Educational Facilities Master Plan (EFMP)

As part of the annual capital planning process, CCPS presented the proposed 2025-2034 Educational Facilities Master Plan (EFMP) to the Board of Education (BOE) at its May 14th meeting. The EFMP identifies the present and future facility needs of CCPS and is revisited each year.

The BOE is requesting feedback from the community (at the link below) about the proposed EFMP prior to the June 11th BOE meeting, where the BOE will make a decision on its approval so it can be sent to the Maryland Department of Planning. The EFMP is a tool used for the annual prioritization of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) which is approved by the BOE and sent to the County each fall.

During the BOE Meeting, Dr. McCabe presented three substantive areas of change as summarized in our graphic.

Carroll County FY26 Budget Adopted

During the Commissioners Open Session on Thursday, May 22, 2025, they voted unanimously to adopt the County's FY26 Budget, which starts on July 1, 2025. As previously discussed, the County's budget includes $13M additional over last year's allotment to CCPS.

Unfortunately, even with the additional $13M, in order to balance the school system's operating budget, CCPS will have to cut $400,000 in instructional materials and lay off three clerical positions in Central Office.

Thank you to everyone who reached out to the Commissioners or gave public testimony in support of the increased funding for our schools over the 3% increase that was originally proposed.

Per the County's press release, the County's FY26 budget of $580.7M is a $35.6M, or 6.5%, increase over the current year's budget. The County's FY26 operating budget is funded 48% from property tax, 36% from income tax, and 3% from recordation, with the remainder supported by additional revenue sources, including building permits, 911 service fees, investment income, and others.

May BOE Meeting Notes

At the May BOE meeting, a Blueprint update was given:

- The AIB approved a waiver for CCPS, giving through FY28 to achieve full compliance.
- It is not a waiver of Blueprint requirements, but an extension of time.
- CCPS staff continues to work with APA Consulting to review and revise the Blueprint compliance plan and identify additional promising strategies for Blueprint compliance.
- Initial findings of APA Consulting are anticipated later this summer with the final report expected later in the Fiscal Year (winter).
- CCPS is hopeful that, with feedback from APA Consulting and the AIB, they can bring forward a plan that should be much more acceptable than the original plan.
- APA consultants are working with CCPS to create a Base School model that includes funding for teachers, admin, reading specialists, math specialists, instructional support resources, teacher mentor, etc. - all of the things needed to effectively operate a school. They will compare the foundation funding to the amount needed to run the base school and compare it to CCPS’ plan.

The Blueprint Update starts at 1:08:00 in the recording and the slides can be found below.

We encourage you to continue to stay informed and engaged, as this CCPS funding and staffing crisis remains far from resolved.

The Carroll Education Coalition is considering having an in-person information session before or around the start of school in the fall to discuss the latest developments with the community. Is there something that you would like to better understand? If so, please email us at carrolledcoalition@gmail.com. Thank you!

Letter to the Editor on Sunday, May 11, 2025

Carroll County Times

We are very happy about today's development, but please remember that the operating budget and Blueprint challenges affecting CCPS are not going away. Please continue to remain informed and engaged!

Thank you!
The Carroll Education Coalition Team

Public Comments

CCPS has been and continues to be underfunded, with parent organizations picking up the tab to provide basics for our schools that they cannot afford in their budget. PTAs and PTOs are actually meant to be advocacy organizations, not fundraising bodies, but schools in Carroll County now depend on parents to fill the gaps to cover necessary items, such as projectors, copiers, and playgrounds. On Wednesday, the Carroll Education Coalition delivered binders of testimony collected from the community showing how CCPS is underfunded to each Commissioner, Board of Education member, and Dr. McCabe.

Our schools have funding challenges unrelated to Blueprint, but Blueprint has amplified those challenges. Watch Lisa M speak at the April BOE meeting respectfully asking the BOE and CCPS staff to work together with the Commissioners and the community to develop a long term plan for how the County will meet the needs of CCPS. If the waiver is granted by the AIB, let’s make good use of the time to outline our future vision we have for our school system for when Blueprint IS implemented.

