FREDERICK, Md. – Frederick County Public Schools would receive an additional $14.07 million in the upcoming budget year through a proposal County Executive Jessica Fitzwater submitted to the County Council this week. The Fiscal Year 2024 Supplemental Budget would help to offset the effects of a one-time change to Maryland’s school funding formula. It also would replenish reserves in FCPS’s self-insurance fund, which was affected by higher than anticipated health claims. The supplemental budget is in addition to the record $405 million investment in County Executive Fitzwater’s proposed FY24 budget.
“In my budget address, I recognized that this funding still does not meet the Board of Education’s full request,” Fitzwater wrote in a letter to Board of Education President Sue Johnson and FCPS Superintendent Dr. Cheryl L. Dyson. “I pledged to work with you and other stakeholders to develop a sustainable approach to implement the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future so our schools are places where every student can succeed.”
The new funding would come from $9.07 million in income tax revenue collected during the current fiscal year and $5 million transferred from the County’s revenue stabilization fund.
“Like every government and school system, we are dealing with the effects of the pandemic – including its effects on our budgets,” Fitzwater wrote. “With this supplemental budget, I am proposing to hold FCPS harmless from a state decision and to mitigate the effects of a massive premium increase on your employees and retirees. Together, these actions will help FCPS deal with the unprecedented challenges currently facing our school system.”
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