Marty Gordon
NRVsports@mainstreetnewspapers.com
Montgomery County Public Schools is asking the board of supervisors for a new FY26-27 budget, which includes a 12 percent increase.
The total amount from the county would be an increase of $8.29 million with additional monies of $3.6 million coming from the state. The total budget would rise from the current $153.6 million to $165.7 million.
Superintendent Dr. Kelly Gumpel, Director of Finance Angela Bland and Assistant Director of Finance Trevor Bennett made the presentation at last week’s Montgomery County Board of Supervisors meeting.
The FY 2026-2028 biennium proposal from the state shows a two percent raise for employees over the two years, a one-time employee bonus for both fiscal years and an increase in school construction grant funding.
The FY27 objectives also call for no increase to employee health insurance costs, while offering insurance to bus drivers.
The budget additions from the school board also includes increasing the hourly rate from $16 to $17 for substitutes while adding new personnel in several areas.
Those new positions include:
Two for alternative education program teachers
Six assistant principals for county elementary schools
Two English as a Second Language ESL teachers
One library media specialist
One Career and Technical Education marketing teacher
One school counselor
Two Behavioral Specialists
Two Speech Specialists
One interpreter
One Billingual Liaison/Family Engagement Coordinator
One Emergency Medical Technician teacher
A half position for a testing coordinator.
The school system would also like to increase paraprofessional workdays.
The budget would also include an estimated $1.01 million in the School Nutrition Program to $7.035 million to help support rising student participation. This past year, students were given free student breakfast, and now the option includes a new proposal for free student lunch.
The proposed budget projects federal monies would rise by 1.92 percent and state by 4.39 percent. Supervisors are scheduled for a joint meeting with the school board later this month.
