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Commissioners approve $137.47 million appropriation for Board of Education FY2026 budget
Summary
St. Mary’s County commissioners voted to adopt the Board of Education fiscal 2026 budgets at the category and fund level, authorizing the president to sign required MSDE forms and distributing $137,469,907 in four equal installments over the fiscal year.
The Commissioners of St. Mary's County voted Tuesday to approve the St. Mary's County Board of Education (BOE) unrestricted, restricted, and capital budgets for fiscal year 2026 and to appropriate $137,469,907 to the BOE to be paid in four equal installments over the fiscal year.
The vote followed a presentation from school system representatives addressing enrollment trends and budget line-item changes. Dr. Jay Scott Smith and Tammy McCourt presented the BOE budget and answered commissioners' questions about administrative and instructional staffing levels and enrollment projections.
Commissioner questions centered on apparent changes in administrative and instructional salary line items and on whether projected enrollment declines would require additional staffing reductions. McCourt and Dr. Smith said the published budget summary condensed line items from a more detailed presentation, described reorganizations that changed position classifications (for example, several chief-level positions were downsized to director level), and noted an overall reduction of 17 full-time equivalents in the BOE budget compared with prior years. They said instructional-salary totals include classroom teachers and other instructional positions such as paraeducators, interns and specialists.
Dr. Smith told the board the county’s population is growing at under 1% per year and that kindergarten numbers were the largest uncertainty; he estimated a possible rebound of 150–200 elementary students “at the very best” by September, but said stability was the most likely scenario.
Commissioner Colvin moved to approve the BOE budgets at the category and fund level, including FTE positions, and to authorize the commissioner president to execute and submit Maryland State Department of Education forms B‑4 through B‑10 as submitted by the BOE. The motion passed on a voice vote with no recorded nays.
Commissioner Colvin then moved to appropriate $137,469,907 and distribute it to the BOE in four equal installments; that motion also passed.
The commissioners and BOE officials said the actions preserve the county’s negotiated agreements with school employees and allow the BOE to proceed with the FY2026 plan while state funding numbers remain unconfirmed.
Looking ahead, Dr. Smith and McCourt said final enrollment figures will be clearer after school-year-start reporting in September, and they asked commissioners to allow staff to adjust budget details if state aid figures change.
