Advocates lobby for full funding of schools budget

Employees would bear brunt of any shortfall, union and school officials say

But County Executive Isiah Leggett (D), who made it clear that no county agency could be fully funded, instead recommended $1.97 billion for schools — $19.7 million less than Weast’s proposal.

The school system says it needs more money to pay for new programs and hire more counselors and assistant principals for elementary schools, among other things. Others say the school system needs to share the wealth and back off some of its initiatives because the county simply does not have enough money.

School officials do not want to scale back any programs, however, and said this week that they may have to scrap salary increases for teachers, administrators and service workers if the County Council cannot find $19.7 million more.

‘‘We don’t have a lot of low-hanging fruit left, and with a major cut, we would have to make a reduction in personnel somewhere,” said Marshall C. Spatz, the school system’s budget director. ‘‘We can’t cut textbooks, special education, food or electricity, so we would have to cut people.”

Unions worry

Leggett’s proposal is a $117 million increase over the $1.85 billion fiscal 2007 budget, which ends June 30, and raises per-pupil spending to $14,370 from $12,718. Weast’s proposal is $136.5 million more than this year’s budget. Of that, roughly $122 million is for salary increases and benefits.

Some argue that Leggett’s proposed increase still would not be enough to pay teachers, administrators and other school employees.

‘‘Any decrease in funding directly impacts teachers,” said Bonnie Cullison, president of the county’s teachers union. ‘‘The $20 million shortfall does not allow us to fund the payroll. Teachers are nervous about this cut.”

The teachers union, principals association, service workers union and the County Council of PTAs are scheduled to rally tonight on the steps of the County Council Office Building in Rockville to urge council members to fully fund the school system’s request.

In February, the school board voted 7-1 to approve new union contracts. Under the deal, employees will receive pay raises of 4.8 percent in 2008, 5 percent in 2009 and 5.3 percent in 2010.

Although the school board approved the contracts, the increases still have to be funded by the County Council, said Councilman Philip M. Andrews (D-Dist. 3) of Gaithersburg.

Andrews, a member of the council’s Education Committee, suggested that cutting back on the salary increases could free up some money if the budget is not fully funded.

‘‘It’s an option,” he said. ‘‘It’s where you easily save big money and still have an increase in salaries. There are different options out there, but the school system clearly does not want to talk about that.”

Councilwoman Valerie Ervin (D-Dist. 5) of Silver Spring disagreed with the budget cut.

‘‘This is problematic,” said Ervin, a former school board member and member of the Education Committee, during Monday morning’s committee meeting. ‘‘My concern here is we are sending a signal that it’s OK to take the cut. It’s problematic in a time where the face of the school system is changing.”

Leggett suggests cuts

In an April 6 letter sent to Council President Marilyn J. Praisner (D-Dist. 4) of Calverton, Leggett listed where some cuts could be made: reduce the communications department budget by $1 million, cut back on consulting services by $2.5 million and phase in the hiring of high school counselors and assistant elementary school principals over two years, which would free up $2.3 million, among other suggestions.

‘‘I recognize the challenges every agency faces when changes are made to their budget request, but I believe we all must work together to develop a fiscally responsible and sustainable budget, especially during these challenging times,” Leggett said in the letter.

School Board President Nancy Navarro (Dist. 5) of Silver Spring said she looked at Leggett’s recommendations, but the board has not reached any decisions.

‘‘We’re in a very early stage. Just by glimpsing, his recommended cuts would affect all the clusters across the county,” Navarro said. ‘‘Parents should be concerned. We’re turning back the clock on education.”

Navarro also questioned the attention the school system’s budget — 48 percent of the county’s proposed $4.1 billion operating budget — gets versus other departments.

‘‘The level of scrutiny the school system gets is really off the charts,” she said. ‘‘The council should be careful not to duplicate what the school board has already done, and that’s scrutinize the budget. At the end of the day, the council is going to have to raise their hands and vote for education.”

The school system is up in arms because it is used to getting what it wants with few questions asked, said Marvin Weinman, president of the Montgomery County Taxpayers League.

‘‘Dr. Weast has been able to get what he wants, but there’s more to the world than the school system. In the end, you have to fit [the schools’ budget] into an overall budget,” Weinman said. ‘‘The issue is sharing your toys and working together. Everyone has to give a little, and it doesn’t seem to be that way with MCPS.”

discussions at the County Council

2 p.m. Thursday

9:30 a.m. April 20

9:30 a.m. April 25

9:30 a.m. May 4

The County Council’s Education Committee meets in the seventh-floor conference room of the council office building at 100 Maryland Ave. in Rockville.

Call 240-777-7900.

Rally for full funding

When: 6:30 tonight

Where: Steps of the Council Office Building

100 Maryland Ave., Rockville.

Leggett’ssuggested cuts

Read the county executive’s letter to the County Council on where savings can be found in the schools budget. Go to www.gazette.net⁄stories⁄041007⁄montnew134843_32334.shtml.