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Delegation and commissioners discuss Blueprint waiver, funding formula and Carroll County's push for flexibility
Summary
County leaders and state legislators reviewed the county's approved Blueprint waiver, discussed concerns about the Blueprint funding formula and said Carroll County could play a role in seeking formula changes that preserve local flexibility while maintaining core goals for equity and student supports.
Carroll County commissioners, schoolboard members and legislative delegates spent a lengthy portion of the joint meeting reviewing the county's approved waiver from the state's Blueprint for Maryland's Future and discussing potential changes to the Blueprint funding formula.
Speakers said Carroll County received a waiver but that the state and legislature are likely to revisit Blueprint implementation details after the next election. Delegates and county officials identified several areas where the county believes formula changes or clearer statutory language would better reflect mid-sized counties' operational realities, including the calculation of base school funding and how certain items (for example athletics-related costs) are treated within compensatory and categorical funding streams.
County leaders described instances where they followed the law strictly and therefore did not include some categories other counties counted toward their budgets; delegates argued the statutory framework should be clarified so that counties that applied the law conservatively are not disadvantaged compared with jurisdictions that interpreted rules more expansively.
Officials also discussed workforce and credentialing issues that interact with Blueprint: examples included how certain nonclassroom roles (Career Connections, special education support positions and athletic directors) are treated for national-board certification and compensation, potentially affecting recruitment and retention.
Delegates and staff said they expect the AIB (Authority or advisory body named in the transcript) and the consulting group (referred to in the meeting as APA) to compile recommendations for legislative changes in 2027 and that Carroll County is well-placed to press for mid-sized-county adjustments. Participants urged continued coordination between county education staff, delegation members and consultants to prepare proposals and data.
Ending: Delegates and county staff agreed to maintain communication and to work through the AIB/consultant process to frame recommended statutory fixes; no new state action was taken at the meeting.
