School board OKs 19% hike in spending

The county Board of Education passed a nearly billion-dollar spending plan yesterday that officials said makes up for cuts over the past few years.

Budget highlights Nearly every assistant The Board of Education passed a $941 million operating budget and a $153 million capital building program yesterday for the next school year. The following initiatives are included in the plan. • Employee raises: $40 million. • Special education: $5 million. • All-day kindergarten expansion: $4.9 million. • Technology: $3.5 million. • School security: $2.5 million. • Prekindergarten programs: $1.9 million. • Magnet programs: $1.3 million. • High school clerical help: $1.1 million. • Middle school reform: $302,226. Building projects: • Severna Park Middle overhaul: $20 million. • New Gambrills Elementary: $14.3 million. • Freetown Elementary replacement: $14.3 million. • Arundel High science lab addition: $12.7 million. • Lake Shore Elementary overhaul: $12.2 million. • Southgate Elementary design: $1.9 million.

Next year's $941 million operating budget, approved by a 6-2 vote, is nearly identical to what Superintendent Kevin M. Maxwell proposed in January.

Board members didn't trim anything from his first budget, which calls for a 19 percent increase over this year's spending plan.

They'll send the superintendent's prioritized plan to County Executive John R. Leopold for his consideration.

"We hired him to tell us how we can take our school system from good to great," school board member Enrique Melendez said. "I believe he is starting to do that."

The plan calls for more than three dozen security personnel, workers to track down truant students, clerical help for high schools and special-education clerks.

It funds a 6 percent raise for teachers that school officials negotiated last year.

But school board member Victor Bernson called the $153 million operating budget increase "grossly extravagant." He voted against the plan, along with Michael Leahy.

"I believe the message this board is sending to the good citizens of Anne Arundel County is that we can spend, spend, spend our way out of our present challenges," Mr. Bernson said. "I could not disagree more."

The record operating budget faces significant hurdles over the next few months when it goes before county officials who have said it's way too much.

Mr. Leopold has said the increase isn't realistic. Most are expecting him to slash the school system's request when he releases the county budget on May 1.

County Council Chairman Ron Dillon Jr., a Pasadena Republican, also said the budget isn't likely to pass.

"At this point, I think it's a long shot that the entire 19 percent will be funded," he said.

The council must adopt some version of Mr. Leopold's budget by June 1.

School board members will be able to tweak the final version, and yesterday indicated they might have to revamp their priority list.

"I know we will have some tough decisions to make when the budget comes back to us in June," board President Tricia Johnson said.

The board added $8.1 million to its request for county money, filling a void left when the state said it won't come up with about $9 million.

School officials are now asking for $101 million in county money, $63 million more than the county gave schools last year.

The rest of the operating budget is made up of state and federal funds and earnings from investments, like bank-account interest.

The school board also included food service revenues and expenditures in its budget, accounting for a nearly $20 million increase from Dr. Maxwell's initial $920 million plan.

The food service program pays for itself, and the county won't need to chip in anything to fund that program, school officials...

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