The Howard County Public School System superintendent calls his 7.2 percent increase in the fiscal 2009 operating budget a legitimate amount given the impact of last year?s legislative special session.
The proposed budget, which was unveiled at a school board meeting Thursday, is $656.7 million ? $43.8 million more than the adopted 2008 operating budget.
“It?s a reasonable amount of growth,” Superintendent Sydney Cousin said. “Of this $43.8 million, $31 million goes toward salary and benefit increases from negotiations with labor unions ? so that only leaves $12.8 million for everything else.”
Cousin specifically mentioned last year?s legislative special session as a reason why the state?s contribution to the operating budget only increased from $178.5 million to $183.7 million.
Under Thornton, a landmark school funding plan, the school system would have seen $7 million more in state funds, money that could have been used to hire more teachers or other resources, he said.
“We can?t make up for that,” Cousin said.
Still, the school system has included plans in the budget to create 152 new positions, said David White, the school system?s budget officer.
School system spokeswoman Patti Caplan and Cousin both stressed that funding teacher salaries was very important.
“It?s reasonable that the greatest percent of the increase should go in that direction,” Caplan said. “It?s getting harder and harder to hire quality teachers.”
Starting salaries for teachers in Howard County are the fourth highest in the state at $42,407, Cousin said.
The next step in the budget process will be a public hearing on Jan. 22.
Operating budget
Howard schools Superintendent Sydney Cousin?s $656.7 million operating budget is $43.8 million more than was approved by the county last year. Here are highlights of the new additions:
» $21.6 million for instruction, including adding 10 teachers for English for Speakers of Other Languages program and 27 elementary teaching positions, both to support increased enrollment;
» $5.7 million for special education, including adding an occupational therapist and physical therapist to support young children receiving services in home schools or other settings;
» $4.6 million for operation of plant (warehouse, etc.), including adding two custodians;
» $4.1 million for mid-level administration, including adding a coordinator for programs that support students with learning disabilities or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders;
» $2.9 million for maintenance of plant (water systems, etc.), including adding two preventative maintenance mechanics;
» $1.7 million for fixed changes (funds for employee benefits, etc.), including an increase in Social Security costs for new employees;
» $1.1 million for administration, including adding an assistant superintendent and a communications specialist;
» $1 million for transportation, including adding four positions to drive school system-owned buses;
» $498,370 for health services, including adding four cluster nurses;
» $479,050 for community services, including adding one bilingual liaison in the International Student Services program to serve limited-English-proficient students and their families;
» $195,250 for pupil services, including increased user charges for information management services
Source: Howard County Public School System
