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Originally Posted by over the mountain
It is even worse than that. Ive read a ton of articles lately on Balt City history, corruption, budget and economy. I do not vouch for the accuracy of my memory retention though.
Balt City contributes 15-20% of their budget to that 15k per student number. The rest comes from Md State and Federal grants.
The Natl avg for district contribution is around 40%.
Balt City secured some huge State and Federal grants through the 90's but the problem is these grants can be taken back or decreased at any time. Yet Balt City has grown dependent on the grants.
Democrat O'Malley earmarked something like 63 mil from the State's general operating budget to go to education for this year with Balt City receiving a lion share of approx 11 mil.
Problem - new republican gov Hogan was not bound by that 63 mil earmark from the States oper budget and pulled it back, as is his right.
Problem - it seems the balt city teachers union is a powerful group in long held democratic Balt City. In 2010 the teachers union secured a new deal in which teachers get huge raises if they meet certain requirements. raises to the tune of 15-20k per year. Well, certain teachers satisfied the requirements and now I assume make bank. disproportionate bank. The double edge sword is that its hard to criticize inner city school teachers or not appreciate them.
The school district when given money just lose account of it. i read they still keep their accounting books on paper. The balt City school district is currently facing an unprecedented 68 mil dollar deficit. they need to cut payroll, close down more schools and stuff more kids into already congested classrooms.
For some reason a huge grant to rebuild and remodel old schools in the district just disappeared as well. the money was to keep schools open and update but instead schools closed down during the time period.
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short version - repub gov is going to close up all the disproportionate State grants that balt City has grown dependent on.
especially after mayor Rawlings-Blake keeps making open and public comments critical of him.
this does not end well for balt city but maybe it is what it needs to get its act together and learn how to budget a city. of course the property tax around 6% is already double every other county in maryland so they cant increase prop tax any higher or more tax payers will just move out.
they already reluctantly give big companies tax breaks. do they offer a 0% tax break to lure new companies in and hope for trickle down economics?
what company wants their headquarters in downtown balt when the mayor allows a pedo pastor to shut down the city for the sole purpose of "disrupting business as usual'?
what company wants to have such an unreliable environment? to put their employees in harms way?
when the charges are dropped, does Pandora need to not do business for a week and lose millions?
downtown balt has become an unreliable business center imo.
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Baltimore teachers took 96,653 sick, personal days last school year - EAGnews.org
So they have the ability to cash in sick/personal time as well? must be nice.
Public unions are scams. Police/Fire/Teachers etc...sucking down your tax dollars like a vacuum.