Scott highlights record school funding in Baltimore’s proposed FY27 budget

Baltimore families will see one of the clearest pieces of Mayor Brandon M. Scott’s proposed FY27 budget in the youngest classrooms: $3.2 million for Pre-K programs delivered by Baltimore City Public Schools under the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. The preliminary city budget also directs $645.3 million across all funds to support Baltimore’s young people and other vulnerable communities, even as the administration says it had to close a $12 million funding gap amid federal cuts, global uncertainty and rising costs.

Scott released the preliminary Fiscal Year 2027 city budget on April 1, and the framing was blunt: the city is trying to keep youth programs intact while absorbing financial pressure that has pushed many public budgets tighter. A virtual town hall followed on April 6, and residents later weighed in again during Taxpayer’s Night on April 22, underscoring how closely Baltimore is watching what the budget buys for schools, children and city services.

Inside Baltimore City Public Schools, the money is aimed at more than early childhood seats. The school system approved a separate $1.95 billion FY2027 operating budget on May 5, centering spending on more high-performing schools, school portfolio strategy, students with diverse learning needs, and school climate and student well-being. That budget includes $33 million for literacy and math coaches, $50.4 million for social workers and psychologists, and $24.3 million for counselors and post-secondary advisors, a lineup that points directly to the day-to-day supports students are likely to feel in classrooms and hallways.

Other line items show how the district is trying to spread help across the school year. The FY2027 plan includes $5.4 million for summer learning, $4.45 million for multilingual learner supports, $5.2 million for extended school year services for students with individualized education plans, and $1.2 million for credit recovery. It also sets aside $19.7 million for vocational teachers, $7.7 million for Judy Centers, $41.4 million for fine arts teachers and additional school spending, and $6.6 million for athletic trainers, coaching stipends and centrally coordinated costs.

The city’s FY27 proposal lands against a larger budget picture that has continued to grow. Baltimore City’s adopted FY2026 budget was $4.63 billion, and the school system’s FY2026 operating budget was adopted June 23, 2025. For FY27, the question for families is not just how much Baltimore is spending, but which supports will reach classrooms first and which needs will still be left under pressure as the city balances school funding, youth services and the rest of its core obligations.