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PGCPS officials warn $37.3 million budget gap; state "blueprint" delay will add $22 million in 2026
Summary
Prince George's County Public Schools administrators told the Board of Education on Feb. 6 that a $37.3 million operating shortfall remains to be closed and that a state delay to a portion of the Blueprint funding will hit the district for about $22 million in FY 2026 and roughly $1 billion over eight years unless lawmakers act.
Prince George's County Public Schools officials told the Board of Education on Feb. 6 that the district still faces a roughly $37.3 million operating shortfall for the FY 2026 budget and that a recently proposed delay to a portion of the state's Blueprint funding will materially increase that pressure.
Why it matters: the district's foundational funding covers core operations — teacher pay, building maintenance, behavioral supports and other schoolhouse needs — and officials said the Blueprint delay will reduce that funding stream for collaborative planning beginning in 2026. Chief Financial Officer Lisa Howe and Superintendent House described ongoing efforts to close the gap while minimizing impacts on classrooms.
At the Board's budget work session and public hearing, Howe said the proposed FY 2026 operating book includes measures to align spending across divisions but cautioned that the statewide change to Blueprint funding is not budget neutral. In her presentation she said the component of collaborative planning that was scheduled to start in 2026 was being paused, producing an estimated $22 million shortfall for the district in the 2026 fiscal year and a cumulative estimated reduction of about $1 billion over the next eight years.
Board members and the superintendent described a two-track response: (1) continuing internal budget realignments and reviews to identify savings and priorities, and (2) sustained legislative outreach in Annapolis to seek restoration or mitigation of the lost state funding. Superintendent House said the district and the board were working together with delegates and county officials to explain the district's needs and to press for funding.
Administrators emphasized they were trying to preserve classroom services and avoid layoffs or cuts that directly affect students. Lisa Howe noted that foundational funding is already strained and that the delayed Blueprint component disproportionately impacts the funds available to schools because roughly 75 percent of that foundation goes directly to the schoolhouse.
Howe and other staff said portions of the overall projected shortfall will be addressed by detailed reviews of division budgets, reassigning nonrecurring expenses, and by negotiating with partners and the county on certain mandated cost shifts. The county's budget office (OMB) has met with district leaders and, according to administrators, is largely aligned on the scope of changes being discussed.
Next steps: the administration will provide updated reconciliations to the board as budget work continues, and board members said they will continue legislative outreach. The board scheduled additional internal reviews and asked administration for a clearer item-by-item accounting of proposals to close the $37.3 million gap.
Ending: The board recessed the work session to reconvene for public comment; administrators said they will return with further detail as the FY 2026 approval timeline advances.
