MARYLAND, USA — Newly inaugurated Gov. Wes Moore announced his plans Friday for the 2024 budget, highlighting transportation and education as his areas of focus.
"Our first budget is strategic," Gov. Moore said. "It prepares us to weather risk in the larger economy and makes historic investments to position us for our future growth and make this next decade Maryland’s decade."
The budget for fiscal year 2024 includes a $500 million investment to the fund of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, which was passed by the Maryland General Assembly in 2021 to transform public education in the state into a world-class education system. The Blueprint is set to increase education funding by $3.8 billion each year over the span of 10 years.
"His [Gov. Moore] prudent and strategic move to forward fund the Blueprint by $500 million will further enhance the sustainable funding needed to deliver these game-changing investments in our students over the long term," said Cheryl Bost, a fourth and fifth-grade teacher in Baltimore County and president of the Maryland State Education Association.
Education will also see a record funding amount for K-12 with $8.8 billion for public schools in the state. There will also be $15 million granted for new teacher recruitment incentive program through the Maryland Educator Shortage Act.
“Governor Moore’s budget marks the beginning of a new era of commitment and leadership to ensure that every student has an outstanding public school where they can pursue their dreams," Bost said. "He upholds his promise to support students and educators by fully funding the FY24 state share of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, which will expand career and technical education programs and pre-kindergarten, address educator shortages, and raise educator pay."
Another $500 million is being committed to transportation to support strategic projects across the state that align with Maryland's competitive goals.
"This budget helps to solidify the fact that this is going to be Maryland's decade. This is the most ambitious budget that you will see for a first year in recent history, but I think in this budget we show you can be bold without being reckless," Moore said.
The budget announcement comes a day after Moore made his first executive orders, which include plans for $69 million worth of unreleased funds.