Maryland Students, Teachers Benefit from Increased Funding in Governor Hogan’s Budget Proposal

Maryland

Students and families in Maryland – and across America – are struggling in the wake of the pandemic. Efforts to mitigate and recover from learning loss must begin now. State leaders, like Governor Larry Hogan, are getting to work to help families by prioritizing funding and proposing innovative programs that will help students now and in the future.

Because of fiscal discipline and a commitment to a balanced budget, Maryland is in a strong financial position to overcome the economic challenges caused by the pandemic, without cutting funding to essential services like education. In his Fiscal Year 2022 budget proposal, Governor Hogan prioritized record state funding for K-12 education to help schools cover additional pandemic-related expenses, as well as an increased investment in scholarships for economically disadvantaged students.

Highlights include:

The increased funding for BOOST scholarships would allow an estimated 4,800 more students to attend a school that best meets their learning needs. Given the struggles families are experiencing due to COVID-19, families need more educational options to access the schools they need to not fall behind academically. The more opportunity a family has in finding the right educational fit for their child, the more likely they are to succeed in school and in life.

A new web-based assessment tool, FundingEducationEquity.org, helps state decision makers to carefully evaluate their budget cutting options, minimize harm to students and maximize the ability of districts to make the best use of available resources.

Solution Areas:

Private Education Choice

About the Author

Ashley DeMauro Mullins is a Senior Legislative Director for ExcelinEd in Action. In this role, she works with leaders and lawmakers from the northeastern states to promote student-centered solutions.