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PCAC urged to join superintendent’s budget advisory ‘Dollars and Decisions’ as district faces shortfall
Summary
Superintendent designee Dr. Sheila Jackson invited PCAC members to join a new budget advisory committee called “Dollars and Decisions,” citing major cuts this year and a continuing budget shortfall; members were asked to attend meetings beginning Dec. 11 and to review town-hall materials ahead of consultations.
Dr. Sheila Jackson, the superintendent’s designee, urged members of the Prince George’s County Parent and Community Advisory Council on Dec. 3 to participate in a new district budget advisory process interim Superintendent Joseph is leading, which he has branded “dollars and decisions.”
Jackson told the council the district has already pared about $150 million from this year’s plan and remained roughly $50 million short without cutting salaries, describing a difficult fiscal picture for the coming months. “I just, lost, 60,000 over $60,000 of my budget for this year,” she said, and asked PCAC to help ensure classrooms and teaching positions are prioritized.
The advisory group will begin meeting Dec. 11 and will include a mix of virtual and in‑person sessions; Jackson said the Jan. 21 session will be virtual and other meetings will be held in the Boardroom Auditorium to accommodate roughly 25 invited participants. She also outlined several engagement events through mid‑December, including a stakeholder breakfast at Crossland High School on Dec. 17 and family‑institute sessions on Dec. 9 and Dec. 16.
Members asked how to sign up; Jackson said invitations and RSVP links were included in letters sent to PCAC and that respondents should follow the link in the letter. She said the budget office has posted town‑hall Q&A and presentation materials online and encouraged members who cannot attend live to review those materials in advance so they can ask informed questions at advisory meetings.
PCAC leaders also discussed how the council can contribute constructive input to the budget process—raising concerns about access, equity and how proposed cuts align with district priorities. Jackson said chiefs and union leads will continue meetings with the superintendent; PCAC members were asked to sign up to lend parent and community perspectives as the budget proposal develops.
The council did not take a formal vote on district budget items but agreed to prioritize participation in the advisory process and to review the district’s posted materials before the next round of meetings.
