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Wicomico schools say House Bill 504 preserves core of Maryland Blueprint but delays some timelines
Summary
Dr. Briggs told the Wicomico County Board of Education that House Bill 504, passed in the 2025 Maryland General Assembly, preserved key Blueprint funding while postponing some implementation timelines and adding transparency and accountability requirements.
Dr. Briggs provided the board with a legislative update on the state’s Blueprint for Maryland’s Future during the April meeting, summarizing outcomes from the 2025 General Assembly session and the passage of House Bill 504.
Dr. Briggs said the legislation "represents a compromise between the state's current fiscal challenges and its long term commitment to educational equity," and that the bill preserves funding for community schools and the concentration of poverty grants. She said lawmakers restored proposed funding increases to protect wraparound services and dedicated staffing at schools serving high percentages of students eligible for free and reduced-price meals.
Dr. Briggs said implementation of collaborative planning time has been delayed by three years and is now scheduled for fiscal year 2029, "however, school systems will still receive the associated funding beginning in FY26," which the district described as a response to statewide staffing challenges. She said the bill preserves per-pupil protections for students with disabilities, English learners and students living in poverty.
On mental-health supports, Dr. Briggs reported final funding for the consortium of coordinated community supports was approved at $70,000,000 for FY26 and $100,000,000 annually beginning in FY27; she emphasized that the funding is statewide. She told the board the bill strengthens accountability and transparency requirements and that any central-office funds retained must be directed to school-level blueprint implementation, a practice the district said it already follows. The district said it will continue to post updates and maintain a transparency portal with reports, audits and plans.
Why it matters: The state legislation alters implementation timing for some Blueprint components while preserving core funding priorities; local systems must plan around delayed mandates but may receive early funding to support phased implementation.
Board context and next steps - District staff said the delayed timelines aim to address staffing shortages statewide; the district will continue planning and budgeting with the new schedule.
- Dr. Briggs noted the legislation "adjusts the tempo, not the trajectory" of the Blueprint and that the district would provide further updates to the board and community as state guidance and implementation details become available.
Sourcing: The board’s briefing referenced House Bill 504 as the vehicle preserving and adjusting Blueprint implementation; the details above reflect the presentation as recorded on the meeting transcript.
