Montgomery would bring in more cash Gov. Martin O’Malley’s 2011 budget paints a bleak picture for Prince George’s County, while next door, Montgomery County is planning to take in more state cash.
State funding for primary and secondary education would be cut by $10 million for Prince George’s County and increased by $72 million for Montgomery under O’Malley’s budget.
The discrepancies are because of enrollment changes, which are a major factor in the formulas used for state education funding, according to the Maryland Association of Counties. Fewer students attended Prince George’s schools this year than years past, meaning less money. Meanwhile, more students enrolled in Montgomery’s schools.
Prince George’s is already struggling to meet its “maintenance of effort” pledge, which requires Maryland counties to match their contributions to the local school system with the previous year’s contribution.
The county was unable to meet its pledge last year, so the county — with Montgomery and Wicomico — asked the state Board of Education for a waiver from the law. But the Board of Education denied the waivers, and now Prince George’s is facing even less state help.
O’Malley’s budget also reduces funding to Prince George’s libraries. The county would see a $152,000 cut in library funding next year, while Montgomery would get a $206,000 increase in state funds.
In this case, Montgomery lucked out over Prince George’s because state funding for libraries is distributed according to population density.
The counties are in the same boat, however, for police and community college aid. Both districts would be “flat-funded” in those categories, meaning last year’s cuts would carry over into 2011.
Funding to county and municipal governments statewide has dropped 63 percent since fiscal 2007, according to a report from MACo. O’Malley’s budget proposal includes an additional $330 million in cuts to local aid, but Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. has said he thinks that number is too low.
“I do not relish this,” O’Malley said of his proposal last week. “There is nothing about this I enjoy.”
