Deadline nears for $60K minimum MD teacher salary; 11 counties lagging

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Maryland’s school districts have until July 1 to raise teacher salaries to a $60,000 minimum, and only about half of them have reached that threshold so far, Maryland Matters reported.

Eleven counties are currently below the $60,000 minimum salary for teachers required by the state’s Blueprint for Maryland’s Future plan: Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester.

Specifically on the Lower Shore, Somerset is at $53,978, Wicomico is at $57,000 and Worcester is at $55,789, according to data from the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Accountability and Implementation Board.

Carrie Sterrs, coordinator of public relations and special programs for Worcester County Public Schools, said the Worcester County Board of Education has reached an agreement with the Worcester County Teachers Association that will ensure the county meets the $60,000 minimum starting teacher salary for fiscal year 2027, which begins on July 1.

Victoria Green, public information officer for Somerset County Public Schools, said, “Following the recent approval of our negotiated agreement for the 2025-2026 school year, the current starting salary for teachers in Somerset County Public Schools is $58,378. As part of the ongoing FY27 budget cycle, the school system is evaluating compensation and considering potential adjustments for next year. We remain committed to aligning with the requirements of the Maryland Blueprint for starting teacher salaries while supporting the recruitment and retention of high-quality educators.”

Delmarva Now had not heard from Wicomico County Public Schools by the afternoon of March 17.

Maryland State Education Association President Paul Lemle told Maryland Matters that with budget talks still going on, “it’s too soon to say whether every district will cross the $60,000 starting salary threshold this year.” But he said that salary gains so far have helped cut the teacher vacancy rate by more than half in recent years.

“We strongly encourage all districts in the state to make school funding a priority and ensure that we are doing all that we can to recruit and retain great educators for our students,” Lemle said in a prepared statement.

Because the salary is required by state law, one step the AIB can take to enforce compliance is to withhold funding for school districts until they meet the salary threshold.

Rachel Hise, executive director of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Accountability and Implementation Board, told Maryland Matters that specific criteria, including the possibility of withholding funds, will be laid out in the spring.

Reporting by Keith Demko, Salisbury Daily Times / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect.