Budget

The fiscal year 2026 proposed operating budget ask is $537,904,741 and represents an increase of $31.7 million, or 6.3%, over the FY 2025 base operating budget. CCPS depends primarily upon state and county resources to fund the total budget. As of January 2025, state funding is presumed to increase by $7 million. The local ask to the county is an increase of $25.3 million, or 11%. The FY 2026 base operating budget also includes the use of about $4.7 million from the system fund balance.

Expenditure increases include mandatory health care costs, negotiated school bus contractor wages and replacement of retiring buses, teachers’ pension, along with budget line items not fully funded from the prior fiscal year. Other cost increase requests include a reserve for collective bargaining, funds to support the continual implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland’s future policy areas, Oracle support positions, instructional increases, and non-instructional increases. The budget request also includes positions and operating costs associated with the opening of Margaret J. Thornton Elementary School. The budget also includes a request for the addition of 67.5 FTE positions to compensate for a continually expanding school system. These positions include human resources, finance, and IT staff, as well as school administration and teachers.