Calvert County 2015 Teacher of the Year Rob James
Prince Frederick, MD – If indeed there are “great things on the horizon” as Calvert County Commissioners’ President Steve Weems [R – At-large] predicted, then Calvert County still has a long journey ahead. The trek can be measured in fiscal years and the consensus for fiscal year (FY) 2016 is that the sum of $238.8 million is simply not enough.
Weems remarks, mostly a lament about the challenging budget cycle he and his four colleagues have been through, served as a preface for the board’s FY 2016 budget hearing. The hearing was held Tuesday evening, May 19 at Calvert Pines Senior Center. The commissioners’ president noted the “cold data” presented by the Department of Finance and Budget does not address the emotional side” of the financial conundrum.
There was plenty of emotion to follow when public comment was offered. Many of the comments were prompted by the commissioners’ recent decision to fund Calvert County Public Schools (CCPS) at the state-mandated “maintenance of effort” level.
The $110.12 million allocation, which is slightly more than 1 percent less than the money allocated for the current fiscal year, likely means the Calvert County Board of Education (BOE) will need to cut about 70 positions—teachers, administrators and support staff— for the next school year.
During the staff presentation of the proposed budget Department of Finance and Budget Director Tim Hayden pointed out that some Maryland school systems—including Anne Arundel and Washington counties—have been at the maintenance of effort funding level for several years. Calvert County, on the other hand, experienced several years where the county’s allocation far exceeded the state mandate. This has occurred despite CCPS’ precipitous drop in student enrollment.
Hayden cited the Maryland Education Effort Index, a graph that shows Calvert has the fourth-highest average teacher salary among Maryland’s 23 counties—$74,503. The county’s top financial official also noted that the FY 2016 budget includes $4.8 million for teachers’ pension costs, another funding responsibility the state imposed upon the jurisdictions.
“Calvert is very generous to its schools,” Hayden declared.
“Our revenues are not changing much,” said Department of Finance and Budget Deputy Director Joan Thorp. “Things are very flat.”
The revenue shortfall is forcing county officials to use $5.6 million in fund balance to fill the budget gap.
The proposed budget includes no pay increases for county employees and no tax increases for residents.
During their May 7 meeting the BOE voted unanimously to request an additional $3 million from the county commissioners for FY 2016. During his presentation Superintendent of Schools Dr. Daniel Curry conceded CCPS will continue to be challenged by a dwindling student enrollment. Curry also noted that approximately 50 eligible employees are taking advantage of the system’s retirement incentive.
The superintendent also suggested county government and public school officials work in partnership with the business community to find ways to bolster the county’s economy.
School Board member William Phalen said that making funding cuts that impact public schools will erode the system’s outstanding reputation. He cited the decline of public schools in Prince George’s County during the early 1970s. “They began to cut the budget and the rest is history,” Phalen said.
During the public comment segment Huntingtown High School math teacher John McGuffin implored the county commissioners and BOE to “get together and clear the books. We need to find out where the money is. We need more revenue in this county. We need more growth.”
Several parents of special needs children expressed fears that CCPS budget cuts would result in the loss of several excellent special education teachers and instructional assistants. During her remarks, CCPS Special Education Department Director Christine Harris indicated the cuts would impact class sizes, making interventions with students challenging.
One educator, Patuxent High School social studies teacher Nancy Crosby, declared the $74,503 average teacher’s salary figure was “very misleading,” adding that few of Calvert’s current teachers receive that level of compensation. To the commissioners, Crosby stated, “I’m not sure you guys understand how hard our job is.”
Calvert’s 2015 Teacher of the Year Rob James urged the commissioners to add more funding to the CCPS allocation so that the system doesn’t lose any “young teachers” who are untenured and in danger of losing their jobs.
While the county commissioners may have been anticipating the clamor from educators and parents, another segment of Calvert’s community—farmers and land preservation advocates—also requested money.
Greg Bowen, the retired director of what is now the Department of Community Planning and Building—speaking on behalf of Calvert Farmland Trust—requested the commissioners “restore $2 million in new funding for land preservation.” Similar requests were submitted by representatives of the American Chestnut Land Trust, Calvert Nature Society and Calvert County Farm Bureau.
Bowen declared that “agriculture is making a comeback” in Calvert.
The commissioners voted unanimously to keep the public record open on the FY 2016 budget through Monday, June 1. The board is likely to make a final decision on the budget the following day.
To view the proposed FY 2016 budget in its entirety, visit the county government web site at www.co.cal.md.us
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com