Councilmember Rice to Host Education Budget Nights

Montgomery County Council Education Committee Chair Craig Rice, Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Jack Smith, and Montgomery College President DeRionne Pollard will host the first in a series of community forums on the County’s education programs on Wednesday, Feb. 21 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at Damascus High School, which is located at 25921 Ridge Road in Damascus.

These community meetings provide information, and seek input, on the programs and budgets of the County’s public school system and its community college. This is the fourth year County education leaders are conducting a Countywide tour to provide information on the budget process.

The community forums address how budget priorities are established by the Board of Education, the County Executive, and the County Council—all of whom work together on the annual budgets for MCPS and Montgomery College. At the forums, subjects include what the school system and college are doing to prepare for fiscal year 2019.

The community forums also provide residents with the opportunity to influence decisions that will be made as the County reviews and works to adopt the FY19 budget. In May, the County Council will adopt the operating and capital budgets that will go into effect on July 1.

All the education community forums are scheduled from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The meeting dates and locations are as follows:

• February 21 at Damascus High School (25921 Ridge Road in Damascus);

• February 28 at Montgomery College, Rockville Campus (Theater Arts Building – 51 Mannakee Street in Rockville);

• March 7 at John F. Kennedy High School (cafeteria – 1901 Randolph Road in Silver Spring);

• March 14 at Robert Frost Middle School (cafeteria – 9201 Scott Drive in Rockville); and

• March 19 at White Oak Middle School (cafeteria – 12201 New Hampshire Avenue in Silver Spring).

“These community forums provide an opportunity for residents to have their questions answered about the education budgets at the State and County level from kindergarten to higher education,” said Councilmember Rice. “We talk about how budget decisions are made and explain the circumstances concerning the new budget we are addressing for the fiscal year that begins on July 1. We also discuss the opportunities residents will have to influence budget decisions. In this early stage of the budget process, it is important to hear from residents about their concerns, their priorities and how they fit with the amount of funding available.”

File Photos by Germantown Pulse.