Barton Gilman secured a major win for its client, Baltimore City Public Charter Schools, in a challenge to the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) funding formula adopted by the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners (local board). The ruling confirmed that the board’s formula ignored prior state guidance on fair and transparent funding. As a result, the local board must recalculate charter school allocations, limiting deductions to legally permitted categories and ensuring that all funding is accounted for openly and fairly.
The case began when fourteen charter school operators filed a Petition for Declaratory Ruling, arguing that the FY26 funding plan violated state law, lacked transparency, and failed to follow established guidance on fair funding.
The State Board reiterated that only three categories—debt service, adult education, and specific special education overages—may legally be classified as non-distributable. The ruling found that the FY26 funding methodology exceeded these limits and failed to meet State Board transparency requirements. As a result, detailed reporting and transparent recalculation of allocations must be completed by the final quarter of FY26.
“This ruling sends a powerful message that transparency and fairness in school funding are not optional,” said Patricia A. Hennessy, co-chair of the firm’s Education Law Group. “It ensures that every dollar is accounted for and directed to the students and schools who need it most, setting a clear standard for the future.
The ruling not only sends a strong message but also ensures accountability in Baltimore’s public education system, protecting resources for schools and students and shaping future funding decisions.
Barton Gilman (bglaw.com) serves clients throughout the Northeast with offices in Boston, MA, Providence, RI, New York, NY, Philadelphia, PA, Milford, CT, and Fairfield, NJ offering legal services in over twenty-five service areas, including education law, employment, medical malpractice and aging services defense, professional liability defense, insurance coverage and bad faith litigation, product liability and general liability, business and commercial litigation, as well as immigration, family law, trusts and estates, criminal defense, corporate formation, intellectual property, and real estate. Committed to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, Barton Gilman achieved Mid size Mansfield Certification Plus status in 2023. The firm and its attorneys have received numerous awards and accolades, including Best Lawyers, Best Law Firms, Best Women-Led Law Firms, Bridge Tower Media’s 2024 Best Places to Work: Law Firms List, Best Places to Work Rhode Island, Outstanding Philanthropic Business, Common Good Award, and Super Lawyers.
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