Anne Arundel’s school system is proposing its smallest budget increase in a decade, but even that “modest” bump may be too much for the cash-strapped county budget.
Schools Superintendent Kevin Maxwell recently presented his proposed operating and capital budgets to the Anne Arundel school board for fiscal 2010, which starts July 1.
Maxwell is asking the county for 5 percent more funding for the operating budget, raising the cost of running schools to $977 million
Anne Arundel Schools Superintendent Kevin Maxwell proposed fiscal 2010 operating budget of $977.4 million, which is $45 million more than the previously approved operating budget.
His proposed fiscal 2010 capital budget is $213 million, 50 percent more than the $139 million approved in fiscal 2009.
Proposed operating budget:
Salaries and wages: $765.7 million
Contractual services: $81.8 million
Other charges: $40.8 million
Debt service: $35.9 million
Supplies and materials: $25.3 million
Special revenue fund: $24.5 million
Land, building and equipment: $3.4 million
Of the $45.4 million increase:
Salaries: $36.3 million
Program maintenance: $5.5 million
New programs: $3.6 million
Top proposed capital budget expenditures:
Replacement, renovation and modernization of 11 school: $127 million
All-day kindergarten and pre-K expansion: $10 million
New textbooks: $9 million
Close open-space classrooms: $8 million
Maintenance backlog: $7 million
Gym additions: $6 million
Expansion designs for six schools: $5.5 million
Timeline:
Jan. 13: Public hearing at Glen Burnie High School
Jan. 15: Public hearing at Parham Building
Jan. 27: Workshop at Parham Building
Feb. 18: School board approves proposed budgets
March 1: Budgets sent to county administration
May 1: County releases proposed budgets
June 1: Deadline for County Council to approve budgets
Source: Anne Arundel School System
“In a normal year, such a request is modest, but because of the economic cycle we’re in, I don’t know if it will happen — we just don’t have the dollars,” said Council Chairman Ed Reilly, R-Crofton. The County Council votes on the final school system budgets.
But of the additional $46 million requested, only $3.8 million would go to new programs, such as the new six-period, middle-school schedule, while the rest helps the school system maintain what its doing this year, with most of the funding going toward programmed salary increases.
And even with an increase, the school system is making cuts in signature programs, including a college preparatory program, and school supplies such as construction paper to stay within budget.
“We’re finding more creative ways to do things, and to do more with a little less in some areas, but we are moving forward,” said Bob Moiser, spokesman for the school system.
No new teacher positions are requested, and teachers may be shifted from other areas to help staff special education classes, Moiser said.
Books and buses will not see a reduction, school officials said.
To save money, Anne Arundel schools will use distance learning in some classes such as calculus so students in several schools can be instructed by one teacher through video monitors.
But the school system is seeking money from a county facing a $36 million deficit and has issued hiring freezes and spending cuts.
The Anne Arundel deficit could grow if taxes connected to the slumping real estate market continue to decline.
Education funding consumes half of Anne Arundel’s $1.3 billion budget, and will likely take more this year because of declining revenues, officials said.
County Executive John R. Leopold said Wednesday that he hasn’t reviewed the details of the school system budget, but has met with school officials on a monthly basis about the budget.
But Leopold echoed council members who said expenses such as salaries and ongoing construction projects should be funded.
“I’m committed to the maintenance of effort law, but beyond that, the anemic economic times don’t leave us much left on the plate,” he said.
Leopold, Maxwell and the council have battled since each took office in 2006 over the budget. Leopold’s first budget slashed the school system’s request in half, and this past year the council significantly whittled down the school system’s increase by millions.
This time around, at least on the surface, all parties seem to be trying to hash out problems now before the intense budget deliberations in May.
“I’ve appreciated their clear-eyed understanding of the fiscal reality we face, as we will be required to weather another slew of cuts from the state government,” Leopold said.
Even with the fiscal constraints, all share a hope in the economic stimulus package before Congress.
If approved, Anne Arundel may see some federal dollars pumped into the $213 million proposed school system capital budget and help fund some of the 17 schools in need of expansion and replacement.
“The [Board of Education] has approved a course of action, and we’re ready to go if we can just get the money for them,” Moiser said.
