February 27, 2026
For Immediate Release
CONTACT:
Office of Communications
301-952-6001
communications@pgcps.org
FY27 Requested operating budget unanimously approved by Board of Education, advances to County Council
UPPER MARLBORO, MD — The Prince George’s County Board of Education has advanced a $3 billion fiscal year 2027 operating budget request that includes $150 million in targeted reductions to stabilize the workforce and accelerate student outcomes amid the largest single-year adjustment in district history. Termed a “stabilization budget,” the plan is designed to restore predictability, protect classroom instruction, and address urgent legal and operational needs.
Interim Superintendent Dr. Shawn Joseph and the Board of Education considered input from many stakeholders through engagement including a diverse budget advisory group, meetings with district union partners, and public events. Following the district’s first State of the Schools address in a decade, held in January, the Board conducted three public budget hearings and work sessions in February before adopting and submitting the request.
Reflecting this community-driven approach, the Board amended the request to remove a $1.925 million investment in AI-enabled security cameras, redirecting those funds toward academic programs. The Board will also request an additional $50 million in county funding above the required minimum to restore financial stability and fully fund these accelerants.
“This is a year of recalibration,” said Dr. Joseph. “We are making these reductions with discipline and intention, focusing on teaching and learning, identifying efficiencies, and prioritizing the investments that deliver the greatest impact for students.”
Dr. Joseph emphasized that difficult budget decisions were made through the lens of equity, ensuring the budget is a strategic tool to move the district from isolated pockets of success to systemic opportunity for all.
“For too long, structural gaps and fiscal scarcity have forced us into a model where excellence was concentrated in a few programs, creating inequities for many schools that lacked specialized labels,” Joseph said. “Justice requires us to reverse this pattern of concentration. This budget is a recalibration for every child, ensuring that excellence is a promise we deliver to all 132,000 students, including those whose voices are not always amplified in the room.”
View Dr. Joseph’s budget equity presentation to learn more about historical revenue challenges and the district's shift from ‘pockets of excellence’ to distributed opportunity for every student.
The FY27 budget prioritizes five strategic accelerants designed to move the needle on student success:
Special Education ($27.2 million): Stabilizing supports and strengthening staffing for the district’s most vulnerable learners.
Safety and Security ($2.3 million): Strengthening school safety through a shared community effort and modern school design.
Professional Development ($1.1 million): Reimagining job-embedded professional learning models to support continuous staff improvement.
Reading and Mathematics ($1.2 million): Accelerating achievement for every early learner across the district.
AI Literacy ($1.3 million): Modernizing classrooms with future-ready tools and ensuring responsible, equitable AI integration.
The district’s ‘Big Rocks’ include:
* Mathematics and Literacy
* Improving outcomes for multilingual learners and students with disabilities
* Reducing chronic absenteeism
* Expanding dual enrollment and internships
* Organizational Culture
To ensure long-term fiscal health and academic integrity, the Board has established two budget-related strategic working groups:
90-Day Strategic Realignment Workgroup: Launching March 1 to develop a forward-looking strategy to align resources and explore new revenue options.
2026–27 Academic Program Continuity Working Group: Tasked with safeguarding and monitoring educational rigor in schools affected by program changes.
Following approval, the Board will transmit the Operating Budget Request to the County Executive by March 1. The request will undergo review and reconciliation before a final version is approved and adopted in June.
For additional information, visit the FY27 Budget Portal.
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