Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MPCS enrollment has gone down from 160k in 2020 to 154k currently. That means they should be able to do teh same with less, as fewer students = lower costs:

https://moderatelymoco.com/mcps-enrollment-by-grade-for-the-past-5-years-2019-2024/

Lots of cost is not as directly correlated to number of students unless it dips low enough to close schools. Lots of the cost of schools is building maintenance and repair plus utilities, HVAC replacement since so many systems are elderly safety upgrades as well as ADA upgrades, support staff like janitorial, cafeteria, drivers etc… If you look at trends the other issue is the student population that is more expensive to educate such as English learners, kids from low income backgrounds and special education students has increased. So yes, with the student population shrinking there can be a few less teachers but so their cost is not really less. I am not saying that MCPS has not mismanaged funds since it clearly has. The issue now seems to be that years of not doing enough modernization and upkeep on schools has caught up to MCPS in terms of infrastructure problems. I would hope they look to close schools in less populated areas so less to maintain and less support staff to pay.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Guess where the funds are coming from?! You won’t believe it

The article says: "The funding would be made possible by reallocating money from the school system’s retiree health benefit trust, according to officials."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you take money from teachers pension plans? 50 million? This is something only morons would do.

https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2025/05/montgomery-county-council-has-a-plan-to-fund-schools-and-avoid-a-tax-increase/

I think technically it is the retiree health benefits, not the pensions. But in principle, I agree. The people quoted in this article sound completely insane. "We need to find a more stable solution"? Good lord, this is not rocket science! Health care costs exceed the premiums. Reduce the costs and/or increase the premiums. The temporary "solution" they have arrived at is neither "creative'" nor "courageous." It has been done before in recent years (which is part of the problem) and is very cowardly. They don't know how to negotiate with the union.

Anonymous wrote:How do you take money from teachers pension plans? 50 million? This is something only morons would do.

https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2025/05/montgomery-county-council-has-a-plan-to-fund-schools-and-avoid-a-tax-increase/

Anonymous wrote:MPCS enrollment has gone down from 160k in 2020 to 154k currently. That means they should be able to do teh same with less, as fewer students = lower costs:

https://moderatelymoco.com/mcps-enrollment-by-grade-for-the-past-5-years-2019-2024/

Anonymous wrote:MPCS enrollment has gone down from 160k in 2020 to 154k currently. That means they should be able to do teh same with less, as fewer students = lower costs:

https://moderatelymoco.com/mcps-enrollment-by-grade-for-the-past-5-years-2019-2024/

Anonymous wrote:My school system on Long Island prior to moving to Montgomery County made me feel super impressed by the quality and fanciness of schools here.

My town on Long Island has no school busses for 90 percent of students. We had to drive the kids to school ourselves. 3 roundtrips a day when kids in Elementary School, Middle School and HS as 4 different times.

We also had zero air conditioning in schools. They did not want to pay to install, pay to maintain or the electric.

The schools were all from the 1930s to the newest in 1960s. There was no budget to build schools.

And bathrooms and hallways were all 50-70 years old. Nothing every replaced unless unfixable.

I recall I went to a back to school night in fourth grade, the other parent went hey I went to fourth grade in same classroom. He was joking with me he carved his name in a desk and wondered if it was still there. He found it in room. Many was like 50 and his desk from when he was 10 years old still in use. Most likley in use since the 1950s and still there today.

If you want less school taxes that is what you get.

Anonymous wrote:My school system on Long Island prior to moving to Montgomery County made me feel super impressed by the quality and fanciness of schools here.

My town on Long Island has no school busses for 90 percent of students. We had to drive the kids to school ourselves. 3 roundtrips a day when kids in Elementary School, Middle School and HS as 4 different times.

We also had zero air conditioning in schools. They did not want to pay to install, pay to maintain or the electric.

The schools were all from the 1930s to the newest in 1960s. There was no budget to build schools.

And bathrooms and hallways were all 50-70 years old. Nothing every replaced unless unfixable.

I recall I went to a back to school night in fourth grade, the other parent went hey I went to fourth grade in same classroom. He was joking with me he carved his name in a desk and wondered if it was still there. He found it in room. Many was like 50 and his desk from when he was 10 years old still in use. Most likley in use since the 1950s and still there today.

If you want less school taxes that is what you get.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That’s a good thing. The school system needs to be better stewards of the tax money. I’m for raising teachers salaries and utilizing the money that will directly benefit our kids. I’m opposed to bloat, useless contracts and wasting money on improving and experimental, curriculums and programs.

And don’t forget golden parachutes for failed superintendents! 🪂

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know how many million short this is and what they might cut to close the gap? Based on the math it looks like maybe $6-$9M short?