The Trump administration notified Maryland education leaders on Mar. 28 that they would be losing $400 million in federal education funding reimbursements, specifically COVID-19 relief funding. During the pandemic, Maryland received approximately $3.2 billion in pandemic relief, and most of that relief had been spent, according to the Washington Post.
The federal relief funding came from the Education Stabilization Fund, which was established under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES). The Education Stabilization Fund is composed of four different funds that support efforts to help students after COVID-19.
MCPS is the largest school system in Maryland and has a budget of $3.6 billion for the 2026 fiscal year. However, only 2.9% of our budget comes from federal funding, and 28% of our funding comes from the state. About 66% of our funding comes from local sources. These cuts to funding may impact this community. This school has been waiting to be renovated for 15 years and is one of two schools in the entire county that has never undergone a major capital improvement, according to the Capital Improvement Program Testimony to the Montgomery County Council.
Due to these funding cuts and potential future cuts, renovations may take even longer than originally planned. Conditions include unsanitary bathrooms, faulty air ventilation and a dangerous parking lot. “How are we supposed to be successful in a school where the ceiling panels are falling off?” junior Emma Fredenberger said.
For the 2026 fiscal year, the Board of Education requested $477 million for capital improvements, while the county executive’s recommendation was $366 million , approximately $110 million less than the BOE’s request. With these cuts to Maryland’s funding and the 28% of MCPS funding that comes from the state, these cuts will likely impact this school’s renovation date.
Additionally, students are concerned about a loss of funding for extracurriculars as well as renovations. Sophomore Jasmine Wang said “We are not going to have [funding] for any renovations, supplies, and sports activities, for example, funding for buses to transport [athletes] to wherever they need to go.”
On top of federal funding cuts, Governor Wes Moore included education budget cuts in the Maryland 2026 budget. While only 2.9% of funding comes from the government, 28% of our funding comes from the state, meaning this could have a much larger impact.
According to ABC News, Moore plans to pause the massive education spending plan titled The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. This program increases state funding for education, accelerates student outcomes and improves the quality of education in Maryland, according to the Maryland Department of Education.
The Blueprint plan has five pillars, which consist of early childhood education, high-quality and diverse teachers, college and career readiness, more resources for all students to be successful and governance and accountability. Creating cuts to this program could “cause our schools to have less resources, poorer academic performance and create greater disparities between lower-income schools and wealthier schools,” junior Sophia Missoi said.
