The Baltimore Sun reports that the Maryland State Teachers Association feels tepid about Gov. Martin O'Malley's budget:
Thornton funding sunsets after the current academic year. From next summer on, the legislation provides for further funding increases based on inflation. But the inflation index has been rising rapidly during the past five years, and O'Malley officials say an inflation-based funding increase would cost $175 million more than anticipated.
The governor initially proposed a freeze on inflation-related increases. He then revised his proposal to provide all school systems with an increase of at least 1 percent for the next two years, after which increases would be calculated based on the consumer price index.
He also has committed to cover for part of Thornton that has never before been funded. Called the "geographic cost of education index," it would provide extra money for 13 school systems where the cost of living is higher.
But the budget bill O'Malley introduced does not guarantee the geographic index funding, which would provide $38 million next year and $129 million over three years to the 13 systems.
Even more troublesome to many educators, O'Malley's proposed 1 percent increase largely will go toward the growing cost of teacher pensions that the state would be required to cover anyway. Money going directly to schools would be virtually flat in some cases and decline slightly in others.
