Vision
Our vision paints the image of a premier educational environment that values the rich uniqueness of who we are as we develop and equip life-long learners, leaders, empowered proponents of justice and prosperous communities to thrive in the global society:
A culturally responsive district developing distinguished learners, leaders, voices of social justice, and advocates for humanity for the world of today, tomorrow, and beyond.
Mission
Our mission defines our purpose and the scope of our work. It communicates why we exist and what we hope to contribute to society:
Provide a transformative educational experience anchored by excellence in equity – developing 21st century competencies and enabling each student's unique brilliance to flourish in order to build empowered communities and a more inclusive and just world.
Core Values
Our core values articulate our key beliefs about students, learning, stakeholder responsibility, and the elements necessary to achieve equity and excellence in education:
- Students are our priority and all students can achieve at high academic levels.
- Families, students and educators share the responsibility for student success.
- High expectations inspire high performance.
- All staff share the responsibility for a safe and supportive school environment contributing to excellence in education.
- The support of everyone in our community is essential to the success of our schools and students, and this success enriches our community.
- Continuous improvement in teaching, leadership and accountability is the key to our destiny.
Prince George's County Board of Education
Branndon D. Jackson, Chair, District 6
Jonathan Briggs, M.S. Ed., M.L.S., Vice Chair, District 2
Tiffini Andorful, Ph.D., District 1
Pamela Boozer-Strother, MBA, CAE, District 3
Aimee Olivo, MBA, District 4
Robin Brown, M.A., District 5
Phelton C. Moss, Ph.D., District 7
Zakyia Goins-McCants, M.S. Ed., District 8
Lolita E. Walker, MBA, PCC, District 9
Erioluwa Ajakaye, Student Board Member
Shawn Joseph, Ed.D., Secretary/Treasurer and Interim Superintendent
2026 Legislative Agenda Overview
On behalf of the students, families, educators, and leaders of Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS), we are honored to present our 2026 Legislative Agenda. This platform is shaped by our unwavering purpose to provide every student with the highest quality public education, ensuring they are prepared for a successful future.
Our legislative priorities are grounded in the belief that purposeful, data-driven policy has the power to unleash student potential and, through that, the full promise of Prince George's County. Our work is guided by the district's strategic plan, Transformation 2026 Equity and Excellence which centers on providing a transformative educational experience anchored by excellence in equity—developing 21st century competencies and enabling each student's unique brilliance to flourish in order to build empowered communities and a more inclusive and just world.
Each item in this Agenda reflects a thoughtful, student-centered approach to meeting the needs of our diverse learners and the communities we serve. These proposals are strategically aligned with our core focus areas, which include:
- Advancing Student Achievement
- Investing in Human Capital
- Strengthening Governance
- Supporting Wellness and Safety
- Ensuring Operational Excellence
We collectively express our deep appreciation for your continued support and advocacy. Your leadership and partnership have been instrumental in ensuring our schools have the resources and opportunities they need to help students thrive.
We invite you to deepen your partnership with PGCPS and stand with us as we work to create the best possible educational environment for our students. We look forward to collaborating with you throughout the upcoming legislative session and continuing our shared work to make Prince George's County Public Schools a model of excellence.
Shawn Joseph, Ed.D.
Interim Superintendent of Schools |
Branndon D. Jackson
Chair, Board of Education |
2026 Legislative Priorities
🟦 Supporting Students with Disabilities
🟦 Supporting Academic Achievement for Multilingual Learners
🟦 Modernizing Construction and Facilities for Student Success
🟦 Ensuring Safe and Secure Environments for Students and Staff
Key Measures for Future Success
🟦 Maintaining Local Board Autonomy
🟦 Implementation of the Blueprint
🟦 Adequate School Funding
🟦 Recruitment and Retention
🟦 Education Enrichment
🟦 Student Welfare
🟦 Sustainability
🟦 Information Technology
🟦 Charter Schools
🟦 Shared Solutions
2026 Legislative Priorities
Supporting Students with Disabilities
Access to appropriate funding is imperative for schools to provide essential services and supports that improve educational outcomes for students with disabilities. While the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates that the federal government cover 40% of the costs for educating students with disabilities, federal funding practically covers only around 15%. This shortfall leaves the state and local government to cover the remaining costs.
