Advocates, Lawmakers Call On Hogan To Restore $140M In Education Funding For Baltimore And P.G. County

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Advocates and a group of Baltimore lawmakers are calling on Gov. Larry Hogan to restore roughly $140 million in education funding, saying the cuts severely impact Baltimore City and Prince George's County, two districts serving large populations of minority students.

The governor's budget for Fiscal Year 2023 includes $8.15 billion for K-12 education, which he claims is "$151 million above the legislature's statutory funding formulas."

But a January fiscal briefing from the non-partisan Department of Legislative Services found the budget leaves out $99 million in grants for Baltimore City and $26.5 million in grants for Prince George's County, plus an additional $14.2 million for support and training programs outlined in the Blueprint For Maryland's Future, also known as the Kirwan bill.

Under the law, the state is supposed to provide additional funding to low-income districts through what's called an Education Effort Adjustment, the Maryland Alliance for Racial Equity in Education said Wednesday.

During an online presentation, Frank Patinella, a senior education advocate with the ACLU of Maryland, said Kirwan funding formulas require the state and local districts to share in the additional costs to educate students who qualify for free or reduced meals, are learning the English language or require special education.

But this places an "untenable" financial burden low-income districts, where there are higher percentages of these students, and the adjustment is in place to provide additional state dollars to school districts that show an "above average effort" in paying their share, he said.

"And that's needed in this formula, or the formula is completely inequitable," said Patinella.

Jamal Jones, executive director of the Baltimore Algebra Project, a student-run advocacy group and tutoring program, said the $99 million shortfall could lead to cuts in teachers assistant positions, after-school programs and community services in city schools.

"This is not a question of Baltimore City wants some innocuous $99 million," he said. "This is a question of having the operating cash to be able to deliver the educational product or good that we are trying to give to our students."

Multiple speakers noted Baltimore City and Prince George's County have the largest populations of Black and brown students.

The Maryland Alliance for Racial Equity in Education's chair, sharlimar douglass, said the governor's decision to withhold $140 million in the budget "is steeped in racial inequity."

"Districts that educate Black and brown students are historically underfunded and expected to do more with less," said douglass.

The governor's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Earlier this month, several Baltimore lawmakers pushed back on Hogan's claim that his budget provides record levels of education funding.

On Feb. 3, Baltimore City Councilman Eric Costello (D-District 11) said the budget "contradicts state law and it's wrong."

The councilman went on to say: "He shares accountability for the success of our students. If you're concerned about our schools, implore the Governor to step up and do his part."

Sen. Antonio Hayes (D-Baltimore City) seized on Costello's tweet two days later.

"The Governor should not be taking credit for increases in education funding mandated by law while ignoring the law that appropriates Balt City & PG Co, but he damn sure is trying to," he tweeted on Feb. 5.

Del. Marlon Amprey (D-Baltimore City) highlighted a section in the analysis showing how the governor allocated nearly $4 billion in surplus funds. Education spending increased by $260.2 million, but the Education Effort Adjustment portion of Kirwan received no money, according to the Department of Legislative Services briefing.

"Hogan took over $125 million from Black and Brown children and is now touting this stolen money as a surplus," he tweeted. "We promised over $125 million to Baltimore City and Prince Georges last year with Kirwan and he just took it out of his budget."

John King, a former U.S. Secretary of Education and Democratic candidate for governor, released a statement criticizing one of the governor's top budget priorities, tax cuts.

"We can't afford even another day where our Black students are going to underfunded schools while essential funding is being diverted to tax breaks for millionaires," he tweeted on Feb. 4. "Our economic success, our health outcomes - all depend on the strength of our education system."

Under state law the governor is required to present a balanced budget, and the Maryland General Assembly can only cut from his proposals, not add or reallocate funds.

Advocates with the Maryland Alliance for Racial Equity in Education are asking the Maryland General Assembly and Hogan to pass a supplementary budget restoring the $140 million for Baltimore City and Prince George's County.

Hogan's office did not immediately respond to multiple requests for comment from WJZ.

In:
• Prince George's County
• Baltimore City
• Larry Hogan