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Board of Education requests $55.8 million; county to cover teacher retirement supplement and Fruitland Primary cash‑flow
Summary
Wicomico County Public Schools asked the council for $55.8 million — maintenance of effort plus CPI and a 2% investment — and county staff said the county will handle a teacher retirement supplement payment to the state and that state funding will largely cover Fruitland Primary construction cash flow in FY2026.
Wicomico County Public Schools officials presented their FY2026 funding request to the county council on May 1, asking for full maintenance of effort plus an estimated CPI adjustment and an additional 2% investment totaling about $55.8 million.
Superintendent Micah Stauffer and Chief Finance and Operations Officer Ryan Reager said the request combines the state‑mandated maintenance of effort (MOE), a CPI‑level increase to cover rising operating costs and a 2% investment intended to address class size, elementary interventions and program expansion. “One thing we hear a lot about is class sizes, particularly in our elementary schools,” Reager said, noting demographic shifts, enrollment growth and increased multilingual learner and special‑education needs.
Pam Olin, the county finance director, told council the budget includes a teacher retirement supplement payment of roughly $1.7 million that will go to the state (not directly to the school system) to meet a state requirement tied to teacher retirement. Olin said that payment is not part of the Board of Education’s MOE going forward.
On capital needs, county and school officials said recent discussions with the state raised the expected state share for Fruitland Primary so that, based on a cash‑flow model, the county will likely not need to provide cash in FY2026 to keep the project on schedule; Olin said the budget reflects about $12 million in state funding for that project. Officials cautioned, however, that forward funding may be needed as early as July of next year if cash‑flow timing requires it.
The school system said the 2% investment would support seven elementary teachers to reduce class sizes, new work on school safety technologies including AI weapons‑detection at entrances, expanded Career and Technology Education (CTE) offerings (including CNA instruction and evening ‘‘Twilight’’ CTE), and additional early‑grade behavior‑support programs.
Superintendent Stauffer said the system has boosted SRO staffing to 12 officers and added campus security managers at high schools. School officials also noted a shortfall between special‑education costs and federal/state funding for special services: they said combined federal and state special‑education funding runs roughly $11–12 million while actual spending exceeds $20 million.
Council members asked for clarification on the MOE breakdown and on Fruitland Primary funding; county staff said they will present adjusted capital pages if the council wants the CIP to mirror the proposed FY2026 capital appropriations. No formal vote occurred; the school’s request will be included in county budget deliberations.
