As Maryland legislators prepare to convene in Annapolis for another legislative session, the push to massively increase education spending under the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is both reckless and deeply concerning.
With our state facing projected multibillion-dollar deficits and a recent “negative” credit rating outlook from Moody’s, it is astounding that lawmakers continue to advocate for an unfunded mandate of this magnitude without offering a clear, sustainable funding plan.
Maryland’s credit rating was downgraded from stable to negative because of irresponsible plans to increase education spending by over $4 billion annually by 2029, with no reliable financial strategy in place. This should not be dismissed as business as usual.
It is a stark warning from the financial markets: Maryland’s fiscal house is in disarray, and credit markets are losing confidence in our leadership. If Maryland were a private business, its executives would be ousted for such reckless financial mismanagement.
Despite repeated warnings and detailed recommendations from boards of education across the state, lawmakers seem uninterested in making meaningful adjustments to the Blueprint. One obvious step would be to eliminate the universal pre-K mandate.
The reality is undeniable: we lack the teachers, space, and resources to provide this program effectively, while our existing K-12 system is already under strain. Forcing an unworkable, state-mandated program onto schools is a recipe for chaos and failure.
While early childhood education is valuable, mandating public schooling for three- and four-year-olds—many of whom are not even potty-trained—is shortsighted. Schools should not be saddled with a burdensome program that stretches their resources to the breaking point. Instead, local boards of education should be allowed to design pre-K programs that reflect the unique needs of their communities. Harford County has already implemented a need-based pre-K system that works.
But this and other sensible recommendations have been outright ignored by lawmakers who seem more interested in grandstanding than governing.
Some may suggest raising taxes to fund this debacle, but Maryland’s economic competitiveness is already in a freefall. According to the 2024 State Business Tax Climate Index, Maryland ranks 45th. Increasing taxes will only accelerate the exodus of businesses and residents to lower-tax states, further hollowing out our economic base.
The evidence is undeniable. Each year, Maryland bleeds taxpayers. According to the latest IRS Interstate Migration Report, Maryland lost another 0.44% of its residents in 2022, continuing a troubling annual trend. Ranking 43rd out of 50 states for net migration, Maryland lost $2.72 billion in adjusted gross income as residents fled to lower-tax states, primarily in the South. How much more must we lose before lawmakers admit their policies are failing?
The trajectory is unsustainable and irresponsible. Maryland’s leaders are gambling with our children’s future and the financial health of the state. It’s time to demand real fiscal accountability and stop passing the buck to taxpayers and future generations. Maryland must adopt sensible, achievable solutions before the damage becomes irreversible.
The primary approach to any situation is to establish a model policy that would require every school district in a state to “create and maintain a searchable expenditure and revenue…database” in an easily accessible and public format. By creating a task force of nonpartisan experts to study and review state-wide data and increasing transparency in education expenditures, school districts can enact the most cost-effective and common sense approaches to increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of education spending. Teachers and Administrative costs have risen over the years and common sense approaches need to established to move forward with a policy agenda that will benefit all students. I have no children in this system but believe me when I say you don’t jump at a cause to be the first one to enact it before you find the monies to establish the means to an end.
@Brandon- the author talks about the lack of a financial plan to pay for it, not robbing children of education. He even says early education is valuable…..
What fresh hell have I awoken to? I don’t have children yet I fear for our future with opinions like the one shared in this article running rampant. Why would a businessman want to rob your children of an education? Because an education is the one thing that no one can ever take from you.