Given the limited access to federal grant funding for students receiving special education services, it is critical that future legislation prioritize state funding to support equitable outcomes for these students. The Prince George's County Board of Education is seeking support for legislative measures that significantly increase state funding to support high-quality special education services.
Funding Requests
To meet the rising demand and ensure high-quality, compliant services, PGCPS requests legislative support for the following targeted investments:
- Expansion of Autism Programs
- Request: $2,378,258.06 annually.
- Action: Fund the expansion of autism program classrooms, providing a therapeutic model with specialized instruction and behavior supports, including 10 teachers and 20 support staff.
- Rationale: Investment is urgently needed to address the substantial growth in the population of students with autism. The number of students with autism has grown from 1,617 in 2013 to 3,881 in 2025, representing a 58% increase of 2,264 students.
- Autism enrollment has risen by an average of 180 students per year and now represents 21% of the total special education population.
- Augmenting Early Childhood Services
- Request: $2,461,365.25 annually.
- Action: This funding will support the creation of additional early childhood classrooms, which will fund 15 teachers and 10 support staff.
- Rationale: The need for early intervention and classroom space is expanding significantly, requiring immediate action to support young learners. Infants and Toddlers Program enrollment grew 20% (from 1,451 to 1,748), and Preschool Child Find referrals increased by 77% (from 412 to 729). Early childhood enrollment grew from 1,514 students in 2018 to 1,609 in 2025.
- Intervention Teachers for Achievement Gaps and Inclusion
- Request: $1,908,354.34 annually.
- Action: This funding will support 15 intervention teachers to support students in general education settings, implement specially designed instruction (such as reading and math interventions and accommodations), and help close achievement gaps.
- Rationale: With a growing student population and a high rate of inclusion, more dedicated support is necessary to ensure success in general education settings. PGCPS’s special education student population has increased by over 500 students in the last school year. 73.8% of these students receive special education services in general education classrooms.
- Enhancing Compliance and Teacher Support
- Request: $3,180,590.56 annually.
- Action: This funding is for adding Individualized Education Program (IEP) Facilitators at elementary schools. This investment directly addresses administrative burdens and strengthens the integrity of the special education process, leading to long-term cost efficiency.
- Rationale: Facilitators ensure accuracy, timeliness and consistency in IEP development, which reduces the risk of findings, complaints and costly corrective actions. These facilitators also strengthen compliance with federal and state special education requirements and reduce paperwork burdens on teachers, allowing them to focus more time on instruction and student support. This investment directly supports instructional quality, family engagement and long-term cost efficiency.
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The Prince George's County Board of Education respectfully urges the legislature to prioritize and approve these funding requests to ensure equitable outcomes and high-quality instruction for all students with disabilities.
Supporting Academic Achievement for Multilingual Learners
School systems face significant challenges in educating multilingual learners (MLs), who must not only master academic content but also develop the high level of academic language proficiency necessary to do so. This population is far from homogenous, and certain subgroups—such as newcomers (recently arrived students with limited or no English proficiency) and Long-Term English Learners (students in a multilingual program for several years without reaching proficiency)—require specialized, targeted support. Given that many MLs have experienced migration, economic hardship, family separation and trauma, it is also critical that they feel physically and psychologically safe and benefit from trauma-informed teaching strategies to transition successfully into their learning environments.
Currently, the scale of support is inadequate. For instance, Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) has over 35,000 multilingual students and families across more than 200 schools, yet only one ML family engagement specialist supports them. The sheer number of MLs, exemplified by the PGCPS Hispanic/Latino student population being 40.1% as of September 2024, necessitates substantial and diverse support.
