Worcester schools superintendent says county commissioners’ funding left major programs on the chopping block

Worcester County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Wallace accused a majority of the Worcester County commissioners of underfunding the school system and of mischaracterizing who made subsequent program cuts.

In remarks to the board, Dr. Wallace said commissioners on June 2 voted to fund a narrow list of budget items — negotiated certificated and support staff salary increases, bus-contractor rate increases, health insurance, a shift of teacher pension costs to the county, pension-related retirement expense increases, select school construction at BIS and substitute/bus attendance pay — and explicitly declined funding for other line items the district had requested. As a result, she said, the board faced a roughly $2.7–$2.8 million shortfall and held a June 3 special meeting to adopt reductions that preserved negotiated salary commitments while trimming other programs.

"Their motion was explicit," Dr. Wallace said, urging the public to review the commissioners' meeting video and the district's posted minutes. She read the list of items the county did not support — Pre-K positions in Pocomoke, dual enrollment funding, technology, additional Rise program funding, summer school, in-service pay and instruction materials — and argued that the commission's funding choice made those cuts unavoidable.

Nut graf: The district says it honored salary commitments to staff and then made difficult program cuts to match the narrower funding the county provided; commissioners, some of whom publicly explained their votes, have at times attributed those reductions to the school board, a characterization Dr. Wallace rejected. The dispute leaves several student-facing programs at risk as school leaders plan for the coming year.

Board members and staff described specific local impacts. Dr. Wallace said the board preserved Pre-K programs in Pocomoke despite a commissioner from that area voting against funding the positions. A board member noted the district had endured more than $2 million in cuts in the previous year and contrasted that with the county’s reported $29 million year-end surplus.

The superintendent said the district will publish precise timestamps and materials on its website so members of the public can review the commissioners’ motions and the board’s subsequent decisions. She urged commissioners to "stand behind" their votes and explain them to constituents.

The board did not reverse its allocated reductions; rather, it maintained the negotiated salary increases and adopted cuts to align expenditures with the funding available. Several board members urged the public to review the yellow/orange/blue document posted by the district that itemizes what the schools requested and what the county funded.

Looking ahead, board members said they expect continued community scrutiny and encouraged voters to consider funding outcomes in upcoming local elections. The board will continue routine business and reconvene for a July packet that will include policy and implementation items related to budget impacts.

Ending: The board took no new county-facing action at the meeting; Dr. Wallace said documentation would be posted online. The board will consider budget follow-ups and any required shifts to services as staff prepare for summer programs and next fiscal-year planning.