Monday, April 22, 2013
Movin over to Facebook
This Blog post is being transferred to Facebook since many individuals have requested updates via the social media site.
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SOUTH CARROLL ED UPDATES
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Thank you!
KELLI NELSON
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Several Education Forums planned for first week in March
Next week's a busy week... PLEASE ATTEND AT LEAST ONE OF THESE FORUMS!
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Commissioner’s
Community Forum on Education
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Monday,
March 4, 2013
7:00
p.m.
Carroll
Community College (Room K-100)
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All five Commissioners will host a community forum to discuss education
in Carroll County. The CCPS School
Superintendent, Mr. Steve Guthrie will participate in the discussion(s). The
public is invited to provide public comment prior to the discussion. Each speaker will have 3 minutes to speak
and must sign up prior to the start of the meeting. For more information about the meeting or to
request special (ADA) accommodations, please contact the Board of Commissioners
at 410-386-2043. MD Relay: 7-1-1 or 800-735-2258.
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Board of Commissioners
Open Session
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Tuesday, March 5, 2013
7:00 p.m.
County Office Building – Ronald
Regan Meeting Rm.
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During this Open Session, the Commissioners will discuss and debate the
following agenda items:
~ FY14 Budget Priorities
~ Proposed Tax Rate Reductions
~ Board of Education/CCPS Education Funding
~ Government Employee Salaries
The public is invited to provide public comment prior to the
discussion. Each speaker will have 3
minutes to speak and must sign up prior to the start of the meeting. For more information about the meeting or
to request special (ADA) accommodations, please contact the Board of
Commissioners at 410-386-2043. MD Relay: 7-1-1 or
800-735-2258. Open Sessions may also
be viewed live on the web: http://ccgovernment.carr.org/ccg/default.asp. Be sure to click the “Video Library &
Agendas” link.
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Superintendent’s Education Forum
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Thursday,
March 7, 2013
7:00
p.m.
Century
High School – Auditorium
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Mr. Guthrie will provide an overview of the school system and the
proposed school system budget. If the
Commissioners reduce funding, Mr. Guthrie and the Board of Education will be
forced to cut millions of dollars from the existing budget. Come learn about the proposed reductions
and other possible programmatic changes.
Please encourage parents, students AND TEACHERS to attend this
important presentation. At the end of
presentation, the public will be invited to ask questions directly of the
Superintendent and share feedback. For
more information about the meeting or to request special (ADA)
accommodations, please contact CCPS Community and Media Relations at 410-386-3020.
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CC Times: Board of Ed adopts proposed budget, now on to the Board of Commissioners
Board OKs superintendent's proposed budget as official revenue request
Carroll
County Times
Posted:
Thursday, February 28, 2013 12:00 am | Updated: 12:06 am, Thu Feb 28, 2013.
By Alisha George Times Staff Writer | 1 comment
The Carroll County Board of Education approved an unchanged
version of the Superintendent’s Fiscal Year 2014 Proposed $330.2 million
Operating Budget after heavy debate whether to amend the $166.6 million county
budget request.
Board President Barbara Shreeve proposed amending the proposed
budget to remove the elimination of three central office positions before its
adoption at the Board of Education meeting Wednesday. The proposal was defeated
in a 3-2 vote.
Chief Financial Officer Chris Hartlove presented the
superintendent’s budget, which was largely unchanged since its January release.
The only difference was the release of preliminary state numbers that indicated
more than $3 million less than last year in state revenue.
“We are cautiously optimistic that there are possible legislative
remedies,” he said.
The FY14 budget includes a 1 percent increase in revenue from the
county, or about $1.7 million more than the previous fiscal year’s revenue.
Even with that increase, the FY14 budget outlines more than $2.6 million in
budget cuts.
The reductions already in the budget include 20.5 full-time
equivalent custodial positions that were cut through attrition, four central
office positions, staff turnover and a Carroll Association of School Employees
agreement to work fewer days.
Even though there are possible legislative measures that could
soften the blow of the potential state funding decrease, it is still unlikely
the state will flat fund the school system, which is what the budget outlined,
according to Superintendent of Schools Steve Guthrie.
