Board of Education sends amended budget to county; school liaison outlines next steps

Alan, the Board of Education liaison to the Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee, said the Board forwarded its amended budget to the county and that five motions making line-item changes carried at the last Board meeting. "We did pass the budget on to the county," Alan said.

Nut graf: The liaison described motions that add salary funding and other targeted allocations to the superintendent's recommended budget but said many additions carried with the caveat that they are "dependent upon funding." Committee members were urged to watch the county budget process, including the county executive's forthcoming release, for final funding decisions.

Alan said five carried motions included additional funding to salaries and class-size reductions and smaller allocations tied to facilities, OPEB deposits and athletic fees. He summarized the changes as raising the amount the Board forwarded above the previous maintenance-of-effort level from roughly $19 million to about $35 million in proposed additions, and said the total request submitted to the county was approximately $988 million under the superintendent's package as forwarded.

The liaison advised the committee that local outcomes hinge on county funding choices and noted the county executive will release her proposed budget on April 15; public hearings and county council review would follow. He said the Board's carried motions were approved "with the purpose that it is dependent upon funding," indicating the additions are contingent on county decisions.

Ending: Alan encouraged committee members to track county actions and attend any public hearings once the county executive's proposed budget is released. The committee agreed to share county hearing dates with members when they become available.