Ehrlich Seeks $462 Million Schools Boost

Political Opponents Call Plan to Fund Repairs, Construction an Election-Year Ploy

DUNDALK, Md., Jan. 5 -- Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. called Thursday for $723 million in new state education aid in the next school year, seeking to boost school construction and help schools that serve low-income children.

The Republican governor, appearing at a Baltimore County middle school, proposed raising state spending on school operations by $462 million for the year that begins July 1 -- meeting the commitment the legislature made in a school aid formula developed four years ago, he said.

Ehrlich also proposed $281 million for renovating or building schools. That would combine $20 million in unspent construction money and $261 million in new funds. The construction proposal is short of the $400 million that counties want but an increase over the current annual commitment of $251 million. Ehrlich's proposals, which come as he faces reelection in November, will go to the Democratic-controlled state legislature as part of a larger budget package.

"The bottom line for today," Ehrlich said, "is it's another good day for education in the state of Maryland."

But prominent Democrats dismissed the governor's plan as politically motivated and, ultimately, inadequate. And a school construction official said the increase in money for building and renovations would barely be noticed amid rising costs for labor and materials.

"The Ehrlich election year giveaway continues," said Jonathan Epstein, manager of Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley's gubernatorial campaign. "After three years of ignoring school construction, this is a cynical, desperate attempt to get attention. This has not been a priority for the guy."

Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan, O'Malley's rival for the Democratic nomination, also has criticized the governor's policies.

"Governor Ehrlich doesn't have a long-term plan or vision when it comes to education," Jody Couser, press secretary for the Duncan campaign, wrote in an e-mail. "He doesn't know where he wants to lead the state 10, 15 or 20 years into the future with respect to education."

O'Malley and Duncan support $400 million for school construction in the 2006-07 fiscal year -- an amount sought by the Maryland Association of Counties.

Thursday's news conference was the governor's second education announcement this week. On Tuesday, he called for a 14.5 percent spending increase for the state university system.

The proposal for the kindergarten-through-12th grade schools largely tracks a 2002 law, enacted under Ehrlich's Democratic predecessor, that commits Maryland to a major infusion of funding to reduce historic inequities for schools with high populations of disadvantaged children. The law, however, does not provide a stream of revenue to pay for the new formula, developed by the Thornton Commission.

Early in Ehrlich's tenure, when the new governor faced a significant budget shortfall, there was considerable suspense as to whether the state could meet the law's requirements. This year, with a surplus of more than $1 billion, local lawmakers hoped that he would include tens of millions of dollars for what is known as a "geographic cost of education index." Ehrlich did not include that money, which is likely to become an issue in the legislative session that opens Wednesday.