Strangling the Schools
Just as public education begins to show progress, Prince George's hits a cash crunch.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

FORTY-NINE schools in Prince George's County were recently recognized by the state as making significant academic progress. That's 44 percent better than the previous year's record and is in keeping with other measures showing a steady uptick in student achievement. Reforms undertaken by Superintendent John E. Deasy are clearly working, so it's a pity that this progress is threatened by the county running short of cash. It's another reason why the tough taxing restrictions in Prince George's need to be eased.

The school system is supposed to get $1.68 billion next year under the budget proposal unveiled last week by County Executive Jack B. Johnson. It's what the schools requested, but it's an amount that was pared to the bone by school officials conscious of spending constraints. Jobs are being eliminated, and needed new initiatives, such as relieving school crowding or targeting middle schools, have been put on hold. Even more worrisome is the uncertainty over whether even that amount will be forthcoming. Mr. Johnson, who should be applauded for his continuing commitment to education, is by no means certain that his revenue forecasts will hold and that could mean less money when the County Council adopts a final budget. Moreover, a big loss in state educational aid is expected. The perfect storm of this looming fiscal crisis imperils the momentum that Mr. Deasy has brought to improving teaching and learning and boosting student achievement.

Prince George's schools are not alone, as Post education reporters recently reported, in having to do more with less. National economic turbulence and a stalled local real estate market are making for hard financial times. But Prince George's is unique in having to live within the confines of TRIM (Tax Reform in Maryland) and the serial underfunding that has meant for schools. Money is not the cure-all to educational ills but there's a correlation between Prince George's spending less per pupil than any school district in suburban Maryland or Virginia and the state of its schools. County residents need only look across the border to Montgomery to see what a difference targeted infusions of money can mean for troubled schools.

Past efforts to repeal TRIM have failed, largely because officials couldn't make the case to residents to trust them with this needed authority and extra cash. We can't think of a better argument than the 134,000 students who are making progress and who will surely suffer if there's no money to sustain the programs responsible for that improvement.