Week of November 2

From the gas pump to the grocery store, from heating and cooling our homes to rising health care costs, we are all feeling the squeeze of a changing economic landscape. Those same pressures are hitting our school system at an enormous scale.

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Last year alone, PGCPS spent approximately $10 million on diesel fuel just to keep our buses running. The cost of electricity, employee health benefits, special education services and other essentials continues to put pressure on a budget that must support more than 126,000 students.

After approximately $150 million in reductions already made, we now project the need to identify another $75 million to $100 million in savings for FY2028. The flexibility we once relied on to manage rising costs is increasingly limited. Maryland and Prince George's County face significant fiscal pressures of their own, making it even more important to understand the resources available, the choices ahead and the impact of every decision.

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In this difficult budget cycle, our students, families and employees can expect honesty about the challenge ahead and a voice in shaping the path forward.

In the weeks ahead, we will provide greater clarity about the district's financial realities, explain the decisions before us and create meaningful opportunities for our community to engage in the budget process. All recommendations will be carefully evaluated, with our Public Promise to improve reading and mathematics, strengthen transportation and provide responsive customer service guiding every decision.

Here's what to expect in the months ahead:

Now through December: Review costs and revenue assumptions, develop potential savings options, assess impacts and gather community input.
Nov. 1: Deadline to complete the Board of Education's FY2028 Budget Priorities Survey.
January 2027: Refine projections based on the governor's proposed budget and state aid information.
Late January: Superintendent Dr. Shawn Joseph presents his recommended FY2028 budget to the Board of Education.
February-March 2027: Anticipated Board hearings, work sessions and adoption of the requested budget for submission to the County Executive by March 1.
Spring through June 2027: State and county budget deliberations continue, with the county budget due by June 1 and the Board's school system budget due by June 30.
July 1, 2027: FY2028 begins.

Dollars & Decisions: FY28 Budget Development

Despite a projected $75 million to $100 million shortfall in FY2028, PGCPS remains committed to its public promise: improving reading and math, strengthening transportation and enhancing customer service. We invite our staff, families and community members to help shape our budget by sharing their voices and perspectives as we navigate difficult financial decisions together.

This process will require difficult conversations, careful examination of spending and an understanding of the trade-offs before us. It will also require us to work together, asking questions, sharing perspectives and advocating for the resources our students need.

We invite you to stay tuned for upcoming announcements outlining opportunities to participate in budget engagement events, ask questions, share your perspectives and help shape the decisions ahead.