Plan Would Curtail Mandated School Aid

O'Malley Outlines Deficit Solutions

Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) indicated yesterday that he will propose spending $169 million less on public education next year than required under law as part of his solution to Maryland's looming $1.7 billion budget shortfall.

Under O'Malley's proposal, education spending would increase by $119 million next year and the state would start funding a much-delayed plan to send tens of millions of additional dollars to such jurisdictions as Montgomery and Prince George's counties, where the cost of providing education is more expensive.

But the result would be to curtail increases called for under the state's landmark Thornton plan, which has pumped nearly $1.5 billion in new money into Maryland schools since its passage in 2002.

Reaction from educators yesterday was mixed, with some expressing understanding of the state's fiscal situation and others less sympathetic.

O'Malley's plan was distributed during a public forum in Annapolis that he used to detail remaining pieces of his budget package and to urge lawmakers to adopt them in a November special session. Some leading lawmakers have said they would rather wait to act until their regular session in January.

"We need to act now," said Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D), who accompanied O'Malley to the forum, held in an elementary school gym. "We cannot wait until January to wrestle this to the ground."

To underscore the point, O'Malley aides noted projections showing that the state could gain more than $500 million in revenue by passing several tax increases advocated by O'Malley in November rather than waiting to do so in their annual 90-day session.

O'Malley has spent much of the past two weeks rolling out his proposals, which include an increase in the sales tax and an overhaul of income brackets that would require higher-end earners to pay more but provide modest tax breaks for most filers.

Among those critical of O'Malley's education proposal yesterday was Alvin Thornton, an educator who led the state commission that developed the plan, which is designed to ensure adequate funding for less-affluent school districts.

Thornton said he is "very sensitive" to the fiscal challenges faced by the governor and legislative leaders. But he said less money will possibly lead to a drop in student performance.

"It was never just money pulled out of the sky," he said. "It was connected to performance that could be purchased with the money."

Washington County Superintendent Elizabeth M. Morgan, who attended O'Malley's forum, said she thought the plan presented was "workable," given budget constraints. Morgan, who is also president of the Public School Superintendents Association of Maryland, said educators would like to discuss the plan further with O'Malley.