Board of Ed Budget
Additional Request for Local Funding
On February 5, the St. Mary’s County Board of Education (BOE) unanimously approved the Superintendent’s recommended budget for fiscal year 2026. The budget now moves to the County Commissioners, who will determine how much local funding to allocate. Their review is scheduled for the February 25 commissioners' meeting.
The proposed budget prioritizes funding for:
Negotiated agreements for educators, support staff, and administrators
Health insurance and pension costs
Transportation expenses, including wage increases for contracted bus drivers and attendants, retention stipends for drivers, and higher contract costs for operations and maintenance
Budget Breakdown
As required by the Maryland State Department of Education, the budget is categorized as follows:
Administration: ↑ $219K (4.7%)
Mid-Level Administration: ↑ $721K (3.5%)
Instructional Salaries & Wages: ↑ $3.1M (3.1%)
Net reduction of 10 positions (5 reclassified to Special Education, 1 to Health Services)
Textbooks & Instructional Supplies: ↓ $1.97M (40%)
Decrease due to $2M in one-time funding used last year for English textbooks
Other Instructional Costs: ↑ $203K (7.7%)
Includes 3.2% pay increase for contracted athletic trainers
Special Education: ↑ $1.2M (4.8%)
Student Personnel Services: ↓ $39K (2.1%)
Student Health Services: ↑ $259K (7.9%)
Student Transportation: ↑ $126K (0.5%)
Operation of Plant: ↑ $400K (1.8%)
Maintenance of Plant: ↓ $931K (13.2%)
Fixed Charges: ↑ $1.6M (2.3%)
Covers increases in Social Security, pension, health insurance, and workers’ compensation
from the BOE presentation
State funding is based on a three-year rolling average of student enrollment, which has decreased to 16,640.75 students—down 114.67 students from the previous cycle. Additionally, applications for the Free and Reduced Meals (FARM) program have declined. Since the State uses FARM rates to assess poverty levels and prioritize funding, a lower number of applicants may impact funding allocations.
State funding also depends on county wealth, which is calculated based largely on property values and income tax revenue. If the State formula determines that the county has the capacity to fund more education expenses locally, State funding decreases accordingly.
Overall Budget & Local Funding Request
The total BOE budget for FY26 is $293.4M, reflecting a $4.93M increase (1.7%) over FY25.
Requested local funding: $139.74M ($5.37M increase, or 4%)
Minimum required local funding: $134.36M (same as last year)
Deputy Superintendent Tammy McCourt noted that the requested 4% increase aligns with county projections for department budget growth.
Governor Wes Moore’s proposed state budget could significantly impact local education funding. The Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act would amend the Blueprint for Education by cutting and delaying funding for two key formulas:
McCourt explains possible losses to Compensatory funding
Foundation Funding: ↓ $2.66M in FY26 → $78.85M cumulative reduction by 2033
Compensatory Education: ↓ $878K in FY26 → $23M cumulative reduction by 2033
If enacted, these cuts would require substantial increases in local funding or major school system budget reductions.
McCourt explains possible losses to Foundation funding
Additionally, the Governor has proposed shifting a larger share of retirement pension costs from the State to local governments, which would add $1.589M in costs for St. Mary’s County.
If both proposals take effect, the BOE’s local funding request would jump from $5.37M to $9.1M in FY26. The BOE will present this information to the commissioners, and if necessary, will request additional funding through a budget amendment.
from the BOE presentation
BOE member Josh Guy (R-At Large) acknowledged the uncertain financial outlook, calling the budget “a reasonable request from the county commissioners.”
After the unanimous vote, Dorothy Andrews (R-District 1) emphasized the BOE’s careful budgeting process, stating, “For our county, we make every dollar count. There’s no nefarious things going on, it’s very deliberate.”
