Transcript
A key part of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is a reporting requirement called Minimum School Funding. In this video, we will take a brief look at how Minimum School Funding is applied and reported.
Funding begins with all students receiving an equal amount of funding per pupil. This foundation amount applies to all students at all public schools in Maryland. Then, supplemental funding is provided for students whose educational needs require additional funding.
Minimum School Funding makes sure that school district spending follows the needs of each student, so each school will likely receive a different amount of funding based on the students in their building.
Here’s an important point: Meeting this school-level and per student reporting requirement is a challenge because school budgets in Maryland have not been built on a school-by-school or student-by-student basis. The budget is built and approved by the Board of Education and County Council at the system level based on standard spending categories called state categories. The budget will still be approved and managed using the standardized state categories but with a new window of reporting on how the money is spent at the school level.
Ultimately, the Blueprint adds greater transparency to spending. This is a welcome and needed change. It will add a new dimension to decision-making, providing system leadership and the Board of Education with information to ensure funds are being equitably allocated based on student needs.