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County funding debate continues as educators, parents press commissioners to protect schools
Summary
Parents, educators and community members urged the St. Mary's County Board of Commissioners to prioritize school funding and transparency after budget deliberations; union leaders called for steady, predictable resources and raised concerns about possible school closures and redistricting.
Parents, teachers and education advocates urged the Board of County Commissioners of St. Mary's County on May 6 to fund schools fully and improve transparency about redistricting proposals and budget choices.
Speakers at the public forum praised commissioners for recent moves but warned the county must adopt long‑term commitments rather than year‑to‑year fixes. Sarah Penrod, president of the Education Association of St. Mary's County, said the association was “relieved the county commissioners decided to fund the school system's request…to fund the negotiated agreements” but added that “we still had to fight to ensure those needs were met,” and urged a funding process that “starts from the premise that public education is not a burden to be trimmed, but a foundation to be strengthened.”
Multiple parents and residents asked for clearer advance notice about possible redistricting and school‑closure plans. Cindy Cartwright, a Lexington Park resident who said she last spoke to commissioners about education in the late 1980s, asked the board to “try even harder to fund the education budget” and to “preserve jobs.” Linda Thomas cited the Maryland 2023–24 state report card for Lexington Park Elementary and urged targeted funding and accountability to lift low‑performing schools; she asked the board to “ensure that those funds are being allocated and used effectively.”
Speakers described impacts on county staffing and programs if funding remains uncertain. Tammy Payne said teachers regularly pay out of pocket for classroom supplies and appealed for resources that would “stop teachers from spending their own money on their classrooms.” Sarah Penrod and others warned that repeated annual shortfalls and the prospect of closing schools with fewer than 300 students would increase class sizes and staffing instability.
Several speakers praised the commissioners' recent budget work session actions: at least one attendee confirmed to a commenter that the county allocated approximately $3,100,000 to cover negotiated agreements for teachers, a figure cited during the forum and welcomed by educators. Members of the public nevertheless asked the commission to adopt more consistent, long‑range budgeting and to provide clearer community engagement before redistricting or other major changes.
The forum produced no formal board vote on education policy at that meeting; commissioners said further budget votes and deliberations would be scheduled. Union and parent leaders said they will continue to press for strategic investment in low‑performing schools and accountability on how school funds are spent.
(Reporting note: specific performance percentages and funding figures quoted above were stated on the record by speakers at the public forum.)
