Students and advocates urge MCPS to restore restorative funding after spike in suspensions

At the public hearing on the FY27 operating budget, students and advocates pressed the Board of Education to prioritize restorative approaches after testimony highlighted an increase in out-of-school suspensions.

Student Jasmine Arias told the board she has witnessed a pattern of removals that she said "doesn't solve the issue," and cited district data she said shows a nearly 29% increase in out-of-school suspensions this year. "This is unacceptable and this is the cycle that needs to end," Arias said, urging the superintendent and board to publicly commit to addressing disproportionality in disciplinary outcomes.

Dorian Rogers of Young People for Progress and representatives of the Silver Spring Justice Coalition told the board the district must move beyond rhetoric to fund the staff and training necessary to implement restorative practices consistently. Rogers urged restoring restorative-approach (RA) coach stipends to prior levels and preserving coordinator roles such as the Learning Professional Specialist that link districtwide efforts.

Superintendent Taylor acknowledged the board's concern and said staff are surprised by some of the suspension trends; he told members they would receive a spring evaluation of code-of-conduct changes and related suspension data. Staff also promised to follow up with line-item detail on any stipends and to meet with advocates who requested a dedicated discussion.

The hearing raised a mix of policy and fiscal questions: advocates asked whether restorative investments had been reduced in favor of increased school-based security staffing (testimony noted $1.7 million proposed for additional school-based security in FY27). Board members asked staff to provide documents that showed current stipend levels, historic funding and how restorative duties are required under the district code of conduct.