MCPS requests 688 special‑education FTEs, 47 EML teachers and expansions to CREA and blended learning; proposes cross‑functional teams to support schools

Montgomery County Public Schools told the county’s Education and Culture Committee on April 23 that its FY26 proposal includes major personnel additions aimed at addressing sharply rising special‑education caseloads, rapid growth in emerging multilingual learners (EML), and expanded alternatives for students who need options beyond a conventional classroom.

Key requests and rationale - Special education: MCPS proposes adding 688 full‑time equivalent (FTE) positions, a change the district estimates would cost about $46.6 million. The district said the request primarily converts temporary part‑time paraprofessionals to full‑time roles and adds classroom staff so that schools can meet established staffing guidelines. Of the 500 paraprofessional positions in the request, the district told the committee that about 366 would be conversions of existing temporary part‑time staff into full‑time positions with benefits.

- Emerging multilingual learners (EML): The proposed budget adds 47 EML teachers—estimated at $4.2 million—to serve a student population that the district says is its fastest growing group. The district noted that EML enrollment is projected to rise by about 1,000 students next year and that the average EML teacher ratio currently stands near 38 students per teacher.

- CREA and alternative pathways: The budget request includes 14 positions and about $1.7 million to expand CREA (dropout recovery, GED and career‑credentialing services) so students who have left the traditional graduation pathway can earn credentials or industry certificates. The district said this is a non‑statutory, equity‑focused program intended to help students who run out of time to earn a diploma.

- Blended/virtual learning: MCPS proposed 22 additional FTEs ($2.1 million) to professionalize and expand the district’s blended and virtual options for students who are medically unable to attend school or for other students who benefit from distance learning. The district described the prior operating model as cobbled together and said the new request would create predictable funding and a program with more consistent academic and social supports.

- Cross‑functional teams and central office reorganization: The district plans to reallocate central office staff into 13 cross‑functional teams embedded in clusters of schools. The proposal reallocates roughly $8.1 million from central office accounts and assigns school‑facing roles (literacy, math, EML, special education, safety/security, professional‑learning specialists and parent/community liaison roles) so teams spend about 80% of their time in schools. The district identified three clusters that will have dedicated teams (Kennedy, Watkins Mill, and Gaithersburg) and said teams will have smaller caseloads (8–19 schools) than some prior central‑office assignments.

Superintendent and leadership remarks Superintendent Taylor told the committee the requested additions do not represent system expansion but rather an attempt to fulfill existing staffing guidelines and correct chronic shortfalls that created “untenable” classroom conditions. “We are not solving any problems with special education, nor are we expanding our special education footprint even though it may look that way on paper,” Taylor said, adding the request is aimed at meeting statutory and internal service expectations already owed to students with disabilities.

Dr. Margaret Cage, the district's new chief student support services officer, described the work ahead as substantial and said she was honored to join MCPS. Cage said the district must address placement practices, staffing and program design to serve high‑need students closer to their home schools and to reduce reliance on temporary employees in critical roles.

Recruitment and implementation risks MCPS leaders acknowledged hiring and retention challenges—speech‑language pathologists and other specialized staff are hard to recruit—and said the district will rely on expanded recruitment and converting temporary staff to full‑time roles to reduce churn. Committee members pressed for metrics and regular reporting to ensure the added positions translate into improved student outcomes and safer, more stable classrooms.

Committee response and context Council members voiced broad support for the thrust of the requests while urging caution about sustainability: several said the investment is necessary but large and that the council will expect follow‑up benchmarks and reporting from the district. Members noted the connection between special education and general‑education performance: inadequate special‑education staffing often increases burdens on principals and instructional leaders and reduces capacity elsewhere.

What the requests would change on the ground District leaders said the paraprofessional conversions mean established temporary employees would gain benefits and become more stable members of school staffs; the new EML teachers are intended to support co‑teaching and revamp English language development course structures; CREA expansion aims to provide more seats for students needing alternate pathways; and blended learning expansion would provide a more consistent virtual curriculum, clubs and social‑emotional supports.

Next steps The MCPS presentation was a budget‑review discussion; committee members asked MCPS to return with implementation details, measures of success and updates on hiring progress before the committee finalizes a funding recommendation during reconciliation.