The Montgomery County Board of Education tentatively adopted the fiscal year 2025 budget Thursday. The budget included some major changes for an innovative calendar school, an extension of the county’s virtual academy.
The board will fund the Montgomery Virtual Academy for the next fiscal year after backlash from the community. The board is committed to phasing out this program and asked the administration to analyze elementary school offerings, according to a board release.
Yaseman Bright, a Montgomery County teacher, spoke at the meeting in support of the virtual academy.
Bright said the virtual school option has become a “necessary option” for many students who struggle with social anxiety, can mitigate attendance problems and lead to significant savings for the school district.
“Cutting the Virtual Academy is not just a budgetary decision; it’s a choice about the kind of education we want to offer in Montgomery County. It’s about ensuring every student has the opportunity to learn in a way that suits them best,” Bright said.
Roscoe Nix Elementary School will switch from an innovative school calendar to a traditional school calendar. The other innovative calendar school, Arcola Elementary, will keep their calendar system for another year of analysis.
Innovative calendar schools have longer school years and are intended to focus on social-emotional growth and hands-on enrichment.
Board President Karla Silvestre said the Roscoe Nix change was made on behalf of families who told the board the longer schedule has strained the school community, partially due to the schedule not lining up with the sister school Cresthaven Elementary.
The new budget also reinstates six roles that were being considered for elimination, including a consulting teacher and a media specialist technician for middle school arts programs.
The budget will now go to the county executive and county council for approval. The school board is set to vote on the final budget on June 6.
