Behind the Blueprint: Somerset County

State Funding Per Pupil The state’s per-pupil funding for Somerset County Public Schools increased 36.1% between fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2024. That’s the 12th largest increase among all 24 Maryland public school districts. Per-pupil funding is based on a formula…

Behind the Blueprint: Baltimore City

State Funding Per Pupil The state’s per-pupil funding for Baltimore City Public Schools increased 34.6% between fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2024. That’s the tenth smallest increase among all 24 Maryland public school districts. Per-pupil funding is based on a formula…

Behind the Blueprint: Calvert County

State Funding Per Pupil The state’s per-pupil funding for Calvert County Public Schools increased 38.9% between fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2024 That’s the sixth-largest increase among all 24 Maryland public school districts. Per-pupil funding is based on a formula that…

Behind the Blueprint credits

The Local News Network at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism spent six months developing “Behind the Blueprint.” LNN Director Jerry Zremski coordinated the project and served as its lead editor. Other editors on the project were Capital News Service…

School principals prepare to implement the Blueprint For Maryland’s Future

As Maryland rolls out the 2021 landmark education reform law called the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, many school administrators are unsure what the plan means for their schools.

About The Local News Network

The Local News Network at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism aids news outlets throughout Maryland by creating important localized news content and by teaming those news outlets with student reporters. Merrill College launched the Local News…

An unprecedented look at Maryland public school spending

Billions of local, state and federal tax dollars go to funding Maryland’s public schools every year — and now, it will be easier for you to find out how your local school district spent that money. That’s because the Local…

Health care, construction, tech among biggest school expenses

With employee health care costs leading the way, Maryland’s public school districts spent $21.1 billion between fiscal years 2019 and 2022 not on teacher and staff salaries, but on everything else that keeps the schools running. That’s the bottom line…

Some school expenses, big and small, remain a mystery

If you take a look at some of the ways Maryland school districts spend your tax dollars, you may be left with an obvious question: Why? In one major case, it’s not a question the spokesman for Anne Arundel County…

About the project

“Contracted Out” was a massive effort pulled together by four faculty members and dozens of students at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism. Derek Willis, lecturer in computational and data journalism, suggested the project and worked with…