Washington County staff warn FY26 could require larger county contribution under Maryland 'blueprint' funding

Washington County Public Schools staff told the Board of Education at a budget work session that enrollment gains and county wealth trends could push the district into the blueprint local-share calculation for fiscal 2026, potentially increasing the county's required contribution.

The presentation, led by district finance staff, laid out how Maryland's Blueprint for Maryland's Future funding is calculated, projected revenues for FY26, and the budget priorities staff recommend the board use as the basis for the superintendent's draft budget. Staff estimated additional state aid of roughly $12 million to $14 million under the blueprint and a county contribution increase in the range of $3.5 million to $5.0 million, producing a combined new-aid range of about $15.5 million to $19.0 million depending on how wealth equalization is applied.

Why it matters: Maryland's blueprint phases in over time and splits most per-pupil funding between state and local partners; where a county falls on the state's wealth-equalization scale determines whether the county's required local share is computed under the older maintenance-of-effort (MOE) method or the blueprint local-share. Staff told the board that county property-value and income growth in Washington County has recently outpaced statewide growth, which would reduce state support and increase the county's local obligation if trends continue.

Key details from the presentation

- Enrollment counts: staff reported an actual September…