimination of any salary adjustments for our staff, and a delay in retiree trust fund payments. The additional $24.4 million budget reduction includes a $19.7 million cut to the operating budget that will, unfortunately, necessitate some additional difficult decisions.

My recommendations for further reductions are being transmitted to the Board of Education today and may be found by clicking here. The memorandum outlines my recommendations for additional budget reductions, many of which were part of the list of possible cuts released in December. These reductions include additional cuts to staff and operations that will, no doubt, have a significant impact on all of our schools. I am not recommending any furloughs for our staff and it is my sincere hope that most of the employees displaced by these cuts will find positions elsewhere in the system. However, it is very likely that we will not be able to find positions for some members of our MCPS family. We will work with the Office of Human Resources and Development, and the employee associations to help staff through this transition.

This has been a very challenging budget season, perhaps the most difficult in all my years as a superintendent. Making budget cuts is always hard, but doing so as our system is experiencing perhaps its greatest period of academic growth makes it even harder. However, we must continue our pursuit of academic excellence for all students. As was outlined in an editorial in Wednesday’s Gazette, our graduates are better prepared than most for college and the work world, and that is because of the tireless dedication of our outstanding staff. Even though we must make some difficult adjustments in the coming months, I am confident that you have the talent and the tenacity to continue your outstanding work.

Please enjoy these last weeks of the school year with students and know that you have the respect and admiration of many across the county, the state, and the nation for the work you do every day.


Respectfully,

Superintendent of Schools