October 3, 4, 12
Cultural Arts Showcases 9:00am-2:30pm, Carver Auditorium Come with your children to see various talent available for school assemblies
October 12
BOE Community Conversation
7pm, Northwood HS
October 20
MCCPTA Welcome Mixer
7:30pm, Location TDB
October 25
Delegates Assembly
7:30pm, Carver Auditorium
Join us at 6:30pm for a
conversation with
Superintendent Dr. Joshua Starr
October 27
BOE Community Conversation
7pm, Watkins Mill HS
November 3
CIP Forum with MCPS
6:00pm, Carver Cafeteria
November 10
BOE Boundary & Facilities
Public Hearing
7:00pm, Carver Auditorium
November 14
BOE Boundary & Facilities
Public Hearing
7:00pm, Carver Auditorium
November 22
Delegates Assembly
7:30pm, Carver Auditorium
Join us at 6:30pm for a
program on Growth in MCPS
January 4
Maintenance of Effort Forum
7:30pm, Carver Auditorium
January 11
BOE Operating Budget
Public Hearing
7:00pm, Carver Auditorium
January 18
BOE Operating Budget
Public Hearing
7:00pm, Carver Auditorium
January 24
Delegates Assembly
7:30pm, Carver Auditorium
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MCPS Operating Budget Overview
In follow up to the September Delegates Assembly, below is a brief operating budget overview to share with your schools. All pending resolutions to include our Operating Budget Priorities and Operating Budget Compact will be posted on the MCCPTA website this coming week. Until then, you can click on the links to access the proposed resolutions which are combined into one document for this email. If you have questions about either document before the next Delegates meeting, I encourage you to post them on the Delegates e-list to help keep everyone informed.
The MCPS Operating Budget is roughly $2 billion dollars, with the majority of funding coming from our county government (also referred to as the local contribution). The funding breakout for the current fiscal year (FY2012) is as follows: County $1.37 billion; State $560 million; Federal $70 million; enterprise funds $55 million and other funding sources $10 million. While the County contributes the most, the amount of the local contribution has been on the decline. In terms of actual dollars, the local contribution (of $1.37 billion) is at the lowest level since 2006. The percentage of local revenue spent on schools has also been on the decline - down from 52.5 % in FY 2003 to 42.5% in FY 2012 .
In the face of these difficult economic times, MCPS has experienced significant increases in enrollment, as well as in the number of students living at, or near the poverty level, and in the number of students receiving ESOL services. The cost of health care benefits, which makes up roughly 23% of the total MCPS budget, is also on the rise - not just in our county, but across the country. All of these factors directly increase the cost of education.
Over the last four years, the MCPS budget has been reduced by over $325 million. Last year alone, the MCPS budget request was cut (or underfunded) by $119 million. Eighty percent of the most recent cuts ($95 million) impacted employee compensation.
The scenario for FY 2013 remains challenging. As of April, the State was projecting a budget gap of over $1 billion (although higher than expected income tax payments will hopefully help to offset that amount). At the County level, the County fiscal plan assumes that agencies will face a decrease in funding for FY 2013 to permit sunset of the Energy Tax increase and the continued rebuilding of reserves. In addition, absent a "legislative fix", we will start fiscal year 2013 with a $26 million penalty, as a result of the County's failure to meet Maintenance of Effort funding, as required by state law. The level of per pupil funding has been declining for the last several years, down from $14,674 in FY 2010 to $ $13,607 in FY 2012. There is also a possibility that the State will shift the cost for funding teacher pensions from the state to the county level, creating yet another significant financial burden at the local level.
As an organization, we hope to advocate with a strong and unified voice to support funding for our schools. The Proposed Resolution for FY 2013 Operating Budget Priorities will be central to our advocacy efforts in the year ahead. The Proposed Compact correlates directly to the MCPS Strategic Plan and therefore speaks to longer term goals (and anticipates a return to fiscal health). Please share both with your local schools. We hope to vote on the adoption of these documents at the October 25th Delegates Meeting.
IN CLOSING, PLEASE ENCOURAGE MEMBERS OF YOUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY TO ATTEND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION "COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS" ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12TH AT 7PM IN THE NORTHWOOD HS CAFETERIA, AND ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27TH IN THE WATKINS MILL HS CAFETERIA. THESE ARE EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITIES TO SHARE OUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITIES.
Thank you,
Jean Schlesinger
MCCPTA Operating Budget Chair
jeanschlesinger@verizon.net
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