School System Seeks 6% Increase In County Funding

SNOW HILL – School system officials this week advocated for the $82.7 million in county funding they say is needed to promote college and career readiness and support local teachers.

At a budget work session with the Worcester County Commissioners Tuesday, Superintendent of Schools Jerry Wilson said that while he understood the county faced financial challenges its support was still needed.

“We are in tough times,” he said. “We’ve been advised that revenues will not support full funding of our request. We are obligated to advise the county of what our needs are. The Board of Education has worked diligently along with our schools to prepare this budget request. Where we all share a common interest is we all want the best for the children in Worcester County. ”

The school system’s proposed budget shows a $4.7 million increase (or 6 percent) in county funding over that of the current year. That, Wilson explained, would help fund a STEP increase and 2.5 percent Cost of Living Adjustment for teachers as well as a salary increase for bus drivers. Wilson pointed out that teachers hadn’t received any pay increases in 2010, 2011 or 2012. Worcester County now ranks 16th in the state in teacher pay levels.

“We believe we’re struggling to keep up,” Wilson said. “The growth in wages is not catching up with what was lost. We’re not keeping up with the cost of living.”

He said the school system was doing what it could to cut costs, particularly in the area of energy use, and had a modified hiring freeze in place.

“We look at every position and decide if we need to hire someone immediately,” he said.

Commissioner Chip Bertino asked how many people the school system would lose through attrition this year. Vince Tolbert, the school system’s chief financial officer, said 40 people would leave. Wilson said it was too early to say whether all those positions would need to be filled in the coming year.

“We’re still in the process of evaluating,” he said.

Commissioners also had questions about class sizes in Worcester County. Wilson said the overall ratio was one teacher for every eight students but that class sizes varied dramatically between schools. At busier schools, like Ocean City Elementary or Stephen Decatur High schools, he said there could be as many as 30 students in a class.

Wilson said that between teachers and bus contractors, 90 percent of the school system’s budget was spent on people. Those people are the ones who make Worcester County one of the top school systems in Maryland.

“We are increasingly at risk without adequate funding,” he said.

Wilson said a study by Salisbury University’s BEACON program showed that the $97 million invested in the school system yielded a return of $211 million in economic activity.

Following the presentation by Wilson and Tolbert, Commissioner Joe Mitrecic asked whether there was a mandate that required the county’s Board of Education to have its own financial department.

Wilson replied that he was not sure if it was required or not but that with the number of audits and financial requirements the school system faced he thought it was wise.

“I think it warrants it,” he said.

The Worcester County Commissioners will spend the coming weeks drafting a budget for FY 2016. Facing a $22 million shortfall, officials were advised by county staff last week they would need to begin reducing costs or finding additional revenues. A second work session is scheduled for April 14.