By Lori Jaffe

The Montgomery County Taxpayers League (MCTL) has asked the County Council to work with state legislators to establish a dedicated Office of the Inspector General reporting to the Montgomery County School Board. The MCTL has been working tirelessly for nearly 50 years to work, in a non-partisan way, with county officials on the budget and operations. As taxpayers, we need to follow the lead of the MCTL and contact our County Council to encourage them to establish an OIG.

On February 20, the MCTL, along with the Parents Coalition of Montgomery County (PCMC) and the Montgomery County Civic Federation (MCCF), provided an in-depth analysis of the 2025 proposed MCPS Budget. With Ester Wells, MCTL President presiding, MCTL Treasurer Gordie Brenne and representatives of the PCMC and the MCCF provided some insights about the budget including:

• 45% of all spending pays for overhead, not for instruction. MCPS has 160,000 students. Fairfax County, which has 180,000 students, has a much lower overhead rate of 37%.

• The State’s Maintenance of Effort Law annually drives up the overhead costs with little oversight by the school board.

• Support and Well Being Activities has 517 positions, which includes many of the associate superintendents who were involved in the Beidleman promotion “fiasco.” Brenne recommends moving some of this money to hire new assistant principals at high-need schools to implement school improvement plans to reduce the achievement gap.

• 90% of the spending is for FTE (Full Time Equivalents) compensation costs.

• Maintenance of Effort (MOE) spending is estimated to be $182 M, but it is hidden in the base of the budget, not referenced in the Accelerators category (see chart below). Accelerators are “strategies and tactics that will reduce the achievement gap - improve reading and math proficiency.” Accelerators include interventions (teachers working one on one with students or with small groups after school) and (third party) tutoring.

• Local Revenue is $2.1 Billion – the increase from the 2024 budget is $165,000,000 and it is primarily funded by us taxpayers. As Sen. Everett Dirksen said, “A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you’re talking about real money.”

• The budget increased by $800M since 2018 (%33) even though the number of students in 2018 was similar to the 2025 estimate. FTEs increased since 2018 by 11%, and business support roles increased by 33%. But the new positions added to lower the achievement gap have not moved the needle at, for example, Carver High School and Junior College. Schools are failing but they continue to ask for more money. Proficiency in math and reading has “fallen into a chasm.”

• MCPS measures teacher and principal effectiveness based on factors other than improved proficiency in math and reading. Brenne says, “The budget provides no data on how any of the programs are going to improve performance.”

As Joan Fidler, Board member and former MCTL President said, “We need an independent MCPS Inspector General with full statutory rights to review, investigate and oversee the governance of this $3 billion enterprise –

• An IG that can investigate complaints,
• An IG that can review outcomes for heavily funded programs,
• An IG that can check for internal controls,
• An IG that can ensure that the Board receives data and information unfiltered by unelected bureaucrats,
• An IG that can question sole source contracts,
• An IG that can compel the Board to comply with its findings and recommendations,
• In sum, an IG that can hold the system accountable.”

Please contact your County Councilmember and encourage them to work with state legislators to establish a dedicated Office of the Inspector General.

__________

Lori Jaffe is the Party Secretary for the Montgomery County Republican Central Committee, volunteer coordinator and Member of the Executive Board. She can be reached at [email protected]