Funding Requests to Meet ML Needs
To effectively tackle these challenges and ensure all MLs can learn and thrive, we urgently request the following state funding to develop support systems that meet the varied needs of multilingual learners:
- Strengthen Family Engagement and Support
- Request: $305,037 annually to fund three additional multilingual family support coordinators, creating a family support team of four.
- Goal: To significantly expand districtwide offerings and provide more consistent, regular support for schools to effectively engage the families of MLs.
- Expand Access to Dual-Language Programs
- Request: $3,637,238.38 over five years.
- Goal: To expand access to dual-language programs for elementary students in schools where 50% or more of the student body are native speakers of the same language. This would involve adding two new dual-language schools per year over the next five years, with programs beginning in kindergarten and expanding one grade level annually to ensure strong foundations and continuity.
- Increase Opportunities for the Seal of Biliteracy
- Request: $100,000 annually to assess 12th-grade MLs and $469,028 annually to assess 9th-12th grade MLs.
- Goal: To expand access for MLs to take the STAMP assessment in their native language. This will increase the number of students earning the Seal of Biliteracy, ensuring more MLs count toward the Maryland School Report Card's Credit for Completion of a Well-Rounded Curriculum, and ultimately strengthening their opportunities for postsecondary education and the workforce.
- Contingency for Federal Funding Changes
- It is essential to note that if federal funding, specifically Title III or ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) provisions, is dissolved or changed, it will be necessary for the state or local level to fund existing programs to avoid their dissolution. Sufficient local or state funding must be secured to prevent the loss of critical services for MLs. The Appendix details the kinds of programs that would be dissolved or need to be funded locally. (add Table 7)
Modernizing Construction and Facilities for Student Success
Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) is dedicated to providing safe, modern, and effective learning environments, which are essential to student success. To maintain progress in our extraordinary phase of modernization, we urgently request the sustained commitment of our legislative partners to address decades of underinvestment and the significant funding gap.
- Increase Capital Funding to Meet True Need
Despite innovative solutions like the nation's first public school P3 program and the Built to Learn Act, PGCPS faces a substantial challenge in facility modernization.
PGCPS requires:
$570 million annually to ensure every student has a modernized seat.
On average, PGCPS receives only:
$180 million per year (state + county), resulting in an annual funding gap of $390 million.
The statewide school construction funding shortfall is reported by the Interagency Commission on School Construction (IAC) to be:
$500 million short of the actual need.
The initial $8.5 billion plan (2016 estimate) to modernize all 200+ facilities is now estimated to cost:
$20 billion.
- We urge the adoption of funding allocations and formulas that reflect true need and provide for equity, ensuring that a high-need district like PGCPS—with the second-largest student population and some of the state's oldest facilities—can compete fairly for resources.
- Prioritize Funding for Essential Repairs and Maintenance
More than half of PGCPS’s 200+ schools are over 40 years old, requiring essential repairs to ensure safe and effective learning environments. The average age of our buildings is 48 years, making it the second oldest portfolio in Maryland.
- Essential repairs include making schools fully accessible, removing hazardous materials, fixing outdated HVAC systems, upgrading electrical systems, improving security features, correcting code violations, and replacing failing roofs and windows.
- Maintenance and building needs amount to $570 million per year, but only an average of $180 million per year is received.
- The Facility Condition Index (FCI) is 56.8%, meaning the required fixes are equivalent to 56.8% of the cost to build a new facility.
- We advocate for increased funding through the Aging Schools Program and targeted capital grants. The current $1.2 million annually provided by the state in this category is inadequate for a district with so many aging buildings that must remain open and safe while awaiting full replacement or renovation.
- Adjust Funding Formulas to Reflect Modern Construction Costs
The cost of designing, building, and renovating schools has significantly increased, but state funding formulas have not kept pace.
- State funding for school construction must reflect modern costs.
- Without adjustments to cost-per-square-foot formulas and capital allocations, projects risk delays, cost overruns, or being scaled back, which negatively impacts students and educators.
