Cecil County Public Schools presents FY26 budget with class‑size pressures and state funding uncertainty

Dr. Lawson, superintendent of Cecil County Public Schools, opened the Jan. 2 budget work session by placing the FY26 numbers in context: "For me, this is my 7th budget as superintendent and 15th as a leadership team member." He and business staff outlined a requested operating budget that includes large increases in salaries and fixed charges and depends in part on one‑time fund balance use.

The board was told the system’s official enrollment count on Sept. 30 was 14,853 students and that per‑pupil spending in Cecil County remains far below the state average. Dr. Lawson said the district is about "$26,100 below the state average" on a per‑pupil basis, and that gap represents "upwards of $35, $36,000,000" in aggregate for the district’s students.

Why this matters: the presentation tied rising needs — more students with disabilities, more students eligible for free and reduced meals, and a sharp rise in multilingual learners — to greater staffing and program costs. School leaders warned those needs, together with larger average class sizes, are increasing instructional risk for struggling students.

Key budget details and context

- Staffing and positions: Dr. Hamer, representing Education Services staff, reported the district currently supports roughly 14,966 students and summarized the district’s…