PGCPS board orders plan on charter per-pupil allocations after weeks of public outcry

The Prince George’s County Board of Education voted unanimously on March 27 to direct the superintendent to work with charter network leaders and produce a comprehensive plan on per-pupil allocations, transparency in charter agreements and renewal processes, and charter funding streams, to be presented at the board’s April 24 meeting.

The motion, made publicly by board member identified in the transcript as Zakiyah Gwen McCance and restated on the record during new business, follows extensive public comment from parents, charter leaders and community groups who warned that the district may shift district-incurred special-education “overage” costs onto charter schools. Speakers—including Ashish Vedalia of the Chesapeake Lighthouse Foundation and Natasha James, CEO of Legends Charter School—said the move would undermine charter programs and asked the board to preserve equitable funding.

“Please don’t let some financial shifts undo the progress we’ve made in the county and in our students,” Ashish Vedalia said during the public comment period, according to the transcript.

Dr. Beverly Donovan, a charter operator and parent, urged the board to avoid transferring costs that the district incurred to charter operators, saying charter schools already face constraints under the state Blueprint funding framework cited in the meeting. Donovan said charters are guaranteed at least 75% of Blueprint funding (as described in her remarks) but face unique circumstances that make new cost-shifts harmful to students and families.

Several board members said the motion is intended to increase transparency rather than signal a lack of support for the superintendent’s work. Board members cited the large volume of public comment—including 122 written submissions uploaded to board documents—and urged clearer communication about what state policy requires versus what the district does in administering funding.

Board members also flagged a pending state budget threat. Dr. Moss and others referenced a proposed state measure identified in the transcript as SB 429, which they said could reduce state funding to PGCPS and complicate county budgeting; the board encouraged public advocacy to lawmakers.

The motion requires the superintendent to collect charter leaders’ policy recommendations and prepare the district’s comprehensive plan addressing: per-pupil allocation methodology, transparency and accountability in charter authorizations and renewals, and an explanation of funding streams. The board recorded a roll-call vote of nine in the affirmative; the motion carried.

Next steps: the superintendent is scheduled to present the requested plan at the April 24 general board meeting. The board’s action does not itself change funding; it requests additional analysis, stakeholder recommendations and public presentation of the district’s approach to charter allocation and authorization.

Source: Prince George’s County Board of Education meeting transcript, March 27, 2025.