LEGISLATION
2026 PRIORITIES & RECOMMENDATIONS
Support District Budget Stabilization and Practical Relief
While we appreciate the Hold Harmless for CEP districts this year, we would respectfully request an overall enrollment hold harmless for FY '27 for districts experiencing current declines to anchor FY2027 operations while trends normalize. This practical relief has been embraced by previous Maryland leaders. In 2021, the General Assembly removed the September 2020 count from the three-year rolling average, and in 2023, they provided similar relief when faced with a precipitous decline in compensatory education enrollment.
Support the CIP Requests and the Recommendations of the IAC Workgroup
The Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) requests for each district are available in a PDF list. While we appreciate your support for these initiatives, we also encourage delegates to support the recommendations of the Inter Agency Council (IAC) workgroup. The commission includes representatives of PSSAM, MACo, and the AIB, regarding alternative funding sources and future initiatives.
Advocacy and Funding for Additional Special Education Resources on the Eastern Shore
Currently, there is only one Special Education resource on the Shore: Benedictine. As of this school year, five of the Eastern Shore school districts (Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne's, Talbot, and Dorchester) are required to send 32 students to the Western Shore for special education services (emotional disability or autism) because their LRE placements are not available on the Eastern Shore. It is costing $4.4 million in services and transportation for these 32 students. If they could be served on the Shore, it would save these districts over $1 million in transportation costs alone. We would like to bring your attention to how the Southern Maryland districts tackled this lack of resources.
Support the DJS Commission Recommendations for a Strong School Safety Framework for Students and Staff
ESMEC affirms that safe schools are essential in ensuring effective learning conditions and require robust interagency collaboration among education, human services, and law enforcement. A strong framework depends on a sensible reportable offenses structure, including school system receipt of timely, actionable information when students are charged with serious crimes, so schools can plan supports and maintain school safety while upholding student rights. ESMEC supports the policy recommendations from this stakeholder legislative mandated commission to improve system-wide processes and communication.