What was the Board of Education of Anne Arundel County’s decision regarding the operating and capital budget requests for Fiscal Year 2024? What is included in the operating budget request? What is included in the capital budget request? What are the next steps in the budget process?
The Board of Education of Anne Arundel County unanimously adopted the Fiscal Year 2024 operating and capital budget requests to forward to County Executive Steuart Pittman for consideration as he develops the county’s overall budget for the coming year. The Board added one constituent services position to the operating budget recommended by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mark Bedell in December to serve as the primary liaison between Board members and the community, but made no changes to Dr. Bedell’s capital budget request.
The operating budget request is $149.2 million more than the current year’s budget and includes $80.8 million for additional compensation for employees, contracted bus drivers, and substitute teachers. It also includes funding for special education positions, English Language Development teachers and assistants, assistant principals, teaching assistants, permanent substitutes, and social-emotional wellness positions. The request also includes funding to expand the Triple-E program to seven elementary schools, open the Chesapeake Science Point Charter School elementary program, and staff West County Elementary School and Old Mill High School West, among other items.
- $2.6 million for 18 social-emotional wellness positions that include four school psychologists, three social workers, three school counselors, two pupil personnel workers, and funding to expand an elementary level alternative education program and create a new site in the Meade cluster.
- funding for three additional bilingual facilitators, one additional bilingual assistant for the International Student and Family Welcome Center, and a bilingual receptionist for the Transportation Department.
- funding for 9.5 positions to expand the Triple-E program to the seven elementary schools in the Old Mill cluster.
- $6.3 million to open the Chesapeake Science Point Charter School elementary program next year.
- $2.7 million in the first phase of funding to staff West County Elementary School and Old Mill High School West, which will open in the 2024-2025 school year.
- $9.5 million for Blueprint mandates, including the dual enrollment initiative with Anne Arundel Community College, career counseling through the Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation, and funding to expand the community schools program.
The capital budget request for Fiscal Year 2024 is $197 million, with $132.4 million for major capital projects. The projects include construction at West County Elementary School, Old Mill Middle School South, Center of Applied Technology – North, Old Mill Middle School North, and a new Old Mill High School facility on the school’s current Patriot Lane site.
- West County Elementary School construction, $12.6 million
- Old Mill Middle School South construction, $37.3 million
- Center of Applied Technology – North construction, $58.4 million
- Old Mill Middle School North design/construction, $11.4 million
- Old Mill High School design/construction, $12.7 million
The Board’s requests will be forwarded to County Executive Pittman, who will consider them as part of the overall Fiscal Year 2024 budget recommendation he will deliver to the County Council in May. The Council will hold public hearings before finalizing a budget by June 15. The Board is scheduled to adopt a final budget on June 26, 2023.
