After weeks of debate and delays, the state lawmakers representing Prince George’s County, Maryland, voted in favor of two bills that give the county government credit for a pair of tax revenue streams that go toward education funding.
The two bills are also expected to pass in the state Senate and become law, giving the county more money to spend on other aspects of its budget.
By law, the county can’t cut education funding, and so it had been pressing to get credit for revenue streams that already exist, and which already go to the school system. In return, the county had offered to help the school system cover costs associated with new school construction in the future — and it was believed initially the two sides were in agreement.
A source in the county executive’s office said that changed just days before the issue came up in Annapolis, and pointed the finger at Superintendent Millard House for backing out.
In February, the House warned that if the bills were to pass, it would lead to job and program cuts, pointing to special education and behavioral health programs in particular as programs that could face cuts in the future.
During Friday’s House Delegation meeting, Del. Andrea Harrison pushed back on that.
“I really don’t appreciate the school system or the school board indicating that they’re going to have to cut mental health services when, by law, they can’t,” Harrison said. “So first of all, that’s a falsehood.”
Another lawmaker echoed her concerns.
“Legally, they cannot cut mental health services,” Del. Nicole Williams said. “Legally, under federal law, the school system cannot cut special education services. So, for them to sit there and say that those are things they are going to cut, I agree, is disingenuous. Absolutely. Because they know, by law, that is something they cannot do.”
Del. Joseline Pena-Melnyk expressed frustration that she never got answers from school leaders about what could be cut if the bill passed, so she voted against it.
Other lawmakers who helped push the bill through the delegation have pointed out that, even with the change in law, the school system stands to get tens of millions of dollars more compared to last year.
At the same time, a letter from County Executive Angela Alsobrooks to state delegates this week included a breakdown of how the county was cutting $100 million in other parts of the budget she’s expected to propose later this month. Without these two bills passing, her office warned further cuts could jeopardize the county’s AAA bond rating, as well as funding for county libraries and nonprofits, among other impacts.
“We only have so much,” Harrison said. “We have to continue to do the best that we can, but we can’t forsake the other services.”
And she also questioned the school system’s proposal to spend an additional $14 million on hiring more “midlevel administration” positions.
“That’s just not acceptable when we’re in a crunch and we’re talking about children,” she lamented.
The bills still have to go to the full House of Delegates, though it’s expected to receive what’s called “local courtesy” and be approved there, since it was passed by the lawmakers directly impacted by it. It’s also believed there’s enough support in the state Senate to get approval.
“They’re getting $90 million more this year than last year between the county match and the state mandate,” Del. Ben Barnes said in February.
And on Friday, he and Del. Jazz Lewis promised that the county will take on more funding regarding school construction and maintenance going forward, vowing to require that in another related piece of legislation moving through Annapolis.
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