Superintendent Myriam Rogers proposed a $2.98 billion budget, aiming for a 6.5% increase to enhance employee support and maintain class sizes.

She kicked things off with a community meeting at the George Washington Carver Center, saying this budget is all about keeping teachers and staff happy and making sure class sizes don’t get too big. It’s pretty straightforward, with a focus on five key areas that are costing over $100 million more this year.
The school board is now diving into the details. If they give it the green light next month, it’ll head to the county council for final approval in May. The county’s on the hook for more than $100 million of this budget, which is a 10.4% increase from last year.
A big chunk of the budget, about $81.4 million, is set aside for boosting pay and benefits for over 20,000 employees. Plus, utility costs are rising, adding another $8.7 million just to keep the lights on next year.
One board member, Tiara Booker-Dwyer, suggested they should chat with utility companies about possible discounts or fee waivers to help with those rising costs.
On the flip side, they’re also looking at cutting $26.3 million from the budget, with nearly half of that coming from reducing staff positions. When you add that to last year’s cuts, it totals about $130.4 million over two years.
Rogers reminded everyone that changes take time, but she’s optimistic. If they keep pushing forward, they could turn around a decade of academic struggles much quicker than expected.
The budget also includes $830,000 for seven new full-day prekindergarten classes, which is part of Maryland’s early education goals. Special education is getting a boost too, with $23.2 million allocated.
Last year, she asked for a smaller increase of 2.2%. And hey, if you want to weigh in on this budget, there’s a virtual hearing next Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
Got a news tip? You can reach out to Racquel Bazos at rbazos@baltsun.com or on X as @rzbworks.