Prince George's Shifts Control Of School Budgets

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (AP) -- The Prince George's County school system is giving principals more control over their school budgets to meet their students' needs.

The Washington Post reports the school system has adopted a student-based budgeting model that shifts financial decisions from the central office to the principal's desk.

Rather than provide every school with the same funding based on the number of students and staff, the school system uses a formula that also considers family income and needs. Schools with more students from poor families receive more funding to meet their needs.

Principals then control about half their school budgets.

Prince George's is among a dozen school districts that have made such changes, along with Baltimore, Boston and New York City. It's the only Washington-area school system using the student-based approach.

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