School budget shrinks as state aid drops $2.2 million

What happened

Washington County adopted its 2026-27 budget on June 23, 2026. The school division's General School Fund comes to $106,800,268, which is $739,389 less than the year before. State money fell $2,210,563 to $64,768,889 and other local income fell $775,535, while federal money rose $846,709. The county put in $1,400,000 more of its own, taking its contribution to $32,053,567, but the School Board had asked for $2,500,000 more. This is the third year running the fund has been set lower before the county's transfer: $77,338,594, then $76,886,090, now $74,746,701.

Why it matters to families

Education is 62.25% of everything Washington County spends, so the school budget is the county budget's biggest single piece. Most of the money comes from the state and follows students, so when state aid drops the county either makes it up or the schools spend less. Here the county covered a bit over half of what the School Board asked for, and the fund still ended up smaller than last year. Because Washington County Public Schools' own board records could not be read, this page cannot say what the division cut or protected in response.

The evidence

Washington County's adopted operating budget for FY 2026-2027 records the General School Fund at $74,746,701 before the county transfer, against $76,886,090 adopted for FY 2026, and shows education at 62.25% of the $196,500,041 total. The county's requested and recommended budget for FY 2026-2027 sets out the funding sources: local county contributions rising from $30,653,567 to a requested $33,153,567 and a recommended $32,053,567, state income falling $2,210,563, other local income falling $775,535 and federal income rising $846,709, for a total of $106,800,268 against $107,539,657. The FY 2025-2026 adopted budget supplies the $77,338,594 figure for FY 2025.

The source