Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News
— OAKLAND — A group called Parents for Garrett County Education is working on filing an appeal with the Maryland Board of Education to stop the closures of Dennett Road and Kitzmiller elementary schools, according to Diane Donham, the group’s spokeswoman.
The group has until May 24 to file the appeal and hopes to have it filed by the end of the week.
The state board must hear from the Garrett County Board of Education before they respond to the group’s appeal, according to Donham.
“I hope the state board of education responds in time so more teachers don’t lose their jobs,” said Donham.
The group is also circulating numerous petitions to keep the schools open, some of which will be provided to the state board with the appeal.
The state will respond 20 days after a copy of the appeal has been sent, according to Maryland Office of the Secretary of the State.
“Last year, people were given raises instead of keeping the schools open,” said Donham in an interview with the Times-News.
In October 2011, county commissioners provided the BOE with a preliminary appropriation of $24,859,000 to allow for budget planning for fiscal year 2013, according to a news release provided by the commissioners.
Last year, the commissioners provided the BOE with $700,000 to keep Bloomington Elementary School open, according to a previous Times-News article. Then, in April 2011, the BOE voted to close the school.
Prior to the decision to close the schools on April 24, the commissioners provided the BOE with $500,000 for fiscal year 2013 and suggested the schools remain open.
During the April BOE meeting, interim Superintendent Sue Waggoner recommended that the money provided by the commissioners be used to “reduce the number of instructional employee reductions.”
Before the money was provided by the commissioners, 40 teacher positions would have been cut. Now that number would be reduced to 28 positions, according to BOE President Charlotte Sebold.
“I will not be able to vote to close schools tonight,” said BOE Vice President Rodney Durst during the April meeting.
The commissioners cannot obligate or commit to additional funds above $25,359,000 for fiscal years 2013 and 2014, the commissioners said in a news release.
“Regardless of whether we close schools or not, we are going to have to lay off teachers ... but if we decide to go that route and the state does come through with the money, we can hire those teachers back,” said Durst during the April meeting, noting that the BOE is restricted by the union as to who must be laid off.
“But I’m afraid if we close the schools, even if they come through with twice the money, they won’t open back up.”
Funding for education will be determined by a special session of the General Assembly that will likely be held May 14.
“My hope is that with the ‘doomsday’ budget they (the General Assembly) will decline the 12 percent decrease during the special session,” said Donham. “So the teachers can get their jobs back.”
Sebold echoed Durst’s sentiments and suggested that the schools remain open, and instead of cutting teachers’ positions, using the money provided by the commissioners to save some of those positions.
Teachers’ salaries account for 80 percent of the budget, according to Sebold.
“Our problem this evening is the fact that we don’t know what is going to happen in the legislative session,” said Waggoner, during the April meeting. “As a result, until we have the dollars in hand, I have to recommend a balanced budget. That’s the reason we are going to be talking about school closures.”
During a special meeting on April 24, the BOE voted 3-2 to close Dennett Road and Kitzmiller elementary schools at the end of the school year.
Students who attend Dennett Road will be redistricted to Yough Glades, Broadford and Crellin elementary schools. Yough Glades will be designated as the special education school.
Students who attend Kitzmiller will be redistricted to Broadford elementary school.
The Parents for Garrett County Education group, whose goal is to to preserve the future quality of education for children in the county, is also currently looking into the possibility of a homeschool co-op, according to Donham.
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com
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