Eighty jobs - none of them teaching positions - were eliminated last week while the schools brace for another year without new science labs, kindergarten classrooms, playground equipment and other things officials said they badly need.
"It is severely going to impact how we help the media specialists and the children," said Linda Williams, head of the library department, which is losing 11 of 21 employees. "I'm still overwhelmed by all of this."
Among other duties, Ms. Williams' department reviews, buys and distributes...
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Schools - try this... - 2008-07-02 21:03:44
Having raised 4 kids in the AA Cty schools the last one is finishing in New Mexico. The school system in Rio Rancho not only endorses and runs a cyber academy but will give credit and PAY FOR classes taken at the community college. Both are actually huge cost savings that the AA Cty will never enjoy - mostly due to the teacher's union.
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Mike Spindler - Rio Rancho, NM - Karma: Neutral
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School Budget "cut" - 2008-06-27 14:09:38
...after a little research -
the 2007 budget was about $802 million; the
2008 budget is 931 million
a SIXTEEN percent increase? Did inflation rise that much?
What a "cut".
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Renee P. - Edgewater, MD - Karma: Neutral
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Peter - 2008-06-27 13:42:03
Dr. Maxwell was not being fiscally responsible, no money was saved. 80 positions were cut, but 80 (or close to it) people still have jobs. It is all smoke and mirrors, and this is the real story.
The fiscally responsible approach would have been to live with the budget that was approved by the Council - which was less than requested, but I do not believe a cut from the previous year as Dave D. pointed out.
The fiscally responsible approach would put a stop to the up to 10% merit increases the higher employees of the board will receive on July 1st. The fiscally responsible approach would also have cut more professional positions as opposed to the lower level positions. Janitors, Grounds keepers, etc are needed to run the schools. The fiscally responsible approach would have analyzed ALL positions to find out who really is not needed - whether there is a lack of work or they are a poor performer and layed off appropriately. This was not done. But what more would you expect?
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Renee P. - Edgewater, MD - Karma: Neutral
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Renee - 2008-06-26 18:19:07
It's nice to know at least one government agency in Maryland is fiscally responsible. Rather than further bloating the government and raising taxes.
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Peter D. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Terrible
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What is the real story?? - 2008-06-26 17:00:23
Wow, reading the headline you would assume a human interest story. Why don't you look into the approved county council budget and compare it to Maxwell's, then ask why these positions were cut? The council approved raises and monies needed to keep these people employed for the next 3 years, yet Doctor Maxwell decided to sacrifice them for a few extra bucks. (the savings is no where near the shortfalls you mention).
You never address what savings will be seen from these "cuts". Also never addressed is where these "savings" will be applied, since again, all associated salaries WERE APPROVED by the County Council. Obviously Maxwell has a better place to spend this new found money!! That is the real story here.
By the way, almost all 80 employees will still be employed by the Board - they have all been found new jobs as teachers assistants or secretaries (which are needed according to your article). So what was saved?? That must be "new" accounting.
A nice follow up to this story would be awfully nice.
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Renee P. - Edgewater, MD - Karma: Neutral
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why target the libraries? - 2008-06-26 08:54:44
Maybe its me. Maybe because I actually read and use the library resources, but does it seem that the current trend in budget cutting seems to target the libraries? First the public library now the schools library??? WHY? I don't understand. Why are we cutting this resource? Who doesn't value books/librarians? WHY?
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k. miller - glen burnie, MD - Karma: Neutral
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Same 'ol junk - 2008-06-26 07:45:01
The Capital goes out of it's way to support/defend it's liberal colleagues. Again NO MENTION of the illegal $7B increase in state taxes, including raising the state budget by $1.2B dollars-forget cutting it. Never has there been a mention in in the Capital that 76% of tax dollar generated in AA county flows to the city of Baltimore. No mention that the day after Cohen won a county seat, his house in Eastport was up for sale. The citizen uprising against crime was a result of the Cohen neglect of Eastport. Thankfully Ross took over and is fixing the Cohen disaster. The Annapolis blogs are alive with the discovery that the quadrupling of the Annapolis budget under Moyer has gone to the creation of new department, in an effort to flow $100,000 jobs to her friends. It comes as no surprise to anyone that the Capital has to stand in Giant on the weekends and shove papers in people faces to get them to read this (stuff).
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Peter D. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Terrible
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Not quite so - 2008-06-25 20:37:16
"None were teaching positions; effects of budget cuts start to show"
The budget was not cut. Get your facts straight Ms. Hulette. It should be interesting to see where those cuts are applied.
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Dave D. - Pasadena, MD - Karma: Excellent
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