Maryland legislature passes bills that change oversight, calendars and funding tied to county schools

Grace Wilson, senior legislative and policy specialist for Anne Arundel County Public Schools, told the board the Maryland General Assembly passed 76 bills this session that affect public education and highlighted four measures of particular consequence to the county.

Wilson said the session concluded April 7 and that the governor has until May 27 to act on passed legislation.

Wilson told the board the most significant items for Anne Arundel County include House Bill 161, which creates a formal corrective process when local curriculum guides and courses of study do not align with state standards; House Bill 226, which allows local boards to adopt a school calendar shorter than 180 days if the minimum hours required by state law are met; House Bill 402 and Senate Bill 307, which raise the student-board-member scholarship from $8,000 to $15,000; and House Bill 504, the Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act, which adjusts aspects of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future and establishes or changes multiple programs and studies.

Wilson described HB161 as establishing a new statutory process for alignment: "If the state superintendent determines that local boards [sic] curriculum or courses of study do not align with those state standards, they're required to provide written notice to the local Board of Education. The local board is then required to meet with the state superintendent and develop a corrective action plan." She said the statute provides for withholding state funding if problems are not corrected.

On school calendars, Wilson said HB226 permits the board to adopt a calendar with fewer than 180 days provided the system meets minimum instructional hours and offers hourly employees an opportunity to make up missed work. She noted the measure includes a two-year sunset provision and thanked local legislators for sponsorship.

Wilson summarized HB504 as the vehicle for several blueprint changes: it authorizes counties to raise property taxes to cover the local share of education costs (including teacher retirement contributions), delays some per-pupil funding increases for fiscal years beginning in 2026, revises community-school expenditure thresholds, expands the definition of wraparound services to include in-school tutoring, and creates teacher-recruitment efforts (a National Teacher Recruitment Campaign and a Teacher Relocation Incentive Grant). She said the Academic Excellence Program created by the bill is established in statute but was not funded this session, and that the bill also establishes a study of special education funding.

Board members asked for clarifications about classroom planning and local input. In response to whether HB161 will affect teachers’ planning time, Wilson said: "As the bill is written, no. Because this bill codifies existing practice, which is that the state develops standards, and then the local board of education develops those courses of study and the curriculum guides that go with those within that content standard." On local participation, she added that state standard-setting typically includes practitioner work groups with local-district representation.

Wilson closed by noting state leaders have signaled a possible special session this fall and by answering questions from board members about next steps.

Ending: The board received the summary for information and members thanked Wilson and legislative staff for tracking bills and coordinating with the county delegation. The outcome of the legislation depends on the governor’s action through May 27.