- We call on our legislative partners to adjust state funding formulas to reflect the true cost of modern construction to prevent project delays and ensure facilities are delivered as designed for the benefit of our students.
Ensuring Safe and Secure Environments for Students and Staff
Maintaining safe and secure learning and work environments for students and staff is a top priority for PGCPS. We seek sustained legislative support and expanded grant funding to invest in advanced security technology, enhanced infrastructure, and personnel to secure our schools and surrounding areas.
- Expand Advanced Security Technology and Staffing
PGCPS is committed to investing in advanced security technology, such as digital surveillance cameras and security enhancement devices. Data indicates that the use of security enhancement devices is instrumental in reducing incidents of students with guns in school by approximately 25% and students with weapons by approximately 31.35%.
- Security Enhancement Devices: Security enhancement devices are currently installed in all high schools, nine middle schools, and one K-8 school. We need funding to expand these devices into four additional middle schools and another K-8 school, as well as for the staffing required to operate them.
- Vape Detector Sensors: We have piloted vape detector sensors in two high schools, which resulted in a reduction in the possession of drugs and cigarettes. It is critical to obtain enough funding to support the installation of vape detector sensors in all high schools (10 devices per high school) and all middle schools (five devices per middle school).
- Camera System Updates: As funding allows, PGCPS is upgrading all camera systems with digital and AI-capable cameras (upgrading 6-10 schools per year using CIP and MCSS funding).
- Visual Alerting Systems: We are piloting visual alerting systems in Eleanor Roosevelt HS, Ernest Just MS and Doswell E. Brooks ES. We are also examining other means to improve our security posture, such as alert systems for emergency responses in our elementary schools.
- We urge legislators to ensure the School Safety Grant Program and the Safe to Learn grant funding continue and be expanded to fund both the necessary building security measures and the staff required to operate and monitor these advanced systems. Although the available grant funding is accessed by PGCPS, additional funding is needed to address the above safety needs.
- Integrate Security in Modernization and Infrastructure
As modernization efforts continue, PGCPS is committed to integrating enhanced security features such as:
Upgraded entry systems and security surveillance equipment—into every new facility. Additionally, PGCPS is utilizing MCSS grant funding for most of the school digital mapping project but requires additional funds to complete it.
- Enhance Pedestrian Safety Around Schools
In addition to safe and secure buildings, PGCPS is concerned about providing safe pedestrian walkways and intersections for students. This endeavor requires funding to cover the costs of creating more crosswalks, sidewalks, traffic lights, traffic speed cameras, and traffic calming measures (such as speed bumps).
- PGCPS requires additional funds to support the hiring of safe passage coordinators who would conduct safety assessments and serve as the primary liaison with the Prince George's County Department of Public Works & Transportation and the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration.
- We request dedicated funding to address pedestrian safety infrastructure and support staff coordination to ensure students have a secure journey to and from school.
Key Measures for Future Success
Maintaining Local Board Autonomy
The Prince George's County Board of Education plays a vital role in governing Prince George's County Public Schools and engaging the community and promoting participation by parents and other community members in the education process. A primary role of the Board is to develop policies that lead the school system. Legislation that mandates policies and other requirements limits the Board’s decision-making authority, which ultimately impacts the Board's ability to engage the community.
The Board believes that it is essential for it to retain its decision-making authority in accordance with Section 4-101 of the Education Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, which provides that education matters that impact the counties shall be under the control of the county board of education.
Prince George's County Board of Education Supports
- The Board's governance of education policy which is fundamental to an effective public education system that promotes high standards of academic and fiscal accountability, such as literacy, promotion, and retention policies
- The Board's appointment authority for the Superintendent of Schools
- The Board's authority to govern its operation as a Board
- Continuation of local board authority over charter schools and to grant charters
Prince George's County Board of Education Opposes
- Legislation that reduces the autonomy of the Board and its responsibility to determine Board policies
- Legislation that reduces the Board's governance, budgetary authority, and ability to respond to its constituency on issues under its authority
- Legislation that interferes with the Board's authority to negotiate a contract with its Superintendent of Schools
Implementation of the Blueprint
The Blueprint for Maryland's Future mandates significant amount of state funding to support the development and phase-in of required programs, such as Early Childhood Education, High-Quality and Diverse Teachers and Leaders, College and Career Readiness Pathways, Resources to Ensure that All Students are Successful, and Governance and Accountability. The state funding, however, is not sufficient to accomplish the mandated reforms. Increased funding is important as PGCPS struggles to budget for all personnel and operation expenses, and rising costs driven by inflation and staffing shortages.
