Charles County Public Schools reallocates $4.2 million to cover rising special‑education contractor costs; superintendent warns of FY27 pressures
Summary
CCPS asked the board to approve a $4.2 million intercategory transfer to cover increasing contracted special‑education services. Superintendent Maria Navarro described the moves as temporary while the district monitors enrollment, MOE impacts and possible federal funding cuts that could affect the FY27 budget.
The Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) administration sought and the Board approved a $4.2 million intercategory budget transfer at the Jan. 13 meeting to cover higher-than-anticipated costs for contracted special-education services.
Finance leaders told the board the transfer responds to rising rates for providers — including speech-language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists, and private‑duty nursing — and was requested "in accordance with Education Article 5‑105." The transfer would increase the special‑education contracted services line by roughly $4.1 million, and draw from several source categories listed by staff as temporary reallocations pending the FY27 budget process.
Specific source reductions cited in the presentation included: $271,580 from administration (contracted services and HR recruitment), $543,929 from mid‑level administration (contracted professional development and materials), $473,000 from instructional salaries and wages (reduction of summer and extended‑learning hourly wages), $291,989 from instructional supplies and materials, $743,451 from other instructional costs, $13,496 from student personnel services, $86,000 net increase to student transportation (offsetting an extended‑day transportation reduction), $1,000,000 from operation of plant, and $796,900 from capital outlay reductions.
Superintendent Maria Navarro stressed these changes are temporary reallocations and that the district is continuing to monitor enrollment trends and state and county funding. Staff highlighted a projected $2.7 million shortfall in the county MOE (maintenance of effort) tied to lower September 30 enrollment, and noted anticipated federal Title funding reductions (Title I–IV) that could total approximately $2.2 million for next year. Navarro and finance staff said the FY27 operating budget will be presented at the Jan. 26 work session and returned for board action in February with updated state and county revenue figures.
Board members asked whether teacher salaries were being cut (superintendent: no), whether the instructional reductions targeted core instruction (staff: reductions are largely professional learning and materials already purchased or scaled back based on enrollment), and requested further data‑driven trend analysis to right‑size FY27 allocations. The board approved the intercategory transfer during the meeting.
Next steps include the work session on Jan. 26 (presentation of the superintendent's recommended FY27 operating budget) and subsequent action at the February board meeting when county and state revenue details are firmer.
"These reallocations are temporary and do not represent a permanent strategy," staff noted in the presentation, while emphasizing that maintaining contracted special‑education services is a nonnegotiable obligation.
