Montgomery School Board Cutting Costs after Students Leave for Pike Road School
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The Montgomery County School Board first estimated about 780 students leaving Montgomery Public Schools to Pike Road.
But even more than 1000 students ended up at Pike Road School.
MPS Spokesperson Tom Salter says it will impact MPS, “We will have fewer teachers, because we have fewer students, and a few other positions will be eliminated because we dont have the students that need that support.”
Although, it may not be as bad as the board once thought.
The board first projected a 9 million dollar shortfall.
But, now with a second check, it looks to only be 2 million dollars.
Of course, superintendent Margaret Allen says that could also change.
“The plan is not final, so it’s difficult to make a report and have it be in stone because it could change. That’s where we are right now. Things are changing,” said Allen.
The 2 million dollars will come out of the school reserves.
And Title One schools will also get 1.5 million from the call center pool.
School board members say they are hopeful with city and county revenue up, the school system will be able to benefit.
But School Board member Durden Dean says he is also concerned about the future.
“I think the biggest challenge for us over the next year and the next few years is building reserves. We’ve absolutely got to do that. We’ve got to live within our means and control our expenditures and one of the big challenges we have is that we have an old school system with a lot of old buildings that cost a lot to keep up,” said Dean.
The board will vote on the budget at the next meeting on Sept. 22nd.
