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Board outlines legislative priorities, urges support for hold‑harmless funding that brings roughly $1.8M to Garrett County
Summary
Doctor McCartney told the board the district supports local control, wants greater ability to aggregate funding streams for weighted student funding, and urged lawmakers to support hold‑harmless provisions and protections for low‑wealth jurisdictions that brought Garrett County about $1.8 million last year.
The Garrett County Board of Education reviewed its proposed legislative positions for the coming session, emphasizing local control over curriculum and concern about changes to state funding formulas.
"If you hear hold harmless, please say yes," Doctor McCartney said, urging support for provisions that protect the district’s funding. He told the board the low‑wealth jurisdiction hold‑harmless funding brought Garrett County about $1,800,000 last year and that district staff want to avoid reductions to compensatory education funding.
McCartney also said district administrators would benefit if they could aggregate funding streams to demonstrate equitable distribution under weighted student funding rules, which currently requires extensive staff time to document. The presentation asked local legislators to consider the district’s requests and reinforced the district’s desire to maintain as much local control as possible over curricular decisions.
Board members did not take formal legislative action at the meeting; the item summarized priorities staff plan to communicate to state partners.
