LARGO — Prince George’s County residents packed a public hearing on the proposed FY2027 budget Monday night, urging county leaders to fully fund Prince George’s County Public Schools while also advocating for investments in nonprofit services, environmental programs, foster care advocacy and animal welfare initiatives.
The hearing focused on the county’s proposed FY2027 operating budget, six-year capital improvement program, Board of Education budget, Redevelopment Authority budget and constant yield tax rate. But throughout the evening, the dominant theme was concern over public education funding and the future of academic programs and school facilities across the county.
Council Chair Crystal Oriadha opened the hearing by welcoming residents and outlining testimony procedures before council members introduced themselves.
Educators warn classrooms will suffer without additional funding
Dr. Donna Christy, president of the Prince George’s County Educators Association, made a powerful plea to the council, emphasizing that showing appreciation for educators is meaningless without financial backing. “This isn’t about need; the need is obvious,” she stated. “It’s about the will to act.”
Christy explained that the school district has already faced $146 million in budget cuts and warned that there is “nothing left to cut” that wouldn’t directly affect classrooms, staff, and legally mandated services. She warned that ignoring a reported $30 million shortfall would result in larger class sizes, fewer staff in schools, reduced personnel, strained special education programs, and increased instability among educators.
Christy urged the council to “identify the $30 million,” noting that appreciation without action amounts to just noise.
Dr. Annett Jones, vice president of PGCEA, shared these concerns and commended the Board of Education for carefully reviewing programs before making tough decisions. Jones stressed that every classroom need is vital and warned that failing to invest now would lead to bigger problems in the future.
Parents describe deteriorating schools and safety concerns
Several parents described deteriorating school conditions and growing fears about infrastructure problems.
Rebecca Rios, whose child attends Cesar Chavez Dual Spanish Immersion School, praised the county’s multilingual programs and wraparound services while warning that increasing class sizes and program cuts could drive families away from the district.
Other speakers referenced a recent classroom fire at Cesar Chavez, tying the incident to long-standing maintenance concerns.
Janae Bhavishi told council members that classrooms at the school experienced temperatures above 80 degrees during a recent heat wave before the air conditioning system was activated and a degraded wiring issue caused a fire. She described the incident as a warning sign about aging infrastructure and deferred maintenance throughout the district.
“Families should not have to rely on luck to keep their children safe at school,” Bhavishi said.
Doreen Hodge, an Oxon Hill resident and substitute teacher, described conditions at John Hanson Montessori School, where she said students face mold odors, water leaks, vermin infestations and falling ceilings.
“My daughter should not know what a rat looks like,” Hodge said.
Hodge questioned why the county continues investing in recreational facilities while school buildings deteriorate.
Students defend immersion and specialty programs
Students and parents repeatedly defended language immersion and specialty programs, which several speakers said are facing possible cuts.
Eighth grader Piper Kerr told council members that immersion programs improve academic achievement and strengthen the school system overall. Kerr criticized political “finger pointing” surrounding education funding and urged leaders to protect educational opportunities for students.
“Talent is universal, but opportunity is not,” Kerr said.
Pei-Hsuan Liu, academic dean at Penn Branch Chinese Immersion Elementary School, highlighted recent statewide science competition victories earned by students from the county’s Chinese immersion programs. Liu said the county’s tuition-free immersion programs provide opportunities students would not otherwise receive.
Parents and advocates argued immersion, International Baccalaureate and other specialty programs are among the county’s strongest academic offerings and should not be dismantled to solve budget problems.
Calls for tax increases and funding reform
Some speakers argued the county must consider raising taxes to properly fund schools.
Timothy Meyer said Prince George’s County relies more heavily on state education funding than neighboring counties and suggested increasing the local income tax rate by 0.1 percent could generate nearly $30 million annually for schools.
“No tax cut is ever worth an education funding cut,” Meyer said.
Melissa Schweiskuth also raised concerns about tax differentials affecting Hyattsville residents while advocating for safer streets, bike infrastructure and transit investments.
Liberty’s Promise students advocate for nonprofit funding
Several students and leaders from Liberty’s Promise testified in support of restoring the organization’s non-departmental grant funding. Executive Director Robert Ponictera explained that the organization helps immigrant students through after-school civic engagement, internships, and mentorship programs at four high schools and one middle school.
Ponictera also announced plans for a new trades program that introduces students to skilled-labor careers. Students who took part in the program shared how Liberty’s Promise enhanced their public speaking, leadership, college prep, career awareness, and self-confidence. Many credited the program with helping them overcome fear and build confidence in public speaking.
Council Chair Oriadha reminded everyone that non-departmental grants must be reapplied for each year due to high demand, as the county receives over $30 million in requests but allocates only about $4 to $5 million annually.
Animal welfare advocates seek more resources
Animal rescue advocates also urged greater investment in Prince George’s County Animal Services.
Leah Shuler, co-founder of Love Paws Rescue, requested expanded spay-and-neuter programs, improved shelter conditions, and safer dog play areas. She described dangerous conditions caused by rocks in dog exercise areas and said overcrowding continues to strain the shelter system.
Jennifer Wells, the executive director of Beyond a Buddy, reported that the county shelter admitted nearly 1,000 more animals in 2025 than the previous year, raising concerns about the ongoing rise in intake. Wells advocates for increasing staff, expanding affordable vaccination clinics, implementing microchipping programs, improving access to spay-and-neuter services, and supporting trap-neuter-return initiatives.
She emphasized that euthanizing healthy animals to make space is not a sustainable solution. Meanwhile, environmental groups acknowledged some positive aspects of the county’s environmental expenditure but urged officials to broaden efforts in climate action and infrastructure development.
Sierra Club representative Jossie Gomez commended continued funding for the county’s rain rebate, solar grant and community resilience programs. Gomez also urged the county to invest more heavily in native vegetation, complete-streets projects, and green-infrastructure improvements.
Representatives from Ecolatinos requested funding for workforce development and environmental education initiatives focused on Latino landscapers and young people interested in green careers.
Organization leaders described training residents in sustainable landscaping, stormwater management and green infrastructure installation while also operating youth environmental camps for high school students.
Foster care advocates seek additional support
CASA Prince George’s County leaders requested increased support for court-appointed special advocates serving children in foster care.
Executive Director Yolanda Johnson said the organization currently serves about 146 foster youth but still has roughly 40 children on a waiting list. Johnson said many children entering foster care face overwhelming uncertainty and rely on advocates for stability and support.
CASA volunteer Tessa Lewis described volunteers as often becoming the only consistent adult in a foster child’s life during the court process.
Emotional testimony highlights disability service concerns
One of the evening’s most emotional moments came from a mother advocating against cuts to funding for developmental disability services.
Using photographs documenting her daughter Tiara’s recovery after a devastating car accident left her in a coma for three months, the speaker described the critical role DSP workers played in her daughter’s therapy, daily care and rehabilitation. She urged council members not to treat developmental disability services as “just a line item.”
Local journalism organization requests expanded support
Streetcar Suburbs publisher Kit Slack asked the county to double its non-departmental grant funding to $60,000 to help expand local journalism coverage throughout unincorporated communities and immigrant neighborhoods.
Slack described the nonprofit publication’s multilingual reporting efforts and community-centered journalism model, which currently distributes newspapers to approximately 100,000 county residents each month.
Throughout the nearly five-hour hearing, residents repeatedly urged council members to prioritize education, infrastructure, vulnerable populations and long-term community investment as they finalize the FY2027 budget.
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