Teachers Rally For Raises, County Faces Budget Uncertainty

PERRY HALL, MD — Dozens of teachers rallied for raises Wednesday evening outside a budget hearing at Perry Hall High School. Teachers union members held signs reading "BCPS furloughed psychologists" and "No data no decision."

Sporting matching red T-shirts, the Teachers Association of Baltimore County reminded officials that they're due for a pay increase.

WMAR and WBAL-TV reported that TABCO agreed in fall 2023 to a 14% raise for its members spread over three years. A tight budget outlook has educators wondering if the deal will hold.

"We got year one, and now we are worried about year two," TABCO President Cindy Sexton told WBAL. "It is a promise that was made to those bargaining unions, so we want to make sure that that promise is kept. It's always been about recruiting and retaining our educators. Our students need educators in the classroom, and we know that there's a national educator shortage, so let's do what we can in Baltimore County to attract them and to keep them for our students."

WMAR said Kevin Reed, director of the Office of Budget and Finance, is concerned about the roughly $400 million in funding the county expects from the federal government. Reed added that there's a $62 million gap between the funds allotted for the county budget and the total requests received, WMAR reported.

County Executive Kathy Klausmeier (D) hosted the District 5 town hall alongside County Council Member David Marks (R-Upper Falls), listening to speeches from community groups requesting money. Hundreds attended the session, and dozens of residents spoke.

Klausmeier already told WYPR the county can't afford to fund the entire $2.98 billion operating budget requested for Baltimore County Public Schools. The proposed school budget is a 6.5% increase from last year and a 21.7% spike when adding in the capital construction budget request, The Baltimore Sun said.

Maryland is also facing a budget deficit of about $3 billion, leaving Baltimore County uncertain how much money it will receive from the state.

"This uncertainty means we are facing challenges to continue funding ongoing programs and new initiatives," Klausmeier said, according to WBAL. "We are proud of what we deliver, but we want to continue painting a realistic picture of the challenges we are facing and the difficult decisions we will need to make."

To see footage from the rally, watch the video stories from WMAR and WBAL. The full meeting is viewable at this link.

The final budget town hall is scheduled for District 7 on March 27 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Sollers Point Multi-Purpose Center in Dundalk. The live stream will be available here.

Related:

• Schools Request Bigger Budget, But Baltimore County Can't Afford It
• BCPS Budget Cuts Possible, Baltimore County Faces Tough Choices: Report
• BCPS Short $20M In Budget Proposal, Job Cuts Also Planned: Reports