Board hears county executive’s proposed FY2026 operating and capital budgets; officials highlight key funding wins and cuts

Anne Arundel County Public Schools’ financial leadership presented the county executive’s recommended fiscal year 2026 operating and capital budgets to the Board of Education on Wednesday, describing a mix of full funding for several board priorities, partial funding for others and cuts to some program requests.

Chief Financial Officer Matt Stanski told the board that full restoration of state funding produced a state-aid increase of $45,500,000 and that the county executive recommended roughly $52,000,000 in local support — about half of the $105,800,000 the board had requested but a record increase in county funding for the school system.

Stanski said the county executive fully funded a 3% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for employees but did not include a 1% midyear COLA. The proposal funded step increases and the district’s career-ladder and compensation-study items, but did not fund several other requests including a $1,000 retention incentive, higher pay for substitute teachers,…