Taylor's Operating Budget releases 12/17 at 6:30 pm

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12/18/2025 17:08

Subject: Taylor's Operating Budget releases 12/17 at 6:30 pm

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Anonymous wrote:Is there any written information provided on the budget yet or just this meeting?

I think it should go up here but hasn't been posted yet: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/budget/

The one page summary has been posted: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17GJKuduRVabGklonUKc2u7VmIcBsrbNW/view?usp=drivesdk

Thank you. 50 people from central services is a lot. Did they clarify what jobs will be cut?

That will hopefully be clearer when the full details are out. Based on other posters it seems like a lot will be from special ed and the social workers, which is concerning as he stated in his presentation that the cuts were to get rid of positions they didn't see as a "priority." Mental health, family support and special education seem to be pretty important! Even when you consider his own slide of what MCPS wants to focus on. And I believe special ed enrollment is increasing, so why limit its support? It's a clever trick to call any non-school based staff "central services" when many are clearly in the schools often, or are benefiting schools directly on a regular basis.

DCUM: "Look at the huge bloat in MCPS central office! Fairfax has a much lower proportion of staff in their central office! Cuts are in order!"

Also DCUM: "Categorizing staff who often are in schools [but who may work across schools] as central is a trick! There's no way we should be cutting these services!"

Um...[checks notes from past DCUM threads]...it's the same kinds of functions, just historically categorized differently between the two systems from an administrative/budgeting perspective

I think we all have the brain capacity to understand that people want less higher level admin who sit in central office all day contributing a questionable amount of value to the system. Versus "central office" staff who actually support schools and do the work Taylor supposedly wants to prioritize. Based on what we know I agree it's disingenuous to use the ill will toward Central office admin bloat as a vague cover to get rid of staff who actually help schools.

That may be the desire, and I don't doubt the capacity. However, I do doubt the general willingness to delve in enough to have the perspective to support effective critical thought about the matter. I'd bet most, if they would look at last year's operating budget documentation, would be astonished at how few there are to support the many things we really want done: sourcing of good curricula, maintenance and improvement of facilities, analysis of initiative/program effectiveness to ensure efforts/$ aren't wasted, etc.,

The management of those FTEs may be wanting and the direction they are given may be beholden to the views of a few towards the top whose objectives may not match those of the community, but that is a different problem from "bloat." Not that I think that there isn't any at all, but that I expect it's not the kind of low-hanging fruit that some seem to think it is.

And I agree with your agreement with my unstated, but, in retrospect, probably implied, notion -- that sentiment shouldn't be used as cover to cut school supports.

DP I think there are a couple issues here:

1. Central office is not popular. They put out a lot of stuff that doesn't make sense, and so people don't like them. Does everyone know exactly which central office people do these things? Of course not. And everyone should be respectful and kind, and I'm sure there are really competent people who are categorized as central office staff who are doing important work either providing direct services in schools or not. But goodness, some of the things certain central office staff say and do are just not helpful and get in the way of MCPS's core mission.
2. It's not in the Superintendent's interest, the BOE's interest or the unions' interest to address the real reason for MCPS's budgetary woes, which is compensation costs. Nobody wants to talk about cutting teacher pensions or raising their healthcare premiums. So it's not surprising that folks look for different scapegoats. There is just no way around the fact that MCPS's costs will keep rising more than inflation for the same services and there isn't the requisite economic growth to pay for more things without tax increases, which is unwise in a recession.

I see from the budget summary that CO is cutting 50 FTEs while having 10 FTEs dedicated to the regional model preparation. So which CO department is going to receive cut? From reading posts from this board, my general impression is at least HR department is extremely short-handed.