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Carroll County says FY27 school budget fully funded; officials warn of long-term gap
Summary
Carroll County officials said commissioners fully funded the school system's FY27 operating and capital requests, while school leaders warned a five-year forecast shows revenues rising about 2.2% annually versus expenditures near 4.9%, creating persistent budget pressure amid falling enrollment and rising special-education costs.
Superintendent McCabe said Carroll County commissioners "were able to fully fund the board's operating budget request and meet the capital requests as well," thanking the county for its support as the school system reviews next-year pressures.
The school system presented a five-year forecast showing combined state and county revenues growing roughly 2.2% per year while expenditures could rise about 4.9% annually because of compensation, benefits, utilities and other operating costs. "What we're seeing is a variance between our projected revenues and projected expenditures looking out over the next several years," McCabe said, urging early conversations on strategies to address the gap.
McCabe and CFO Rob Burke said enrollment is flattening and recently declined, triggering a three-year average that will reduce state funding under current formulas. The presentation noted special-education costs and out-of-county tuition as material cost drivers this year; McCabe cited an approximately $1.0 million increase in special-education operating costs and about $800,000 in tuition increases for placements outside the county.
The superintendent cautioned that prior rounds of budget reductions removed many "low-hanging fruit." "When we look at cutting programs now or cutting staff, we cut all of the low lowhanging fruit from 09 to 19," McCabe said, adding that any further reductions are likely to have painful impacts on students and staff.
Officials discussed an assumed 2% per-year step for compensation in the forecast used for planning. McCabe stressed that figure is an assumption for modeling and "in no way signals a commitment" to any negotiated settlement with the five employee unions.
The presentation closed with an outline of next steps: continued monitoring of final state aid calculations expected in mid-May, targeted conversations with county leaders about long-term trade-offs, and an offer to form a small work group to study structural options for facilities and spending.
A motion to adjourn the joint meeting was made, seconded and approved.
