Breaking news: The Montgomery County Council and school board are at odds.
With yet another shortfall — $300 million — comes yet another dispute about spending on one of the nation’s highest-achieving school systems.
“The [schools] budget is simply unrealistic and unaffordable,” said Councilman Phil Andrews, D-Gaithersburg/Rockville, in the first budget meeting between the two groups Monday. “To have a $100 million budget increase, that’s a non-starter. It’s nowhere in the ballpark.”
School officials have requested an additional $101 million for next fiscal year, including $82 million more in county funding. County Executive Ike Leggett refused to honor the request, citing the suburb’s massive shortfall next fiscal year.
County employees also have cried foul on the budget blueprint, as general government workers would pay more in health care costs and receive less in retirement payments than school employees. At the same time, Superintendent Jerry Weast has refused to slash either medical benefits or pensions for school employees.
To which School Board President Christopher Barclay said, “We can’t be responsible for what the council and county executive do to their employees.”
