WESTMINSTER, Md. — They call themselves the Carroll Education Coalition and grew out of a group of mothers meeting around a kitchen table, outraged at proposed cuts in the public school system.
“Our mission is to make sure that Carroll County Public Schools receives the funding and the staffing that it needs to complete its mission,” said Lisa Maisano, one of the coalition’s co-founders.
At stake is cutting nearly a hundred teachers, counselors and other employees, while shifting that many more from school to school.
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Not to mention short changing current union contracts and eliminating popular programs.
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“We see the difficulties our teachers and staff are having every day. If a teacher calls out sick, we might not have a sub to cover them,” said Amy Hardesty of Sykesville, “Cutting more staff will destroy our schools and will destroy our community. We cannot allow any more cuts in this county.”
The coalition says this isn’t just about the students, since the school system is also the county’s largest employer, which means the entire economy could be impacted.
Carroll County already receives less per pupil funding than any other county in the state, and the coalition says it’s time to take a stand.
“What we’re asking is for the Board of Education to step back,” said Sarah McGee of Eldersburg, “Do what every other county in the state has done and figure it out. You waited this long. Guess what? It’s time to figure it out.”
Ultimately, the board of education voted 3-to-2 to request 57 million dollars in additional funding from the board of county commissioners without making any cuts or eliminating any positions.
