Leonardtown, MD — St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS) currently charges tuition for students attending the school system who don’t live in the county. But current policy exempts children of parents who work for the school system. School Board member Rita Weaver objects to that exemption but the majority of the board favors continuing it.
The issue came up during a presentation of a proposal to increase the tuition rates. Currently U.S. citizens in regular education programs pay $5,323 yearly; for special education it is three times that amount, which is a rate set by the Maryland Department of Education. Non-U.S. citizens pay three times those rates.
The proposal submitted to the board by Director of Student Services Dr. Charles Ridgell changed the two rates to “In-State/Out-of-County” and “Out of State.” The regular education rates would be $5,825 and $11,661 respectively. The board approved the change on a 4-1 vote, with Weaver opposing.
Board Chairman Karin Bailey said of Weaver’s objections, “This has nothing to do with this vote.” But Weaver seized the opportunity to speak out against the exemption and used her vote as a protest. Weaver said the waiver was not included in board policy as a benefit for staff. “A benefit ought to be available to all and it isn’t but only to staff residing outside the county.”
Weaver said the rest of the staff were in effect subsidizing the benefit to the out-of-county residents. She said the monies saved (approximately $90,000 a year) could be used for other school needs.
Before the discussion during the public comment portion of the meeting agenda, Dr. Sharon Brown supported the continuance of the out-of-county tuition waiver. She said it was an advantage to the school system because teachers with their children in school locally would be more apt to participate in after school activities.
School Superintendent Scott Smith was more direct. “If we precluded this practice these people would not be employed by us,” he said, and the school system would lose valuable employees because they couldn’t afford to pay the tuition. Smith told The BayNet that he wasn’t aware of any out-of-state employees and that most from out-of-county live in Calvert and Charles counties.
Board member Mary Washington said she had heard much support for the exemption. She said the out-of-county employees stay longer and are more involved in the school system. Weaver responded that she has heard opposition to the policy in the community
Board member Cathy Allen agreed. She said it would be “an incalculable loss” to the school system if they left.
Smith also noted that the school system does receive a state and federal reimbursement for the out-of-county students that more than offsets the cost of the subsidy. He said those monies would be lost to the school system if the policy wasn’t in place.
To affect a change the board would have to introduce a change in policy and vote on it and since it appears the majority of the board favor continuing things as they are that appears unlikely.
Contact Dick Myers at dick.myers@thebaynet.com