Prince George's Board of Education Supports
- Limiting the requirements that are attached to Blueprint funding
- More local control over Blueprint initiatives
- Mandates tied to instructional programming that include adequate funding and realistic implementation timelines
Prince George's Board of Education Opposes
- Increased requirements attached to Blueprint funding
- Reduced Blueprint funding
Adequate Funding
Adequate funding is critical to improving student performance and well-being, eliminating achievement and opportunity gaps, preparing students to be college and career ready, providing students and staff with safe learning environments, and delivering professional development programs that improve teacher quality. State and local funding frequently does not reflect the increased costs to school systems for complying with new mandates. Subsequently, unfunded mandates require compliance without providing adequate funding to cover the costs of implementation. This creates a financial burden on local school systems, often forcing them to reallocate resources and cut programs that contribute to providing students an environment to thrive academically and personally.
Additionally, the possibility of lower or the elimination of federal allocations for Title I through Title IV grants is a major concern for all Local Education Agencies (LEAs). Reduction or elimination of these funds would hinder the Board's ability to provide adequate and equitable programs and services for the students attending Prince George’s County Public Schools.
Prince George's County Board of Education Supports
- Increased Foundation and Special Education funding
- Adequate funding to fully implement the Blueprint mandates
- Exclusion of LEAs from the Family and Medical Leave Insurance programs because PGCPS offers generous leave options for its employees, such as personal, annual, and sick leave and a Sick Leave Bank, which was negotiated with our labor partners
- Funding and resources to accompany new legislation
- Restoring the original amount of Blueprint funding legislated in the law plus additional funding for inflation
- Additional funding to support the Prince George's County Educators' Association negotiated agreement
Prince George's County Board of Education Opposes
- Legislation that results in unfunded mandates
- Legislation that mandates that the school system act as a passthrough for state funding of local workforce development boards for middle and high school career counseling
- Tracking and reporting Blueprint expenditures by each Blueprint program vs. Blueprint expenditures by school
- Legislation that does not include a thorough analysis of implementation costs, staffing needs, or realistic timelines. Legislative mandates must be accompanied by appropriate funding and operational support.
- Legislation that mandates the use of funds earmarked to educate our students to fund grants for non-profit organizations to support private daycare providers
Recruitment and Retention
PGCPS is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse group of educators who exemplify excellence and inspire others to achieve greatness. The Board recognizes that attracting and retaining highly effective teachers is crucial to developing world-class talent in our students and providing every PGCPS student with a premier education that is defined by innovative, relevant and accessible learning experiences that foster 21st century skills.
The Board also emphasizes the importance of legislation that provides incentives to attract and retain highly qualified educators, related service providers, and support staff, ensuring educational excellence and equity for all.
Prince George's County Board of Education Supports
- Legislation that would make June 15 the deadline for teachers to resign without being in breach of contract—by doing this, LEAs would know at the beginning of the summer what vacancies need to be filled, resulting in a greater chance of filling those vacancies earlier in the summer
- Legislation that allows those in the education field to obtain students loans—which they will not have to pay back if they work as a teacher for so many years following graduation
- Legislation that authorizes certified driver trainers to administer the Commercial Driver's License (CDL) learning permit test to prospective bus drivers; current MVA scheduling requirements create delays in onboarding new bus drivers, which directly impacts PGCPS’s ability to address driver shortages and maintain reliable service.
