Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News
— OAKLAND — The Maryland General Assembly’s passing of the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act of 2012 means $1 million-plus for education in Garrett County.
The legislations’ enactment also means the school board needs to meet to decide on the best use of the money, said Charlotte Sebold, the board’s president.
A special meeting of the Garrett County Board of Education is being held Wednesday to discuss possible spending scenarios.
Scenarios that will likely be discussed include retaining more personnel and revisiting the decision to close Dennett Road and Kitzmiller elementary schools, according to Sebold.
“The superintendent will provide scenarios on what the board can do with monies to best serve students of Garrett County and to preserve jobs,” said Sebold. “We are looking at keeping as many employees as possible.”
There are no laws that prevent the board from revisiting the decision made at the April 24 meeting to close the two schools, Sebold said.
The commissioners provided the board with $500,000 for fiscal year 2013 and suggested that the money be used to reduce the number of instructional employee cuts from 40 to 28. In total, the county has appropriated $25.3 million to the board for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
The General Assembly passed an income tax hike on Wednesday that targets six-figure earners and will avoid about $500 million in budget cuts.
Gov. Martin O’Malley emphasized that the special session was needed to protect education, to keep college tuition affordable and preserve public safety.
Leo Martin, mayor of Mountain Lake Park, presented a petition with more than 2,400 signatures to the school board Monday, said resident Elizabeth Hebden.
The petition contained signatures of more than 10 percent of all registered voters in Garrett County, Hebden said.
The petition asked board members for another vote on the April 24 school-closing decision, pending the passage of the revenue bill by state legislators and the receipt of additional funding for Garrett County schools.
The petition was accepted by Sebold but there was no discussion on it, according to Sue Waggoner, interim superintendent of schools.
“It was premature for the board to adopt the school closure policy in light of the Maryland General Assembly special session that opened earlier today (Monday),” said resident James “Smokey” Stanton. “The special session was called in order to adopt a state budget with revised expenditures and revenues, and it is likely that state funds for Garrett County will increase as the result of the special session.”
Stanton said the board didn’t have a contingency plan to maintain Dennett Road and Kitzmiller elementary schools if the legislature approves additional funds for Garrett County schools.
“Small schools are exceptionally important to the economic health of our small towns and small communities, and it does not seem that this essential factor has been adequately taken into account with the proposed closures for this year and the proposals for future years,” said Stanton.
The special board of education meeting will be held Wednesday at 8 p.m. in the Southern Middle School cafeteria.
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.
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