ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) — Public schools in Maryland’s Montgomery County are bracing for a major blow to funding in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

News outlets reported Tuesday that the school district is mulling deep budget cuts for fiscal year 2022.

Montgomery County school officials said at a virtual meeting on Monday that they anticipated a loss of about $101 million for that fiscal year 2022. The decrease would account for 3.6% of the district’s nearly $3 billion budget.

“We have significant shortfalls that we’re going to have to deal with in the upcoming three months when putting the budget together,” Assistant Superintendent of Finance Dan Marella told the school board.

The $101 million loss in revenue includes a $38.4 million cut in state aid and about $36 million that will be lost from a drop in enrollment.

Public hearings on the proposed budget are scheduled for January. The school board will then send the budget to the county council in February.

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