Maryland Coalition Fighting for Full Funding for Education

Over the last year, advocates in Maryland have renewed their efforts to ensure full funding for the state's new education finance system that they successfully lobbied for in 2002. Legislators must vote by March of 2004 on whether Maryland possesses sufficient revenue to support the provisions of the new system.

Recently, advocates have conducted a post-card and petition campaign as part of an effort to convince the governor and legislators of the public's support for full funding. County-wide meetings have been conducted to report to school districts the benefits that full funding will provide. The Coalition has also organized a rally to be held on January 26, 2004 in Annapolis, the state capitol, to support full funding.

Recognizing the need for a strong force in favor of funding the new system, the Coalition for Public School Funding has renewed its efforts to advocate for full funding, without sacrificing other social services. The Coalition, composed of school-based associations, Advocates for Children and Youth, institutional members, such as the ACLU of Maryland, the Maryland Association of Boards of Education, the Public School Superintendents Association, the Maryland State Teacher's Association, the Maryland PTA, and others, originally formed to push the legislature to enact the "Thornton Commission" recommendations in 2002.

In 2002, Maryland's Commission on Education Finance, Equity, and Excellence ("Thornton Commission"), acting on two years of research and the recommendations of two costing-out studies, proposed a modern, standards-based, cost-based finance system which the legislature enacted into law to be phased in over six years. Following the first two years of "Thornton funding," Maryland's current governor has announced his intention to include the third year of Thornton funding in his upcoming budget. Although he has pledged about $388 million for public school improvement, the governor has stressed that future revenue for "Thornton funding" is in jeopardy.

Several government leaders have proposed possible revenue sources. Some legislators have suggested raising taxes, while the governor claims that sufficient funds can be generated by placing slot machines at race tracks and cutting other programs. Other leaders believe a one-year delay or the spreading-out of state contributions to "Thornton" may alleviate the state's funding burden and allow additional time for revenue generation. Others recommend the relaxation of specific Thornton Commission recommendations, such as all-day kindergarten, to preserve funds.

Prepared December 2, 2003