On March 6, 2024, Associate Policy Director Brianna January testified before the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee in support of SB 1026- County Boards of Education – Budgets – Notice (Transparency in Education Spending Act). The following day, Brianna testified in support of the crossfile, HB 1115.
This bill is one of MACo’s four 2024 legislative initiatives.
The implementation of The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, coupled with an influx of federal relief and rescue funding, has compounded the concern of “black box” spending in public education. The Blueprint calls for additional reporting, a series of inputs to the Blueprint’s oversight committee, and a pending new budget-tracking software for school systems. These present opportunities to instill clarity and accountability in school spending, and counties, as fiduciary partners in public education, should have access to the pending new data.
SB 1026 / HB 1115 FAQs
What the bill does NOT do:
- Give counties authority or decision-making control over school budgets
- Mandate new or more extensive reporting than already required by law
What the bill DOES:
- Gives counties access to more complete and timely education spending information using existing reporting requirements and systems
- Provides counties with the tools to anticipate education costs and budget responsibly
- Makes uniform financial reporting standards and expectations for all school systems and county governments
- Empowers Maryland taxpayers and families to know how their public dollars are spent in schools and on their kids’ education
Counties value transparency and good governance in education funding, so much so that SB 1026 is one of MACo’s four 2024 legislative priorities. The bill, as introduced, represents more than a year’s work and collaboration with multiple education stakeholders and legislative leaders.
Importantly, SB 1026 does not alter the process for appropriating school funding, nor any funding requirements. It is simply a good governance and best practice bill to increase transparency in the State’s and counties’ most important investment and largest investment of Maryland tax dollars – education.
SB 1026 was heard in the opposite chamber, the House Appropriations Committee, on March 26. MACo submitted testimony in support of this bill with amendments.
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