On April 9, Superintendent Michelle Reid invited student journalists from across the county for a press conference at Gatehouse Administration Center to discuss the Fiscal Year 2026 Advertised Budget proposal.
“I think it’s critical [to meet with students] because our work is student-centered work and so everything we do is in the service of our classroom education for each one of our students,” Reid said. “Coming together and sharing our experiences and building a common understanding is so important.”
Reid answered questions from students regarding the different aspects of the budget in a roundtable discussion.
“I asked her about which budget item is having the biggest impact and she told me one word, ‘compensation,’” said Maddie Weston, the executive producer of Robinson High School’s broadcast publication, Valor Dictus. “It shows how much FCPS puts the teachers’ and students’ needs first. It was also interesting to hear everyone else’s point of view [about the budget].”
To address the funding gap due to the county’s budget only receiving $118.6 million out of the $268.3 million requested by FCPS, Reid hopes that external support will be done to fill in the gap.
“We’re the ninth largest division in the country, and we’re larger than seven states in terms of our [county’s] population, so that is going to generate a large budget to provide services to our students,” Reid said. “We continue to be hopeful that our governor will sign the budget that will help us a little bit, and we’re hopeful the county will transfer the full amount [of money] we’ve asked for them to transfer.”
To address the funding shortfall, the county proposed a cut to free after-school programs for middle schools. Reid expressed her opposition to the cuts, but did not elaborate on the eventual status of the after-school programs.
“The county has chosen to [cut the after-school programs], so that wasn’t a cut we would’ve chosen to make,” Reid said. “We hope that the county reinstates [these programs] because they’re very important.”
Elizabeth Allen, a student journalist from South County High School, asked Reid about the budget’s support for students and families who may be at a disadvantage with the current economic situation.
“It really has been hard with the mass layoffs and the threats of mass layoffs,” Reid said. “We’re still working to hire [former] federal employees. We’re in this time of unease, and it’s important to know that we must lift each other up.”
Students were pleased with the meeting, making them optimistic for future events like these.
“I am hopeful that the county [conducts] more events like these because it helps student journalists who are looking to cover important topics like the budget,” said Josephine Keller, the editor-in-chief of West Potomac High School’s publication, The Wire. “It’s also an educational opportunity for students to engage with their community members and leaders.”
