School, state leaders speak out about proposed education funding
School and state leaders have begun to speak out about the proposed education funding in Gov. Martin O'Malley's state budget.
In a story by our Maryland Politics Reporter Julie Bykowicz this week, education advocates, school and state leaders, including Baltimore city schools CEO Andres Alonso, outlined how the change in the state's Thornton formula--which has vastly increased education funding in the state in recent years--stands to negatively impact schools districts at a time when the state is reigning the nation in academics.
The story explains how the Thornton formula, passed by the legislature in 2002, was designed to ensure equal opportunities for students by directing more state money per pupil to poorer areas such as Baltimore than to wealthy areas such as Montgomery County.
The new budget proposals appear to undermine that goal, with Baltimore City standing to lose more than $15 million, while Montgomery County gains more than $30 million. Both districts, however, have noted increased enrollments.
Alonso has taken a diplomatic approach in the preliminary discussions about how the school system will mitigate its shortfalls. He said the cuts would, "inevitably mean a loss in services and offerings and an increase in class size in many schools."
"We will clearly look for savings and evaluate all programs in order to ensure that the shortfall does not impact the schools," he said. "But we think it will impact the schools, because every year the cost of doing business increases, and we have reduced the central office so significantly and pushed dollars into schools so much that it will be highly unlikely that a reduction in aid won't have to be absorbed by schools."
Stay tuned.
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Comments
As a city resident, I can't figure out which is worse - the cuts to Baltimore's educational funding or the lack of outrage from leaders, parents, and staff.
I called my state senator Friday afternoon to share my concern and was told that not one person had called about the issue. People need to contact their senators, delegates, and the governor if they are willing to do more than accept the revised funding formula.
Posted by: Warren | February 5, 2011 10:25 PM
@Warren - while you are calling , call the Mayor and The City Council's Education Committee, Clarke, Henry and Stokes. Ask them why your city cut funding to your schools and no one has said a thing. Ask them why when state funding has increased over the last decade, the funding from the city has stayed flat. Baltimore is the only major district in this state in which education is not the number one funding priority. You get what you pay for!
Posted by: OverTheTop | February 6, 2011 9:38 AM
If there is any agency in this city which is fat, it's the schools. Cutting is needed at every level, top to bottom. And whatever happened to Alonso's contract. For somebody so about the kids, seems like he wants a lot of money for himself.
Posted by: Guide for the Perplexed | February 7, 2011 12:50 PM
GFTP: Not sure about his own salary, but many schools have been cut beyond the bone, mine included. We cannot afford teachers per grade meaning that we are trying to skate on no ice at all. In a middle/high school that means we need to choose - math OR science. Funding levels have "stayed the same" although I question that, but as the story says, costs keep rising. I would love for the BS to look into the claim about cutting at North ave - as I have said before I use the parking lot to figure out how much cutting has been done, I am sure the Sun could do something more exact.
As a city resident I would love to see the mayor and CC get out in front of a .5% sales tax that would go straight for schools as an ADD ON (not replacement) to current funding levels. I know businesses would cry that it's the end of the world, but such is life. I know that there was just a bottle tax passed and somehow there are still businesses open in the city. This is something that the kids and residents could all get behind and that the BTU might also think about pushing, or is that too much work for everyone?
Hey guess what general public, it costs a lot of money to teach kids. This is a basic function of government just as police and firefighters cost. It's a service I gladly pay for.
Posted by: Who am I now BC? | February 8, 2011 12:02 PM
@WaInBC-
The stress of the per pupil funding levels is hitting all schools. Basically it translates to needing more pupils to get more money to pay for rising costs. But then the classes get too crowded so you need more teachers, but you don't have the money.
As far as North Ave. goes, people from ancillary offices have been moved down there, so parking lots probably don't tell the whole story. If someone has all the historical org charts I think they would show a fair amount of trimming. That's just my outside view's guess though.
I'm with you as far as pushing for more funding, but I really think it would be fairer from a state level than a local level. I thought that was the whole point of Thorton funding. How can we even be considering a funding increase for Montgomery County? Their schools are rolling in money! It makes me ill to think about it.
Posted by: a parent | February 8, 2011 3:21 PM
The Mayor stated that there will be some hard choices and that should mean the same for BCPSS. Suspend the creation of all new schools and consolidate some of the smaller schools. This was discussed in another blog. Cut funding for TFA, BTP and other similar fruitless exercises . Invest in current assets and put off acquiring the latest and greatest. Isn't this the true "business" plan that reformers seek to emulate.
But wait a minute, didn't BCPSS just make it teachers the highest paid in the state with its visionary contract. Maybe the CEO, the BTU and the Mayor didn't see this coming but I sure just about everyone else did.
Posted by: OverTheTop | February 8, 2011 6:41 PM