Maryland has long been a front-runner in pre-K to 12 school reform, setting the stage for groundbreaking education initiatives that garnered national attention. But the state is now backpedaling from the ambitious commitments made in the 2021 legislation, the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, which was once hailed as a transformative model for public education.
The Blueprint outlines a sweeping agenda that includes preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds, increased teacher salaries, enhanced teacher preparation and tutoring time, more rigorous college and career readiness standards, expanded resources like school wraparound services, and a strong accountability framework. Its gradual implementation through 2033 represents one of the boldest and most comprehensive school reform efforts ever undertaken in the United States. A crucial component of this initiative is the integration of a school performance plan to ensure accountability and track progress at every level of education.
But how far is Maryland backpedaling, and what’s driving this reversal?
The budget proposed for 2026 by Democratic Gov. Wes Moore slashes deeply into state and local Blueprint funding, cutting approximately $238 million—about 15 percent of the additional education funding outlined in the Blueprint law. Such a significant cut threatens the integrity of the entire reform, undermining its long-term goals.
In the ever-competitive world of state budgets, education is now being overshadowed by other pressing priorities. While the Blueprint faces cuts, funding for other sectors is on the rise. Moore’s budget proposal includes an additional $420 million for transportation, $122 million for law enforcement, and $128 million for “industries of the future.” These increases further highlight the shifting priorities away from education reform, despite the urgent need to invest in Maryland’s schoolchildren.
This shift in priorities comes at a steep cost. The proposed cuts will accumulate over time, potentially reducing Blueprint funding by $2.5 billion through 2029—nearly 30 percent of the estimated $8 billion allocated for those years. By the time the Blueprint sunsets in 2033, the total loss could be even higher. Reductions to community schools and wraparound behavioral health supports could tack on another $730 million in losses over the next five years. These wraparound services, essential components of the school performance plan, are critical for supporting students’ academic and emotional well-being.
While the governor’s budget is complex and filled with uncertainties, the big picture is crystal clear: the proposed cuts pose an existential threat to the future of the Blueprint.
The harm is compounded by the Blueprint’s existing growing pains. From the outset, critical areas like interventions for struggling learners, classroom coaches for literacy and math, and behavioral specialists have been underfunded. The school performance plan relies heavily on these resources to ensure that students receive the individualized support they need to succeed.
The primary reason for this backpedaling is Maryland’s large fiscal shortfall, projected at $3 billion this year and more than $6 billion by fiscal 2030. While this budget crisis is real, the disproportionate impact on education is troubling. Moore’s budget proposes $2 billion in total cuts, but the reductions to the Blueprint hit schoolchildren the hardest.
Adding to the concern, the true impact of these cuts is being obscured. The figures provided by the governor don’t account for the ripple effect on local school funding. The proposed state “savings” often translate to even larger actual losses at the local level, further jeopardizing school districts’ ability to implement critical reforms outlined in their school performance plan.
Contrary to claims made by some political officials, Blueprint funding isn’t the primary cause of the state’s budget deficits. Incremental increases to Blueprint funding through 2030 represent a relatively modest share of the state’s overall spending. In fact, the expected Blueprint costs for 2026 would have made up only 2.38 percent of Maryland’s $67.3 billion operating budget.
One of the most damaging cuts affects the program designed to give teachers more planning and tutoring time. Defenders of these cuts argue that staffing shortages would have made it difficult to implement the program anyway, but this reasoning falls short. “They have cut the teacher-time program for four years, despite the probability that all-out recruiting and retention initiatives would gradually tackle the shortages.” The governor’s proposed new investments in teacher recruitment simply don’t match the scale of the cuts, leaving schools without the resources necessary to improve educational outcomes.
Public support for investing in education remains strong. A 2019 Goucher poll revealed that 74 percent of Maryland voters were willing to pay more in state taxes to improve public education. A 2023 Hart Research poll echoed this sentiment, with 77 percent of voters emphasizing the importance of ensuring sufficient revenue for public education, health care, and public safety. This widespread support underscores the disconnect between state leadership and the electorate.
Maryland officials have options beyond deep budget cuts. They could balance the looming fiscal shortfall by combining revenue increases with spending reductions. Yet, the current approach is heavily skewed toward cuts. The governor’s proposed budget includes just $1 billion in additional revenue—an amount that barely scratches the surface of available options, such as tax reforms targeting the wealthiest residents. Maryland is one of the wealthiest states in the nation, but political leaders have lacked the courage to pursue meaningful tax increases to protect essential programs like the Blueprint.
What lessons can other states learn from Maryland’s struggles with the Blueprint? One of the most important is that bold legislative victories are only the beginning. “Instead of resting on the laurels of passing bold legislation, the governor and legislature must have staying power to achieve effective implementation.”
Sustaining such an ambitious education reform requires transparency, adaptability, and strong political will—qualities Maryland’s leadership has fallen short on. Raising taxes is undoubtedly a difficult political move, but history has shown that bold leadership can turn the tide.
Maryland still has time to course-correct. Reinvesting in the Blueprint and fully committing to the school performance plan can put the state back on track to fulfilling its promise of a world-class education system. The children of Maryland deserve that chance, and the nation deserves a successful model of school reform to emulate.
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