[RP TownTalk] Education Budget: Hogan funds only pensions (& more)

Mon May 18 12:29:39 UTC 2015

Information regarding Governor Hogan's funding priorities, and the impact
on our schools, in particular. This may have an impact on how you feel
about our county's budget and funding priorities (or it may not).

Regardless of how you feel, you definitely *should* contact your county
Councilperson to let them know how you feel about the upcoming budgetary
decisions.

"Budgets are moral documents." - Tavis Smiley

-Sarah

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
 <ARTEERICK at aol.com>Rick Tyler

Date: Mon, May 18, 2015 at 6:59 AM
Subject: [pgtag] FYI-Hogan funds pensions, but nothing more for schools &
more>>Part 1
To: arteerick at aol.com

 *FYI-Hogan funds pensions, but nothing more for schools & more>>Part 1*

This action or inaction will have a direct impact on thirteen (13) school
systems and over 700,000 students in Maryland.

Below, you will find some headlines, excerpts and links to the entire
article for each as it may pertain to the Governor's decision, not to fully
fund Public Education for all school systems in Maryland, by refusing to
release $68 million that cannot be used for anything else.  Please note
that this money was overwhelming approved by the 2015 General Assembly
without raising any taxes or fees.

Please review and share with other parents, guardians, educators, education
advocates and/or education decision-makers as appropriate.

Rick
==================================================

*Md.’s Hogan to withhold extra funding for high-cost school systems this
year*

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/marylands-hogan-to-withhold-funding-for-high-cost-school-systems-this-year/2015/05/14/ccf4204e-fa58-11e4-a13c-193b1241d51a_story.html

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced Thursday that he will withhold
$68 million in funding for high-cost school systems this year, thwarting
the wishes of Democratic legislators and top officials in Montgomery and
Prince George’s counties.

The General Assembly passed a measure in April requiring the state to fully
fund a program that sends extra money to the state’s costliest school
systems

*Hogan funds pensions, but nothing more for schools*

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-hogan-announcement-20150514-story.html#page=1

Gov. Larry Hogan has decided to take $68 million that lawmakers set aside
for schools and use it to shore up the state's pension system instead —
disappointing school officials in Baltimore and other large districts
around the state.

*Hogan's choice** - *
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bs-ed-hogan-schools-20150517-story.html

And here's the craziest part of it all: Governor Hogan can't just shift the
$68 million from GCEI to the pension system. The General Assembly passed
the budget, and it specified that the money could be spent in the coming
fiscal year on education, not on pensions. It is law. There is language in
the budget that allows Mr. Hogan to dedicate part of the state's
undedicated fund balance, up to $50 million, to shoring up the pension
system, but not until fiscal 2017, more than a year from now. Between now
and then, the legislature will come back, and it can just cut it again. The
General Assembly has shown all too well its willingness to shortchange the
pension system; now it's liable to do it out of spite.

*Hogan rejects pressure for school aid, but surrenders in the long term -* See
more at:
http://marylandreporter.com/2015/05/14/hogan-rejects-pressure-for-school-aid-but-surrenders-in-the-long-term/#sthash.AFcoHk5L.dpuf

=============================================================================

*Geographic Cost of Education Index: *This discretionary formula provides
additional State funds to local school systems where costs for educational
resources are higher than the State average. Funding for the GCEI formula
was provided in fiscal 2009 for the first time. Thirteen local school
systems receive a total of $136.2 million in fiscal 2016 from the GCEI
formula, an increase of $3.5 million over fiscal 2015. However, as
discussed above, 50% of this funding is at the Governor’s discretion

*Excerpt from House Bill 70-2015*

*“contingent on the fiscal year 2016 operating budget (H.B. 70/Ch.__ Acts
of 2015) including less than 100 percent of the GCEI adjustment grant
amount for each county board of education in program R00A02.01 within the
Maryland State Department of Education – Aid to Education for the
Geographic Cost of Education Index. If 100% of the GCEI adjustment grant
amount for each county board of education in program R00A02.01 within the
Maryland State Department of Education – Aid to Education for the
Geographic Cost of Education Index is provided in the fiscal year 2016
operating budget (H.B. 70/Ch.__ Acts of 2015), this Act shall be null and
void without the necessity of further action by the General Assembly”*

 __._,_.___
  ------------------------------
Posted by: ARTEERICK at aol.com
------------------------------

*Dr. Alvin Thornton statement on Governor Hogan's Decision, not to fund
GCEI>>>*

Please read, then share with other parents, community members and/or public
education decision makers, the following statement from Dr. Alvin Thornton
regarding the Governor's decision, not to fund
 the Geographic Cost of Education Index
(
GCEI
)
.  Please note, that Dr. Thornton may be one of the most qualified persons
in Prince George's and Maryland when it comes to adequate, equitable
funding and accountable of Maryland's Public Schools.

