Interim St. Mary’s County Superintendent Scott Smith presents his recommended FY ’16 budget to the school board

Leonardtown, MD — St. Mary’s County Interim Superintendent of Schools Scott Smith has recommended a budget for the next fiscal year with a $7 million increase over the current year. All of the increase would come from the county, as federal revenue is flat and state increases would be offset by decreases in other revenue.

The budget was presented to the Board of Education at its January 16th meeting. The board is expected to have a workshop on the budget and a public hearing next month.

Smith’s concise presentation to the board listed three budget priorities:

• “Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary School – recurring operating cost of $2 million;
• “Healthcare Costs – increase of $2 million; and
• “Negotiations – increase of $4 million.”

Smith noted that the state required Maintenance of Effort (MOE) by the county would only mandate an additional $600,000. But Smith reminded the board that the MOE did not take into account inflation, new instructional mandates, the opening of the new school and negotiated employee compensation.

Smith said the school employees did not get their STEP increases this year so next year they would be owed two, at a cost of $1.9 million per STEP. He said the $4 million “placeholder” would take care of that. The extra money, Smith said, is necessary “so we can negotiate in good faith with all three of our unions.”

The new Duke elementary school will require 58 additional staff including the three already on board (principal, secretary and building service manager). But 28 staff, including 23 regular teachers, will be switched from other schools. The net new hires will thus be 30.2, including the three who started on January 1st.

School board member Mary Washington praised the budget for being clear, concise and easy to understand. Board member Cathy Allen said the document prepared by Assistant Superintendent of Fiscal Services and Human Resources Tammy McCourt and her staff was the best organized she had ever seen.

The budget, which would take effect July 1, has a long way to go as it winds its way through the process, including vetting by the county commissioners and at the commissioners’ budget public hearing in April. The commissioners will have the final say on the amount they will fund but it’s up to the school board to decide how the money is to be used.

Although it had not been as of Monday, Smith said the budget would be available for public viewing on the school system’s website www.smcps.org