Adding a County Executive representative to the school board would boost transparency and accountability
Today Montgomery County Councilmember Evan Glass is calling for structural reforms to Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and the Montgomery County Board of Education to restore transparency and strengthen accountability. In an opinion piece published Wednesday in Bethesda Today, Councilmember Glass laid out a bold vision for changes aimed at improving oversight and ensuring the school system is focused on student success and fiscal responsibility.
The central reform proposed would modernize the Montgomery County Board of Education by adding a member appointed by the County Executive. Serving as a direct liaison between the Board of Education and county officials responsible for managing public finances, the appointed member would strengthen coordination, improve fiscal oversight, and ensure clearer accountability across all levels of local government. Most importantly, the proposal would establish a more transparent and effective line of communication between the school system and county leadership.
“Let me be clear: This representative would not replace the Board’s authority, nor interfere with educational decision-making. Instead, this appointee would participate in budget deliberations from the earliest stages, ensuring that broader fiscal realities are taken into consideration when shaping the largest part of our county’s budget,” Councilmember Evan Glass said. “These are not radical ideas. They are standard practices in innovative school systems and they are long overdue here. As we provide more funding for MCPS, we must require more transparency and greater partnership. Our kids are counting on us.”
This proposal is being made as the County Council finalizes a difficult FY2027 budget process. The County Council recently voted to fund MCPS at a record-level of $3.7 billion, an increase of $143.7 million from the previous year. At the same time, MCPS enrollment has decreased by nearly 9,000 students over the last seven years, and is projected to decrease by an additional 2,500 students by the 2027-28 school year.
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Greater transparency and partnership are necessary if Montgomery County is to truly provide the best educational outcomes for our students and workplace environments for our educators.
You can read Councilmember Glass’s op-ed in Bethesda Today.
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Read the original article at mccouncil