No cost estimate for the regional program proposal

[Anonymous]

I was on the MCPS call to tell NEC families about the new regional program proposal today. MCPS admitted that they don’t have a cost estimate for this plan.

[Anonymous]

They did have a cost estimates, but I think they're insufficient.

SOURCE: https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/08/22/mcps-proposed-regional-program-themes/

According to the presentation, for the 2026-2027 school year, it would cost a total of about $57,400 to hire a part-time program coordinator and provide professional learning. During the 2027-2028 school year, implementing the program would cost a total of roughly $69,700, with the addition of a stipend for teachers who participate in after-school activities.

Over the next three school years following the 2027-2028 school year, the program’s cost would increase from about $92,100 for the 2028-2029 school year to roughly $156,500 for the 2029-2030 school year and approximately $151,000 for the 2030-2031 school year. The largest cost increase over those years would be making the program coordinator position full time plus costs for additional materials. The additional materials costs are eligible for grant funding and partial costs for professional learning could be covered by grants, according to MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They did have a cost estimates, but I think they're insufficient.

SOURCE: https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/08/22/mcps-proposed-regional-program-themes/

According to the presentation, for the 2026-2027 school year, it would cost a total of about $57,400 to hire a part-time program coordinator and provide professional learning. During the 2027-2028 school year, implementing the program would cost a total of roughly $69,700, with the addition of a stipend for teachers who participate in after-school activities.

Over the next three school years following the 2027-2028 school year, the program’s cost would increase from about $92,100 for the 2028-2029 school year to roughly $156,500 for the 2029-2030 school year and approximately $151,000 for the 2030-2031 school year. The largest cost increase over those years would be making the program coordinator position full time plus costs for additional materials. The additional materials costs are eligible for grant funding and partial costs for professional learning could be covered by grants, according to MCPS.

This is an extremely low-biased naive bulk estimation. They need to spend 2 million to just re-fingerprint and print out a new badge for every staff member. How could one believe implementing this massive amount of plan will only cost less than $200K first year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They did have a cost estimates, but I think they're insufficient.

SOURCE: https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/08/22/mcps-proposed-regional-program-themes/

According to the presentation, for the 2026-2027 school year, it would cost a total of about $57,400 to hire a part-time program coordinator and provide professional learning. During the 2027-2028 school year, implementing the program would cost a total of roughly $69,700, with the addition of a stipend for teachers who participate in after-school activities.

Over the next three school years following the 2027-2028 school year, the program’s cost would increase from about $92,100 for the 2028-2029 school year to roughly $156,500 for the 2029-2030 school year and approximately $151,000 for the 2030-2031 school year. The largest cost increase over those years would be making the program coordinator position full time plus costs for additional materials. The additional materials costs are eligible for grant funding and partial costs for professional learning could be covered by grants, according to MCPS.

This is an extremely low-biased naive bulk estimation. They need to spend 2 million to just re-fingerprint and print out a new badge for every staff member. How could one believe implementing this massive amount of plan will only cost less than $200K first year?

That estimate is for a program coordinator for just one program. Multiply that by 15 programs per region, in 6 regions. And that’s before paying for transportation, materials, and the inevitable lawsuits over inequitable admissions procedures.

[Anonymous]

I don't know about anyone else, but if I was going to be proposing a big change in the structure of my workplace (which is smaller by orders of magnitude than MCPS), I'd be expected to give my boss information about the financial impacts backed up by data.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know about anyone else, but if I was going to be proposing a big change in the structure of my workplace (which is smaller by orders of magnitude than MCPS), I'd be expected to give my boss information about the financial impacts backed up by data.

That's what happens when you keep putting former principals in charge of central services.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know about anyone else, but if I was going to be proposing a big change in the structure of my workplace (which is smaller by orders of magnitude than MCPS), I'd be expected to give my boss information about the financial impacts backed up by data.

Maybe William & Mary should take back Taylor’s MBA!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know about anyone else, but if I was going to be proposing a big change in the structure of my workplace (which is smaller by orders of magnitude than MCPS), I'd be expected to give my boss information about the financial impacts backed up by data.

