New Budget Hurdles

Each day brings a new wrinkle to the ongoing budget discussions between the Board of Education, the County Executive, the County Council and the state. The latest budget released by the County Executive cuts MCPS by $82 million dollars.

The initial cuts planned for by Superintendent Weast are only $45 million (by the way, the mere fact that I can say ONLY $45 million should underscore the problem.)

The County Council needs to hear from YOU - today - that there is a limit to what we can absorb. Our system has taken in 3,300 new students, many poor and with additional needs. How can we adequately address their needs, if we don't fund the school system?

How can we address the needs of the kids currently in the system? And must we ALWAYS forget the kids in the middle -- the ones who are doing OK, not enough to need intervention, not enough to get into special programs? These kids make up the VAST majority of the system and are often the ones in the most over crowded classrooms.

How can we claim to be one of the best systems in the nation when everything that is not reading or math is on the chopping block? And even reading and math are taught in ever larger groups?

There has to be a limit, and I think I have reached mine.

To contact the County Council, use these email addresses (I haven't hyperlinked them, just copy and paste into your email):
councilmember.andrews@montgomerycountymd.gov; councilmember.berliner@montgomerycountymd.gov; councilmember.elrich@montgomerycountymd.gov; councilmember.ervin@montgomerycountymd.gov; councilmember.floreen@montgomerycountymd.gov; councilmember.rice@montgomerycountymd.gov; councilmember.riemer@montgomerycountymd.gov; councilmember.leventhal@montgomerycountymd.gov; councilmember.navarro@montgomerycountymd.gov;county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov;

To contact the Board of Education: BOE@mcpsmd.org

And don't forget County Executive Leggett: ocemail@montgomerycountymd.gov