“Probably in the best case scenario we’re going to have to reduce
some based on state revenue,” he said.
Hartlove proposed four choices to the Board of Education before
they voted to approve the budget request. He said they could either approve the
budget document as is; acknowledge there will likely be some reduction in state
revenue and request additional funding from the county; acknowledge there will
likely be a reduction in state revenue and make some additional cuts rather
than wait to do it in May; or look at adding items back into the
superintendent’s budget and ask for additional revenue from the county or make
additional cuts.
Board member Jim Doolan said he was not prepared to add any cuts
back into the budget, but Shreeve disagreed.
“We need to ask now for what we think we will need,” Shreeve said.
“This is the time to speak up.”
Shreeve made the case that the board should vote to amend the
budget to no longer seek to cut three central office positions — the
Coordinator of Youth Development and Service Learning and two workers at
Channel 21. Rather than make the cuts for a $230,000 savings, she suggested the
several year phase-in of other positions listed in the budget, such as the
addition of math resource teachers.
She and Seidel were the only board members to vote in favor of the
amendment.
The Coordinator of Youth Development and Service Learning is
responsible for supervising the Carroll County Student Government Association
and managing student service learning.
“I just would really hate to see the student service piece and the
student government piece not get the attention it needs,” Shreeve said.
Board Vice President Gary Bauer said the school system previously
had the math resource teachers that are added back into the FY14 budget and are
just now getting them back into schools.
“I cannot accept not getting them back on board,” he said.
Board member Virginia Harrison said there are still a lot of
unknowns when it comes to what revenue the school board will receive.
“I don’t want to see us add these things back and then have to cut
even more,” she said.
Since there have been 155 positions cut in five years, more work
has fallen back on the employees whose positions remain, Guthrie said. The
school system could be looking at $6 million additional cuts in May depending
on the final funding it receives from the county and state, he said.
County Commissioner Doug Howard, R-District 5 and ex-officio
member to the Board of Education, said that it is unlikely that the Board of
Education will fully receive the requested $166.6 million.
“$164 [million] seems to be the high number that we’re talking
about,” he said. A $164 million revenue from the county would be the same level
of funding as the school system received last year.
“Our plan at $164 million should not have been taken as anything
more than that. I don’t even know where we would go to find that additional
money in our budget as it stands right now.”
School system employees could leave because they are being
overworked and not paid enough, Bauer said. He suggested that the county raise
taxes.
“You say you only have $164 [million], you have more than $164
[million],” he said. “We’re a wealthy county and I’m tired of hearing we don’t
have the money.”
Board member Jennifer Seidel said constituents have told her that
they do not want to see another tax cut at the expense of education. She was
torn because she was elected to ask for the revenue needed to run Carroll
County Public Schools, but the Board of Education may not be asking for what’s
in the best interest of the school system, she said. Her hands are being tied
by people who don’t support public education, Seidel said.
“I feel like I’ve been put in a really bad position because I know
we need more than what we’re asking for,” she said.
Student Representative O’Reilly Miani said it is the Board of
Education’s responsibility to stop hurting those whose positions are being cut
and those who are left behind.
“If we want to ask for what we need, why are we letting our hands
be tied?” she said. “We’re hurting our school system.”
Doolan said times are tough and the school board and county
government are not on the same page. He suggested that rather than add to the
request, the board fight to get the requested $166.6 million.
As a board member, Doolan is responsible for advocating for
children and understanding that the school system is spending tax dollars, he
said.
“I still believe we’re not asking for what’s ideal, but we’re
being responsible and advocating for kids,” Doolan said.
Board of Ed adopts FY14 proposed budget
Commissioner Howard Not Optimistic About
Funding Adopted Education Budget
The Board of Education will be asking the
county commissioners for a one percent funding increase over last year.
Patch.comBy Kym Byrnes
02/27/13
The Carroll County
Board of Education adopted the Superintendent's proposed budget
Wednesday, much to the chagrin of Commissioner Doug Howard, who said the county
just doesn't have the money to fund at the requested level.