See chart at the bottom for a brief snapshot on how  the Governor's
decision will impact thirteen (13) school systems in Maryland and note that
such action will have a direct impact on local boards FY 2016 budget
decisions and put jobs, academic programs and/or services for over 700,000
students at risk?

Finally, public education organizations, other parents, guardians and
community members may want to learn more about how it may impact students,
programs and/or services by contacting your local school system
administration and/or Board of Education member.

Rick Tyler
========================================

*Governor Hogan’s Decision Not to*

* Fund the **Geographic Cost on Educating*

*Index (GCEI)** is Unwise*

Governor Hogan’s recent decision not to fund the Geographic Cost on
Educating Index (GCEI) component of the State’s Bridge to Excellence
formula is unwise. I chaired Maryland’s Commission on Education Finance,
Equity and Excellence (Thornton Commission). One of its major findings was
that public education in Maryland was not funded at a level that would give
its children a reasonable chance to perform academically at levels required
by the State’s legislatively-mandated accountability system. The
Commission’s recommendations and General Assembly enactments (Bridge to
Excellence in Public Schools Act) constituted a broad and historic
state-wide consensus about the primacy of public education funding and
accountability across the State. The historic consensus has guided the
State’s approach to education funding and accountability for more than a
decade, elevating it to a number one ranking in the nation.

Every State must have a broad and deep consensus about the importance of
its public education system as the core of its cultural and economic
development. This consensus should be embraced by all segments of the
State, including all levels of elected officials, clergy, business leaders,
economic strata, parents of students attending public and private schools,
and citizens who no longer have school-aged children. In Maryland, elected
officials are constitutionally obligated to work together to ensure that
excellent and accessible public education is funded adequately and
equitably. Indeed, it is their foremost constitutional
responsibility. Governor Hogan’s first responsibility is to maintain and
institutionalize the Bridge to Excellence (Thornton) consensus and prevent
the State from reverting back to education funding and accountability based
on region, partisanship, race and socio-economic status.

The State’s commitment to its children includes high performance
expectations and a promise to adequately fund their education. The quality
of education that children receive should not be a function of the cost of
education in their community, their zip code, family income or the value of
their community’s residential and commercial property or demographic
composition.  This is our obligation to and social contract with our
children.  Governor Hogan’s decision not to fund the GCEI backs away from
that obligation and breaks the contract.

*Dr. Alvin Thornton is a longtime Prince George’s County resident and
former Interim Provost and Chief Academic Officer, and Associate Provost at
Howard University.  He also chaired the Prince George’s County Board of
Education for three-terms, and Maryland’s Commission on Education Finance,
Equity and Excellence (The Thornton Commission).*

================================================

*2014 Enrolled*

*LEA Name*

*GCEI Funds not released*

*by the Governor*

*$ per student*

*not released*

*100% Funded*

       78,489

Anne Arundel

-4,836,646

61.62

9,673,292

       84,730

Baltimore City

-11,610,141

137.02

23,220,282

    108,191

Baltimore County

-2,945,833

27.22

5,891,665

       16,221

Calvert

-1,138,627

70.19

2,277,254

       26,331

Carroll

-1,241,508

47.15

2,483,016

       26,455

Charles

-1,767,220

66.80

3,534,440

       40,648

Frederick

-3,309,089

81.40

6,618,177

       52,806

Howard

-2,736,808

1.29

5,473,615

         2,117

Kent

-68,497

51.82

136,994

    151,295

Montgomery

-17,744,167

117.28

35,488,334

*    125,136*

*Prince George's*

*-20,297,767*

*162.20*

*40,595,533*

         7,716

Queen Anne's

-286,002

37.06

572,003

       17,841

Saint Mary's

-117,933

6.61

235,866

*    737,976*

*TOTAL*

*($68,100,236)*

*92.27*

*$136,200,471*

*Sources:* *official Maryland Report Card 2014 Enrollment & Legislative
Services*

   - There are 737, 976 students according to the official Maryland
   Enrollment in the 13 GCEI Counties/City
   - That is equal to an average of $92.28 per student in GCEI funds not
   release by the Governor
   - It is also equal to 85.2% of all Maryland Public School Students

“contingent on the fiscal year 2016 operating budget (H.B. 70/Ch.__ Acts of
2015) including less than 100 percent of the GCEI adjustment grant amount
for each county board of education in program R00A02.01 within the Maryland
State Department of Education – Aid to Education for the Geographic Cost of
Education Index. If 100% of the GCEI adjustment grant amount for each
county board of education in program R00A02.01 within the Maryland State
Department of Education – Aid to Education for the Geographic Cost of
Education Index is provided in the fiscal year 2016 operating budget (H.B.
70/Ch.__ Acts of 2015), this Act shall be null and void without the
necessity of further action by the
Gen0.0.0.-176623258525oZ2dlY2JjY2R:0007f143 E:187016.929716655
V:10f7.fcb.1.1.16.1.

__._,_.___

 ARTEERICK at aol.com
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