Anne Arundel County Schools Superintendent Mark Bedell on Wednesday night unveiled a $1.9 billion spending plan for next year that he characterized as responsible amid budgetary constraints and uncertainty at the state and federal levels.

Bedell’s operating budget for fiscal year 2027 is 6.5% larger than the spending plan in place now. He said roughly half of the $116 million in new spending he has proposed would go to employee pay and benefit increases, not new programs.

“I wanted to do more but not at the expense of existing positions,” Bedell said. “This recommendation does not lay off a single employee.”

The school board will hold two public hearings on the proposed budget. The first one will be Jan. 6 at Severn Run High, and the second will be at the Parham Building in Annapolis.

The board is scheduled to adopt a budget as early as Feb. 18.

Here are seven things to know about the superintendent’s budget recommendation for the fiscal year that begins July 1:

Special education

Bedell proposed big investments in special education to accommodate spikes in the need for services and the severity of students’ disabilities. He wants to use nearly $5 million to add 54 positions serving students with special needs and allocate another $4.6 million to replace federal grant funding for 32 existing positions.

Tutors face cuts

Under Bedell’s plan, the district would cut $4.2 million for tutors. Bedell said the intensive, small-group tutoring the district offered was required and funded by the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. He said the program has been effective and wishes he could keep it going but noted the law requires districts to phase it out. The idea was for other programs to build on these efforts, but some other big spending bumps prescribed by the law haven’t materialized.

Charters get boost

The proposed budget includes $4.1 million to help open New Village Academy Public Charter School in Annapolis Mall and $1.1 million to open the Carver Early Education Center.

2% cost-of-living raises

Bedell praised the district’s 12,000 employees, saying they are responsible for the county’s recent stretch of academic growth. His budget includes $20.2 million to fund a 2% cost-of-living adjustment for all staff and $16.3 million for so-called “step” increases that boost employees’ base pay.

High-poverty schools, laptops and ESL

The budget includes $9.5 million to fund 105 new positions at 20 high-poverty schools, $3 million to purchase new Windows laptops for all ninth and 10th graders and $1.2 million to support the district’s growing number of English language learners.

Holding the line

The superintendent emphasized that his budget is conservative because he anticipates financial strain in 2026. “Over the last several years, we have crafted budgets aimed at long-term sustainability while talking openly about the tougher economic times that were on the horizon. Those days are here now.”

New construction

Bedell proposed a $231.7 million capital budget that includes funding for construction projects at Old Mill High, Old Mill Middle North, Ruth Parker Eason School, Riviera Beach Elementary and Arundel Middle, which will receive new students next school year under the redistricting plan the board adopted last month.