The school board will be asking the county
commissioners to increase funding of Carroll County Public Schools (CCPS) by
$1.7 million, or one percent above last year's funding level. The board of
education will ask the commissioners for total funding of $166.6 million.
CCPS Superintendent Stephen Guthrie explained
that the the school system has made $20 million in reductions in the past five
years and cut 155 positions system-wide.
The FY14 budget again again includes
reductions--20 custodial staff positions and four central office staff
positions. Additionally, Guthrie explained that the school system has to absorb
$2,061,303 in inflationary increases that include employee benefits, bus
contractor costs and insurances.
CCPS Chief Financial Officer Chris Hartlove
said that there are still unknowns in the budget, including how much funding
will come from the state and county.
Commissioner Doug Howard said that he doesn't
foresee the county funding education above $164 million. Last year the
commissioners forecast funding education at $164 million in FY14.
"There has never been any serious
position that's been taken by any of us [commissioners] that there's more than
$164 million there," Howard said. "There is nothing to suggest that
things are fundamentally better than that."
"My concern obviously is that $164
million still seems to be the high number we're talking about; other numbers we
are discussing are $3 million below that," Howard said.
Board of Education member Gary Bauer said he
"doesn't buy it"—he believes the county does have money to spend on
education.
"You have more than $164 million,"
Bauer said in response to Howard. "Raise the taxes. This county is very
wealthy; it's time they pay for what they want," Bauer said.
"The state has just reduced [our
funding], saying we're wealthier than before," Bauer continued. "I'm
tired of hearing we don't have money. We have the money."
Board of Education member Virginia Harrison
agreed saying, "We're beginning to lose good teachers who are going to
other counties that pay more.
"That one percent [property] tax cut last
year ... it would be fine with me if [the county] kept it and gave it to the
school system," Harrison said.
The Board of Carroll County Commissioners
will host an education forum on Monday, March 4, at 7 p.m. at Carroll Community
College.
On March 5, the commissioners will hold an
evening open session meeting at 7 p.m. at the County Office Building to discuss
a tax rate reduction, education funding and employee salaries.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Dean Minnich: Meetings produce snarky responses - Carroll County Times: Dean Minnich
Dean Minnich: Meetings produce snarky responses - Carroll County Times: Dean Minnich: Commissioner Robin Frazier, that darling of developers and property rights zealots — and who isn’t zealous about property rights? — is obvious…
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Superintendent to hold Education Forum @ LHS
The School Superintendent, Mr. Steve Guthrie, will host an EDUCATION FORUM on Tuesday, February 20th at Liberty High School, starting at 7:00 PM.
If you haven't had a chance to attend one of these forums, please join us. Mr. Guthrie does an excellent job outlining the proposed budget, the long-term outlook of our school system and the current needs. He is also very open to questions from the audience.
Important Commissioner Forum - Tue, Feb. 26
COMMISSIONER FORUM
The Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing regarding the County's budget (particularly regarding the issue of school system funding & tax refunds) on
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26th at 7:00 PM
in the County Office Building (225 N. Center Street, Westminster). The public is encouraged to attend and provide public comment (prior to the meeting/discussions).
Each speaker will have 3 minutes to testify.
This public meeting is being held in response to the community's concerns regarding an anticipated budget proposal that would provide a tax refund/rebate, but at the expense of school system funding. The county's Budget Director has advised the Commissioners that a tax refund would likely be impossible without reducing the school system's current budget.
Two of the five county commissioners have publicly proposed reducing the CCPS budget to Maintenance of Effort (MOE). This would REDUCE the school system's budget from $164.9M (in county revenue) to $160.0M. That's when drastic cuts would kick in. Also, we do not know at this time, what kind of funding will come from the State and what may happen at the federal level due to the proposed sequestration.
I encourage everyone to take a look at Mr. Guthrie's budget presentation which clearly outlines the $20 million in reductions already made over the past 5 years, along with this year's proposed budget request: http://www.carrollk12.org/admin/financeservices/budget/proposed/default.asp
PLEASE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE (not just parents & teachers) TO
ATTEND THIS IMPORTANT DISCUSSION!
