MCEA’s 2026 Local Legislative Priorities
Every year, we take steps to advance the legislative goals of educators, students, and our union through action – by coming together to lobby in Rockville and Annapolis to advance our legislative priorities.
This year, your MCEA Board of Directors and the Political Action and Legislative Support (PALS) Committee are prioritizing state legislation (below) that would strengthen Montgomery County Public Schools. These are state bills that would specifically affect Montgomery County, MD.
In addition, MCEA supports the legislative priorities of our state affiliate, the Maryland State Education Association. If you have any questions or concerns, please email [email protected].
Decoupling Commercial and Residential Property Tax Rates
MCEA recommends prioritizing the passage of state legislation that enables local jurisdictions to decouple their commercial and residential property tax rates.
- Rationale: Currently, elected county officials are unable to set different tax rates for commercial and residential properties. We believe that elected county leaders should have financial flexibility and freedom to set different tax rates for commercial and residential properties to fund local priorities, particularly as we enter a period of economic uncertainty.
Board of Education Compensation
MCEA recommends prioritizing the passage of state legislation (MC 2-26) that allows Montgomery County to pay Board of Education members the same salaries as state delegates and senators in the Maryland General Assembly ($50,330.00). This includes paying the President of the Board of Education the same salary as the Senate President and House Speaker ($65,371.00).
- Rationale: Montgomery County Board of Education members make $25,000 per year, with the Board President earning $29,000. Board of Education members oversee an annual budget of over $3 billion for a school system serving more than 160,000 students and employing over 26,000 staff members. We believe that the current salaries deter many from considering a run for the Board of Education. According to the Economic Policy Institute’s family budget calculator, an individual would need to earn at least $63,847 to sustain a modest standard of living in Montgomery County, MD. We believe that increasing the salaries of Board of Education members would be a step towards achieving pay equity.
MCPS Local Food Procurement
MCEA supports the passage of state legislation (MC 7-26) enabling Montgomery County Public Schools to identify and publish certain data on food procured during a certain school year from certified local farms and certified Chesapeake invasive species provers, among other requirements.
- Rationale: MCEA believes that increasing MCPS transparency on this issue, and others, is important for students and the broader Montgomery County community.
MCPS Calendar Requirements
MCEA supports efforts to pass authorizing legislation (MC 14-26) for the Montgomery County Board of Education to require public schools within the county to be open for pupil attendance for a minimum number of actual school days or a minimum number of school hours instead of both.
- Rationale: MCEA believes that this authorizing legislation will provide MCPS with the flexibility it needs to support student achievement by removing existing requirements that burden the school system and its educators.