Understanding the Delay in Prekindergarten Expansion in FY2025

The 2024-2025 Operating Budget request included 100 full time employee positions to expand prekindergarten seats across MCPS. Following the Montgomery County Board of Education’s approval of the Fiscal Year 2025 Operating Budget on June 11, MCPS will delay a plan to convert 520 seats in the pre-K program from part-time to full-day. 

The budget request would have provided additional teachers, paraeducators, and speech pathologists to expand the program. The original school board budget request did not include additional full day prekindergarten seats. We are fully aware that expansion of full-day seats is a Blueprint for Maryland’s Future requirement. Although we will not expand full day seats in 2024-2025, we plan to accelerate the expansion of pre-K in partnership with Montgomery County private providers and will continue to request the necessary funding in alignment with the Blueprint for Maryland's Future.

Research shows that high-quality prekindergarten education programs benefit all children, with lasting improvements in academics, mental health and social skills. MCPS is committed to requesting funding to expand this vital program in order to fulfill the Blueprint for Marylan’s Future mandate.