Region's Schools Brace for Austere Budgets in 2009-10

Money for Southern Maryland school systems will be much tighter in 2010 than it was last year, if the spending plan outlined last week for Charles County schools is any indication.

"We are facing the most austere and difficult times in well over a decade," Charles Superintendent James E. Richmond told county school board members Tuesday.

"Since state funding has essentially evaporated in 2010, we will rely to a greater degree on funding from the Charles County commissioners to prevent deep cuts from being made to the education budget," he said.

The $304.6 million spending plan presented to the school board represents a $5.1 million increase, or 1.7 percent, over the current budget. Charles school officials said that they did not know how much money they will get from the state or county next year but that state funding is not expected to increase.

"In these uncertain times, we are certain that there is an economic downturn, and we can expect less" funding, Assistant Superintendent Paul T. Balides said Tuesday. The General Assembly, which convened last week, will determine how much money the county receives.

"Let the legislature do its work. Let the county do its work. Then we'll come back," Balides told the school board.

For months, superintendents in the three Southern Maryland counties have been saying that there may be no new initiatives, and possibly cuts, in 2010.

St. Mary's County school officials outlined their proposed 2010 budget last week for the school board, but the numbers were not available Friday. Calvert County's superintendent is expected to announce his proposed spending plan Thursday.

In Charles, Balides said Tuesday that factors such as reduced enrollment or state education mandates that don't include funding could wreak havoc on next year's budget. He also said he is worried about the effects of a state accounting error. Last month, state officials said that $24 million meant for Montgomery County schools was mistakenly distributed to other counties for 2008-09.

Although the overpaid counties do not have to give that money back, they will have to adjust to not having that funding during the next school year, Balides said.

The state could also decide to shift all or part of the cost of teacher retirement plans to the county. The plans cost about $17 million a year for Charles. If the county had to pick up even half that, it would be "devastating to our budget," Balides said.

Charles commissioners have required the school system to make several rounds of cuts to its current budget. The system has saved money by not filling open positions, delaying the purchase of equipment and cutting back on spending for food, travel and staff development. It has also put some items, such as negotiated wage increases, on hold until officials receive better funding estimates.

Members of the Education Association of Charles County, the county's teachers union, have questioned the cuts and requested budget data and other information from commissioners. Bill Fisher, president of the group, said members have been trying to obtain the information since October.

In December, the group filed a Freedom of Information Act request for financial data. Among other things, they want to know how much money the county spent on the Blue Crabs' stadium, Capital Clubhouse, the expansion of the county government building, an engineering study of Rosewick Road and the yet-to-be-built Waldorf Library.

Wayne Cooper (D-At Large), president of the Charles Board of Commissioners, said Thursday that providing the information was "not a simple task" and that a packet of requested documents was mailed to the group last week.