June 9, 2025 Staff Update: BCPS/TABCO Impasse
The following update is from BCPS’ Department of Staff Relations and Employee Performance Management
On Friday June 6, 2025, BCPS and TABCO jointly filed for impasse with the Maryland Public Employment Relations Board (PERB). In Maryland, an impasse in collective bargaining means that parties have reached a point where they are unable to agree on terms despite ongoing negotiations. This message provides resources and information about the impasse process.
Below, please find a description of the impasse process in Maryland; frequently asked questions (FAQ) based on communication received by Staff Relations; and links to resources on the Staff Relations webpage, including contracts and MOUs for all five employee associations.
What is an impasse?
In Maryland, an impasse in collective bargaining means that parties are at a stalemate; the parties are unable to agree on terms despite ongoing negotiations.
How did we get here?
Baltimore County Public Schools relies on state and local funding to operate. Shortfalls at both levels resulted in funding below the system’s request, amounting to a 1.5 percent increase for all staff. While significant efforts were made to bridge the funding gap, the system was required to reopen negotiations; an option included in all employee master agreements. Four of the five employee unions agreed to a delayed compensation package, shifting the start date of the agreements from July 1, 2025, to January 1, 2026, but maintaining all other elements of the original agreements. By delaying employee compensation increases for ALL staff, BCPS is able to avoid class size increases and staff layoffs or furloughs. Additional details can be found in the June 6 update.
What happens next?
- Mediation: Once an impasse is declared a mediator is appointed to help the parties reach an agreement.
- Fact-finding: If mediation fails, fact-finding can be initiated, where a neutral third party investigates the dispute and makes non-binding recommendations.
- Binding arbitration: In some cases, a more formal process, such as binding arbitration, can be used to resolve the impasse.
How can I stay informed?
Resources and updates will be provided on the Staff Relations website Staff Relations and Performance Management - Baltimore County Public Schools.
Staff Relations: Staff Relations and Performance Management - Baltimore County Public Schools
| Doesn’t the contract require the system to fund raises beginning July 1? Doesn’t this amount to a broken promise? |
Because BCPS is not self-funded, the contracts signed by all employee associations contain a stipulation in the event of a funding shortfall. The system received funding below the initial request.
The contract promises compensation unless, “the Baltimore County fiscal authorities, in exercising their authority under the law, reduce the budget recommendations of the Board, and such action makes it necessary for the Board to reduce one or more items that have been negotiated, such items and all other negotiated items that are dependent upon budget funding shall be subject to renegotiation.”
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| Don’t some employee raises begin July 1? Why aren’t all raises – including central office and executive leadership – delayed until January 2026? |
Every single BCPS employee - represented and non-represented, central office or school-based, executive leadership or otherwise - will receive compensation increases beginning January 1, 2026, under the recently signed agreements. |
| Why can’t the BCPS just use more of its fund balance to fund raises beginning July 1? |
Use of fund balance is controlled by Baltimore County Government and may only be appropriated with their approval. The unused projected fund balance for FY26 is $30M. Any additional usage risks leaving the fund at an unsustainable level. Fund balance is used as a regular source of funding for the operating budget every year, ranging from $30 to $50 million. This amount is dependent on prior year expenditures, increased or decreased county, state and federal funding, and ongoing commitments. Because the availability of fund balance varies from year to year, if it is used for ongoing commitments, the amount used must be available every year thereafter. Fund balance must be available for one-time expenditures and emergencies. |
| If the shortfall is affecting the entire state, how are some neighboring counties able to start raises July 1, 2025? |
Each school system is unique in the tools their counties have leveraged to mitigate shortfalls. Some of the strategies employed by other systems and counties have NOT been used including:
- Raising taxes
- Increasing class sizes
- Layoffs or furloughs
Instead, BCPS has made critical cuts to fund delayed compensation packages that:
- provide a raise for all employees
- avoid layoffs and furloughs
- minimize school-level cuts
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| The state of Maryland has fully covered the compensation increases for FY26. |
This statement is not accurate. The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future organizes allocated funds in 13 categories. The specific categories must be followed as written in law. When increased state aid was combined with the FY26 county budget’s $29M increase over FY25, revenue fell short of what was needed to fully fund the year 2 compensation increase in July. |
| BCPS is top-heavy. Why can’t we eliminate central office positions to fund the increase? |
This statement is not accurate. BCPS has the smallest executive level/ Cabinet team amongst large and medium size school systems in Maryland. Additionally, we have reduced 90 central office positions during this budget cycle. |
| We have a $3 billion budget – there is money in the budget to fund increases. |
The increase above last year to BCPS from the County Executive’s budget is $29 million.
BCPS is not a self-funding school system. Options to fund the remaining $28M gap for compensation include raising taxes or increasing class sizes ($1M ≈ 10 positions). Please view the video from the County Council work session on May 27, 2025.
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| Failing to start raises July 1, 2025, means Baltimore County doesn’t support teachers. |
BCPS has demonstrated ongoing support and respect for teachers and all employees. 71% of our compensation budget is allocated to TABCO. Benefits are comparable to other Maryland school systems and Baltimore County Government employees. In FY26, an additional $17M will directly support current and retiree health care benefits for BCPS employees.
Teachers in BCPS are afforded the following:
- Second highest starting salary in the state
- 325 minutes of personal planning time a week- most individual time in state
- Collaborative and personal planning time on every professional development day
- Additional compensation for case management outside the duty day
- Five personal business days a year
- Professional learning that focuses on growth and career advancement
- Quarterly early release time for grading and reporting
Highest semester hours tuition reimbursement per fiscal year in state
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