MCPS total recommended operating budget
$3,785,335,259
This is the total FY27 Recommended MCPS operating budget shown on the county operating budget page. It includes county funding and other sources.
Schools
MCPS And The Montgomery County, Maryland Budget
Montgomery County Public Schools is a major part of Montgomery County, Maryland's budget conversation. This page explains the county's role, MCPS's role, and why school operating costs and school construction projects appear in different parts of the budget.
Data status: FY27 Recommended MCPS operating budget context
Last checked: 2026-05-19. Recommended figures are County Executive recommendations and are not final adopted amounts. MCPS and county sources may round figures differently.
The Short Version
FY27 Recommended OperatingMCPS is both a school system and a major county budget item. The Board of Education makes the school-system request and controls educational policy. The County Executive recommends a total amount to the County Council. The Council acts on the county budget.
The FY27 Recommended county operating budget page lists the MCPS operating total at $3,785,335,259. That is not the same as saying every dollar comes from the county.
Two Numbers To Keep Separate
Recommended county contribution
$2,518,200,000
This is the county-funded part of the FY27 Recommended MCPS operating budget. It is related to the total MCPS budget, but it is not the same figure.
FY27 Recommended MCPS Operating Funding Mix
The bars compare the funding sources listed on the county's official FY27 Recommended MCPS operating budget page. The dollar amounts and percentages are repeated in the table.
How to read this chart: each bar shows the category share within the source total. The exact dollars and percentages are repeated in the table below.
County funding
$2,518,200,000 / 66.5%
State aid and grants
$1,051,300,000 / 27.8%
Federal grants and aid
$98,700,000 / 2.6%
Tuition, fees, and private grants
$22,600,000 / 0.6%
Fee-supported Enterprise Fund
$93,100,000 / 2.5%
Special Revenue Fund
$1,400,000 / <0.1%
| Funding Source | FY27 Recommended | Share | Plain-English Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| County funding | $2,518,200,000 | 66.5% | Published by the county as $2,518.2 million and 66.5 percent of all recommended MCPS funding. |
| State aid and grants | $1,051,300,000 | 27.8% | Published by the county as $1,051.3 million and 27.8 percent of all recommended MCPS funding. |
| Federal grants and aid | $98,700,000 | 2.6% | Published by the county as $98.7 million and 2.6 percent of all recommended MCPS funding. |
| Tuition, fees, and private grants | $22,600,000 | 0.6% | Published by the county as $22.6 million and 0.6 percent of all recommended MCPS funding. |
| Fee-supported Enterprise Fund | $93,100,000 | 2.5% | Published by the county as $93.1 million and 2.5 percent of all recommended MCPS funding. |
| Special Revenue Fund | $1,400,000 | <0.1% | Published by the county as $1.4 million and 0.04 percent of all recommended MCPS funding. |
How To Read This Chart
Each row is a funding source from the county's FY27 Recommended MCPS operating budget page. The county contribution is the local funding piece. State aid, federal aid, grants, fees, and special funds are separate sources.
The chart is about the operating budget. It does not show school construction projects, which are handled in the county capital budget and Capital Improvements Program.
Who Does What
MCPS administration
Prepares the superintendent's recommended operating budget and supporting materials for Board of Education review.
Board of Education
Reviews the superintendent recommendation, adopts a school-system budget request, and decides how appropriated school funds are allocated within MCPS.
County Executive
Presents the County Council with a recommended total MCPS budget as part of the county operating budget.
County Council
Reviews the County Executive's recommended budget, holds budget hearings and work sessions, and acts on the county budget.
Operating Budget Vs Capital Budget
Operating
The operating budget pays for annual school-system costs such as staff, classroom services, transportation, and other recurring expenses. It is the budget discussed in the funding mix above.
Capital
School construction, major renovations, and other long-term school projects are handled in the county Capital Budget and Capital Improvements Program, not in the annual MCPS operating budget. Capital school projects may involve county bonds, current revenue, recordation taxes, state aid, or other capital funding sources.
Maintenance Of Effort
Maintenance of Effort is a Maryland local school funding rule. In plain English, it sets a local funding floor for school operating budgets, with calculations based on local funding and enrollment. The official legal rule has exceptions and waiver provisions.
$202,800,000
The county page says the FY27 Recommended county contribution exceeds the State Maintenance of Effort requirement by this amount. This page is a plain-English budget explanation, not a legal interpretation.
Budget Timeline
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Winter
Superintendent recommendation
MCPS releases the superintendent's recommended operating budget and supporting materials.
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Winter
Board review and request
The Board of Education holds hearings or work sessions, then adopts a recommended school-system budget request.
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March
County Executive recommendation
The County Executive recommends a total MCPS operating budget to the County Council.
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Spring
Council review and action
The County Council reviews the county budget, including MCPS funding, through hearings, committee work sessions, and final county action.
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Late spring or summer
MCPS final action
After county action, MCPS takes final action on its operating budget and adjusts detailed allocations as needed.
What People Often Misunderstand
The county contribution to MCPS and the total MCPS operating budget are related, but they are not the same figure. The total also includes state aid, federal aid, grants, fees, and other funds.
A Board of Education request is not automatically the final county budget. The County Executive and County Council still have roles in the county budget process.
School operating costs and school construction costs appear in different budget documents. A classroom staffing decision and a school renovation project may both affect MCPS, but they are not paid through the same budget process.