State Board adopts five‑level sliding scale for public pre‑K; caps family share below 7% for 2025‑26

The Maryland State Board of Education on Thursday approved a five‑level sliding scale to calculate family, local and state shares for publicly funded full‑day pre‑kindergarten under the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.

The board’s motion directs the department to implement a truncated version of the scale for the 2025‑26 school year that covers families earning between 301% and 360% of the federal poverty level, and to expand the full scale — with a family share capped at 7% of gross annual income per child — when funding reaches the level scheduled in fiscal 2027.

The scale adopted Thursday replaces a model that required individualized family calculations. Presenters said the new approach simplifies administration for school systems and private providers while keeping pre‑K affordable for families. “The family share contributions will range from about 1.3% to 1.5% of a family’s gross annual income” in the 2025‑26 implementation window for eligible families, MSDE staff said during the presentation.

The department demonstrated an online pre‑K calculator the board will publish in English and Spanish; the tool asks for household size, income, the child’s age and whether the child is multilingual, has a disability or experiences homelessness. A hypothetical family of four with $106,000 in household income was shown as eligible for the sliding‑scale subsidy and given the family, local and state shares and an estimated monthly/weekly copay depending on the payment schedule.

Board members and staff emphasized the change was driven in part by the state’s accelerated phase‑in of the per‑pupil pre‑K rate. The governor’s budget accelerates the pre‑K per‑pupil payment to approximately $19,950 by fiscal 2027, MSDE said; that higher per‑pupil amount makes full participation by private providers more feasible, department officials said.

Board member Dr. Goldson moved the measure; Mr. Paul seconded. The motion was adopted by the board and the policy will be implemented as described.

Why it matters: The sliding scale determines whether families pay nothing, a reduced amount, or full private price for public pre‑K slots — a central design element of Maryland’s mixed‑delivery pre‑K expansion. By simplifying the methodology and providing a public calculator, the department aims to reduce administrative barriers for community providers while maintaining affordability for families in the coming year.

What’s next: MSDE said it will hold provider office hours and test the calculator in February and will publish guidance and enrollment timelines ahead of the March enrollment window. The department will also update the calculator annually to reflect changes in the federal poverty level and any per‑pupil funding adjustments.

Provenance: MSDE presentation and pre‑K demonstration (transcript blocks beginning at 21710.299 and concluding at 22661.13).