BCPS superintendent presents $2.98 billion FY2026 operating budget request, asks county for $100.3 million increase

Superintendent Dr. Rogers formally presented Baltimore County Public Schools' proposed fiscal year 2026 operating budget on Jan. 14, asking the Board of Education to request $100.3 million from the county to fund a $2.98 billion operating plan.

The proposal requests $2.10 billion in general fund spending and lists $2.98 billion across all operating sources. Dr. Rogers told the board she recommends the budget after a multi‑month stakeholder process that included surveys, principal input and community conversations and said the district is following an "engage, empower, and excel" approach in aligning resources to student needs.

The nut of the request is that fiscal pressure and required investments collide: the recommendation includes $61.4 million for employee compensation (including contractual and substitute adjustments), $14.1 million for related employee benefits, and $23.2 million in targeted special education funding. The superintendent singled out projected utility increases — a $9.8 million rise in gas and electric — as a material new cost driver for FY2026. The budget also authorizes a modest expansion of full‑day prekindergarten (seven classes across four schools) and continued investments in curriculum, professional learning, multilingual learner services and safety systems.

Dr. Rogers said the budget process began in September and emphasized that the recommendation reflects 0‑based budgeting and line‑by‑line reviews across divisions. She told the board the operating ask represents county funding 10.4% above last year and 10.9% above the statutory maintenance‑of‑effort level, excluding one‑time expenditures. The superintendent said district staff identified approximately $26.3 million of internal savings for FY2026 (in addition to more than $100 million of savings identified last year) to offset some increases.

Key line items called out in the presentation include: - Compensation and benefits: $61.4 million for salary adjustments and $14.1 million for benefits, totaling $81.5 million for employee compensation and related costs. - Special education: $23.2 million to add regional teachers, 26 paraeducators, assistive technology ($350,000), extended school‑year unmet need ($110,000), and higher related services and nonpublic placement costs (raising the budgeted related services by $4.2 million). - Utilities and facilities: an estimated $9.8 million increase for gas and electric and continued funding for building maintenance and contract buses. - Safety and climate: moving the OmniAlert weapons detection system to operating funding and adding three athletic trainer positions. - Infrastructure and cybersecurity: one‑time funds for enterprise resource planning work, network upgrades at aging elementary sites and network security software. - Prekindergarten: funding for seven new full‑day pre‑K classes at Owens Mill, Padonia, Lyon Mill and Rossville elementary schools, including 12.8 FTEs and $830,000 in one‑time startup costs.

Dr. Rogers told the board that the FY2026 recommendation is a “no‑frills” budget aimed at preserving classroom staffing formulas and honoring the district’s multi‑year compensation agreement. She said retaining and recruiting educators was the top stakeholder priority captured in earlier surveys and meetings. The superintendent also highlighted recent student progress measures — reductions in chronic absenteeism, MAP reading and math gains, and improved Maryland Report Card star ratings — as the rationale for continued investment.

Chairwoman Jane Lichter reminded the public that a virtual public hearing on the proposed FY2026 operating budget is scheduled for Jan. 21 at 6:30 p.m. and asked the community to submit written questions by Jan. 22 for the board’s Jan. 28 work session. "We will hold a public hearing on the proposed budget on January 21st," Lichter said during the meeting.

The board did not take a vote on the operating request at the Jan. 14 meeting; the superintendent asked members to submit questions in writing ahead of the Jan. 28 work session for further discussion.

Ending: The superintendent’s presentation set the calendar and numbers for the coming county budget process: the board is expected to approve a final school system request for transmission to the county executive on Feb. 25, with county and council review through May and final funding decisions by the county in late spring.