The Prince George’s County school board is hoping drastic job cuts and increased class sizes in its approved $1.6 billion budget will force the county and the state to provide more money.
“If we can get more funding from the state and we can get more funding from the county, we may not have to do so many cuts,” schools spokeswoman Lynn McCawley said. “So it’s still fluid until it’s actually reconciled in June at the county level.”
The school board’s approved budget calls for plugging a $155 million shortfall — the result of a $20 million loss in expected funding from Maryland, as well as the end of federal stimulus money — with more than 1,100 job cuts and reductions, such as making pre-kindergarten half-day.
More cuts are likely if the school system doesn’t get an extra $25 million the school system is counting on from the county, officials said.
“If we don’t receive more money, there’s a possibility that we may be cutting more than $155 million, and that would be devastating to the students,” said District 8 board member Edward Burroughs, the only member to vote against the budget.
Burroughs, a recent graduate of Crossland High School in Temple Hills, said he’s planning to lobby County Council members and state lawmakers for more funds, as he’s most concerned about cuts to early childhood programs.
“We know that if you can’t read by first grade, there’s a slim chance you’ll be able to catch up,” he said.
The school board in June will have to reconcile its budget with the one approved by County Council, McCawley said.
Councilwoman Ingrid Turner, who represents the Bowie area, said it’s too early to know how much money the county will allocate for schools but said that will be determined after officials learn how much funding will come from the state.
“Everybody’s been mobilized,” Turner said. “Everybody’s been actively engaged in the process to see if we can shore up some additional funding.”
The school board is required to submit its budget by Tuesday to County Executive Rushern Baker, who will propose his own budget for the entire county March 15.
Scott Peterson, a spokesman for Baker, only would say that Baker plans to examine the school system’s approved budget to “see what additional funding, if any, the county can provide to them.”
