Students, teachers and PTA press Board on FY26 budget priorities, CEO search and staffing problems

During the public comment period on April 22, student leaders, union representatives and a PTA delegate urged the Board to clarify budget priorities, expand mental‑health investments, increase transparency in the CEO search, and address operational problems in human capital functions.

Benjamin Grimaldi, an eighth grader and ad‑hoc member of the Associated Student Congress for Baltimore City (ASCBC), reported on student leadership work and election timelines: applications were completed and campaigning begins May 5, with student voting scheduled from May 19–22. Grimaldi said ASCBC reviewed the district budget and noted that 20% of the school‑support budget is allocated to transportation and that a significant amount is designated for math and reading resources. He said student delegates ranked mental‑health access as their top priority and listed school safety as their second; he also noted that 4% of the school‑support budget is allocated to school police. "We believe that school police are one part of a comprehensive school safety plan," Grimaldi said, and he urged the district to explain how investments in mental health, restorative practices and other measures combine to create safe, supportive schools.

Jocelyn Providence, speaking for the Baltimore Teachers Union and identifying herself as a Baltimore City Public Schools teacher, urged the Board to be a partner in advocating for full implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. Providence argued that verbal commitments from the state are insufficient if the implementation timeline is rolled back and asked the Board to support statewide tax reforms to fund the Blueprint, including closing corporate tax loopholes and taxing millionaires. Providence also criticized the district’s human capital and labor relations offices for failing to meet core functions — staffing, payroll, tuition reimbursement and licensure — and said funding cuts have reduced extracurriculars and one‑on‑one tutoring at schools. "Budgets reflect our morals," Providence said, calling for collective advocacy for fair funding.

A PTA speaker who identified herself as Ms. Demery thanked the district for the FY26 proposed operating budget information but asked for more clarity on how dollars will be used at the school level. She asked whether large line items (for example, more than $750,000 for high‑quality math materials) reflect expenditure on materials for students or professional learning for teachers, requested job descriptions for the 58 school‑based wholeness specialists in the budget, and asked how mentoring programs will operate and who will be mentored.

Board members acknowledged the comments and said the district will provide additional updates; no Board action was taken during public comment. ASCBC and other student leaders were invited back for further updates at later agenda items, including the student commissioner’s report.