The Montgomery County Council hasn’t even taken up the Board of Education’s initial budget request of more then $1.8 billion, and school leaders already have asked for more.
Twice.
The county Board of Education on Tuesday passed an amendment requesting an additional $775,500 to cover operating expenses. The money is needed, School Superintendent Jerry Weast wrote to board members, to pay for technology upgrades, bilingual programs and utilities.
Tuesday’s request is in addition to another made a little more than a week ago for an extra $13.2 million to improve pensions for public school employees, council spokesman Patrick Lacefield said.
“That’s a biggie,” Lacefield said. “The council is going to have to figure out in the last seven days if we are going to deal with that this year or punt it.”
In April, County Executive Doug Duncan proposed a $3.9 billion budget for fiscal 2007, including a 7.3 percent increase in funds for the county’s public schools.
The council’s Education Committee is scheduled to consider the amendments today and the full body will consider the measures Thursday.
