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 budget reduction (Board Office); communications office staff reduction (Division of Communications); and two human-resources items aimed at improving recruitment and onboarding (research study into talent pool and revamping onboarding). Vote tallies were announced on the record for each item when called.

Not all proposed items moved forward. Vice Chair Jonathan Briggs withdrew two board-proposed amendments that would have created a special-education compliance liaison and reestablished an ombudsman office after additional discussion with the administration and calls for further scoping. Several other proposals were withdrawn or postponed for further review, including a grants expert and grants-management assessment (both withdrawn), a proposed merger/reduction tied to strategic planning offices (postponed so administration can present a consolidation plan), a proposed Office of Integrity and Compliance funding change (postponed pending board counsel guidance), and a districtwide reduction of travel and discretionary central-office funds (postponed pending further analysis of the gap-closing plan). The board also postponed a high-cost renaming exercise for multiple schools to allow additional planning and phasing.

Promoter/Promotor Pathway testimony and vote: multiple speakers from the Latin American Youth Center told the board that the promotor model provides long-term case management and wraparound services that have demonstrable educational and employment benefits. Shana Spolnick, director of the Promotor Pathway, cited an Urban Institute randomized controlled trial and a follow-up evaluation indicating improved high-school completion and later employment outcomes for youth who participated. Board members voted to include an amendment to continue and expand Promotor Pathway services, noting the LAYC contract is set to expire June 30 and that some services are now expected to transition into the district’s Community Schools model.

Budget process, authority and next steps: Chief Howe said the district will present an updated revenue-and-expenditure table for board review at the next board meeting; that table will show the $19 million revenue increase from the state aid update and the targeted expenditure reductions that together reduce the gap. The board agreed to postpone several remaining contested items until the next regular board meeting so legal and financial staff can provide fuller analysis and members can review written documentation. Board counsel advised the board that a state statute requires the district to include amounts recommended by the Integrity and Compliance Officer in the budget; counsel warned that defunding the office could expose the board to a court action to compel funding (mandamus).

Why it matters: The amendments the board adopted reallocate or protect funding for school-based services (literacy pilot, health/wraparound services, Promotor Pathway) that board members and community providers said directly affect students’ attendance, learning and stability. At the same time, the board is under pressure to close a multi‑million-dollar gap without making cuts that would erode classroom services. The administration told members it has identified levers — revenue updates, targeted discretionary reductions and reexamination of budget assumptions — but those measures are still being refined and may need to deepen if state-level changes reduce district revenue.

Votes at a glance (approved during the Feb. 20 session): - Aviation program continuation — Approved (board vote: 7–0). (Provenance: discussion and roll call at 02/20/2025; see meeting transcript.) - Third-grade literacy lab pilot — Approved (7–0). - Expansion of Hillside HWSC (health/wraparound) program — Approved (7–0). - Expansion of LAYC Promotor Pathway — Approved (8–0). - Board budget analyst (board office) — Approved (6–0 recorded as 6 in the affirmative with some members recorded “aye”); added to proposed budget; administration says a communications specialist for the board office is already included in the superintendent’s proposed budget and this action made funding cost-neutral in committee discussion. - District liaisons (board office) — Approved (6 in the affirmative as announced). - Board member budget reduction — Approved (8 in the affirmative as announced). - Communications office staff reduction (moves funding to board communications as described by proponents) — Approved (6 in the affirmative as announced). - Research study to improve HR talent pool and revamp onboarding — Approved (8 in the affirmative as announced).

Selected amendments withdrawn or postponed: special-education compliance liaison (withdrawn), ombudsman office (withdrawn), grants expert (withdrawn), grants management assessment (withdrawn), strategy offices merger (postponed for further detail and a reworked proposal), renaming of schools (postponed to allow phased planning), Office of Integrity and Compliance (postponed pending legal counsel guidance and further discussion), central-office travel/discretionary reduction (postponed pending board review of the administration’s gap-closing table).

What board members asked for next: multiple board members asked the administration to produce a single spreadsheet that shows how the district intends to close the remaining shortfall, with line-item references so members and the public can see what revenue or spending changes add up to the total. The administration committed to presenting more detailed documentation at the board’s next meeting and to continue working to refine the budget.

Reporting note: direct quotes and attributions in this article come from the public record of the Feb. 20, 2025 PGCPS budget work session and public hearing.