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, compensation for overnight field trips, and upgrades tied specifically to school counselors.

On pension liabilities, Stanski said the county government will cover a $9,100,000 teacher pension shift per the final budget action for FY26; that payment goes directly to county government rather than through the school system’s operating budget, he said.

Program-level changes included partial or no funding for several items the board requested: early-intervention teachers (18 requested, zero funded in this proposal), a cut to co-curricular expansion, and only a partial rollout of high-school laptop replacements (funding to convert two grades). The budget did include full funding for year two of middle-school athletics and a $333,000 pilot for weapons detection at two secondary schools. On English-language development, AACPS requested 22 positions and was awarded 12 (10 ELD teachers and two 12‑month bilingual facilitators); the district also secured funding to convert some bilingual facilitator positions from 10 to 12 months but did not receive two additional bilingual PPW positions it sought.

Special education requests were substantially trimmed: the board asked for 55 positions tied to special-education services and was allocated 28 positions in the proposed county package, at a total of $2,600,000.

Stanski summarized the net personnel effect: the county executive’s proposal funds 63 of 239 requested positions. "Considering the environment we're in, I would say overall a positive budget," he said, adding that the proposal will now advance through the county process.

Chief Operating Officer Bill Heiser and Kyle Roof, director of facilities, presented the county executive’s capital recommendation. The board’s capital request totaled $204,700,000; the county executive proposed $194,700,000, a reduction of about $10,000,000. Heiser described six modified items and one omission. Relocatable-classroom funding was reduced to $400,000; school-based replacement funding was set to $2,100,000 (with a $1,100,000 allotment for bus and van replacements); the proposed school bus facility and lot funding was reduced to $4,600,000 while staff continue to seek property; board program planning increased to $550,000 to support a Glen Burnie High School feasibility study; additions (new permanent capacity requests) were not funded as redistricting reduced short-term space pressure; a $29,500 increase paid for electric signs at Rundle schools; and athletic improvements received a $100,000 increase to support Chesapeake High School’s field house. Heiser said the Old Mill master plan finishout was fully funded in the county executive’s proposal.

Board members praised the overall funding level but cautioned that long-term needs remain. "We still have a lot of needs because before these last six years we were underfunded for decades," said board member Miss Schallheim, urging continued advocacy with the county council. The proposed budgets will now go to the county council for review and possible change.