PGCPS policy committee opposes proposed high‑school childcare mandate, raises funding and implementation concerns; mixed response on drug‑detection bill

Prince George's County Board of Education Policy and Governance Committee Chair Dr. Felton Moss convened the committee Jan. 28 and opened a legislative update that focused on several bills from the Maryland General Assembly that could affect school operations and budgets.

The most contested measure discussed was House Bill 359, which would require every high school with a pregnancy rate greater than 1% to establish an on‑site child care center tied to career and technical education (CTE) and early childhood programs. “We have opposed this bill,” Staff member Robin Welch told the committee, citing funding and facility constraints. Welch said the bill includes a $5,500,000 governor appropriation in its text and a provision for the county to receive $10 per child‑support case, but she and administrative staff flagged the funding as uncertain and the operational cost as substantial.

Why it matters: Committee members said the district lacks the classroom space, staff and MSDE approvals needed to add a new CTE child development program at every high school, and they warned the bill would function as an unfunded mandate if the state appropriation does not materialize. Board member Booser Struthers said the community had lost a built‑in…