Talbot County schools present FY26 budget update as proposed state bills could cut foundation funding

Miss Jones, presenting for Talbot County Public Schools, described the district's proposed fiscal year 2026 operating budget at a public hearing and a later work session, saying the draft would be presented to the county council after the board's vote this week. She said the district is proposing an $85.8 million unrestricted budget (presented in January) that, with recent state revenue updates, would be reported as roughly $86.0 million and represents a net overall increase of about $3.4 million from FY25 (roughly a 3.6–3.9% year‑over‑year increase).

Jones said the budget increase reflects a combination of factors: a large decrease in grant funding the district had relied on (-$5.3 million), projected cost increases for staff compensation and benefits, 33 proposed new positions tied to the district's strategic goals, rising technology and device costs (more than $1 million), increased bus lease payments (+$241,000) and a $213,000 placeholder for a new school security program. "It's really, for us to be here to hear from the public, and get any input or comments or respond to," Jones said during the public hearing, describing the night as primarily a listening session.

The board and staff also reviewed updated state aid calculations from the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). Jones said the MSDE update increased Talbot County's net state aid by about $562,000 compared with the projections presented in January. That increase included roughly $228,000 tied to prekindergarten student counts that were included in the official MSDE…