For Immediate Release: Wednesday, December 13, 2023
The Education and Culture (EC) Committee will meet on Thursday, Dec. 14 at 1:30 p.m. to review the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) monthly financial report and the MCPS staff climate survey results.
The members of the EC Committee include Chair Will Jawando and Councilmembers Gabe Albornoz and Kristin Mink.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Montgomery County Public Schools Quarterly Financial Reports
Review: The EC Committee will review the most recent MCPS monthly financial report, which indicates projected revenue and expenditure levels in each state budget category. The EC Committee typically reviews these financial reports three times during the fiscal year, as well as at the end of year summary. The MCPS operating budget fund balance in the report reflects savings achieved by the school system and funds not spent in a given fiscal year. MCPS is prohibited by state law from ending the year in deficit and as a result, MCPS ends each year with a surplus.
The latest monthly financial report is from Dec. 5, 2023 and shows financial conditions as of Oct. 31, 2023. At that time, MCPS had a starting fund balance for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 of $8.2 million and year-end projections reflecting a revenue surplus of $6.6 million and an expenditure surplus of $1.9 million. These funds cannot be spent by MCPS until the Council appropriates them.
Montgomery County Public Schools Staff Climate Survey Results
Review: The EC Committee will receive a presentation about and discuss the FY23 MCPS staff climate survey results. MCPS administered the staff climate survey to all staff in May 2023. The survey results were released to the public in July 2023 and a memorandum outlining the results was sent to the Board of Education on Dec. 5, 2023.
School-based leaders reviewed the data beginning in June 2023 during summer leadership team meetings as part of the development of their School Improvement Plans. Schools also incorporated the staff climate survey results into their data story to develop SMARTIE (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound, inclusive and equitable) goals for climate and culture and used the results to identify specific actions needed to achieve those goals in their School Improvement Action Plans.
For the FY23 survey, MCPS reports that a total of 8,638 surveys were completed by school-based staff from a total of approximately 14,400 school-based staff. In the survey results, MCPS outlines a number of steps being taken to increase participation in the next FY24 survey, which is scheduled to be administered in Jan. 2024. These steps include working with employee associations and other leadership in schools and offices to encourage participation. MCPS is also evaluating its outreach methods to ensure underrepresented employees are being reached.
Additional detail on the survey results is available in the staff report.
The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. View the current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review on the Council website.
Council and committee meetings are streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube and on Facebook Live and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on Xfinity/RCN 6 HD 996/1056, Fios 30, and on the CCM live stream.
Release ID: 23-422