Montgomery County Government and School Board Share 2026 Legislative Priorities for Education

Montgomery County Government and the Montgomery County Board of Education both released education based legislative priorities for the 2026 General Assembly. Priorities highlight state funding shortfalls and need for more local flexibility in education spending. 

The Montgomery County Office of Intergovernmental Relations released the county governments 2026 legislative priorities for the 2026 General Assembly. While the slate of priorities covers 10 major policy areas, it included a robust list of education priorities, some of which align with those adopted by the Montgomery County Board of Education (MCBE).

Specifically both highlight the need for local flexibility on Blueprint implementation and spending as well as increased state funding toward the cost of school construction and child care services and providers. The call for a greater focus on fiscal shortfalls in the state share of education costs comes specifically at a time when the state outlook has soured according to the most recent report from the Department of Legislative Services to the Spending Affordability Committee. According to recent estimates, the projected FY27 state budget gap has grown to five times the latest figures, taking it from and anticipated $300M to $1.4B.

Education priorities from the county government include:

  • Maintain the State’s commitment to fully fund the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future and support
    efforts to enhance local flexibility in implementation requirements and use of State funds to
    allow the school system to address specific needs of the County’s students and families,
    including expansion of eligible uses of Concentration of Poverty grants.
  • Substantially increase the annual allocation of State funds to finance the State’s share of the
    rapidly growing costs of public school construction Statewide to keep pace with construction
    costs and the need for students to learn in safe, modern classrooms.
  • Support the legislative priorities of the Children’s Opportunity Alliance, including increasing
    funding for the Child Care Scholarship and restoring provider reimbursement rates to 70% of the
    market rate.
  • Increase compensation for members of the Montgomery County Board of Education.

Education priorities from the MCBE:

  • Priority Issues
    • Graduation Credit Review
    • Flexibility Applied to Community Schools Funding
    • Relief from Blueprint-required Funding of AP/IB Exams
    • Minimum Instructional Time Requirements
  • Increased Advocacy
    • Employee Self-reporting of Criminal Charges
    • Maryland Report Card Graduation Rate Calculation
    • Reportable Offense Law Update
    • Teacher Preparation Program Requirements
  • Ongoing Interests
    • Preserving Local Autonomy
    • Adequate School Funding
    • Implementing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future
    • Recruitment and Retention
    • Future Readiness
    • Safe and Secure Learning and Working Environments for All