Board of Education cites student progress, seeks county and state support for staff pay, community schools and capital work

Dr. Mark Bedell, superintendent of Anne Arundel County Public Schools, joined board and district leaders to summarize academic progress and present the school system's FY26 operating and capital priorities to the County Council on May 12, 2025.

Bedell said district performance measures are improving and credited recent investments in early assessment (PSATs), community schools and compensation for staff. "You have a school district that is on the brink of becoming one of the finest school districts in The United States," he told the council, pointing to improved SAT and AP participation rates and steady gains in academic measures.

Budget highlights and county-executive recommendation: - Revenue and county support: The county executive proposed a $52,000,000 increase for the school system (a 5.5% local increase). The board reported an anticipated $45,600,000 increase in state revenue following General Assembly action that restored cuts in the governor's original budget. The district's total recommended increase was roughly $92.9 million across county, state and local revenue lines. - Compensation and personnel: The largest share of the budget went to compensation: the county-executive proposal includes funding for step increases for eligible employees and a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for all staff. The presentation also noted state-mandated and negotiated career-ladder and certification impacts, including funding to support national-board certified teachers and career-ladder transitions. - Blueprint and community-school mandates: The district said the upcoming year will add 14 community schools (bringing the total to 47) and further fund AP, PSAT/SAT testing and dual-enrollment costs that the Blueprint for Maryland's Future requires. The district also described a tapering down of a previously ramped-up early literacy/tutoring fund that will decline per statute. - ESSER/cliff items and operations: The presentation included a request to replace certain ESSER-funded items (i-Ready intervention software and learning-management costs) and to cover increased utilities and nonpublic special-education tuition.

Capital and facilities: - The board sought $204.7 million across multiple CIP priorities; the county executive proposed $194.8 million. Board leadership highlighted building-systems renovations, Old Mill master-plan work, and continued construction of Career and Technical (Cat) facilities, and said many projects attract state matching funds. - Adjustments and amendments: The county executive's recommendation reduced certain additions and relocatable-classroom funding consistent with recent redistricting results while maintaining funding for building-systems and school safety improvements.

Why it matters: The schools are the district's largest county operating partner and the proposed increases affect hiring, classroom supports, community school expansion and a multi-year capital program that includes new and renovated campuses.

Council questions and follow-ups: Council members pressed for detail on staffing allocations, the number of new pre-K classrooms the district will open (four in the county-executive plan), special-education position requests and the timing of Old Mill and Cat North projects. District staff pledged to provide detailed breakdowns of funded positions and capital timelines.

Ending: Bedell said the district will provide deeper data briefings to the council if requested and reiterated that the investments in compensation, early testing and community schools are delivering measurable returns in test participation and attendance.