WCBC

May 15th, 2019 by WCBC Radio

Governor Larry Hogan today released $255 million in additional education funding for fiscal year 2020, continuing his commitment of record investment in K-12 education. Since taking office, Governor Hogan has invested more than $32 billion in K-12 education.

Additionally, in a letter to General Assembly leaders, the governor announced he is allowing Senate Bill 1030 – The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future to take effect without his signature, citing concerns about lack of fiscal planning and inadequate accountability measures.

“Education has been—and continues to be—my top priority,” said Governor Hogan in the letter. “However, I have significant reservations about your short-sighted methods for implementing the Kirwan Commission’s final recommendations—namely that they will lead to massive increases in expenditures without providing the fiscal safeguards and much-needed accountability our students, parents, teachers, and taxpayers deserve.”

Fiscal Responsibility. During the 2019 legislative session, Governor Hogan backed many of the measures in the bill but reasonably urged that any additional spending to implement the recommendations of the Kirwan Commission be accompanied by robust fiscal safeguards. Calling the legislation “a blueprint without a design,” the governor expresses concern that “there is no plan—none—for how the State will fulfill its financial obligation based on the anticipated nearly $4 billion price tag.”

The latest Maryland Department of Budget and Management analysis indicates that full implementation of all Kirwan Commission recommendations would force the State to face a fiscal shortfall of approximately $18.7 billion. As a result, the Department estimates Maryland households would each be forced to pay an additional $6,200 more in taxes over the next five years.

Accountability. Additionally, after the Hogan administration introduced Accountability in Education measures two years in a row, the General Assembly included the governor’s Education Inspector General proposal in the presented bill. However, the measures proposed still fall short, with no structural mechanisms to fix perpetually failing schools.

“While it is encouraging that the legislature agreed to my proposal for an Inspector General to root out corruption and mismanagement, the bill still falls short of the accountability we need,” wrote the governor.

In the letter, the governor points to the state’s failure to make good on the work of the Thornton Commission, noting that more funding alone has not always added up to better outcomes for students and families.

“We simply cannot repeat the same mistakes that have failed Maryland students, their parents, teachers, and the taxpayers of our state for decades,” he concluded. “In the coming months, I look forward to working with you to develop a fiscally responsible proposal that both increases accountability and improves performance outcomes.”