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<section article="ged" article_name="Education" number="5-206" title_number="5" title_name="Financing" subtitle_number="2" subtitle_name="Aid to Education">
  <level label="a">
    <text>In this section, “Fund” means the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>There is the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The purpose of the Fund is to assist in providing adequate funding for early childhood education and primary and secondary education to provide a world–class education to students so they are prepared for college and a career in the global economy of the 21st century, based on the recommendations of the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>The Department shall administer the Fund.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Fund is a special, nonlapsing fund that is not subject to § 7–302 of the State Finance and Procurement Article.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The State Treasurer shall hold the Fund separately, and the Comptroller shall account for the Fund.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>The Fund consists of:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Revenue distributed to the Fund under Title 9, Subtitles 1D and 1E of the State Government Article and §§ 2–4A–02, 2–605.1, and 2–1303 of the Tax – General Article;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Money appropriated in the State budget for the Fund;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Interest earned by the Academic Excellence Fund established under  § 6–1105 of this article; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Any other money from any other source accepted for the benefit of the Fund.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Fund may be used only to assist in providing adequate funding for:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Early childhood education, primary and secondary education, and other programs, based on the recommendations of the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education, including revised education funding formulas;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Maryland prekindergarten expansion grants; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Early childhood education, primary and secondary education, and other programs for costs associated with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19), including:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>One–time primary and secondary education aid grants provided in fiscal year 2022 to:</text>
        </level>
        <level label="A">
          <text>Address enrollment declines related to the COVID–19 pandemic; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="B">
          <text>Ensure that every county board receives an increase in State education aid over the amount of State education aid the county board received in fiscal year 2021; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Grants provided in fiscal years 2021 and 2022 for:</text>
        </level>
        <level label="A">
          <text>Summer school programs, tutoring, and other supplemental instruction programs to address student learning loss;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="B">
          <text>Identification of and support for students dealing with trauma or behavioral health issues; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="C">
          <text>Schools to safely reopen for in–person instruction.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>The Fund may not be used for school construction under Subtitle 3 of this title.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The Fund may not be used to fund the Academic Excellence Program established under Title 6, Subtitle 11 of this article.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The State Treasurer shall invest the money of the Fund in the same manner as other State money may be invested.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Any interest earnings of the Fund shall be credited to the Fund.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="i">
    <text>Expenditures from the Fund may be made only in accordance with the State budget.</text>
  </level>
</section>
