Montgomery County Public Schools will cut 415 positions to make up for a budget that falls short of what leaders requested.
Board of Education members voted 7-1 Thursday to approve a $3.72 billion operating budget for schools, including the hundreds of job cuts that include social workers, family engagement specialists and pupil personnel workers.
“We should have been cutting things, and not peoples’ positions,” said Christopher Cano, Director of Political and Legislative Affairs for SEIU Local 500, the union representing MCPS support staff.
“You really can’t turn off the need of families,” said Alejandra Jarquin, a family engagement specialist who was still unsure of the status of her job following Thursday’s vote.
“It is a really, really sad day, it’s a sad day for MCPS, it’s a sad day for Montgomery County,” said David Stein, President of the Montgomery County Education Association, the teachers’ union representing MCPS educators.
Superintendent Thomas Taylor proposed $3.78 billion at the beginning of budget season, but the county council approved $36 million less than what was requested — although it is still a $143 million increase for MCPS. The superintendent and school board responded with the job cuts to keep their fiscal year 2027 spending on track.
The 415 impacted positions include 159 vacant jobs, according to MCPS. Some potential cuts were restored, like 18 school psychologist positions that were initially going to be cut.
School Board Member Rita Montoya was the only one to vote against the budget. Board President Grace Rivera-Oven was emotional while reflecting on the situation that she called “excruciating.”
