Over 100 education activists gather to discuss budget for City schools

More than 100 seasoned and new education activists, along with teams from schools and communities all over Baltimore gathered at the Baltimore Education Coalition (BEC) 2014 Legislative Preview on January 29 to hear a breakdown of how the Governor’s newly-released state budget will affect Baltimore City Schools. GHCC staff mobilized teams from every GHCC partner school as well as a team from the York Road Partnership. Pictured above is the team from Margaret Brent Elementary/Middle School, including parents, students and Principal Pam Smith.

Legislative Preview attendees celebrated last year’s $1 billion win for new and renovated schools – which passed largely because of the grassroots push from BEC groups acting together. Attendees learned that while statewide spending on education is proposed to increase, there are specific areas we need to watchdog, including:

Safe, healthy school buildings: While the $1 billion won last year will replace or renovate 35-50 schools, over 100 Baltimore Schools will be untouched by this funding. Other sources of school construction funding will be critical to keeping city schools functional and healthy including the need to:

• Restore $3.5 million to the Aging Schools program that was shifted to private schools.
• Maintain Baltimore’s fair share of state capital improvement funds.
• Look ahead to fully fund phase II of the school renovations and replacements (the other 100+ schools).

Fair funding to operate schools: As a low wealth jurisdiction, 68% of its schools budget flows from the state. We need to:

• Protect Baltimore City against any operating budget cuts.
• Support $800,000 for a state education adequacy study – to ensure that Baltimore receive fair funding for its schools.
• Fund additional pre-K seats like K-12 funding

SAVE THE DATE for BEC’s upcoming non-partisan Gubernatorial Candidate Forum on Education in Baltimore City. All of the major candidates have confirmed their participation in this event, which will take place Wednesday, March 5 from 6:30-8:30 at City Springs Elementary/Middle School. BEC activists committed to mobilizing over 300 people to attend.

For more information: www.becforourkids.org