Education Enrichment
The Maryland State Board of Education, not the legislature, is responsible for setting curriculum standards. The local board is responsible for selecting and implementing standards-based curriculum and selecting textbooks and instructional materials that align with local values and priorities. The Board supports local decision-making authority and believes that it is critical that the Board and the Superintendent maintain this authority. This allows PGCPS’s highly qualified staff to develop curriculum relevant to the needs of PGCPS students and for the Board to review instructional materials with the input of the community.
Prince George's County Board of Education Supports
- Legislation that provides budget allocations to increase staffing to meet expanded responsibilities, particularly in the areas of mediation services, student assessments and compliance
- Legislation that is viewed through the lens of its impact on special populations, particularly multilingual learners and students with disabilities
Prince George's County Board of Education Opposes
- Legislation that requires LEAs to manage the complexities of childcare provider support. Without adequate resources, LEAs cannot be responsible for private providers' actions. LEAs can collaborate with private providers but cannot monitor or control private providers.
- Legislation that mandates actions outside of LEA’s instructional responsibilities. When vacancies are rampant, LEAs need to focus on their primary purpose—to educate students.
Student Welfare
PGCPS strives to provide a safe environment that fosters a culture of care and a climate of mutual respect, cultural responsiveness, and attentiveness to the overall physical and psychological well-being of every student. A safe school environment promotes emotional well-being, which is directly linked to better academic performance, increased motivation and a positive attitude toward school.
Cultivating learning environments is a primary responsibility of PGCPS where all students develop the skills to make positive and healthy decisions that support personal well-being and constructive social behavior, and aligns with PGCPS key beliefs about students, learning, stakeholder responsibility, and the elements necessary to achieve equity and excellence in education.
Prince George's County Board of Education Supports
- Funding and resources to accompany any new legislation
- Funding to hire staff to complete all the administrative responsibilities involved in working with the Consortium on Coordinated Community Supports
- Funding to increase the ratio of mental health clinicians to students to be more equitable in providing these services in all our schools
- Funding to support reductions in federal funding through the Title IV grant, which is used to provide mental health services to our students
- Legislation that utilizes creative ways to get parents more involved in ensuring that their child attends school
- Funding to provide every school with a restorative approaches coordinator and to provide the appropriate professional development
- Additional funding for more professional school counselors, school psychologists, and addiction counselors to improve the student to staff ratios
- Budget enhancements for the provision of professional development outside of the school day for teachers and counselors, and for resources regarding behavioral health issues, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), restorative practices, de-escalation techniques, trauma-informed interventions, etc.
Prince George's County Board of Education Opposes
- Legislation attempting to address student safety concerns that imposes unfunded mandates on local boards of education
- Legislation that would prohibit or require certain disciplinary actions, such as various student suspensions, thereby limiting the local board's authority to ensure the safety of all students and staff
- Legislation that restricts or eliminates the ability of schools to contract for services
Sustainability
The Board of Education of Prince George's County (Board) acknowledges that actionable, cost-effective solutions currently exist to reduce energy used by buildings and transportation managed by PGCPS. The Board is committed to generating renewable onsite energy sources at buildings, monitoring and reporting electricity used from renewable energy sources, replacing infrastructure and vehicles with zero emissions alternatives, reducing school waste, and food-related greenhouse gas emissions, among other solutions.
The Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP), created by a workgroup made of environmental experts, lawmakers, Board members, staff and students, reviews how PGCPS can make different decisions that will lessen the school system's impact on the environment and be more resilient to the negative effects of climate change. The CCAP documents progress to date in advancing climate action across three important broad topic areas: 1) advancing internal systems in PGCPS operations so that its systems and processes are managed through a sustainability-centered lens; 2) reducing PGCPS contributions to greenhouse gas emissions; and 3) preparing PGCPS and the community for adaptation and resilience to the impacts of a changing climate.
Prince George's County Board of Education Supports
- Funding to support the implementation of the PGCPS Climate Change Action Plan. In the past, PGCPS relied on federal sources of funding, but now there is more reliance on state funding and available grants to:
- Support electric school buses and the corresponding electric charging infrastructure, as well as for research and use of alternate low carbon emission fuels.
