Commissioners Support $1 Million Increase For Charles County Public Schools

LA PLATA, Md. — The Charles County Board of Commissioners reached consensus Tuesday, May 5, to recommend adding an additional $1 million for Charles County Board of Education teacher and employee compensation as part of the county’s proposed FY2027 budget.

The proposal was submitted by Commissioner Gilbert “BJ” Bowling during the commissioners’ FY2027 budget work session reviewing add/delete requests ahead of the county’s final budget adoption scheduled for Monday, May 12.

According to budget documents presented during the meeting, the proposal was categorized under education and focused specifically on supporting teacher and employee compensation within Charles County Public Schools.

Bowling originally proposed funding the request by reducing the county’s pretrial services program by $300,000 and reducing the rental registry program by $700,000.

During discussions, however, county fiscal staff advised commissioners that sufficient unassigned fund balance was available to support the full $1 million request without reducing either program.

Jake Dyer, director of fiscal and administrative services, said using unassigned fund balance would allow the county to maintain existing funding levels for pretrial services and the rental registry program while still recommending the additional school funding.

Commissioners agreed to recommend using unassigned fund balance to support the additional $1 million allocation for Charles County Public Schools as part of the proposed FY2027 budget package.

A separate proposal from Commissioner Amanda Stewart to provide an additional $800,000 for the Board of Education by redirecting funding originally proposed for a future inspector general office did not receive enough support to advance after commissioners Thomasina Coates, Ralph Patterson and Reuben Collins voiced opposition to the request.

Watch the full May 5 Board of Commissioners budget work session meeting on CCGTV.

See all of the Commissioner General Fund Operating Add/Deletes Here.

---