At the March 26 meeting of the St. Mary's County Board of Education, Superintendent Dr. Smith said the school system faces a multi‑million dollar shortfall after the state trimmed an expected payment and the County Commissioners advanced a budget that flat‑funds the district.

Dr. Smith said the district had been told in January to expect $147,500,000 in state funding for the coming year but that a governor's proposal reduced that amount by $2,200,000; after legislative changes and further adjustments the superintendent said the system was now “$2,500,000 in the hole.” He added that the county has advanced a flat funding plan for public hearings even though county officials are projecting about $15,500,000 in new revenue. “The county commissioners … they are flat funding the school system,” Dr. Smith said.

The shortfall matters to educators and families because, Dr. Smith said, “foundation funding is where we find all of our money for the arts, extracurriculars, and most importantly, teacher salaries.” He told the board the district has proposed a $195,000,000 budget for fiscal 2026 and currently shows about $7,900,000 less revenue than that proposal. He also said St. Mary's is close to the bottom of Maryland districts on per‑pupil funding — “we are $200 from being the lowest funded per pupil in the state of Maryland.”

The superintendent framed the funding picture as the result of state and local actions. He told the board that an income tax change that took effect Jan. 1 increased the county rate from 3.0% to 3.2%, but that the county's current five‑year budget proposal would leave the school system funded at the same dollar level as the prior year. He warned that the state will pass additional retirement cost increases down to local jurisdictions, a charge the county is expected to cover.

Several public speakers who had come to the meeting for unrelated items used their three‑minute public comment slots to press the board and the community on budget implications. Cindy Pyle, a retired teacher and county resident, urged the board to “support creative arts” and to consult teachers about how to preserve programs while meeting budget constraints. Brandon Russell, citing federal reorganization and potential federal funding shifts, urged the board to prepare concise materials the public can use when advocating against cuts to federal grants that support special education, food and Title I programs.

Board members said the district will continue to press county and state leaders for additional funds and reminded the public that a county budget public hearing is scheduled for April 22 at Leonardtown High School. Board and district leaders also encouraged residents to submit feedback and to testify at upcoming hearings.

Discussion points: board members asked for further budget detail and called for public engagement; no formal budget vote occurred at the meeting. The superintendent said staff will return with more detail as state and county numbers are finalized.