- Support the state's goals of electrification and the costs necessary to replace fossil fuel-burning equipment and infrastructure upgrades.
- Invest in smart metering technology and building automation systems that allow for real-time monitoring and control of energy usage.
- Hire and train staff to manage, maintain, and optimize new equipment and technologies.
- Support indoor air quality improvements.
- Support greater availability of fresh, locally sourced, whole foods for our students.
- Provide healthy, nutritious and tasty meal options to minimize food waste in school cafeterias.
- Support environmental and climate literacy, and outdoor learning experiences.
Information Technology
Information technology (IT) plays a crucial role in enhancing the educational experience for students, improving administrative efficiency, and preparing learning for a technology-driven world. Schools utilize IT across various aspects of education, from classroom learning to administrative tasks, helping to create more interactive, efficient and accessible learning environments. State government support in IT for school systems is vital to building an equitable, secure and future ready education system.
Investments in infrastructure, professional development, cybersecurity, digital equity and innovative technologies can aid schools in fully integrating IT into classrooms and administrative processes.
Prince George's County Board of Education Supports
- State level standardized technology agreements for LEAs to utilize when procuring software to ensure the safety and privacy of students and staff, and the protection of their data
- State level accessibility evaluation for school system to use to evaluate technology tools for accessibility
- Adequate funding to support technology
Charter Schools
The Maryland Public Charter School Act of 2003 and the Public Charter School Improvement Act of 2015 established an alternative means within the existing public schools to provide innovative learning opportunities and creative educational approaches to improve student education. PGCPS offers a wide variety of specialty schools and programs that concentrate on providing instruction to students on a particular subject area utilizing specialized instructional methodologies. The Board acknowledges that public charter schools may provide opportunities for students beyond what PGCPS offers. The Board appreciates having legal authority over charter schools and being the sole public chartering entity for granting a charter; however, it is insistent that charter schools are required to comply with the same federal and state fiscal responsibility and accountability laws that apply to public schools.
Prince George's County Board of Education Supports
- High academic and fiscal accountability for all charter schools
- Continuation of local board authority over charter schools and to grant charters
- Requirement for charter schools to comply with federal and state laws governing public schools, including fiscal accountability
- Employees of charter schools must be employees of the school system, including compensation and certification requirements consistent with other public schools
- Legislation that allows local school systems to set a due date for charter school applications in order to allow school districts adequate planning time to address financial, staffing, transportation and scheduling needs
- Legislation to clarify ownership of charter school assets that have been purchased with public funds
Prince George's County Board of Education Opposes
- Providing funding to public charter schools for eligible expenses associated with public charter school facilities
- Legislation that would limit the Board's primary chartering authority and weaken requirements for academic and fiscal accountability to the Board
- Legislation that creates blanket waivers for charter schools that releases charter schools from state law, local board policies and the school system's administrative procedures
Shared Solutions
The intricate relationship between state legislators and public education systems is vital for the success of students and communities. Effective legislative solutions that address the evolving needs of schools are not created in a vacuum; they require a collaborative and open dialogue between lawmakers, school board members and educational administrators. By working together, these stakeholders can bridge the gap between policy intent and practical implementation, ensuring that new legislation is both visionary and workable. Furthermore, this collaboration is essential for identifying and addressing the unintended consequences of previous laws that may now be creating significant challenges for school systems, allowing for thoughtful and effective revisions that support a more robust educational environment for all.
Prince George's County Board of Education Supports
- Funding and resources to accompany any new legislation and a careful study of the costs associated with new legislation
- Using funds appropriated for education solely for educational purposes
Prince George's County Board of Education Opposes
- Legislation that requires LEAs to manage/monitor the complexities of private childcare provider support
- Legislation that mandates actions outside of LEA’s instructional responsibilities
- Legislation that diverts school funds appropriated by federal, state and local government to fund private organizations
