As student enrollment declines in Montgomery County Public Schools, Superintendent Thomas Taylor, Ed.D., shared a proposed $3.775 billion fiscal year 2027 operating budget Wednesday evening that includes a plan to reduce elementary class sizes.
The proposal includes a $179 million increase, a 5% bump over last year’s request. Nearly $140 million would go toward salaries and benefits, including a 3.25% general wage increase for employees.
Taylor said student enrollment has “shifted dramatically” in the past few years. Enrollment peaked at 165,000 students in 2019, but has dropped overall since then, partly due to the COIVD-19 pandemic.
“One of the biggest things that we need to adjust for in declining enrollment is the change in staffing,” Taylor said during the school board meeting in Rockville. “Our current guidelines, if we were to just follow our current guidelines, would represent a huge reduction for the 5,000-student reduction that we’ve experienced over the last two years.”
Taylor’s plan calls for reducing elementary class sizes by at least one student per class.
He said it is an “ideal opportunity” to address concerns over class sizes and staffing.
In October, Taylor explained that the school system is down 2,600 students from last year alone. Specifically, Kindergarten enrollment is down. International student enrollment is also sharply down, and is projected to decrease annually over the next several years. The percentage of Montgomery households with kids has also dropped dramatically, he said.
To illustrate his points, Taylor describe his budget as akin to a “garden salad.” The superintendent then proceeded to put on an apron, hairnet and gloves, and make a “budget salad” in front of meeting attendees.
“You’re not going to see grilled chicken, you’re not going to see grilled shrimp, you won’t see grilled salmon, you probably won’t see a lot of salad dressing either, but you will see a hearty investment in the things that are good for you,” Taylor said.
For example, sunflower seeds represented $1.9 million for expanded summer school opportunities, while pieces of feta cheese represented $1.7 million for more school-based security staffing.
This is not the first time Taylor has gotten creative with his budget. Last year, demonstrated a “broccoli budget” to the board and community stakeholders.
In a written statement Thursday, Montgomery County Education Association President David Stein said that despite challenges due to the Trump Administration’s actions, “this budget begins to tackle class size, a longstanding concern held by educators and parents, which is a barrier to achieving student excellence. The proposed budget, importantly, also honors the school district’s negotiated contracts with MCEA and our sibling unions, SEIU Local 500 and MCAAP.” MCEA “expressed cautious optimism” about the budget, per a release from the teachers union.
The Montgomery County Council is expected to adopt a fiscal year 2026 operating budget in May 2026.
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