County schools plan to cut contracted services and vacant and temporary positions, among other costs, in the upcoming school year.
Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) Budget Director Shavonne Smith recommended these cuts in her update to the Board of Education during their business meeting on Monday, Dec. 1.
Smith explained that the county schools’ budget office must address a $150 million budget shortfall in fiscal year 2027, which includes the 2026-2027 school year. Smith attributed the shortfall to a 6.5% increase in expenses and a $70 million reduction in the county’s projected use of its fund balance, or savings account, compared to 2026.
District 7 board member Phelton Moss said PGCPS’ recent success in filling vacancies has resulted in less funding available to carry over into the next year, and credited Interim Superintendent Shawn Joseph for successful recruiting and hiring.
“I guess, Shawn, thank you and no thank you at the same time, it’s a bit of a quandary that that puts us into,” Moss said.
Board member Pamela Boozer-Strother (District 3) said legislative decisions made by the county’s representatives in Annapolis have contributed to the size of the shortfall this year.
“We have to be talking about that side of the equation,” she said. “I just want to say to everyone that this was manufactured, and we are going to fight.”
Boozer-Strother said they would fight by lobbying both the county council and the Maryland State Legislature to help reduce the shortfall.
The county is set to receive a 4.2% increase, totaling about $105 million, in aid from the state through the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a plan to improve public education through increased funding over a decade.
Smith and Chief Financial Officer Lisa Howell said this increase will be offset by the increased operational expenses and the reduction in the use of fund balance.
The budget office asked each division to come up with cuts to their spending that would add up to $100 million dollars across the board, according to Smith.
The resulting total projected cuts add up to $76 million, or 51% of the cuts needed. The most money will be taken from contracted services at $24.2 million. Additional cuts of $16 million are designed to optimize workflow, and $15.5 million will come from general operating expenses, Smith said.
PGCPS will not cut funds for special education or charter schools, she said.
Moss asked why charter schools will not receive cuts. “It’s difficult to cut them based on how the funding formula is outlined,” Smith said, “but that does not mean that services potentially won’t be reduced. It just means that the allocation that they directly receive, we did not touch for now,” she went on to say.
Smith also added that a plan to cut another $50 million systemwide is still in development.
She explained that cuts to contracted services would require reducing the district’s reliance on external vendors and services, as well as removing redundant contracts. Cuts for workflow optimization and to general operating expenses will require eliminating some remaining vacant positions, both full-time and temporary, she said.
Interim Superintendent Joseph will present a detailed proposed budget for the Fiscal Year 2027 to the board next month on January 22, 2026.