Maryland / School Boards / Montgomery County Public Schools
At a public hearing on MCPS's FY27 operating budget, community speakers urged the board to restore 10 pupil personnel worker (PPW) positions and other student-support roles, warning cuts would raise caseloads well above recommended limits and reduce services for vulnerable students.
Maryland / School Boards / Montgomery County Public Schools
An MCPS speech-language pathologist told the board that eliminating the stand-alone speech and language services supervisor would undermine clinical leadership and jeopardize services for more than 12,000 students who receive speech-language services.
Maryland / School Boards / Montgomery County Public Schools
Arcola teachers, students and parents told the board that canceling the Innovative School Year (ISY) would harm students who rely on year-round supports, citing a 41% student mobility rate and requests for a one-year sunsetting if changes proceed.
Maryland / School Boards / Montgomery County Public Schools
Multiple cluster representatives urged the board to make Crown a permanent high school, keep Fields Road Elementary in the Crown cluster, and accelerate safety fixes and planning for Woodward reopening; Northwood speakers also raised a life-safety concern about Stairwell 7 at Silver Spring International Middle School.
Maryland / School Boards / Montgomery County Public Schools
MCPS proposed a larger in‑person summer program for 2026 — six regional high‑school sites, limited virtual options for three courses, and a new Ignite Middle School Academy — emphasizing stronger in‑person outcomes, transportation and meals, and sliding fee waivers.
Maryland / School Boards / Montgomery County Public Schools
District staff told the board that stronger curriculum fidelity and midyear instructional adjustments—co‑planning, a districtwide 'fit block' for targeted supports, and observational tools—are meant to accelerate literacy gains for emergent multilingual learners and students with disabilities.
Maryland / School Boards / Montgomery County Public Schools
Dozens of parents, teachers and students urged the Montgomery County Board of Education to reject “Option H,” a proposal that would permanently move Thomas Wootton High School to Crown, saying it would disrupt feeder patterns, increase buses and commute times, and raise equity and safety concerns.
Maryland / School Boards / Montgomery County Public Schools
Superintendent Taylor recommended the board place revocation of the MECA Business Learning Institute (MBLI) charter on the Jan. 22 agenda, citing systemic failures to implement IEPs, delayed special‑education services, documentation errors and operational vulnerabilities. MBLI leaders said they responded with corrective actions and asked for a reasonable monitoring window to preserve continuity for students.
Maryland / School Boards / Montgomery County Public Schools
The board voted unanimously to take tentative action on two policies: BFA (policy development and public notice procedures) and GCC (fingerprint‑based background screening for employees, contractors and volunteers). Staff will open 21‑day public comment windows on the drafts.
Maryland / School Boards / Montgomery County Public Schools
Superintendent and staff told the board the employee benefits plan faces about a $160 million hole and said a recent state pension cost shift and optimistic lapse/turnover assumptions increase risk, warning that closing the gap likely requires sustained multi‑year investments and possible contract renegotiations.