PGCPS warns Senate pause to ‘educational excellence’ funding could cut millions; urges conference‑committee outreach

Prince George’s County Public Schools officials told the district’s Policy & Governance Committee on April 1 that differences between the House and Senate versions of the state’s “educational excellence” bill — House Bill 504 and Senate Bill 429 — will be resolved in a legislative conference committee and could significantly reduce funding for the district.

The committee heard from Ms. Welsh, who delivered the legislative update and said: “we now have the House amendments and we have the Senate amendments,” and that “we'll have to go to conference committee to resolve any of the differences.” She described major differences between the two chambers on per‑pupil funding, teacher collaborative time, and community‑schools rules.

Why it matters: The Senate version pauses funding for teacher collaborative time from school year 2026 through 2029 and reduces projected per‑pupil foundation amounts in later years, changes that district staff say would lower state and local funding. Ms. Welsh…