Dollars & Decisions —What the Blueprint Means for PGCPS🏛️

This is the third installment of Dollars & Decisions — a series charting the path ahead toward the FY 2027 budget.

What the Blueprint for Maryland's Future Means for PGCPS

As we move further into the FY26 budget cycle, the steps taken to tighten spending and stabilize operations are laying the groundwork for what comes next.

The PGCPS budget continues to be shaped by the state’s Blueprint for Maryland’s Future as we progress through implementation.

A New Era in School Funding

Blueprint for Maryland's Future marks the most sweeping overhaul of public education funding in decades. Designed to promote equity and opportunity, it changes how state dollars flow to districts and how they must be used.

For PGCPS, the rollout of this new funding system converges with an already difficult budget year.

The district enters FY27 with fewer students, limited reserves, and growing costs in areas not fully funded by the state, such as transportation and special education. At the same time, new Blueprint mandates expand district responsibilities: from raising educator pay and expanding pre-K access to strengthening college and career readiness pathways.

Because funding is tied to enrollment, fewer students mean less revenue, even as fixed costs like salaries, benefits, and utilities continue to climb. Most new state aid will come through specific Blueprint “buckets,” each with strict spending rules and accountability measures.

That’s why the FY26 spending controls are vital to stabilize the district now and prepare PGCPS for a leaner funding environment ahead.

Student-Based Budgeting (SBB) & What It Means for Schools

FY27 will also mark the rollout of an updated Student-Based Budgeting (SBB) model designed to better align with Blueprint priorities and ensure resources follow students more directly.

SBB allocates funding to schools based on student characteristics and needs, rather than a fixed per-school formula. Under the revised model, allocations will reflect:

✅ Blueprint-driven categories such as compensatory education, special education, and multilingual learner supports.

✅ Equity weights that direct more resources to schools serving higher concentrations of students requiring additional support.

✅ Greater transparency in how funds are distributed and how Blueprint funding connects to local dollars.

Because both Blueprint funding and SBB are driven by enrollment and demographics, some schools may see dramatic changes in their funding.

Schools with increasing enrollment or higher numbers of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, multilingual learners, or students receiving special education services will receive proportionally more.

Schools with declining enrollment or fewer students receiving specialized instruction will receive less.

For example, a principal at a school where the number of multilingual learners has grown might see more funding for language support staff, bilingual family outreach, or tutoring programs.

Another school with fewer students overall may have a smaller general allocation, requiring leaders to rethink schedules, combine sections, or share staff across grades.

What’s Next

In the coming months, teams across PGCPS will work to translate Blueprint requirements into the FY27 budget plan, identifying where funding can expand opportunity, balanced with sustaining core operations.

We invite you to join us on Tuesday, November 18 at 6:00 p.m. for an employee telephone town hall to learn more about development of the FY27 budget. All staff will receive a call at 6 p.m. to participate.

2027 Budget: Key Dates & Resources 

The coming months will require collective discipline, creativity, and collaboration.
PGCPS will continue to communicate transparently as the district navigates this fiscal landscape.

Stay tuned for updates through our Dollars & Decisions series as we navigate these choices together.