Prince Frederick, MD – By a 3-to-2 vote, the Calvert County Board of Education (BOE) adopted its fiscal year (FY) 2016 budget during its Thursday, June 11 meeting. The $195.8 million spending plan is nearly $4 million less than the current fiscal year’s budget.

In a statement regarding the FY 2016 budget, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Daniel Curry cited “declining student enrollment, reductions in state aid, increased employee healthcare costs and unfunded mandates” as the main reasons the budget is pared down.

The huge cut also means no raises for school employees and the possible loss of over 70 jobs within the system.

The BOE had asked the Calvert County Commissioners to allocate an additional $3 million for the school system. The commissioners voted Tuesday, June 2 to adhere to its previous decision to allocate $110.12 million to Calvert County Public Schools (CCPS). The $110.12 million allocation means the commissioners will meet the state-mandated maintenance of effort level for public schools.

“The commissioners did not honor our request,” said BOE President Tracy McGuire in requesting a motion to adopt the FY 2016 budget.

“I would like us to continue a dialogue with the commissioners,” said BOE Vice President Pamela Cousins.

Board member William Phalen stated he planned to vote against the budget, adding that the proposed spending plan “will take us downhill.” Phalen stated it was the first time in his 18 years of school board service that he has been asked to vote on a budget that moves the system in a backward direction.

Board member Kelly McConkey stated that he agreed with Phalen.

I understand this isn’t the budget that we want,” said McGuire, who along with Cousins and board member James Piatt voted to approve the FY 2016 budget while Phalen and McConkey voted opposed.

“I am not happy,” Piatt stated later during the meeting, adding that a no vote “would have gotten us nowhere.”

Prior to the vote Curry explained that the budget challenges will impact middle and high schools the most. Cuts in personnel “will mean extra loads for others. What we’re going to see is hard to say.”

One of the effects will be “larger class sizes,” said Curry.

During the June 11 meeting’s open forum segment, outgoing Calvert Education Association (CEA) President Debbie Russ lamented the fact that members of her union do not have a ratified agreement for FY 2016. On May 18 the CEA and BOE had reached a tentative agreement. “I find apathy out there,” she said in reference to CCPS teachers. “It’s very alarming, this hole we’re in.”

New principals
Curry announced the appointment of current Huntingtown High School Vice Principal Sabrina Bergen to the post of principal at Southern Middle School (SMS).  Jaime Webster, the current SMS principal, has been appointed the new principal at Northern Middle School (NMS). The NMS post is being vacated by Darrel Prioleau, who has tendered his resignation from CCPS and plans to move to Pennsylvania.

Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com