Because this is a top-down approach. Taylor did the exact same thing in Stafford County, where there was no special program at all other than the governor's school (a type of charter school). He first sent out a survey for interests, then rolled in a 3-tier program, with 1/7 in size of the current proposed plan for MCPS. His plan got approved there (4:3 by Stafford County BOE), which gave him the experience and confidence to roll the same plan in MCPS without any situation awareness of the existing programs at all. He probably then handed all to the central office to figure out details. Because this is from top-down, no one would really takes the implementation into their heart. So here we are.

Again, I'm not saying his original plan has no merit. It's from good intention, some parts of which could bring real direct benefits (e.g., making sure the same basic AP courses become for every local HS), but the entire scope is set too large and the detailed plan is so poorly designed that will drive MCPS into hopeless chaos.

[Anonymous]

I thought just the transportation alone was $9.8 million.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-hate-politics-podcast/id1557043161?i=1000727474330

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought just the transportation alone was $9.8 million.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-hate-politics-podcast/id1557043161?i=1000727474330

According to the bethesda magzine article linked above: "With both the opening of the two high schools and the changes in programming, the district would need 126 more traditional school bus routes and 10 additional special education routes, bringing the total additional transportation costs for the 2027-2028 school year to $13.9 million. The total cost of purchasing 136 additional diesel buses would be $25.2 million. If the buses were all electric, they would cost $54.4 million."

And please keep in mind that these added transportation cost is only considering local HS stops. Every student in the future who choose a special program that's not located in their home HS will need to first take a bus to the home HS, and transfer to the other. Logistically this is going to be extremely challenged as pointed out by one testimony in one of the past BOE meetings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know about anyone else, but if I was going to be proposing a big change in the structure of my workplace (which is smaller by orders of magnitude than MCPS), I'd be expected to give my boss information about the financial impacts backed up by data.

LOL

This is MCPS.

Remember Essie McGuire swore the electric bus lease was budget neutral.

She is still in charge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought just the transportation alone was $9.8 million.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-hate-politics-podcast/id1557043161?i=1000727474330

According to the bethesda magzine article linked above: "With both the opening of the two high schools and the changes in programming, the district would need 126 more traditional school bus routes and 10 additional special education routes, bringing the total additional transportation costs for the 2027-2028 school year to $13.9 million. The total cost of purchasing 136 additional diesel buses would be $25.2 million. If the buses were all electric, they would cost $54.4 million."

And please keep in mind that these added transportation cost is only considering local HS stops. Every student in the future who choose a special program that's not located in their home HS will need to first take a bus to the home HS, and transfer to the other. Logistically this is going to be extremely challenged as pointed out by one testimony in one of the past BOE meetings.

How would that work as if kids take the regular bus to their home school, they'd be late to the school they are attending?

[Anonymous]

They will just demand $100 million more from the county council and get it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought just the transportation alone was $9.8 million.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-hate-politics-podcast/id1557043161?i=1000727474330

According to the bethesda magzine article linked above: "With both the opening of the two high schools and the changes in programming, the district would need 126 more traditional school bus routes and 10 additional special education routes, bringing the total additional transportation costs for the 2027-2028 school year to $13.9 million. The total cost of purchasing 136 additional diesel buses would be $25.2 million. If the buses were all electric, they would cost $54.4 million."

And please keep in mind that these added transportation cost is only considering local HS stops. Every student in the future who choose a special program that's not located in their home HS will need to first take a bus to the home HS, and transfer to the other. Logistically this is going to be extremely challenged as pointed out by one testimony in one of the past BOE meetings.

How would that work as if kids take the regular bus to their home school, they'd be late to the school they are attending?

This was one of the questions brought up by Laura Stewart, one of the BOE members to ask for a follow-up clarification since the last BOE meeting after hearing that testimony. In rare chances BOE follows-up, but let's see what they will do in the Oct. 14 BOE meeting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They will just demand $100 million more from the county council and get it.

And the county will of course raise our property tax again. My property tax had raised 40% from 3-years ago. Let's see how many years we are going to be stranded with this double digit increasing trend in the context of government RIF that impacts MD the most. Or in translation, how long it takes MD (or MC) to become a entire sh*thole.