Public Schools Need Your Voice for a Strong FY27 Budget!
Right now, our most critical advocacy surrounds the FY2027 budget. Even though the calendar on the wall still says 2025, the FY2027 budget will go into effect on July 1, 2026. On Wednesday, December 17, 2025, Superintendent Dr. Mark Bedell announced his proposed budget for AACPS for the 2026-2027 school year. Dr. Bedell’s proposal includes many critical staffing needs such as additional special educators, early intervention specialists, key support staff including TAs and TSAs, behavior techs, English language development teachers, bilingual facilitators, and additional staff to support the mental well-being of students. To fund 82.2 positions that will directly support our growing population of students with special needs, the Superintendent included an additional $9.7 million. Click here, to see the Superintendent’s “Budget in Brief.” If you would like to see the presentation Dr.Bedell made to the board as he introduced his budget, click here. At this stage, it is critical that we convey to the County Executive and the County Council the importance of funding Dr.Bedell’s budget, with whatever additions the Board of Education makes. If you are able, please sign up to testify at one of the County Executive’s eight town halls. Town halls are held in each of the seven council districts as well as an online town hall. Attendees who sign up will each have two minutes to speak.
The AACPS Budget Process Chronology:
- Fall: The Superintendent builds the AACPS budget. Every fall, the Superintendent works with staff and Board members to identify the needs of the school district and build a budget
- Mid-December: The Superintendent proposes a budget. The Superintendent proposes a budget to the Board of Education. (December 17, 2025)
- WE ARE HERE!
- Early January: The Board of Education hears from the public. The Board of Education begins considering the Superintendent’s proposed AACPS budget and conducts public hearings to allow the public to share their thoughts on the proposed budget. (January 6 and January 8, 2026). If you would like to testify at one of the Board of Education’s public hearings, you can sign up here.
- Early January through Early February: The County Executive hears from the public. The County Executive conducts town halls to hear from the public about what to include in the county’s budget, including what to fund in the AACPS budget. It is critical that the Board of Education’s final budget proposal is fully funded by the County Government. Sign up here to come to one of the following Town Halls and ask that the Board’s budget is fully funded.
- Early February through May 1: The County Executive builds the county budget. Incorporating public feedback, the county executive works with county staff to build the next year’s budget.
- May 1: The County Executive proposes a budget. The County executive proposes a budget to the County Council for the upcoming fiscal year that will begin on July 1. The County Executive’s budget includes the AACPS budget as well as the budget for all other county departments such as Police, Fire, Detention, Recreation & Parks, Public Works, etc.
- May 1 - June 15: The County Council hears from the public. The county council studies the proposed budget and receives comments from the public.
- No Later than June 15: The County Council amends and finalizes the budget. The County Council makes amendments to the proposed budget which includes the AACPS budget as well as the budgets for all county departments. The Council must finalize and pass a balanced budget, no later than June 15.
Come Speak at a Nearby Town Hall: The best way to convey your support of the Board of Education’s proposed budget is to speak at one of the County Executive’s upcoming Budget Town Halls.
| County Executive’s FY2027 Budget Town Halls | |||
| District 7
Shannon Leadbetter |
Southern
High School |
Auditorium | Tuesday, January 6 |
| District 5
Amanda Fiedler |
Severna Park
High School |
Cafeteria | Wednesday, January 7 |
| District 4
Julie Hummer |
Arundel
High School |
Cafeteria | Thursday, January 15 |
| District 1
Pete Smith |
North County
High School |
Cafeteria | Wednesday, January 21 |
| District 3
Nathan Volke |
Chesapeake
High School |
Auditorium | Thursday, January 22 |
| District 2
Allison Pickard |
Severn Run
High School |
Auditorium | Tuesday, February 3 |
| District 6
Lisa Rodvien |
Annapolis
High School |
Cafeteria | Wednesday, February 4 |
| Spanish Language
Budget Town Hall |
Virtual | Zoom | Monday, February 9 |
