State board backs charter school funding framework after heated feedback

The Maryland State Board of Education voted to grant permission to adopt COMAR 13A.0210, a regulatory framework intended to clarify charter school funding and administrative procedures after more than two decades of unsettled state guidance.

MSDE staff summarized 39 public comments received during the formal comment window and described additional stakeholder outreach conducted over the prior 18 months. Issues raised included the local administrative fee, treatment of special education costs and adjustments, a requirement for a common charter application across LEAs, and timing of implementation. Ms. Carol Beck and other staff identified six principal comment themes and said draft superintendent guidance will be issued quickly to support LEAs and charter operators during implementation.

Board members pressed for explicit monitoring and a timeline for review. MSDE and the board committed to revisit the framework after the first year of implementation, with periodic check-ins (staff proposed at least fall reporting and a review in advance of FY28 budgets). Dr. Wright said guidance will accompany the rule and that the State Board expects the framework to be strengthened through both regulatory fixes and superintendent guidance over time.

What’s next: Permission to adopt was approved; MSDE will publish guidance and bring forward a proposed timeline for monitoring and review. The board required reporting on implementation during the first year to inform any needed adjustments.