Leonardtown, MD — Seems recently it’s been feast or famine for the St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS). Two years ago the system was faced with a whopping deficit of $5.5 million that required serious belt tightening and the removal of anticipated pay raises for employees.
Now an audit of the Fiscal Year 2015 budget which ended June 30 shows an even more whopping $7.8 million surplus.
The previous year’s deficit was caused by a severe underestimate of health care costs plus unanticipated weather-related costs. This past year the story was in reverse. With changes in the way that health care costs were handled, the school system saved $5.6 million. And lower than anticipated gas costs saved more than $1 million.
As part of the cost cutting for the previous year’s budget, almost $2 million was trimmed from a program to improve technology in elementary schools. With enough money ($4 million) to stash away in reserve, the system is using $1.9 million of the new-found surplus to proceed with that technology upgrade plan.
The plan presented to and approved by the school board at its Oct. 14 meeting will put three laptops for students and one for the teacher in every elementary school classroom in the system. Monies will also be used for interactive whiteboards, laptop carts, servers, Brocade equipment and wireless access points.
The plan was approved on a 3-1 vote with member Rita Weaver opposing. She argued that the decision on spending the money was rushed and that perhaps some of the money could be spent for other needs such as textbooks.
Superintendent of Schools Scott Smith noted that monies had been spent in this year’s budget for some textbook upgrades and that a review was underway on science textbook replacements. Board member Cathy Allen also noted that the system needed to wait for changes in the science curriculum before deciding what textbooks to order.
Allen, Chairman Karin Bailey and member Mary Washington also argued against Weaver and in favor of spending the money now for the computer upgrades for the elementary schools. “The need for each elementary school is critical,” argued Bailey who had two children in elementary school last year and still has one there now. She said students entering middle school are immediately faced with technology challenges. “It can be a significant setback for a student who does not have that technology,” she said.
Weaver also questioned whether staff would be ready for the new technology enhancements. But Assistant Superintendent of Supporting Services Dr. Jeff Walker said the Dell laptops to be ordered are just upgrades to those in the schools so the start-up time would be minimal.
Assistant Superintendent of Fiscal Services and Human Resources Tammy McCourt said the use of the $1.9 million for technology would not jeopardize anything else that might be needed in light of the additional $4 million being put in fund balance. Smith also noted than a $500,000 reserve was set aside for gas in case prices rise again.
Walker presented the idea of developing a plan for technology spending in future years that called for $1.5 million in each of the next three years, first for high schools and then for middle schools and departments. But he also suggested the convening of a technology committee to create a comprehensive plan, so that was not cast in stone.
Before the decision on spending of the $1.9 million for technology upgrades, the board was presented with the Fiscal Year 2015 audit report that somewhat explained how the board so quickly went from in the red to in the black. Todd Albaugh of McGladrey LLP said of the audit “There were no significant deficiencies reported; no material weaknesses identified.”
He added, “You get an A Plus on your report card.”
Commissioner of St. Mary’s County Mike Hewitt [R – 2nd District], a former school board member, attended the meeting and heard the presentation. The technology plan will now have to be presented to the commissioners for approval of the budget adjustment.
Once approved, Information Technology Director Dave Howard hopes to have the new computers in place before the end of the year. The school system has been able to piggyback onto several existing contracts to save money on the purchases. He said they got an especially good price on the Dell laptops.
Contact Dick Myers at dick.myers@thebaynet.com