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

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Also, what is really infuriating is that past generations understood the importance of education and accepted that the nature of education inherently means costs will go up *faster* than general inflation. That's reflected in the long-term trends in education funding over the last century.

This isn't a new issue. We just now have taxpayers who are unwilling to give the next generation the same benefits they received. Right around 2010 was when this shifted dramatically.

It's not just the immediate impacts to kids that we should be worried about. Education has facilitated the growth in science and technology that drives our economy. We're digging ourselves deeper and deeper into a hole because some boomers don't like taxes.[/quote]

I'm looking at per pupil spending numbers (https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/OMB/Resources/Files/omb/pdfs/FY26/psprec/10-MontgomeryCountyPublicSchools-FY2026-REC-Publication-Report.pdf) and adjusting them for inflation. They don't support your assertions.'

Using the numbers in the linked document and the BLS CPI calculator, this is what I found for inflation adjusted per pupil funding amounts in November 2025 dollars:

1984-1985: $13,398
1989-1990: $16,305
1994-1995: $15,287
1999-2000: $16,244
2004-2005: $19,630
2009-2010: $23,427
2014-2015: $20,522
2019-2020: $20,477
2024-2025: $21,058
2025-2026: $22,644

The current year per pupil funding is 69% higher than 1985 per pupil funding in November 2025 dollars, and 39% higher than per pupil funding in 2000 in November 2025 dollars. Then in the 2000s Doug Duncan went on a massive spending spree, which surprise surprise was not sustainable. Per pupil funding was at a high in 2010, but with the recession, we couldn't keep that up. We are approaching another recession. It is not going to be pretty.
[/quote]

DP but are you looking at the total funding numbers or the county funding numbers?  There's a whole bunch of reasons why federal and state funding fluctuate, but the discussion is about county-level spending on education and whether or not it has declined, correct?[/quote]

I did total funding because
- it's all county taxpayer funding. County taxpayers send more to the state and federal government than what the county gets back
- when the state increases funding for schools it decreases funding for other things like public safety, transportation, etc. [b]The county still has to provide these services. MCPS and MCEA have a history of crying foul about county funding numbers, and it's quite deceptive.[/b]

However, I have provided all the information you need to calculate the trend in inflation adjusted MCPS per pupil funding coming from the county budget, should you wish to do so.[/quote]

I agree. I noticed the per pupil funding talking point is one that Elrich, Taylor and MCEA all like to tout and it always smelled a little fishy to me.

Your analysis makes a lot more sense for the reasons you mentioned.[/quote]

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