(WMAR) — Anne Arundel County Board of Education voted 8-1 in favor of a $1.27 billion FY 2020 operating budget that aims to add 223 teacher positions and increase employee pay.
School officials say the additional teacher positions are an in an effort to reduce class sizes with 35 more positions intended to help enrollment growth. The $48.1 million in compensation increase will be distributed to all eligible employees.
The budget also helps to fund 18 additional school counselors, eight additional school psychologists, six additional social workers, and three additional pupil personnel workers to boost the school system's initiative to address the social and emotional health needs of students.
Funding will also expand the Enhancing Elementary Excellence (Triple E) program to elementary schools in the Broadneck and Glen Burnie area. Oakwood and Richard Henry Lee elementary schools, are unable to have the program for the next school year due to space reasons, so they will have Triple E in 2020-2021.
The Board made no adjustments to the budget approved on June 14 by the County Council, which aligned funding in 14 state categories.
For more information on the approved budget, click here.
