Queen Anne's County school board reviews budget options and plans to ask commissioners for full funding amid underfunded Blueprint requirements

The Queen Anne's County Board of Education on Feb. 19 reviewed several draft budget scenarios and signaled its intent to ask county commissioners for full funding to avoid renewed staff furloughs and other cuts while preparing contingency plans if the state or county support falls short.

Superintendent Dr. Kibler presented four budget options: a flat allocation (no additional county or state funds), a model built around a $5,000,000 placeholder from the commissioners, and an expanded “full ask” that would cover the district's stated needs and remove the temporary furloughs imposed last year. Kibler told the board the district previously projected a $7,500,000 ask to the commissioners and described the full package as the administration's recommendation for what the system needs to “keep whole and moving into next year.”

Why it matters: the session centered on how to respond to the so-called Blueprint requirements enacted at the state level and on whether local and state funding will cover rising personnel and insurance costs. The board heard repeated warnings that a shortfall would force difficult personnel decisions and service reductions.

The superintendent said staffing accounts for roughly 85% of the district's budget; the remaining 15% covers largely fixed operating costs such as transportation, utilities and communications. Dr. Kibler told the board that addressing last year's temporary furloughs would require additional funding and at…