Read more about the article Blueprint Check-In: The Local School Board Perspective
Education
Blueprint Check-In: The Local School Board Perspective

Five years into the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, how are local school boards navigating the challenges of turning statewide education reforms into reality? In the latest installment of the Conduit Street Podcast’s education reform series, MACo’s Sarah Sample sits down with Joseph Goetz, Executive Director of the Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE), to examine the Blueprint from the perspective of Maryland’s 24 local school boards. Tune in to the Conduit Street Podcast weekly,…

Comments Off on Blueprint Check-In: The Local School Board Perspective
October 9, 2026
Read more about the article Credit Warnings Continue as MD Capital Debt Committee Prepares Recommendation
Education / School Construction and Capital Budgets / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Credit Warnings Continue as MD Capital Debt Committee Prepares Recommendation

Staff from the Maryland State Treasurer's Office shared credit rating agency concerns with the Maryland Capital Debt Affordability Committee ahead of vote on final debt recommendations this Friday. Warnings stem from weak economic growth, projected structural deficits, and low reserves relative to peer states.   During the second meeting of the Maryland Capital Debt Affordability Committee (CDAC) members were briefed on current general fund revenue estimates, the taxable property base, capital needs, the state credit ratings,…

Comments Off on Credit Warnings Continue as MD Capital Debt Committee Prepares Recommendation
October 6, 2026
Read more about the article Revenue Task Force Weighs School Funding Gaps, New Local Options
NACo compared the mix of county-generated revenues in Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia using 2022 Census finance data.
County Budgets / County News / Education / Feature / General Assembly News / School Construction and Capital Budgets / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues
Revenue Task Force Weighs School Funding Gaps, New Local Options

Maryland’s Task Force to Modernize County and Municipal Revenue Structures focused its October 2 meeting on rising school facility costs and several potential new revenue options for local governments. School construction and maintenance costs dominated the first part of the meeting. IAC outlined nearly $2 billion in annual unmet needs for school maintenance, operations, and capital renewal, along with a separate $1.3 billion gap in State school construction funding over the past two decades. The…

Comments Off on Revenue Task Force Weighs School Funding Gaps, New Local Options
October 5, 2026
Read more about the article Blueprint Interim Evaluation Team to Provide Multiple Presentations This Fall
Education
Blueprint Interim Evaluation Team to Provide Multiple Presentations This Fall

NORC, the organization contracted to produce the independent interim evaluation of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, is in the process of finalizing findings. Researchers will provide up to seven presentations this Fall as well as a final report on December 1, 2026.  The Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) for the Blueprint for Maryland's Future (Blueprint) received an update during a recent meeting regarding the interim evaluation of the Blueprint. Researchers from NORC gave an update…

Comments Off on Blueprint Interim Evaluation Team to Provide Multiple Presentations This Fall
September 30, 2026
Read more about the article Attorney General Releases New Guidance for Maryland Values Act
Courts / Education / Health and Human Services / Public Safety and Corrections
Attorney General Releases New Guidance for Maryland Values Act

In accordance with Maryland law, the Office of the Attorney General has released updated guidance for interactions with immigration enforcement officials at sensitive locations operated by state and local entities.  During the 2026 Maryland General Assembly session, lawmakers expanded the provisions of the Maryland Values Act that was originally passed in 2025. This was a piece of legislation that established standards for how state and local officials were to interact with Immigration and Customs Enforcement…

Comments Off on Attorney General Releases New Guidance for Maryland Values Act
September 30, 2026
Read more about the article Maryland Community Colleges Take Top National Ranking
Education / News You Can Use
Maryland Community Colleges Take Top National Ranking

Maryland earned the top spot in WalletHub’s 2026 ranking of community college systems, with five Maryland community colleges placing among the top 30 nationwide. The ranking marks the fourth consecutive year Maryland has taken the number one spot. WalletHub ranked Maryland ahead of New Mexico, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Oregon after reviewing community colleges nationwide. The analysis draws from WalletHub’s 2026 assessment of 613 institutions and weighs cost and financing, education outcomes, and career…

Comments Off on Maryland Community Colleges Take Top National Ranking
September 29, 2026
Read more about the article Academy for Excellence Celebrates 2026 Graduates
County News / Education
Academy for Excellence Celebrates 2026 Graduates

The Academy for Excellence in Local Governance celebrated its 2026 graduates on Sunday, September 27, at the University of Maryland. The Academy, voluntary certificate program, was co-founded by MACo and the Maryland Municipal League (MML). It is sponsored by the Local Government Insurance Trust (LGIT) and coordinated through the School of Public Policy and the Institute for Public Leadership of the University of Maryland. Enrolled local government officials are required to take a set of…

Comments Off on Academy for Excellence Celebrates 2026 Graduates
September 28, 2026
Read more about the article Blueprint Check-In: The Educators’ View
County Budgets / Economic Development / Education / School Construction and Capital Budgets / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Blueprint Check-In: The Educators’ View

Five years into implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, how is Maryland’s sweeping education reform plan affecting the people responsible for bringing it to life in classrooms and schools across the state? Sarah Sample continues her Conduit Street Podcast series examining the Blueprint from different perspectives across Maryland’s education community. Tune in to the Conduit Street Podcast weekly, wherever you get your podcasts! Subscribe to the Conduit Street Blog and stay in the know!

Comments Off on Blueprint Check-In: The Educators’ View
September 25, 2026
Read more about the article Howard Youth Data Shows Declines in Substance Use, Growing Mental Health Concerns
Education / Health and Human Services / News You Can Use
Howard Youth Data Shows Declines in Substance Use, Growing Mental Health Concerns

New survey data spanning more than a decade shows significant declines in substance use among Howard County youth, while rising reports of sadness and hopelessness underscore continued mental health challenges. The Howard County Health Department (HCHD) recently released new trend findings from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), offering a look at more than a decade of health and behavioral trends among the County’s middle and high school students. The data, covering trends from 2013…

Comments Off on Howard Youth Data Shows Declines in Substance Use, Growing Mental Health Concerns
September 24, 2026
Read more about the article Deep Dive: The Looming Blueprint Funding Shortfall
Education / Policy Deep Dive
Deep Dive: The Looming Blueprint Funding Shortfall

With an interim Blueprint evaluation due in December, state lawmakers will grapple with a $1.8B education funding shortfall during the 2027 legislative session. This policy deep dive will analyze where funding pressure exists at the state and local level, as well as what steps state leaders might consider to close the gap.  Governor Moore and the General Assembly are heading into a 2027 legislative session this January, facing a general fund shortfall of almost $3B.…

Comments Off on Deep Dive: The Looming Blueprint Funding Shortfall
September 23, 2026
Older Posts