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Frederick County schools to allocate $3.4 million in new state funds for raises, coaches and restored cuts
Summary
Division staff recommended using about $3.4 million in additional state funding to raise average base salaries to 4.5%, increase supplements and stipends, add three high-school instructional coaches and two special-education van drivers, and restore previous 10% reductions to schools and operations.
Frederick County Public Schools on Tuesday presented recommended adjustments to the FY27 operating fund that would use approximately $3,400,000 in additional state funding to increase staff pay, restore prior budget reductions and add targeted positions.
Mrs. Anderson (speaker 5), who led the presentation, told the board the general assembly’s final budget provided more state support than earlier anticipated and that the division’s recommendation is to allocate $2,100,000 of the funds to base salaries in order to move the average pay increase from the 3.5% approved in spring to roughly 4.5%. Anderson said the division also recommends a 4.5% increase to degree supplemental pay and to stipends for athletic coaches and academic-support staff.
Under instructional initiatives, Anderson recommended adding three full-time-equivalent positions to provide one instructional coach at each high school and adding two special-education van-driver positions (2.0 FTE) to support students with special transportation needs. The presentation also proposed restoring the 10% budget reductions made earlier in the spring for schools, facilities services and transportation and adding $250,000 to facilities services. Anderson said the finance team will make necessary payroll adjustments and that employee notifications will be sent through the division’s employee portal.
Board members asked whether the 1% local-option sales tax mentioned in recent county meetings would automatically raise taxes; staff and the superintendent confirmed it will appear on the November ballot and voters will decide. Dr. Hummer said the tax—if approved by voters—was projected in remarks during the meeting to produce about "$24,000,000 a year for 20 years" dedicated to capital projects; town halls on the referendum will be scheduled.
After discussion and clarification that the '4.5%' figure is an average (some individual increases will vary slightly because of pay-scale clustering and rounding), speaker 2 moved to adopt the recommended operating fund budget adjustments and the board approved the motion by voice vote.
Steps announced: division staff will send letters to employees explaining adjustments; payroll processing was described as beginning the following week to implement the increases.
Quotation: "So the final result is about 3,400,000 more additional dollars from the state," Anderson said. "Because we want to invest in our dedicated staff, we recommend that 2,100,000 go directly into base salaries."
