Anne Arundel Principals, Administrators Get Cost-of-Living Raise

The new deal provides a 3% pay increase and adjustments for salaries below market rate.

Published on Feb. 6, 2026

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Principals and administrators in the Anne Arundel County, Maryland education system will soon receive a cost-of-living salary adjustment after an agreement was reached between the school board and the Association of Educational Leaders. The deal includes a 3% cost-of-living raise for all union members and scaled adjustments for any staff whose salaries were below market standards.

Why it matters

The pay increase aims to help administrators and principals keep up with rising costs of living in the area. However, the school district remains at an impasse with another union representing secretaries and assistants, highlighting ongoing labor negotiations in the education sector.

The details

The newly negotiated deal between the Anne Arundel County Board of Education and the Association of Educational Leaders provides a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for all union members, as well as scaled adjustments for any staffers whose salaries were below market standards. The increase is retroactive to July 1. This marks the third such accord for the current fiscal year, though the school district remains at an impasse with the Secretaries and Assistants Association of Anne Arundel County since June.

  • The new cost-of-living raise is retroactive to July 1, 2026.
  • The school district and the Secretaries and Assistants Association of Anne Arundel County have been at an impasse since June 2026.

The players

Anne Arundel County Board of Education

The governing body of the Anne Arundel County public school system in Maryland.

Association of Educational Leaders

The union that represents administrators and supervisors in the Anne Arundel County education system.

Secretaries and Assistants Association of Anne Arundel County

The union representing secretaries and assistants in the Anne Arundel County public schools.

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What’s next

The school district and the Secretaries and Assistants Association of Anne Arundel County will continue to negotiate to try to reach a new agreement and end their impasse.

The takeaway

This cost-of-living raise for principals and administrators in Anne Arundel County is an effort to help education leaders keep up with rising expenses, though ongoing labor negotiations with other unions highlight the challenges facing the local school system.