In a campaign ad and Web site, Gov. Robert Ehrlich boasts that he put 45 percent of his general fund budget into education.
Democratic legislators say the number is deceptive, and only about one-third of the total budget goes into education.
The numbers are important, because the candidate who is best for schools will be a key issue in the race for governor. Who?s telling the truth?
“Both are right,” said John Rohrer, coordinator of fiscal and policy analysis for Department of Legislative Services, the nonpartisan staff of the legislature.
James “Chip” DiPaula, Ehrlich?s chief of staff and his budget secretary for two years, said the best measure of education funding is the $14-billion general fund because it?s “the most discretionary part of the budget,” paid for with the pot of money from income and sales taxes and the lottery.
The other $15 billion special fund budget includes all those uses paid for with special taxes and fees, such as the gas tax and vehicle fees, and with federal funds. This includes transportation spending and Medicaid.
In this year?s general fund, Ehrlich is spending $4.5 billion on K-12 public schools, $1.4 billion on colleges, universities and scholarships, and $55 million on libraries.
That?s about 45 percent of the general fund.
“It?s not a true reflection of the state budget,” argues Del. Frank Turner, a Howard County Democrat who is vice chair of the education appropriations subcommittee.
Rohrer said that if you look at education spending in the entire $29 billion state budget, “then you?re down around 35 percent.”
But that number also includes federal funds for education, tuition, grants and contracts that go to universities.
If you take federal funds out of the equation on the total budget, “then the number is more in the zone of 42 percent,” Rohrer said. “It?s not really a dispute,” he said. “It?s just a different way of calculating it.”
As far as the governor?s staff is concerned, it?s very much a dispute. “These guys [the legislators] play fast and loose with numbers,” DiPaula said.
“This is a numbers game we want to play,” said Ehrlich communications director Paul Schurick.
