Schools ask Frederick County to restore $1.2M of a $4.5M proposed cut as county staff outline capital and debt scenarios

School leaders asked the Frederick County Board of Supervisors on the 19th to reduce a county-proposed $4.5 million cut to the school operating transfer by $1.2 million, which the schools say would bring their total county-plus-state budget request back to the amount they originally sought for fiscal year 2026.

Dr. Hummer, representing the schools, told the board the request is separate from a state one-time bonus for school staff and relates to the FY26 needs-based budget. He said the schools expect an additional $3.2 million in state funding for FY26 and that the $1.2 million sought from the county would restore their request to their original $256 million total. "We are asking the county to reduce its reduction of $4,500,000 by the $1,200,000," Dr. Hummer said.

County staff presented a detailed budget model showing adjusted operating expenses, proposed transfers and several capital and fund-balance pro formas under different real property tax-rate assumptions. Mr. Bolhofer, county finance staff, said the administration modeled five scenarios ranging from the revenue-neutral rate to the current 51¢ rate and used a 48¢ target…