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HB0976 • 2026

Primary and Secondary Education - Funding Accuracy and Full-Time Equivalent Enrollment Count - Alterations and Report (Education Funding Accuracy Act)

Primary and Secondary Education - Funding Accuracy and Full-Time Equivalent Enrollment Count - Alterations and Report (Education Funding Accuracy Act)

Education
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Delegates Rose , Miller , Anderson , Arentz , Arikan , Baker , Beauchamp , Bouchat , Buckel , Ciliberti , Griffith , Hartman , Hinebaugh , Hornberger , Howard , Hutchinson , Jacobs , Kipke , R. Long , Mangione , McComas , Metzgar , T. Morgan , Nkongolo , Pippy , Reilly , Schmidt , Tomlinson , Valentine , and Wivell
Last action
2026-03-11
Official status
In the House - Hearing 3/11 at 1:35 p.m.
Effective date
2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Primary and Secondary Education - Funding Accuracy and Full-Time Equivalent Enrollment Count - Alterations and Report (Education Funding Accuracy Act)

Altering the definition of "full-time equivalent enrollment" in the calculation for State education aid to include the average number of students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12 on September 30 and May 31 of the prior school year; requiring the State Department of Education to publish online and submit a certain report to certain standing committees of the General Assembly; and applying the Act to the calculation of education funding for fiscal years beginning after June 30, 2027.

What This Bill Does

  • Altering the definition of "full-time equivalent enrollment" in the calculation for State education aid to include the average number of students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12 on September 30 and May 31 of the prior school year; requiring the State Department of Education to publish online and submit a certain report to certain standing committees of the General Assembly; and applying the Act to the calculation of education funding for fiscal years beginning after June 30, 2027.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-11 House

    Hearing canceled

  2. 2026-03-11 House

    Hearing 3/11 at 1:35 p.m.

  3. 2026-02-17 House

    Hearing 3/11 at 1:00 p.m.

  4. 2026-02-09 House

    Reassigned to Appropriations

  5. 2026-02-06 House

    First Reading Ways and Means

  6. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - First - Primary and Secondary Education - Funding Accuracy and Full-Time Equivalent Enrollment Count - Alterations and Report (Education Funding Accuracy Act)

Official Summary Text

Altering the definition of "full-time equivalent enrollment" in the calculation for State education aid to include the average number of students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12 on September 30 and May 31 of the prior school year; requiring the State Department of Education to publish online and submit a certain report to certain standing committees of the General Assembly; and applying the Act to the calculation of education funding for fiscal years beginning after June 30, 2027.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0976*

HOUSE BILL 976
F1 6lr1137
HB 1200/24 – APP CF SB 712
By: Delegates Rose, Miller, Anderson, Arentz, Arikan, Baker, Beauchamp,
Bouchat, Buckel, Ciliberti, Griffith, Hartman, Hinebaugh, Hornberger,
Howard, Hutchinson, Jacobs, Kipke, R. Long, Mangione, McComas,
Metzgar, T. Morgan, Nkongolo, Pippy, Reilly, Schmidt, Tomlinson,
Valentine, and Wivell
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2026
Assigned to: Ways and Means

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Primary and Secondary Education – Funding Accuracy and Full–Time 2
Equivalent Enrollment Count – Alterations and Report 3
(Education Funding Accuracy Act) 4

FOR the purpose of altering the definition of “ full–time equivalent enrollment” in the 5
calculation for State education aid to include the average number of students 6
enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12 on certain days of the prior school year; 7
requiring the State Department of Education to publish online and submit a certain 8
report to certain standing committees of the General Assembly; and generally 9
relating to the calculation of State aid for primary and secondary education. 10

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 11
Article – Education 12
Section 5–201(a), (e), (f), and (t) 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 16
Article – Education 17
Section 5–201(g) 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 20

BY adding to 21
Article – Education 22
Section 5–244 23
Annotated Code of Maryland 24
2 HOUSE BILL 976

(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 1

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 2
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 3

Article – Education 4

5–201. 5

(a) In this subtitle, except as otherwise provided, the following words have the 6
meanings indicated. 7

(e) “Enrollment count” means the greater of: 8

(1) The full–time equivalent enrollment; or 9

(2) The 3–year moving average enrollment. 10

(f) “Foundation program” means the product of the annual per pupil foundation 11
amount and a county’s enrollment count. 12

(g) “Full–time equivalent enrollment” means the sum of: 13

(1) The AVERAGE number of students enroll ed in kindergarten through 14
grade 12 or their equivalent in regular day school programs on September 30 AND MAY 31 15
of the prior school year; 16

(2) The number of full –time equivalent students, as determined by a 17
regulation of the Department, enrolled in evening high school programs during the prior 18
school year; and 19

(3) The number of P –TECH students, as provided in § 7 –1804(b) of this 20
article. 21

(t) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, “3–year moving 22
average enrollment” means the average of the full –time equivalent enrollment in the 3 23
prior school years. 24

(2) If the 3 prior school years includes the 2020 –2021 school year, “3–year 25
moving average enrollment” means: 26

(i) The sum of the full –time equivalent enrollment for the 4 pr ior 27
school years minus the 2020–2021 school year full–time equivalent enrollment; divided by 28

(ii) Three. 29

5–244. 30
HOUSE BILL 976 3

ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 31, 2026, AND EACH DECEMBER 31 THEREAFTER, 1
THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PUBLISH ON ITS WEBSITE AND S UBMIT TO THE SENATE 2
BUDGET AND TAXATION COMMITTEE AND THE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS 3
COMMITTEE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT 4
ARTICLE, A REPORT ON: 5

(1) THE ENROLLMENT COUNT USED TO CALCULATE FU LL–TIME 6
EQUIVALENT ENROLLMENT, DISAGGREGATED BY COUNTY; 7

(2) THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN EACH COUNTY IN EACH 8
ENROLLMENT CATEGORY, INCLUDING “WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN”; 9

(3) THE FULL–TIME EQUIVALENT ENRO LLMENT NUMBER USED T O 10
CALCULATE FUNDING FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR; AND 11

(4) EACH COUNTY’S ALLOCATION OF PER PUPIL STATE AND LOCAL 12
EDUCATION FUNDING. 13

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 14
1, 202 6, and shall be applicable to the calculation of education funding for fiscal years 15
beginning after June 30, 2027. 16