Below is the full text of a letter sent Tuesday, March 10, 2026, from the Maryland Association of Counties to the Maryland State Department of Education, the Maryland State Board of Education, and the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Accountability and Implementation Board regarding the local share of funding for private prekindergarten expansion in Maryland.
The Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) writes on behalf of Maryland’s 24 county governments regarding the continued delay in issuing invoices for the fiscal 2026 local share of funding for private prekindergarten providers.
In a January 29, 2026, memorandum to county budget directors, the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) stated that counties would receive invoices for the fiscal 2026 local share of private prekindergarten funding by February 15, 2026.
MSDE explained that the agency conducted an additional review of provider enrollment data to ensure that the invoices reflected only students funded through the formula program who reside within each jurisdiction.
That deadline has now passed. Counties have not yet received invoices or a clear timeline for their issuance.
This delay presents an immediate problem for county governments, who are actively finalizing fiscal 2027 budgets. Counties cannot responsibly complete those budgets without knowing the amount they must pay for FY26 private prekindergarten obligations.
Unfortunately, this situation also follows a series of issues counties raised over the past year regarding the administration of private prekindergarten funding. Counties experienced late notifications, calculation concerns, and communication gaps during the FY25 rollout of the program and throughout the FY26 funding discussions. MACo raised those concerns directly with MSDE and requested clearer coordination and more reliable information moving forward.
Despite those discussions, counties again lack the basic information needed to plan for these costs.
Counties strongly support the expansion of prekindergarten under the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future and remain committed partners in implementing these reforms. However, that partnership requires timely communication and accurate financial information, particularly when county governments must incorporate these obligations into annual budgets.
MACo therefore requests that MSDE immediately provide:
- A firm date when FY26 private prekindergarten invoices will be issued and due;
- Verified calculations for each county’s required local share; and
- Supporting documentation, including enrollment counts and provider data used to determine the funding amounts.
Counties need this information now. Continued delays will only compound the uncertainty facing county finance offices as budget deadlines approach.
MACo urges MSDE to resolve this issue promptly and provide counties with the information necessary to meet their financial obligations under the Blueprint.