School System Cutting, Reassigning Staff Amid Deficit

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — Baltimore County Public Schools is reassigning and cutting staff to address a deep budget shortfall.

Some BCPS employees will have to reapply for their jobs, The Baltimore Sun reported this week.

"As we reduce, particularly non-school-based position reductions, if you have multiple positions and that is being reduced by a certain number, there has to be a fair process where all staff members who are part of that position get to express their interest and go through the interview process," BCPS Superintendent Myriam Rogers said at a Tuesday Board of Education meeting, according to The Sun.

BCPS spokesperson Gboyinde Onijala said, "This is not a new proposal."

"For staff members whose positions have been eliminated, they will either be placed in another position or have an opportunity to apply for other positions that are available," Onijala told Patch in a Thursday email.

Twenty members of the Council of Administrative and Supervisory Employees were affected by job reassignments, Billy Burke, president of the union representing central office and administrative staff, told The Sun.

"It is discouraging to CASE members that the salaries that we negotiated in earnest cannot be honored," Burke told The Sun, noting that reassignments can force pay cuts or changes in union representation.

The school board had previously agreed to employee pay raises spread over three years, but Rogers on April 28 announced that BCPS needs to renegotiate those salary bumps.

The increased compensation was slated to cost $55.9 million, Rogers said.

Other bills that were higher this year included:

• Utility costs (Up $9.8 million).
• Non-public placement costs (Up $9 million).
• Health care and benefits (Up $12.6 million).
• Other post-employment benefits to the county (Up $14 million).

Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier (D) said she couldn't fulfill BCPS's budget request, which sought a sharp funding increase from last year.

The county faced a tight budget this year, as the state's $3 billion deficit forced Maryland to cut aid to local jurisdictions. The federal funding cuts also played a role, but reduced state support was the larger factor.

Klausmeier increased funding by 3.5% over maintenance of effort, the state-mandated minimum spending per student. That's still 6.5% less than what BCPS had requested.

The county executive gave BCPS $71.7 million less than what it sought for its general fund, but she gave $29.5 million more than requested in the capital construction budget. That surplus cannot be transferred to the general fund to offset the operating budget deficit.

All in, the net school budget deficit is $42.9 million.

To address the shortfall, Rogers has suggested:

• Eliminating additional supervisory central office positions.
• Extending the hiring freeze for all central office and non-school-based positions.
• Reducing funding for supplies and materials by 24% ($14 million).
• Implementing additional cuts to division and department budgets.

The final budget must be approved by the County Council before fiscal year 2026 starts this July 1.

Related:

• Teacher Pay Raises At Risk As Baltimore County Schools Renegotiate
• Will Taxes Rise In Baltimore County? Klausmeier Unveils Spending Plan
• Schools Request Bigger Budget, But Baltimore County Can't Afford It
• BCPS Budget Cuts Possible, Baltimore County Faces Tough Choices: Report
• BCPS Short $20M In Budget Proposal, Job Cuts Also Planned: Reports