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In This Issue
City Schools' Budget Update
On Friday, Mayor Pugh and Chair of Appropriations Del. McIntosh presented The "Bridge to Kirwan" package to help fill in the structural deficit until a revised education funding formula is passed. 

This is a major step in the right direction, which addresses the need for a multi-year solution.  Yet, our work is not done.  With less than 30 days left in the 2017 Legislative Session, we need a plan in place by April 1 to avoid drastic school level cuts which have already begun according to Dr. Santelises.

The "Bridge to Kirwan" package refers to the budget items, bills, and commitments to deliver $180 m./year for three years to City Schools. The package includes slightly different sources and amounts from the city and state to make up $60 m. for each of the three years. 
 
State:
  • $23.7 m. for City Schools from passage of HB684/SB1024. This bill provides supplemental grants for 11 counties with declining enrollment, using a three-year rolling average. An additional grant is provided for the three counties that provide full-day prekindergarten programs (only half-day is required so no funding has been provided in the past for the full-day programs).  
  • $4.6 m. one-time funding that City Schools will be relieved of paying for the 21st Century building program, to be replaced by diverting surplus bottle tax revenue to the program.
  • $1.8 m. one-time funding that City Schools will be relieved of paying for increases in "normal" costs of retirement payments, HB1109/SB1001.
City:
  • $22 m. for City Schools for FY18. This amount is required in order to receive the funding from HB684. $10 m. will be counted under "Maintenance of Effort" and thus required to be included in future years.
  • $20 m. each year for FY19 and 20.
  • The City is still determining how to fill in the remainder of its commitment for the City/State $180 m. over three years.
The state and the city are also considering additional sources. Amendment language requiring the City and school system to report annually on the status of the structural budget deficit and gap reduction efforts was added to the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act.
 
City House and Senate budget leaders worked together to make cuts to the budget to leave a fund balance of $137.5 m. For the state funds, the budget and bills must pass the House and Senate, and we must press the Governor to submit a supplemental budget to include funding .

For the latest updates and live Tweets from budget debates, follow us on Twitter.
ACTION ALERT: End Suspension and Expulsion in Early Childhood 
Young children are being shut out of education. 


In Maryland, 2,363 pre-k through second grade students were suspended out-of-school or expelled during the 2015-2016 school year, an 18 percent increase from the prior school year. 

This particularly impacts young minority students, as African-Americans make up 57 percent of all suspensions, both in and out-of-school. Numerous studies have documented that suspensions are not effective for improving student behavior but other approaches are.

Tell  lawmakers that harsh punishments that remove young students from the classroom are unacceptable. Act now to support HB425 and SB651. 
#FixtheGap Actions
Over the past few weeks, the Baltimore Education Coalition and its member organizations have held rallies, marches, and other events to continue to spread the message and compel Governor Hogan and Mayor Pugh to come together and work toward a solution for City Schools' $130 million budget deficit. 

DBFA #FixtheGap Rally

On Saturday, March 4, DBFA brought several hundred people to Rash Field to #FixtheGap. Frank Patinella and Sharicca Boldon, Co-Chairs of the BEC, spoke to the audience along DBFA's Elizabeth Mount, city council members, principals and students .

Students Call for Mayor, Governor to #FixtheGap 

City Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke marches with students

The Baltimore Education Coalition  (BEC) organized school communities from nin e
Baltimore City Schools to write postcards to the Governor and Mayor asking them to fix the gap. The students  marched along with their teachers and at some schools, the principal, to mail the postcards. Baltimore City Councilmembers Zeke Cohen, Mary Pat Clarke and "Yitzy" Schleifer marched with students in their districts.  
 



Lobby Night Tonight

This evening, Monday, March 13, the BEC will take parents and commu nity leaders to meetings in Annapolis with key lawmakers from outside Baltimore City. The meetin gs will allow advocates to speak to officials face-to-face about the impact of threatened cuts to schools.
Legislative Update
March 1, 2017: The ACLU  testified in support of  SB581: Workgroup to Study the Implementation of Universal Access to Prekindergarten for 4-Year-Olds which would establish a workgroup to examine universal pre-K for four-year-olds. 

March 3, 2017: The ACLU  testified in support of  HB1287 :  Commission on the School-to-Prison Pipeline and Restorative Practices  which establishes a commission to study current discipline practices.

March 6, 2017: The ACLU  testified in support of the MSDE Aid to Education Budget funding formula for the FY 2018 budget. The ACLU also urged lawmakers to work within the committee to find funding for school districts with significant budget challenges due to a loss in student enrollment and past cuts to the state education funding formula.  

March 8, 2017: The  ACLU testified on behalf of the Maryland Coalition to Reform School Discipline in support HB425: Public Schools - Suspensions and Expulsions of legislation to limit the unfair discipline practices and encourage alternatives. 
In the Media
WYPR 88.1
March 6, 2017 

Featuring Kim Humphrey, Esq. of the  of the ACLU's Education Reform Project
WUSA 9
March 6, 2017

The Marc Steiner Show
Featuring BEC Co-Chairs, Frank Patinella (ACLU) & Sharicca Boldon (Strong City Baltimore) 
WEAA 88.9
March 8, 2017

Featuring Bebe Verdery, Director of the ACLU's Education Reform Project
WYPR 88.1
March 10, 2017

ACLU-MD Education Reform Project | patinella@aclu-md.org | http://www.aclu-md.org
3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 350
Baltimore, MD 21217