SALISBURY, MD - The Wicomico County Board of Education is encouraging neighbors to attend a public hearing on Wicomico’s 2026 operating budget and voice their opinions on public school funding, citing a lack of growth in recent years.
According to WCPS, Wicomico County’s total budget has seen a 65.2% increase overall from 2010 to 2025. The Board of Education budget, however, increased only 1.7% in that same time, according to officials. That reported stagnation has been a source of frustration across public schools.
Officials also shared a graph detailing what each Maryland County spends per student in public schools. Neighboring Worcester County tops the list at $16,591.76 spent per student in their budget. Should Wicomico fail to raise their budget for 2026, officials say they will drop to the lowest spent per student out of all 24 counties, at $3,583.10.
“During the budget development process for the school system and the county, we call on our students, parents and guardians, staff and community to unite and advocate for better funding for education from Wicomico County,” a Wicomico County Public Schools spokesperson wrote in an online post. “Please help ensure that our students receive the local funding they deserve in next year’s county budget.”
Officials said an increase in funding would reduce class overcrowding, enhance school safety, expand extracurriculars, and help schools keep up with rising costs.
Superintendent Micah Stauffer tells WBOC that in addition to what is legally required for public school funding, he’d like to see a 2% investment by the county to restore funding to previous levels.
“That’s what we’re really pushing for our community to understand where we are with local funding,” Stauffer said, “and to help come along beside us and support us in pushing for additional local funding.”
Wicomico County Executive Julie Giordano says she and her staff will weigh community input and answer questions during the public hearing on 2026’s budget, covering all county government spending. That hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday, March 10 at the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center.