The Board of Education of Anne Arundel County tonight adopted Fiscal Year 2026 operating and capital budget requests to forward to County Executive Steuart Pittman for consideration as he develops the county’s overall budget for the coming year.
The Board considered 22 amendments, which can be found here, to the operating budget recommendation put forward by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mark Bedell in December, ultimately adopting 18. Those amendments added a total of $8.8 million Dr. Bedell’s recommendation.
Addition of a 1 percent mid-year cost-of-living increase (COLA) for all employees (Dr. Bedell’s recommendation contains a step increase for all eligible employees and a 3 percent COLA for all employees at the start of the fiscal year).
A $10-per-day increase in compensation for substitute teachers.
A $1,000 incentive payment to employees with 30 or more years of experience who agree to work for one more year.
Funding, subject to the negotiations process, to provide school counselors with the National Board Certification with the same additional stipends that classroom teachers with NBCT certification receive.
Compensation for fourth-grade teachers who attend overnight field trips with students to the Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center.
Funding for musical instrument repair and replacement in elementary, middle, and high schools.
Addition of two social workers.
Addition of four school counselors, bringing the total requested to 7.5.
Addition of one Pupil Personnel Worker, bringing the total requested to three.
Addition of two school psychologists.
Additional funding for the CASE Agricultural Science Program.
Funding to expand the proposed program to pilot non-invasive weapons detection systems from two high schools to all high schools.
The addition of two 12-month bilingual facilitators.
Five of the amendments adopted by the Board were proposed by Dr. Bedell and reflect changes in projected state and county funding based on Governor Wes Moore’s FY26 budget and county fiscal estimates. They account for an overall decrease of $1.5 million and 141.2 positions from Dr. Bedell’s recommendation.
The Board also approved the following Board-sponsored amendments, which add $10.3 million and 11 positions to Dr. Bedell’s recommendation:
The Board’s operating budget request is $138.4 million more than the current year’s budget. In all, the budget request asks for 239.2 positions that focus mainly on five areas: employee compensation, special education, early literacy, multilingual learners, and social-emotional wellness of students.
CAPITAL BUDGET REQUEST
The Board made no changes to Dr. Bedell’s recommended $204.7 million FY2026 capital budget recommendation, approving a request that contains nearly $120 million in major capital projects for the final three schools in the Old Mill Master Plan:
Center of Applied Technology North, $13.0 million
Old Mill High School, $77.1 million
Old Mill Middle School North, $29.7 million
The new Old Mill High School is planned for the property where the current school is located. That property will also be home to the new Center of Applied Technology North, with the new Old Mill Middle School North being constructed on the current CAT North property.
The Board’s capital budget request also includes:
$33.0 million for building systems renovations.
$9.2 million to construct a new school bus facility and lot, a project recommended by the Prismatic audit commissioned by the Board.
$8 million to continue to reduce the maintenance backlog.
$5 million for kindergarten and prekindergarten additions.
$4 million for additions to existing buildings.
$4 million for athletic stadium improvements.
$2 million for security-related upgrades.
NEXT STEPS
The Board’s requests will be forwarded to County Executive Pittman, who will consider them as part of the overall Fiscal Year 2026 budget recommendation he will deliver to the County Council in May. The Council will hold public hearings before finalizing a budget by June 15.
The Board is scheduled to adopt a final budget on June 18, 2025.