BALTIMORE — When it became state law four years ago, it promised steep increases in education spending. But now, what was originally planned for the Blueprint for Maryland's Future is in question.
On Monday night, a pair of Baltimore City Council members put forth a resolution, which passed at the early evening council meeting, to urge the state to fully fund the plan, citing potential harm to education in the city.
VIDEO: Councilmembers urge state to follow through on Blueprint education plan
"The reality is that there is a lot more work we have to do here in Baltimore City, and the funding is critical for our young people," John Bullock, a councilman representing West and Southwest Baltimore and one of the resolutions' sponsors, told WMAR-2 News.
Bullock is a college professor at Towson University, and City Council President Zeke Cohen, a former teacher in West Baltimore. Cohen co-sponsored the March 10 resolution.
"We know that these dollars are making a huge difference," Cohen said, "particularly when it comes to community schools and the change in the formula where we're now funding concentrations of poverty."
The resolution also calls on the General Assembly to reject the 'Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act,' supported by Governor Wes Moore. Moore believes this Act will bring about much-needed reforms, but many educators and community leaders disagree.
They argue that the Act does not address the root causes of educational disparities and may further exacerbate inequality in our schools.
Moore and state lawmakers are faced with a precarious budget situation. The bill attempts to slow education funding hikes and to better recruit and retain teachers, among other provisions.
"We understand the state is in a tough fiscal scenario," Bullock explained. "We understand, and we appreciate the governor's efforts to try to close that gap. We also don't want to close that gap on the back of our young people."
Last month, WMAR reported the blueprint is anticipated to be $81 million short in the next budget and will spike to $2.1 billion in the 2028 fiscal year.
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Bullock said without the funding, there would be tangible drawbacks in Baltimore.
"We're talking about a day-to-day effect," he said. "We're talking about the money for our community schools, our community school coordinators. We're talking about the concentration of poverty dollars."
While the resolution makes clear Bullock and Cohen's thoughts, the statehouse will have to sort out the governor's proposal; their legislative session ends in less than a month on April 7.
