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Public school leaders in Maryland said they were not surprised by Gov. Martin O'Malley's comments last week about superintendents needing to dig deeper to find savings next fiscal year. In fact, they said, they've been on a quest to find ways to save money.

Just the previous week, O'Malley (D) remained steadfast against making cuts to K-12 education, which had been the sacred cow in previous budgets.

But Oct. 20, the governor told a group of superintendents in Annapolis that the state is facing a $2.5 billion shortfall in fiscal 2011, and funding for K-12 education might take a hit in the upcoming budget, which O'Malley must submit in January.

But it didn't stop there.

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Dist. 27) of Chesapeake Beach was more direct with the superintendents, telling them that cuts to education are on the table next fiscal year.

Some school systems — like that of Worcester County, for example — would not be affected greatly by budget cuts, because it already receives the second-lowest amount of state aid in Maryland, Worcester schools Superintendent Jon Andes said.

"A reduction will create problems, but in Worcester County schools, we rely on our county government," which funds 75 percent of the operating budget, Andes said.

The same goes for Montgomery County, with the state's largest school system. The county funds almost 75 percent of the schools' operating budget.

The Worcester system has not begun crafting its fiscal 2011 spending plan, but it has cut 20 positions and scaled back the purchase of textbooks and supplies in its current $80 million operating budget.

During the superintendents' meeting, Miller once again brought up the idea of shifting more of teacher pension costs to local school systems. That, Andes said, would have a detrimental impact on the Worcester school system, because 91 percent of its budget goes toward salaries and benefits.

Other school systems are just beginning to assemble their budgets and aren't saying much about the possible cuts to education.

Montgomery County Superintendent Jerry D. Weast is scheduled to release the fiscal 2011 operating budget in December, "so it is way too early to discuss what strategies or potential cuts we'll have in that budget," Brian K. Edwards, Weast's chief of staff, wrote in an e-mail.

Montgomery's current $2.15 billion budget cut 70 positions from the central office and eliminated many teacher support positions. During his fiscal 2010 budget presentation, Weast warned that the next wave of reductions could force the system to cut academic programs.

Much like in Montgomery, officials in Howard County are just beginning to develop the fiscal 2011 operating budget, so it's too early to determine the impact of budget cuts, said Patti Caplan, a spokeswoman for Howard schools Superintendent Sydney L. Cousin.

In its current $656 million budget, the Howard County school system eliminated 13 central office positions, scaled back on its use of paper and reduced the number of out-of-state trips by officials, Caplan said.

"I think everyone here is willing to pitch in and do everything we can to deliver the type of high-quality education this community expects," Caplan said.

The Prince George's school system already is preparing for major cuts from the state.

Over the past two years, the school system has reduced its spending by $200 million and eliminated roughly 1,500 positions, said Matthew Stanski, chief financial officer for Prince George's schools.

In addition, the school system annually reviews its academic programs and uses data analysis to determine whether programs should be eliminated, Stanski said.

For its fiscal 2011 budget, the Prince George's school system expects a combined $150 million less in county and state money, he said.

As for O'Malley's statement, "we heard it, and we're crafting our budget knowing that the dollars just aren't going to be there," Stanski said.

But while K-12 education has remained largely unscathed in previous budgets, school systems throughout the state have taken action since 2007 to spend their money more wisely, said John R. Woolums, director of government relations for the Maryland Association of Boards of Education.

"In the face of significant budget challenges, the onus is on us to demonstrate that we're spending the resources bestowed upon us as efficiently as possible," Woolums said.

The school boards association and the statewide superintendents association will release a study Nov. 5 of how the state's school systems are spending money.

While O'Malley is pressing superintendents to find savings, the same scenario is unfolding nationwide, said Daniel Domenech, executive director of the American Association of School Administrators.

"This is pretty much par for the course throughout the country," said Domenech, a former superintendent of the Fairfax County (Va.) school system.

To find money, Domenech said, the state's superintendents could look at cutting back sports programs and extracurricular activities, and eliminating field trips altogether.

"Cuts are going to be made now, and cuts are going to have to be made next year, and how far this goes is beyond me," Domenech said.

"I don't recall a time when it's been this bad. This is by far the worst I've ever seen."