Frederick County School Superintendent Terry Alban on Monday announced her Fiscal Year 2022 recommended budget, which totals more than $701 million.
The FY 22 request tops last year’s by $26 million. Last year’s approved operating budget for Frederick County Public School System totaled $674 million.
From the Frederick News-Post:
“The FY22 budget was built to move our system forward. It was designed to enable us to recover, reconnect and reinvent. Recovery is the first step coming out of a crisis,” Alban said during a broadcast statement. “We know the toll this pandemic is taking on our students academically, socially and emotionally. We must be prepared with the support needed to address all of their needs.”
Superintendent Alban’s recommended budget includes $6.5 million specifically to address academic recovery and support mental health with money going toward the creation of specific positions, including math specialists at the high school level, digital learning lab monitors, school psychologists and trauma specialty therapists. FCPS is also seeking funding to expand the Frederick County Virtual School summer session and the RISE program to middle schools—which was previously cut from the fiscal 2021 budget.
Revenue for local school systems come from both the state and county, and are based on both actual and projected enrollment. Based on a September 30th enrollment count, there were 211 less students than the previous school year. FCPS is expecting students to re-enroll after attending private schools or participating in homeschooling during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the most recent FCPS projections, there will be an additional 584 students next school year, which equates to the need for approximately 74 additional staff positions at a cost of $5.5 million.
Superintendent Alban will present the recommended budget to the Frederick County Board of Education during its scheduled meeting today, January 13. The board will host a public hearing on the fiscal 2022 budget on February 3.
Stay tuned to Conduit Street for the latest.
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