MCPS to cut safety, security chief position

June 22, 2026 11:59 a.m.

MCPS Chief Safety Officer Marcus Jones holds an information session about VOLT AI at Seneca Valley High School in February. Photo credit: Ashlyn Campbell

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is set to cut the Chief of Security and Compliance position, currently occupied by former Montgomery County police Chief Marcus Jones, after a $36 million budget gap resulted in hundreds of position cuts.

MCPS spokesperson Liliana Lopez confirmed the reduction of the position on Monday and said it was due to one chief position being cut in the fiscal year 2026-2027 budget following budget gaps. Lopez said the position was eliminated but did not know Jones’ plans for after the cut. Jones didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment Monday morning, but said in an autoreply Monday that he was on leave.

Jones was appointed as the head of security and compliance in June 2024 following his retirement from the county police department after 38 years. His appointment received a mixed response, some praising the choice while others raised concerns.

The decision was due to one chief position being cut after the school board voted to adopt a $3.72 billion operating budget for fiscal year 2027.

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The board voted 7-1 to approve the budget, bringing an end to emotionally-fraught deliberations following the County Council’s May adoption of a $7.9 billion county operating budget – including the $3.72 billion for MCPS that represented a $143 million year-over-year spending increase for the district. That MCPS budget represented a $36 million shortfall between the district’s expenses and its approved funding.

According to school board documents, the district is cutting 27 central office jobs, where Jones works, among hundreds of others.

Jones told Bethesda Today in August 2024 that his new role was different from his previous role as police chief—he no longer is the leader of an entire organization and security has a different focus than policing.

“I like to say that I’m rebranding myself,” Jones told Bethesda Today . “The focus … it is about the children, the students, the staff and the overall community.” Jones said the biggest issue concerning safety and security in the school system is that people don’t feel safe. And some community issues, such as students fighting outside of schools, can blend into the school day impacting safety.

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine