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January 23, 2009

O'Malley cuts education

Here's what the O'Malley administration says in the budget document it released this week: 

"Even in these difficult times, we continue to support the tremendous progress Maryland’s children, teachers, and parents are making in our classrooms.

"Because we believe that our children’s future and the strength of tomorrow’s workforce depend on the investments we make today, we are fully funding Thornton and proposing a $5.4 billion investment in K-12 education – a $68.3 million increase over Fiscal Year 2009."

Here's what it doesn't mention: The Baltimore Sun's Liz Bowie and Laura Smitherman report today that the state is pumping an additional $130 million this year into the teacher pension fund but actually decreasing operating budget support for the state's schools to the tune of $69 million. So technically, yes, spending on education is incresasing by $68.3 million, but the amount actually going to classrooms around the state is going down, in some districts, considerably. (It's a bit reminiscent of the infamous Ehrlich press conference in which his administration monkeyed with the numbers in his slots bill. Or the one where they did the same thing for their BGE rate relief plan.)

After several years of record-setting increases in classroom spending as a result of the Thornton education formula, this is the first time in memory that schools have been faced with these kinds of cuts.

Baltimore City Schools chief Andres Alonso isn't mincing words about what this means, calling it "the effective rollback of Thornton."

"It’s economizing on the backs of the neediest students in the state," he said.

Here's the effect on school districts throughout the state. (Note that the impact falls on them very differently based on a complex formula involving enrollment projections, property values, etc., so some districts, notably Montgomery County, come out ahead.)

(Here's a new, abbreviated version of the chart so it will fit on the screen.)

System

Total direct aid

Change from FY 2009

Pct. Change

Allegany

$86,109

($601)

-0.70%

Anne Arundel

$273,395

($5,114)

-1.80%

Baltimore City

$811,391

($23,591)

-2.80%

Baltimore County

$508,143

($8,465)

-1.60%

Calvert

$85,255

($517)

-0.60%

Caroline

$42,113

($877)

-2.00%

Carroll

$139,046

($4,028)

-2.80%

Cecil

$97,674

($1,310)

-1.30%

Charles

$149,321

($1,848)

-1.20%

Dorchester

$29,882

($850)

-2.80%

Frederick

$201,467

($2,594)

-1.30%

Garrett

$24,776

($703)

-2.80%

Harford

$207,329

($3,417)

-1.60%

Howard

$196,216

$628

0.30%

Kent

$10,015

($410)

-3.90%

Montgomery

$449,413

$27,083

6.40%

Prince George’s

$871,833

($35,241)

-3.90%

Queen Anne’s

$30,765

$82

0.30%

St Mary’s

$92,455

($2,499)

-2.60%

Somerset

$23,681

$83

0.40%

Talbot

$10,915

$412

3.90%

Washington

$142,431

$1,644

1.20%

Wicomico

$116,079

$5,786

5.20%

Worcester

$17,391

$262

1.50%

Statewide/Unallocated

$23,361

($12,973)

-35.70%

Posted by Andy Green at 6:00 AM | | Comments (2)
        

Comments

Gov. Martin O'Malley is a disingenuous politican, but then again, aren't they all?! After passing those horrible taxes a year ago and promising to solve the deficit once and for all, now we have a new deficit. And to make matters worse, O'Malley misrepresented education spending in hopes of tricking people. Enough of O'Malley's smoke and mirrors. We were given hope this year with Barack Obama, but we have a nightmare with Martin O'Malley.

Well, all of us are being disingenuous from time to time. Politicians - especially. However, every problem has at least two sides, and maybe the teachers are happy with O'Malley politics...

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About the bloggers
Laura Smitherman has been ensconced in the State House basement, writing about the governor, General Assembly and vagaries of Maryland politics for several years. An erstwhile business reporter, her interest in politics dates to her days in Washington when she covered Congress and national campaigns for another media outlet. She now follows a range of policy debates from slot-machine gambling to universal health care and energy regulation, while keeping an eye on the next election.

Paul West covers Washington for The Baltimore Sun, continuing a tradition that began the month the paper was born, in 1837. He hasn't been in the DC bureau that long--only since Ronald Reagan was president. He's covered Congress, the White House and presidential campaigns as the paper's national political correspondent and Washington bureau chief. He's on the lookout for news of significance to Sun readers at the other end of the B/W Parkway. That includes the activities of the state's congressional delegation and anything else that might shed some light on the inner workings of the nation's capital.

Julie Bykowicz's first days as a political reporter, in January 2009, coincided with Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon's indictment and the start of the Maryland General Assembly's 426th legislative session. She focuses on coverage of state agencies, such as social services, juvenile justice and prisons. During the session, she wrote about the death penalty, slots parlors and speed cameras, among other hot topics. Julie began political reporting after more than seven years on The Baltimore Sun's crime desk. She lives in Baltimore and works primarily in Annapolis.

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