Anticipating more state revenue, the Howard Board of Education approved a budget that was $4.3 million more than the superintendent?s proposal, mainly to fund additional staffing.
“I consider it to be realistic and totally not a frivolous budget,” board member Diane Mikulis said about Tuesday?s support of a proposed $661.1 million fiscal 2009 operating budget.
“We need what?s in there.”
Last month, Superintendent Sydney Cousin unveiled a $656.7 million budget proposal. Now, the state is expected to contribute $191.8 million toward this amount ? $8.1 million more than expected.
“We?re only using a portion of the expected increase in funds from the state,” board Chairman Frank Aquino said.
Board members praised Cousin and school officials for crafting a fiscally conservative budget in what?s expected to be a year of limited funding statewide.
The proposed $661.1 million budget, which includes more than $30 million toward salary and benefit increases from negotiations with labor unions, is about $48 million more than last year?s budget.
The largest portion of the additional $4.3 million will go toward funding additional staffing positions, said David White, the school system?s budget officer.
New positions include:
» Five leadership interns;
» One math teacher;
» 10 middle school technology teachers;
» 15 high school teachers;
» Two special education support teachers;
» A network engineer;
» A bilingual liaison.
The additional staffing will help reduce class sizes, especially in the high schools, which have averaged in the high 20s in recent years, school system spokeswoman Patti Caplan said.
An ideal class size would be in the low to mid-20s, officials say.
Waverly Elementary project put on hold
The school board also approved a $113.8 million capital budget, $4.2 million less than the superintendent?s recommendation. The approved capital budget last year was about $88 million.
The school board decided to defer a $4.2 million Waverly Elementary School construction project to fiscal 2010. The project will add four classrooms and an art, music and gym activity room.
“Adding capacity is not as urgent or needed at this time as projected,” Board Vice Chairwoman Ellen Flynn Giles said.
Both budgets will be submitted to County Executive Ken Ulman for review in March.
In April, he will submit his proposal to the County Council, which will hold hearings before adopting the budget May 22.