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Community Forum tomorrow nite
Commissioners Howard and Shoemaker to host a
community forum “Around the County in 80 Minutes – Keep Carroll Strong”.
This meeting will be held on Monday, February 11th
at Liberty High School, 5855
Bartholow Road, Eldersburg, Maryland 21784. The meeting will
begin at 7pm.
Together
they will focus on key county services and the challenges facing the county in
providing these services today and in the future – Education, along with the
county’s FY14 Budget, will be key topics reviewed.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Commissioners hold Community Meetings
"BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION!"
Commissioners Howard and Shoemaker will be hosting a series of
community meetings entitled Around the County in 80 Minutes. Each
meeting will be 80 minutes long and will discuss a variety of important topics
including Education, Economic Development and Public Safety.
Please contact Roberta Windham at (410) 386-2876 or email: rwindham@ccg.carr.org, for more
information.
Thursday,
January 24 @ 7:00 pm
North Carroll High School, 1400 Panther Drive, Hampstead 21074
Monday,
January 28 @ 7:00 pm
Mt. Airy Middle School, 102 Watersville Road, Mt. Airy 21771
Tuesday,
January 29 @ 7:00 pm
Francis Scott Key High School, 3825 Bark Hill Road, Union Bridge
21791
Wednesday,
January 30 @ 7:00 pm
East Middle School, 121 Longwell Avenue, Westminster 21157
Monday,
February 4 @ 7:00 pm
New Windsor Middle School, 1000 Green Valley Road, New Windsor
21776
Tuesday,
February 5 @ 7:00 pm
Charles Carroll Elementary, 3719 Littlestown Pike, Westminster
21158
Monday,
February 11 @ 7:00 pm
Liberty High School, 5855 Bartholow Road, Eldersburg 21784
Board Meeting & Budget Work Session Tonight
Board Meeting, Budget Hearing and Work Session TONIGHT
The Board of Education of Carroll County will hold the following meetings on Wednesday, January 23, 2013. All meetings will be held in the Charles I. Ecker Boardroom at the Board of Education offices, located at 125 North Court Street in Westminster. The public is encouraged to attend.
5:00 p.m. Administrative Board Meeting (without citizen participation)6:00 p.m. FY14 Superintendent's Operating Budget Hearing (with citizen participation)7:00 p.m. Board Work Session - FY14 Operating Budget (without citizen participation)
The agenda and back-up materials for the Board meeting will be available for review on the CCPS website at www.carrollk12.org and clicking on Online Meeting Agenda at the bottom of the home page.
The Board meeting will be streamed live on the Carroll County Public Schools website at www.carrollk12.org. Click on CETV Channel 21 on the right side of the home page and then CCPS CETV Webstreaming, or go directly to:
The Board meeting also will be broadcast live on Channel 21, with rebroadcasts on Thursday, January 24, at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, January 26, at 9:00 a.m.; Sunday, January 27, at 8:00 p.m.; and Thursday, January 31, at 8:00 p.m.
POINTS TO CONSIDER WHEN PREPARING TESTIMONY ABOUT THE BUDGET
~ I support the Superintendent’s proposed budget, including a modest increase of 1% - primarily to cover inflationary cost including teacher pension costs passed back to the county, the new educational mandates (Race-to-the-Top) and the operating costs of opening a new middle school (Mt. Airy).
~ While asking for an increase, the budget also identifies reductions to help balance the budget. Over the past five years, the school system has reduced its budget by $20M dollars.
~ Should the school system see a decrease over last year’s budget ($164.9 in FY13) we will not have the necessary infrastructure (wireless capabilities) to meet our statewide testing mandates and our teachers will continue to leave the system for better opportunities elsewhere.
~ Finally, as our elected officials ponder over the future of our county, especially in terms of economic development and growth, I ask you to consider what type of work force will be anxious to move to a county or neighborhood with poor-performing schools or one where local government does not value to educational system.
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