New process for proposed PGCPS budget could eliminate elective programs

Before Wednesday’s Prince George’s County Board of Education budget hearing, Laurel High School English and journalism teacher Robert Giuliani handed out copies of the school’s award-winning student newspaper. Giuliani was at the meeting to express his concerns about Superintendent Dr. William R. Hite Jr.’s proposed $1.6 billion budget — and how it might affect programs like his journalism course.

Wednesday’s meeting at Laurel High School was the first of three community forums this month regarding the superintendent’s proposed budget for the 2013 fiscal year. Hite, along with the school system’s Chief Financial Officer Matt Stanski, outlined plans for the budget before a group of about 30 Prince George’s County community members. Although the proposed revenue for 2013 looks nearly identical to that of 2012, there are some drastic changes in the decision-making process for how school budgets should be spent.

In the past, the county’s central office dictated the budget and determined how much money each school received using a formula based on student enrollment. This year, the county is adopting the Student-Based Budgeting model, which will grant more control to the individual school communities and allow principals to make some staffing decisions.

The Student-Based Budgeting system assigns a base amount of $3,077 to each student and then allots additional funds based on specific needs of each school’s specific population, including poverty and academic performance.