HAMPTON, Md. (WBFF) — Maryland’s public schools are declining nationally.
According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, despite Annapolis increasing education funding, Maryland’s school ranking has fallen significantly over the past decade.
As a former Baltimore City teacher, Maryland State Delegate Kathy Szeliga, says she is disappointed with the findings of the national study, released earlier this month, by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which is based in Baltimore.
“The results are abysmal,” remarked Szeliga. “Instead of Maryland achieving more, we’re actually declining.”
The Annie E. Casey Foundation, every year, releases the Kids Count Data Book. The study ranks states in various categories based on child well-being. One category is education – where Maryland has declined.
According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, despite Annapolis increasing education funding, Maryland’s school ranking has fallen significantly over the past decade (WBFF)
The study compares states educationally, based on pre-school attendance, public school math and reading proficiencies, and high school graduation rates.
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In 2016, according to the Kids Count Data Book, Maryland was ranked 13th in the country for education. By 2021, Maryland had fallen to 20th. In 2025, Maryland improved to 18th. But, in this year’s report, 2026, Maryland has fallen back to 20th – where it was in 2021, when the state passed a law which drastically increased public education spending.
In 2021, Maryland lawmakers in Annapolis passed the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future – the largest education spending increase in state history. According to the Department of Legislative Services, for fiscal years 2023 to 2027, Maryland passed budgets that increased annual local and state education funding from $12.6 billion to $15.8 billion – a $3.2 billion increase. Taxpayers were told more funding would improve public schools.
According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, states such as Florida, Tennessee and Mississippi now rank higher than Maryland for public education (WBFF)
In April of 2024, Senator Bill Ferguson said this about the passing of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, “The right increased investment with the right accountability will make the difference to make a better school system across the state.”
But according to the study, Maryland schools have not improved in national rankings. Maryland’s 2026 education ranking is the same as 2021, when the Blueprint passed.
“Blueprint is not working, and we need lawmakers to admit it doesn’t work,” stated Szeliga. “Turn the corner. Try something different, but putting more and more money into a system that is clearly not working is not good for students.”
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According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, states such as Florida, Tennessee and Mississippi now rank higher than Maryland for public education. Over the same ten years that Maryland fell 7 spots to number 20, Mississippi jumped 31 spots to number 16.
According to the U.S. Census, in 2024, the most recent year federal data is available, Maryland public schools spent $20,208 per student. Meanwhile, Mississippi spent $12,324 per student. The U.S average was $17,619. Mississippi spends about $8,000 less per student and its schools are rated higher than Maryland’s, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
According to the U.S. Census, in 2024, the most recent year federal data is available, Maryland public schools spent $20,208 per student (WBFF)
“Taxpayers deserve better, but more importantly, students and parents deserve better,” said Szeliga. “They trust their kids to the public school system, and then when they graduate as seniors and they don’t have basic skills that they need to go into the workforce or go to college, Maryland is not helping students. Maryland is failing students and parents when we see these kinds of outcomes.”
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