St. Mary's County board approves $307.4 million FY2027 budget package, forwards request to county
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Summary
The St. Mary's County Board of Education approved a $307.4 million FY2027 budget recommendation that includes $8.5 million in compensation increases and a request for $145.8 million in local funds; the package will be sent to county commissioners for review and a public hearing in April.
The St. Mary's County Board of Education on Feb. 3 approved the superintendent's FY2027 budget recommendation totaling $307,400,000 and voted to forward the package to the St. Mary's County commissioners for review.
The budget presenter told the board the package represents a $9.3 million, or 3.1%, increase over the current year and includes $8.5 million in compensation-related items: step increases totaling $4.7 million, a 2% cost-of-living adjustment of $3.5 million, and $300,000 for national board certification. The presenter said projected state aid aligns with Maryland State Department of Education estimates and that unrestricted recurring funds total about $300.9 million.
Why it matters: the package asks the county for $145,800,000 in local funds — an $8.4 million increase — and identifies $9.2 million in building infrastructure and programmatic needs outside the operating or CIP budgets. In explaining the district's financial position, Superintendent Dr. Smith said Saint Mary's County Public Schools is ‘‘the second lowest funded school system in the state’’ on a per-pupil basis and urged the board and county to prioritize resources for student services.
Board members acknowledged the difficulty of the decisions embedded in the budget. One member said there is “no joy” in cutting positions and flagged reductions that affect paraeducators and grant-funded social-worker positions. Another board member thanked staff for the work that produced the recommendation and emphasized the board's obligation to put students first.
The budget presenter outlined next steps: the board's package will be transmitted to the county commissioners; the county's CIP work session and operating budget review are scheduled in the coming weeks, and county public hearings are planned (the presenter cited an April 21 county public hearing date). The board approved the motion to adopt and forward the FY2027 budget by voice vote.
The board did not record a roll-call tally in the meeting transcript; the motion carried on voice vote and the budget will proceed to county review.