Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Staffing Standards topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
MCPS proposes tiered staffing standards, LRE model for special education and phased rollout beginning FY27
Summary
The Fiscal Management Committee reviewed a proposed staffing-standards plan that uses FARMS-based tiers to allocate staff, shifts special education to an LRE-based ratio model, and phases implementation from elementary schools in FY27 through high schools by FY29–31.
Alan Francois, deputy chief of financial oversight, framed the staffing-standards project as an effort to improve transparency, equity and predictability in how the district assigns positions to schools.
Francois said the standards rely on three inputs—free-and-reduced-meal (FARMS) participation, school size and class-size/workload—and propose a tiered allocation so higher‑need schools receive lower student-to-staff ratios. He noted changes to tiers since the work session: tier 3 now covers 70–100% FARMS (expanded to capture more highly impacted schools) and tier 2 boundaries were adjusted to reduce imbalance.
Under the proposal, kindergarten ratios at tier 3 would move to roughly 1 teacher per 18 students (base ~1:23) and elementary grade ratios would drop from base 1:27 to tier‑3 targets near 1:24. Secondary target ratios were presented as well, with tier‑3 aiming to lower some class sizes from 30–33 toward 24–27.
On special education, MCPS staff proposed replacing an hours‑driven allocation with an LRE (least restrictive environment) ratio model. Julie Hall, director in the Department of Special Education Systems and Management, explained the LRE A example: a 1:15 teacher-to-student ratio with paraeducator support (and different para ratios for higher-need levels), which places a ceiling on caseloads and aims to reduce inequitable workloads observed under the hours-based model.
Margaret Cage, chief student support officer, said the standardization aligns MCPS more closely with neighboring districts and should reduce extreme caseload variation; staff estimated most schools would not lose staff, while a small number might see a 0.5‑FTE reduction.
Implementation will be phased: elementary changes begin FY27, middle-school work begins FY28, and high-school implementation and regional program adjustments will roll forward through FY29–31; staffing standards for EML students will phase in from 2028 (elementary) to 2030 (high school).
Why it matters: The plan is meant to make staffing more equitable and predictable but raises questions about building capacity, specialized programs and short-term impacts on particular schools. Board members asked for a list of schools most affected and for clarity on how administrative tasks and nonclassroom workloads will be managed under new caseload ceilings.
The presentation was informational; members will continue oversight as the standards are refined and phased into budget years.
