On March 11, Associate Policy Director Sarah Sample testified before the Appropriations Committee in support of HB 1430 – Maryland Public Charter School Program – School Facilities – Funding with amendments.
This bill, starting in fiscal year 2028, requires the Governor to include funds in the annual budget for the maintenance and operations of public charter schools. Additionally, it mandates those funds to be distributed directly to the charter school rather than through the local government or school system.
Charter schools face many of the same facility challenges as traditional public schools. MACo supports efforts to ensure students have safe and effective learning environments and suggests a clarifying amendment to ensure that counties and school systems are not held responsible for debts or ongoing financial obligations tied to projects undertaken through this new funding mechanism.
Though counties do not object to this structure, MACo would, however,suggest one important amendment to clarify the independence this bill seeks to provide for public charter schools… an amendment to HB 1430 should clarify that school systems and county governments may not be held responsible for any debt service, as well as initial or recurring payments for public charter school contracts, that have been funded through the mechanism established by HB 1430.
