Strategic Realignment Workgroup: Deep Dives into Revenue, Alignment, and Community Voice

The Strategic Realignment Workgroup reconvened on April 27, marking a shift from presentations and data review to active strategy development. Led by Chair Dr. Phelton Moss and Vice Chair Aimee Olivo, the majority of the evening was spent in intensive subcommittee breakout sessions.

View the April 27 meeting recording

The Fiscal Landscape: Advocacy and Realignment

The meeting opened with a candid look at the district’s FY27 budget request. Olivo provided an overview of advocacy efforts and opportunities at the County Council level. Chief Financial Officer Lisa Howell noted that while the Prince George’s County Executive has verbally committed to an additional $20 million, the district is still advocating for a total of $50 million to fully fund the FY27 request.

Subcommittee Brainstorming: Turning Data into Strategy

Following the opening and an overview of the goals of the Workgroup’s committees by Dr. Moss, members moved into breakout groups to brainstorm specific interventions for the district's long-term health.

Revenue and Sustainability Committee

This group conducted a detailed review of unrestricted and restricted funding, acknowledging that a heavy reliance on fund balance (savings) is not sustainable. To address the projected financial gap, participants proposed revenue-generating strategies and tackled the challenge of diversifying funding beyond the state and county. Key discussion points included:

• Federal & Grant Optimization: Increase participation in Impact Aid forms and explore dedicated grants for language and immersion programs.
• Philanthropy & Sponsorships: Expand philanthropic partnerships, foundation funding, and develop corporate sponsorships for athletic fields and major events.
• Community & Alumni Engagement: Create alumni giving programs and explore community fundraising models, such as "rounding up" consumer purchases.
• Merchandising & Partnerships: Sell district or school-branded merchandise and investigate more robust public-private partnerships (P3).
• Operational Efficiency: Review ticketing revenue (such as school bus violations) to renegotiate the district’s share and optimize Medicaid billing systems.

Fiscal Review and Resource Alignment Committee 

This subcommittee began identifying specific areas for cost-efficiency, with a significant focus on Transportation and Special Education:

• Transportation Models: Members discussed the feasibility of an "opt-in" transportation model and the use of smaller, more cost-effective vehicles for specialty programs that do not require CDL drivers.
• Facility Usage: Examining whether PGCPS is maximizing revenue from building rentals and facility partnerships with organizations like Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC).
• Prioritizing Outcomes: Dr. Moss challenged the group to ensure funding aligns with core priorities, asking, "Are we funding math in a way that reflects its importance?"

Stakeholder Engagement and Policy Recommendations Committee

This group focused on how to effectively engage and communicate complex budget decisions and gather meaningful feedback from four key groups:

• Families: Using high-engagement channels like school-based apps  and social media groups to explain how cuts affect student programming versus operational expenses.
• Educators & Staff: Prioritizing transparency regarding classroom positions and using established channels like the "Inside this Week" newsletter and union communications.
• Students: Meeting students where they are through social media, Student Government Association (SGA) meetings, and short videos.
• Community Leaders: Developing "tiered" communications, ranging from one-page plain language summaries for the general public to deep-dive data sets for advocacy groups.

What’s Next

The ideas generated during these sessions will be refined into a series of fiscal reports and resource alignment recommendations. The workgroup will continue to analyze how to bridge the current funding gap while ensuring that specialty programs remain equitable and high-quality for all students.

Subcommittees will meet again in the coming weeks to finalize their roadmaps and prepare interim recommendations for this spring.