Parents, politicians lobby school board

Parents and local leaders don't seem to want extra bells and whistles in the school budget this year.

They just want what they've been promised.

At a public hearing on the budget last night, a smattering of attendees asked the Board of Education simply to support what the superintendent has already proposed, like the arts magnet program planned for Bates Middle School in Annapolis and renovations for elementary schools.

But even as they asked for the board's support, they turned a weary eye toward the government's financial troubles, which may make even simple requests difficult to fund this...