Olszewski Holds Budget Ax Over School System's Head

County Council Chairman John Olszewski Sr. was talking tough Monday night when he assured parents the council had heard their concerns about a school system rule some say is .

But using the budget to force a policy change within Baltimore County Public Schools may be more difficult and politically untenable than it might seem.

One by one, parents and leaders of various community groups came before the County Council Monday night to vent their frustrations over Rule 1300—a policy school officials say is being enforced to protect school facilities and grounds. Parents and community leaders say the rule has been more stringently enforced over the last three years and makes it impossible to use schools for community meetings and school-related fundraising events.

More than a dozen people testified for nearly an hour, asking the council to intercede for them.

"I've heard a lot of good comments this evening," Olszewski told the audience. "Someone said we don't control board policy, which is true. But we are an advocacy group and one thing we do control with the board is the budget. So, I think our advocacy will not fall on deaf ears."

But cutting the school system budget might be more difficult than it sounds. A large portion of the $1 billion budget is tied up in mandated spending. And places that can be cut often can be countermanded by school system officials once their budget is approved.

"You can cut in specific categories but (the school system) can always move money around without your control," said Joseph Bartenfelder, a Democrat who served on the council for 16 years.

The council has not made any significant reductions to the school budget in more than a decade. Bartenfelder, who was first elected 1994, said the council learned a tough lesson early on when he he was first elected and cuts were made to the school system's budget.

"They pinched us," Bartenfelder said, noting that the system moved money around to pay for what it wanted and then blamed the council for the resulting reductions in other areas.

"It showed us that you might think you have control but you really don't," Bartenfelder said.

It's a fact that Olszewski seemed to acknowledge in an interview after the council meeting Monday night.

"We can really, really scrutinize their budget," said Olszewski. He then conceded that the council's oversight is limited.

"It's a statement, that's all it is," he said. "I'm not saying we're going to cut the budget. What I really was saying is that we're going to advocate and hope they hear us."

Outside the meeting, Laurie Taylor-Mitchell, a schools advocate, initially said she liked the idea of using the budget as a stick to bring about some change.

Taylor-Mitchell has frequently testified before the council in favor of more money for schools and higher taxes to pay for additional education needs. When asked if she was really prepared to ask the council to hold the school system budget hostage for a policy change, Taylor-Mitchell relented.

"I'd like to do something else first," Taylor-Mitchell said. "Maybe there's some other arm-twisting that can be done first. I hope it doesn't come to that."