Baltimore County Public Schools

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February 5, 2024, Staff and Community Update: Important Message from Board Chair Tiara Booker-Dwyer Regarding the FY 25 Operating Budget 

Dear Team BCPS—

On February 27, 2024, the Board of Education is scheduled to vote on the proposed Fiscal Year 2025 Operating Budget. We thank Dr. Rogers for her work to develop a fiscally sound budget that reflects the efforts of the school system to fast forward student achievement. We want all members of Team BCPS to know that we are committed to approving a budget request that will meet the needs of more than 110,000 students and 20,000 staff and help move this system forward. Ahead of this vote, we want to ensure that the community understands what Superintendent Myriam Rogers has outlined in her proposal and clear up any misconceptions about the request.

In alignment with the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future mandate and to address significant student needs in BCPS, Dr. Rogers is proposing the addition of more than 300 school-based and other positions. These positions will ensure that BCPS can reduce class sizes at the elementary level and target resources to create conditions necessary for improvements in English Language Arts (ELA), mathematics, early childhood education, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), and special education programs. It is important to note that the superintendent prioritized the request for additional positions even as BCPS faces a significant budget shortfall due to the expiration of federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) stimulus funds. Dr. Rogers was faced with a complex and difficult budget landscape, yet she and her team worked to identify more than $104.1 million in reductions which include position reductions, teacher adjustments to match enrollment, and a slight increase in the student-to-teacher ratio at the secondary level to meet system needs. The proposed position reductions will help move resources closer to schools and better align positions with the system priorities. The reductions consist mainly of vacant positions. We want to be clear that there will not be any layoffs of BCPS staff, both school-based and in central office. A very small number – fewer than 25 – currently filled non-teaching positions will be impacted by the reductions, and represented staff will be placed in other positions. The proposed FY 25 Operating Budget protects teacher and non-school based positions.

The Board appreciates Dr. Rogers’ efforts to increase community understanding of the budget process through community meetings, the Budget 101 website, and board and community presentations. In the spirit of building community understanding, the chart below outlines what the proposed budget does and does not do.

This budget increases efficiency, reduces redundancy, and moves resources closer to schools. I encourage you to tune into our meeting on February 27 and stay engaged with the budget process as it moves forward to the County Executive and County Council. You may also review our past work session and budget question responses.

Thank you for your continued support of Baltimore County Public Schools.

Sincerely,

Tiara Booker-Dwyer Chair,
Board of Education of Baltimore County