Posted on 08/01/24
| News Source: FOX45
The multi-billion-dollar education spending plan that Maryland lawmakers overrode a veto to get through is underway, yet many leaders in jurisdictions across the state have raised concerns about footing the bill and now, Gov. Wes Moore signaled adjustments will have to be made.
The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future was passed by the General Assembly in 2021. The plan calls for spending an additional $3.8 billion in education funding each year over the next decade, and then an additional $4 billion each year thereafter.
There are five pillars included in the Blueprint: expanding pre-Kindergarten to all 4-year-olds in Maryland, as well as low-income 3-year-olds; college and career readiness changes to curriculum, expanding funding for teacher salaries, improving teacher workforce, and created a state agency to oversee the Blueprint.
“I believe in the in the tenants of the Blueprint, I believe that we need to make sure we have a world class education system. I believe we need to have an education system that does start earlier,” Gov. Moore said Wednesday during an interview on FOX45 News. “I believe we need to have an education system that focuses on career technical education and creating more pathways into the workforce for our students.”
But the hefty price tag for the program has left many local leaders wondering where the money will come from. Anne Arundel, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s Counties have indicated they support the Blueprint and the pillars; a similar message for those counties and school systems that Gov. Moore is indicating now – they support the ideas and plans outlined in the Blueprint.
Some jurisdictions, like Allegany, Dorchester, and Wicomico Counties, have said the Blueprint needs to change because the price is too high. Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott previously said the price of the city’s responsibility was a “gut punch,” though the city’s contribution has since been recalibrated.
Republican lawmakers previously attempted to bring flexibility to the Blueprint, including stretching out the implementation timeline. Those efforts were unsuccessful.
“While I believe in making sure that we have a world class education system, we've got to be able to work together to create a an actual plan to be able to implement it because right now there are real challenges in being able to get that done and get it done in a way that the locals, and the state and every other partner who's involved sees that taking place,” Gov. Moore said. “So, there have to be adjustments.”
What those adjustments will look like has yet to be determined. When asked, Gov. Moore said, “all options need to be on the table,” and doubled down on the need to work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to find a consensus. Gov. Moore noted historic events have happened since the Blueprint was first drafted – like the COVID-19 pandemic – and said the State Board of Education has a new leader, Carey Wright, has also on board now to oversee students’ learning in the classroom.
“I'm really proud of the work that Dr. Wright is doing and her ability to be able to move forward in a really in a really prompt and but also a really data-driven way about how we’re thinking about” what students need to succeed in various courses, Gov. Moore said.
“We also know that when this was first implemented, it was done not via cooperation but via a [veto] override,” Gov. Moore added. “However, we've got to make sure we have a plan that has buy in and has a plan that has a feasible financial pathway and that's what we that's the work we got to do.”
The next legislative session is scheduled to begin in January 2025 and will no doubt include months of discussions about budgets, funding decisions, and how to pay for priorities like the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.