Prince George's County Board of Education approves several budget amendments, postpones others amid $37 million shortfall

Prince George's County Board of Education members on Feb. 20 approved a package of budget amendments and postponed several others as they continued to weigh how to close a roughly $37.3 million deficit in the fiscal-year 2026 operating budget.

Board leaders and district officials told the public they have identified about $19 million in additional revenue since December, and staff reported a path that has so far reduced the shortfall to about $23 million; additional adjustments already identified account for roughly $4–5 million more, leaving about $18 million to close. Superintendent Monica House and Chief Financial Officer Lisa Howe warned, however, that pending changes to the state’s Blueprint funding model under consideration in the General Assembly could increase the district’s gap to as much as $62 million if enacted and not offset locally.

The public hearing portion of the meeting featured more than an hour of testimony from residents and community partners. Dolores Millhouse, speaking as a parent and resident, urged more transparency and public tracking of budget changes, saying the process lacked “clear, consistent communication” and citing concerns about whether public input is reflected in amendments. Several community partners — including representatives of the Promotor/Promotor Pathway programs run by the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) — asked the board to preserve or expand community-based supports that help students with housing, attendance, language and case management needs.

The board approved the following amendments during the session: continuation of the district’s aviation program and a third-grade literacy lab pilot (Division of Academics); expansion of the Hillside health and wraparound services contract and an expansion of the LAYC Promotor Pathway (Division of Accountability); a board office budget analyst, district liaisons and a modest board-member…