Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland: Concerns grow over proposed MCPS budget cuts, including reductions to program for kids with autism

Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Concerns grow over proposed MCPS budget cuts, including reductions to program for kids with autism

ROCKVILLE, Md. - Some proposed budget cuts for Montgomery County Public Schools have parents concerned.

A proposed $7.1 billion dollar budget for Montgomery County includes $3.3 billion for MCPS.

That will fund about 98 percent of the school board’s request, but because it doesn’t fully fund MCPS that will mean a reduction or elimination of some programs.

One of those programs is the special needs program at the Darnestown Learning Center which serves children with autism.

Three other programs within MCPS may also see changes in the next school year or be cut completely without funding.

2 comments:

AnonymousApril 25, 2024 at 12:10 PM
They need to get rid of at least 10 central office employees.
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Principles

Formed in 2002, the Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland seeks to achieve the goals of coherent, content-rich curriculum standards; high expectations combined with timely remediation and acceleration; a wider range of educational options for parents and children; greater transparency and accountability; and meaningful community input.

E-mail: parentscoalitionmc AT outlook.com

What The Washington Post said about the Parents' Coalition

The coalition might be the best-known parent advocacy group in the region. Its members represent several constituencies, including parents of special education and gifted education students and fiscal watchdogs. The group's defining victory came this school year when the school system scaled back the fees charged to families for course materials.

Coalition leaders have drawn attention to the misuse of funds collected from students for activities, the broadcast of a commercial radio service on school buses and, with their "Weast Watch" blog, the travel habits of Weast and his lieutenants.

The Washington Post, June 4, 2009

Jerry Weast on the Parents' Coalition

"Along the way, you’ve had a challenging relationship with the Parents’ Coalition, the network of citizen activists who use the political process and other means to hold MCPS accountable.

The thing people accuse me of is listening, but not hearing. I hear, but I do not always agree. I am sorry that the world is faster than it was 10 years ago. I did not do that. [But] if we do not keep up, then our kids will be behind. We have to stop whining and get real."

Bethesda Magazine, March-April 2011