MCPS proposes multi-year staffing standards to align class sizes, special-ed and EML support

Montgomery County Public Schools presented a multi‑year staffing standards proposal at a board work session, asking the Board of Education to adopt binding rules for how it staffs schools by grade, program and need.

"Nearly 9 out of every $10 in the school system's budget is spent on staffing," Superintendent Dr. Taylor said, framing the plan as a fiscal and equity tool. He described "position control" as central to deciding how many people are assigned to schools, central office, transportation and maintenance and said MCPS currently follows loose guidelines rather than enforceable standards.

The proposal would introduce a tiered system that differentiates staffing based on a school's concentration of students in the district’s 'farms' bands (the term used in the presentation). Deputy Chief Alan Francois described phased implementation, beginning with elementary schools in FY27, middle schools in FY28 and high schools in later years. "By investing early and strategically at the elementary level, we create the conditions necessary to achieve our vision of every student being future ready," Francois said.

Staff gave grade‑level examples for proposed ratios. For kindergarten, the district proposed tier‑3 (highest need) sections at 1:18 and a base tier of 1:23; for fifth grade the base tier was shown as 1:27 with tier‑3 at 1:24. For middle and high school the presentation set a long‑term goal of roughly 1:27. Special education staffing was framed around the least restrictive environment (LRE) model: LRE A proposed teacher‑to‑student caseload of 1:15, LRE B 1:8 (with para allocations that vary by intensity) and LRE C 1:5. For emergent multilingual learners (EML), staff proposed differentiated caseloads by proficiency groups (for example, K–5 Group 1 (EOP levels 1–2) 1:30; Group 2 1:40; high school Group 1 1:20; Group 2 1:30), noting national guidance on EL caseload ranges.

Board members pressed staff for clearer current‑state vs proposed comparisons. "I don't see the breakdown for special education," Board President Grama Rivera Oven said, asking what current classroom ratios are so members can assess whether proposed numbers represent improvement. Staff responded that current guidelines are a set of "various models" and, in practice, some classrooms have very large caseloads; the working draft and a one‑page comparison were posted to BoardDocs as a decoder ring for members.

Members also asked how class caps and triggers would operate in practice. Francois said the system would use school‑level averages and could trigger additional staffing when multiple classrooms exceed thresholds; staff emphasized they expect to refine triggers annually and to use discretion when mid‑year enrollment changes occur.

Several board members and staff discussed kindergarten paraeducators and pre‑K. Staff said pairing paraeducators in kindergarten is a multiyear proposal (tagged as FY28 in the presentation) and that pre‑K expansion under the Blueprint for Maryland's Future remains a priority, with some seats unfilled and private provider partnerships part of the statewide strategy.

The presentation repeatedly emphasized the need for transparency, internal controls and annual review of the standards. Staff described the draft as a starting point and encouraged the board to provide priorities and annual adjustments rather than treating the plan as final.

The next procedural step is for the board to consider direction after the evening public hearing and for staff to refine implementation details (class caps, triggers, special‑program carve‑outs) before final adoption in the coming budget cycle.