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AIB grants Carroll County three-year extension to meet Blueprint spending rules; district to revise plan
Summary
The state Accountability and Implementation Board unanimously approved an extension through fiscal 2028 allowing Carroll County Public Schools more time to finalize a Blueprint compliance plan. County staff will work with consultants to revise spending codes, refine a “base school” model and present updated plans after summer review.
The state’s Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) voted unanimously to give Carroll County Public Schools through fiscal 2028 to reach full compliance with Maryland’s Blueprint fiscal rules, Superintendent McCabe told the Board of Education at its May 14 meeting.
The extra time follows months of public outreach and a formal waiver request from the county. "We were never requesting to not have to comply with the law," said Michael O'Neil, a county official who presented details of the AIB decision, adding that the AIB’s approval was a 6–0 vote of members present.
Why it matters: Blueprint requires local school systems to align spending to student need (for example, compensatory education and multilingual learner programs). Carroll County experienced an unusually large increase in students identified for compensatory education after the state adopted direct certification; county officials said compensatory enrollment rose 86.3% in Carroll County from 2023 to 2024, compared with a 33.6% statewide increase. That enrollment surge changed the district’s initial compliance calculations and was a central point in the waiver request.
County staff and AIB-appointed consultants from APA Consulting will now review district data and methodologies and help reshape the local compliance plan. O'Neil said the consultants have begun data validation and that the district expects initial findings by the end of the summer and a fuller report during the coming fiscal year. The district also plans to refine its approach to coding expenditures — how staff and program dollars are attributed to specific schools and programs — and to develop a clearer “base school” model that defines the essential staff and services every school should have regardless of student composition.
Dr. McCabe thanked community members, county commissioners, the local delegation and staff for their work supporting the waiver request and for extensive public engagement that included more than 1,300 emails submitted to the AIB during its public record period.
Discussion vs. decisions: Board discussion at the May 14 meeting focused on next steps and technical questions about coding expenditures and the timeline for consultant deliverables. No Board action was required; the AIB rendered the waiver decision. The district will revise its Blueprint compliance plan, present updated materials to the public and return to the Board with a revised plan informed by APA’s findings.
The waiver gives Carroll County additional time to reconcile spending practices with Blueprint’s requirements while consultants and district staff work to limit disruptive program cuts. O'Neil said the extra time provides "a much needed just opportunity to kinda take a deep breath" as the district refines its plan.
