Worcester County Board of Education Adopts Revised FY27 Budget Following Nearly $2.8 Million Funding Shortfall

June 8, 2026/Mari Lou

The Worcester County Board of Education – faced with $2.8-million less in funding from the County Commissioners than requested – have approved a revised FY 2027 operating budget. The budget will maintain negotiated salary packages for teachers, education support professionals and bus contractors. The budget also preserves necessary pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) programs in Pocomoke, allowing the school system to accept the State’s approximately $800,000 Pre-K Expansion grant serving students at Showell (SES) and Ocean City (OCES) elementary schools.

The revised budget includes some significant reductions – cuts to summer and afterschool academy programming, the elimination of a planned elementary RISE intervention program, reductions to dual enrollment funding, the decision to leave two vacant positions unfilled and numerous reductions to transportation, technology, maintenance, instructional supplies, contracted services and equipment replacement budgets. 

Additional information from the Worcester County Board of Education:
 
The Worcester County Board of Education has approved a revised Fiscal Year 2027 operating budget that reflects difficult and painful reductions necessitated by a nearly $2.8 million funding shortfall created when the County Commissioners reduced the Board’s original funding request.  Faced with the challenge of balancing the budget while continuing to serve students across Worcester County, Board members and school system leadership made a deliberate decision to prioritize honoring negotiated agreements with teachers and support staff, preserving early childhood education opportunities, and protecting essential student safety investments.
 
The revised budget maintains the negotiated salary packages for teachers, educational support professionals, and bus contractors, helping Worcester County Public Schools (WCPS) remain competitive in recruiting and retaining high-quality educators and support personnel while meeting Blueprint for Maryland’s Future requirements. The budget also preserves necessary pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) programs in Pocomoke, allowing the school system to accept the State’s approximately $800,000 Pre-K Expansion grant serving students at Showell (SES) and Ocean City (OCES) elementary schools.
 
“Throughout this process, we worked carefully and responsibly to protect classrooms as much as possible, preserve core instruction, and honor our commitments to the employees who serve our students every day,” said Superintendent Dr. Annette Wallace. “One of our highest priorities was preserving access to early childhood education. We know that the earliest years of a child’s educational journey are among the most important. High-quality Pre-K experiences help build the literacy, language, and foundational learning skills that students carry with them throughout their academic careers. Protecting Pre-K in Pocomoke was not simply about preserving a program. Similarly, expanding Pre-K opportunities at SES and OCES was never about growth for growth’s sake—it was about protecting opportunities for our youngest learners and maintaining an investment in them and their communities that will pay dividends for years to come. It is unfortunate that the Commissioners’ majority—including Pocomoke and Ocean Pines’ own representatives—did not feel similarly.”
 
Among the most significant reductions included in the revised budget are cuts to summer and afterschool academy programming, the elimination of a planned elementary RISE intervention program, reductions to dual enrollment funding, the decision to leave the vacant Chief Operations and Human Relations Officer position unfilled, and numerous reductions to transportation, technology, maintenance, instructional supplies, contracted services, and equipment replacement budgets.
 
“We cannot ignore what is being lost,” Wallace said. “Summer and afterschool programs provide students with valuable academic support and enrichment opportunities. The decision not to move forward with the elementary RISE program delays an important intervention designed to address what has become a critical need in terms of student safety and well-being. Reductions to dual enrollment funding will require limitations on student participation and credit opportunities. These losses matter deeply to our students, families, and staff, and we cannot pretend they are harmless.”
Board President Todd Ferrante said the Board’s guiding principle throughout the process was protecting students and employees to the greatest extent possible while responding responsibly to the financial reality before it.
 
“Every option before us carried consequences, and there were no easy answers,” Ferrante said. “The Board and administration approached this process with one guiding principle: protect students and honor our commitments whenever possible. That meant preserving the negotiated agreements, maintaining critical student safety investments, addressing rising operational costs, and protecting programs we believe are essential to student success.”
 
“It also meant making difficult decisions within our own organization,” Ferrante continued. “School system leadership chose to leave the vacant Chief Operations and Human Relations Officer position unfilled and absorb those responsibilities across the executive team so that limited resources could remain focused on students and classrooms. Even with those sacrifices, meaningful reductions were unavoidable. I find it deeply disappointing and frustrating that the majority of County Commissioners – Commissioners Abbott, Bertino, Bunting, and Elder – who voted against fully funding our budget request have once again chosen not to make public education a priority. As voters head to the polls this June, I ask them to remember who stood up for our students, our teachers, and our schools and who chose not to. Our students only get one chance at their education. They deserve leaders who will fight for them, invest in them, and believe in their future. I hope our community will make its voice heard and send a clear message that Worcester County’s children must always come first.”
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