St. Mary’s County Superintendent of Schools Scott Smith
Leonardtown, MD — St. Mary’s County Superintendent of Schools Scott Smith has recommended a $211 million budget for the next fiscal year that represents an almost $11 million increase, or five percent, over the current budget. The recommendation asks for $8.2 million more from the county.
Smith presented his recommendation to the St. Mary’s County Board of Education at its regular Jan. 27 meeting. The school board will have a budget work session Feb. 10, to be followed Feb. 17 by a public hearing. The board anticipates making their final stamp of approval at its Feb. 24 meeting at which time it will be submitted to the county commissioners.
Smith told the school board that the state formula for funding would be impacted because the school system is anticipating an actual small reduction in full-time equivalent students which is the basis for state funding. That comes about at the same time as total enrollment, including pre-k and kindergarten, is up slightly.
The two budget priorities, according to Smith, are people and programs. He said employees make up 91.6 percent of the budget. He has put $4 million more in the budget to cover new negotiations with the three employee unions. The budget also includes $1.5 million for high school computers and $1.4 million for science textbooks.
Smith said of the $11 million increase, almost $5 million is mandated by items such as negotiations from last year and to cover health care cost increases. Special education also has a mandated $500,000 increase.
Smith told the school board he has “gone out of our way” to follow county commissioner guidance on limiting new positions. The budget does, however, include 12 new kindergarten paraeducators, which he considered essential.
Newly appointed board member Daniel Carney harkened back to his time as school system finance director. He said then people made up only 85 percent of the budget compared to the almost 92 percent now. Board member Cathy Allen also took note of that change.
“There definitely is a lot of work ahead,” Smith observed. He said that granted student population has leveled off but costs haven’t, in explaining the need for additional money. The state-mandated Maintenance of Effort formula for county funding probably will only require level funding this year. The commissioners have historically funded more than the Maintenance of Effort.
Among those items not considered in the state formula, Smith said, were inflation and incremental increases of fixed charges, new instructional mandates and employee negotiations.
Contact Dick Myers at dick.myers@thebaynet.com