Charter School Application Process Update at the April BOE Meeting

CEC’s mission is strictly surrounding ensuring CCPS has the funding and staffing to carry out their mission of educating our children. We are posting this information that was shared at the April BOE meeting because we have received multiple questions regarding the financial implications of a charter school. The CEC is posting facts here, as presented at the BOE meeting, to inform the public and makes no statement in support of or against the charter school application.


A section on the April BOE meeting was dedicated to discussing the legal requirements and application process for charter schools in Maryland beginning at 1:49:20 in the recording.

Carroll County Public Schools (CCPS) Budget and Staffing Crisis: An Explanation

CCPS faces two separate challenges that have combined to bring us to this crisis point:

(1) Carroll County’s underinvestment in its public schools has resulted in budget and staffing levels that are
so lean, CCPS has very little wiggle room to respond to a changing environment.

(2) The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, enacted to improve education and focus support on populations that need help, requires
changes that CCPS is not able to meet without dramatically reducing and redistributing the County’s teachers.

Just as CCPS’ crisis stems from two causes, its solution needs to come from two sources:

1) The Carroll County Commissioners should be practical about the reality on the ground, providing more funding to plug the holes
left by years of underinvestment, and to give CCPS a cushion to move around its resources to meet Blueprint requirements.

2) The State of Maryland should provide flexibility, re-focusing its efforts on ensuring that school systems can meet the worthwhile
goals of Blueprint instead of enforcing implementation frameworks that have in some ways missed the mark.

If no additional help is given, the Board of Education will face terrible choices – potentially:

- eliminating Outdoor School
- cutting 95 teacher/staff positions and forcing another 90 to be moved from their current schools
- failing to honor employee and bus driver contracts
- reducing funding for laptops and instructional materials
- Some schools will see class sizes of 40+ students.
- Some schools will lose reading specialists, math resource specialists, and special educators.
- All schools will lose library staff.
- All high schools will lose athletic directors.
- High schools will see fewer courses offered, including AP classes, which will make CCPS graduates less prepared to compete with peers from elsewhere as they apply to colleges and prepare for careers.
- In future years, we could see high school athletics and
extracurriculars disappear completely

Carroll Education Coalition to have Info Table at Sykesville's Cocoa Crawl on Saturday, 2/22

Carroll Education Coalition will have a table at Saturday's Cocoa Crawl in downtown Sykesville. Come stop by our table on Saturday, February 22nd from noon to 4pm and pick up your button! Wearing your button around town shows you support investing in CCPS!

2/21/2025 -- Blueprint Legislation Update

📢 BLUEPRINT LEGISLATION UPDATE: On Wednesday, February 19, 2025, one of our team members, Julie Walsh, testified during a joint hearing before four Annapolis legislative committees. The committees were hearing Senate Bill 429 / House Bill 504, the Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act, which was introduced on behalf of Governor Wes Moore.

SB 429/HB 504 is a long, complicated piece of legislation that would make changes to the 2021-passed Blueprint for Maryland's Future. As the bill's chief impact would be to lower the "foundation amount" of funding for Maryland's students, the Carroll Education Coalition spoke against it. In her testimony (which can be viewed in this clip from the hearing), Julie referenced the budget and staffing crisis in CCPS, saying:

"We applaud this bill's focus on retaining and recruiting teachers, but it feels like a hollow promise in our community, where we expect to lay teachers off.

Our coalition wants to see plenty of attention and resources focused on the students whose needs are greatest. But we question how students are served by an implementation that will result in schools losing the professionals who focus on those who need the most help: reading specialists, math resource specialists, and special educators."

She asked legislators to oppose the bill's proposed reduction in the target per pupil foundation amount, and to give school systems flexibility in meeting Blueprint requirements.

Below you will find a link to the written testimony and a video of the oral testimony on behalf of the Carroll Education Coalition.

Carroll Education Coalition is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Carroll County Public Schools, the Superintendent, or any Carroll County Public School or office.