Money Fears Become Real For Md., Va. Public Schools

Jack D. Dale, superintendent of schools in Fairfax, said that "it will take decades to recover" from the cuts being considered. (By Juana Arias -- The Washington Post)
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Veteran School Board member Jane K. Strauss (Dranesville) said the magnitude of the potential cuts outweighs those considered in the early 1990s when county funding to schools decreased and some teachers were laid off. "We have never seen this kind of devastation in Fairfax County public schools," Strauss said.

In Montgomery, the school board already has asked teachers and other employee associations to renegotiate contracted 5 percent raises. This year's bump costs $89 million in pay and benefits and is responsible for about half of the projected budget need.

Other than paying employees less, officials say, the main way the school system could reap significant savings would be to trim the workforce. Weast said $180 million represents more than 3,000 positions.

Another option would be to eliminate initiatives Weast has brought to Montgomery schools, including class-size reduction and extra academic help at economically disadvantaged schools, which together cost more than $100 million a year, mainly in staffing costs.

Weast said he'd favor a salary adjustment over staff or initiative cuts when he prepares his budget request, to be presented Dec. 11.

"My emphasis this year will be on keeping the reforms going and saving jobs," he said.

Weast is required to honor labor contracts unless there is mutual agreement to renegotiate, a delicate subject in budget negotiations.

Late yesterday, the leaders of the three Montgomery school unions announced in an e-mail to members that their executive boards had agreed to reopen negotiations.

"A lot of programs and a lot of people are going to be adversely impacted," Tom Israel, executive director of the Montgomery County Education Association, said. "It won't be pretty."