Schools
$1 Billion Schools Budget Includes 73 New Teachers
The superintendent included only 75 of the 204 new positions requested by department heads.
Anne Arundel schools would hire 73 new teachers under the superintendent's proposed budget for 2015, but the number is only a fraction of what was requested by department heads.
Interim superintendent Mamie J. Perkins presented her 2014-2015 budget Wednesday to the Board of Education, her first since assuming the office from former superintendent Kevin Maxwell in August.
Perkins' operating budget weighs in at $1.04 billion, a 3.5 percent increase over the current year's spending plan.
Much of the funding increase is allocated toward 73 new teaching positions, and two non-teaching positions, across the school system. Most of these positions will address the system's growing enrollment, Perkins told the board Wednesday.
“There were some difficult and even painful decisions along the way, as there are in any budget process,” Perkins said. “However, I believe this recommended operating budget … responsibly puts us in a position to best address the needs of a growing student population.”
Those 73 new positions were among 204 requested by various department heads.
The number includes:
- 32.4 teachers to address growing enrollment
- 5.5 teaching positions to continue staffing the Performing and Visual Arts programs at Annapolis and Broadneck High schools
- 2 teachers for BioMedical Allied Health magnet at Glen Burnie High
- 2 teachers for the second year of the STEM magnet at Old Mill Middle
- 2 teachers for a new STEM magnet at Lindale Middle
- 2 elementary school counselors
- 7 positions for English Language Acquisition
- 3 bilingual facilitators
- 2 American Sign Language interpreters
The school system's operating budget controls the funding for personnel and related expenses, while the capital budget controls expenses for buildings. The capital budget was unveiled in September at a cost of $192.1 million.
The board will next host two public hearings in the coming weeks to formulate a recommendation for the County Executive. At that point, the county's budget department reviews it, makes a determination and passes it to the County Council for a vote in June. The board may shift funding within categories before approving its final budget no later than June 30.
Public hearings will be held at 7 p.m. on Jan. 7 at Old Mill High School, and 7 p.m. on Jan. 9 in the Board Room at the Parham Building in Annapolis.
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