The agenda is short, but weighty decisions are planned for a special Harford County Board of Education meeting Tuesday in Bel Air as the board will vote on next year’s operating budget.
Superintendent Robert M. Tomback has proposed a budget for fiscal year 2012 that includes salary increases for all employees, including $15.3 million to fund increases for the approximately 5,000 employees included in the unrestricted, or general operating budget.
Teri Kranefeld, manager of communications for HCPS, told The Dagger that the $15.3 million is comprised of $14.2 million in wage increases and $1.17 million in related costs. She said that the cost of salary increases for employees in the restricted budget would have to be absorbed by grant funding in that budget. The restricted budget, so-called because funds must be used for specific programs, includes approximately 200 employees in fiscal year 2012.
Following two consecutive years with no pay raises for school employees, Tomback has said that his proposed budget is an effort to stay competitive with neighboring counties and to avoid falling further behind.
Overall, the unrestricted budget weighs in at a proposed $448.97 million, up $26.4 million from last year. With no additional funding expected from the state, most of that increase, or $24.2 million, is requested from Harford County Government.
The restricted budget is expected to come in at $24.7 million next year, which is a decrease of $12.2 million due primarily to the loss of federal stimulus funds.
The agenda for the board’s meeting follows:
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
TUESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2011
HCPS A. A. ROBERTY BUILDING
102 S. Hickory Avenue, Bel Air, MD 21014Special Board Business Meeting – 7:00 P.M. – Board Room
7:00 P.M. Call to Order – Mark M. Wolkow, President
Quorum Roll Call
Adoption of Agenda
Pledge of Allegiance*7:10 P.M. General Public Comment
*7:30 P.M. Board Committee Reports and Comments
Old Business
Action Item(s):
*7:45 P.M. A. Decision on Board’s Proposed FY2012 Operating Budget, Mr. James M. Jewell (Goal 3)New Business
Presentation(s):*8:45 P.M. B. Decision on Promotions/Appointments, Dr. Robert M. Tomback (Goal 3)
*9:00 P.M. C. Superintendent’s Report
Closing
Future Meetings Review
Adjournment
*Times are approximate
As reported in this morning’s paper, Dr. Tomback proposes paying for one AP test for each student who takes a test. This to me is a huge waste of money when you look at how poorly students do on the tests. In my opinion, it would only encourage more students who currently choose not to take the tests because they anticipate failure to take them because it’s the county’s money.
My suggestion? Let the families pay and reimburse families for one test if the student passes.
Something is already in place for students who qualify for reduced lunches to have their tests paid for. Middle class families save a lot on tuition costs if their children pass the AP tests. $87 is a bargain for a three college credits, and some colleges give even more credits for higher scores.