Cecil County Board approves $284.45 million FY2027 operating budget amid debate over cuts and graduation costs

The Board of Education of Cecil County voted June 10 to adopt a $284,452,326 operating budget for fiscal year 2027 and a $39,448,365 capital budget that includes funding for the replacement of Northeast Middle/High School, the board announced. Doctor Lawson recommended approval of the operating request, which the board adopted following discussion and a roll-call sequence that recorded at least one opposition.

The adopted operating budget includes a county appropriation of $111,386,031 and a $5,000,000 designation from the district’s fund balance. Chief Financial Officer Miss Sopa told the board that the district’s combined operating request — unrestricted and restricted funds — totals about $284.4 million, an increase of roughly $7.4 million from the prior year when restricted and federal grants are included. The restricted budget was revised upward in part by a pre-K expansion grant of $1.1 million to add three classrooms.

Board members and administrators outlined why cuts were necessary. Miss Sopa said the district lost nearly 750 compensatory-education direct-cert students, reducing funding by about $3.7 million, and cited lower enrollment and rising costs for insurance, utilities and supplies. As a result, the proposed FY27 budget shows net position reductions compared with FY26; Sopa explained that, after accounting for positions that were over budget in the prior year, the net reduction amounts to about 104 positions relative to where the system stood.

Several board members urged additional scrutiny of “nice-to-have” expenses to reduce layoffs. One board member specifically asked the board to reconsider the roughly $35,000 net cost difference associated with holding county graduations off-site and said the district should instead prioritize preserving jobs. Supporters of the off-site graduations, including board members and administrators, emphasized improved safety, accessibility and livestreaming benefits that increased graduation viewership, while others said the amount is small compared with the full budget but nevertheless meaningful if it prevents a staff layoff.

The administration said it relied on multiple levers to reconcile the budget, including conserving carryover in restricted federal grants, moving certain athletics and field-trip costs to restricted accounts where eligible, and reallocating existing grant funding. Miss Sopa said the district will use a combination of 3,000,000 in other post-employment benefits (OPEB) and $5,000,000 of fund balance to balance the operating request.

The board also approved the capital budget that includes a state-proposed $6 million contribution for the Northeast Middle/High replacement project, county front funding of state funds, and a $980,000 parking-lot replacement at Rising Sun Elementary, among other items. The board approved a related debt service authorization to reflect county payments on long-term bond obligations.

The board did not adopt detailed staffing assignments at the meeting; Sopa said placement and recall procedures will follow statute, certification, seniority and the district’s reduction-in-force procedures as the administration works through assignments over the summer.

The board is scheduled to meet again July 8. The budget materials and the facilities master plan will be available on the district website for public review.