NEW REPORT HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED TO SUSTAIN MARYLAND’S EDUCATION FINANCE INITIATIVE

State’s Budget Woes Could Hamper Progress to Improve Schools

(Silver Spring, Maryland) As debate continues over how little is enough for the state’s lagging education system, a new report dramatically shows what’s at stake. “Back to the Basics on Thornton: Why it was Needed and What it Does” highlights the poor student performance and disparities in education quality across jurisdictions that led the General Assembly to pass landmark school finance legislation in 2002. According to Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute, prior to enact of the Bridge To Excellence in Public Schools Act, more commonly referred to as the “Thornton law,” no Maryland jurisdiction even approached state standards for student performance.

The Thornton law aims to improve student performance statewide by ensuring that local schools have the resources necessary to meet student needs. At the time of passage in 2002, legislative analysts predicted that the state would invest $1.3 billion a year more in k-12 education by 2008.

“Much of the current debate on the Thornton law focuses on the question of whether the state can afford the mandated increases in spending for k-12 education. Less attention has been given to the law’s primary purpose: to ensure that all students receive an adequate education, independent of where in the state they live,” said Steve Hill, director of the Institute and one of the authors of the report.

According to the report, the law has resulted in an additional $300 million in state aid for education for the current state fiscal year. Local schools have used these funds to expand full-day kindergarten, reduce class sizes, expand specialized programs, and provide modest increases in teacher pay.

Within three years, state spending could grow by as much as an additional $1 billion per year. School systems are expected to use these funds to meet federal and state standards for student achievement.

“This report should be required reading for anyone who cares about kids,” said Alison Perkins-Cohen, Executive Director of the Baltimore Curriculum Project, a nonprofit that operates three Baltimore City Public Schools and has developed curricula for use in 15 others. “The investments that we will make in education over the next three years are needed to prepare our kids for college and work. We cannot afford to go back the days when education was underfunded and the majority of our kids could not meet the state’s own standards for educational achievement.

The report notes that while the state has been increasing spending on education it has made dramatic cuts in other areas that impact child well-being. Pat Foerster, President of Maryland State Teachers Association, warned of the consequences of financing the initiative in part by cutting other important services. “The Maryland State Teachers Association maintains its commitment to the full funding of the original set of recommendations of the Thornton Commission. We recognize the devastating impact of cuts that affect children—after-school care, child care, health care and higher education to name a few. Accepting these types of cuts that would negate the positive effects of full funding and implementation of the Thornton recommendations would be to let down Maryland’s children,” said Foerster.

“Back to the Basics on Thornton: Why it was Needed and What it Does” is available online at www.marylandpolicy.org.

The Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute is a nonpartisan research organization that provides timely, accessible and accurate analysis of state budget and tax issues. The Institute also examines the impact of policy choices on vulnerable populations and the important community programs that serve them. The Institute is a project of the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations.