The Board of Education will receive an update on Anne Arundel County’s Fiscal Year 2026 revenue outlook from county officials and will adopt a 2025-26 school year calendar at its next meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, January 8, 2025.
The revenue outlook information will be utilized by the Board as it considers Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mark Bedell’s recommended Fiscal Year 2026 operating and capital budgets. Those budgets were presented to the Board at its December 18, 2024, meeting. The Board is scheduled to adopt a formal request to send to County Executive Steuart Pittman at its February 19, 2025, meeting.
The Board was presented with two calendars recommended by the AACPS Calendar Committee at its December 18 meeting. It has solicited public input on those calendars and may adopt one of those or craft one of its own.
Wednesday’s meeting will begin at noon and will be held in the Board Room at the Parham Building, located at 2644 Riva Road in Annapolis. It is open to the public and subject to normal space limitations in the Board Room.
A complete agenda for the meeting can be found here. More information on agenda items will be posted on the AACPS website in the Board Docs section under the Board of Education tab. Protocols, procedures, and expectations for those attending the meeting can be found here.
The Board will also meet in a public session at 10 a.m. for the sole purpose of voting to immediately go into closed session, during which time it will discuss confidential matters as permitted by the Maryland Open Meetings Act including, but not limited to, legal advice, personnel, and negotiations. Closed session is not open to the public.
PROCESS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS
The Board will hear public comment from up to 10 total speakers (virtual and in-person combined) per agenda item (excluding personnel items, reports, informational presentations, and recognitions) during a single public comment section in the early portion of the meeting. Additionally, up to 10 speakers can comment on non-agenda items, excluding student-specific or personnel matters, towards the end of the meeting.
Procedures and protocols for public comment can be found here. A link to register for public comment will be live at 3 p.m. on the Friday before a Board meeting.
The general session of the meeting will be broadcast live on AACPS-TV and on AACPS’ YouTube channel.
BUDGET HEARINGS, WORKSHOP
The Board will hear input from members of the community at two public hearings next week as it continues its consideration of Dr. Bedell’s recommended FY26 operating and capital budgets.
The hearings will be held on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at Severn Run High School, and Thursday, January 9, 2025, in the Board Room at the Parham Building in Annapolis. Both hearings begin at 6 p.m.
Testimony at the hearings will be limited to two minutes per person. Those testifying may only do so at one hearing.
Testimony can be delivered as follows:
· January 7, 2025, hearing: All testimony will be delivered in person. Those who wish to speak may sign up at the hearing site beginning at 5 p.m.
· January 9, 2025, hearing: Testimony may be delivered in person or virtually. Those who wish to speak in person may sign up at the hearing site beginning at 5 p.m. Those who wish to speak virtually may sign up by using the link found on this page before noon on Monday, January 6, 2025.
The Board will also hold a public workshop to discuss Dr. Bedell’s recommendation at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, in the Board Room at the Parham Building. No budget-related public testimony will be taken at the workshop or at the February 19, 2025, meeting at which the Board is scheduled to adopt its budget request. Should the Board offer amendments at the February 19, 2025, meeting, testimony will be taken on the amendments only. The Board has also scheduled time to meet on February 20, 2025, if it is necessary to complete work on its budget request.
The January 9 public hearing and the January 21 workshop will be broadcast live on AACPS-TV and on AACPS’ YouTube channel.
Dr. Bedell’s full FY26 operating and capital budget recommendations as well as a text of his budget address and a Budget in Brief document are posted online at www.aacps.org/fy2026budget.
BOARD COMMITTEE MEETINGS
The Board of Education’s committees will hold upcoming virtual meetings according to the following schedule. The meetings will not be broadcast, but those wishing to listen to the meetings can access them by telephone through the codes listed below.
· Policy Committee: 3 p.m., January 7, 2025. Call 301-960-3676, enter the Conference ID 923 497 708#.
· Budget Committee: Noon, January 21, 2025. Call 301-960-3676, enter the Conference ID 461 893 827#.
· Equity Committee: Noon, February 25, 2025. Call 301-960-3676, enter the Conference ID 855 986 412#.