Harford County parents concerned after school district slashes 167 positions
The Harford County schools superintendent assures parents that students' education remains the top priority despite 167 positions getting cut to help balance the budget.
However, parents are worried about what the drastic cuts could mean for their children.
"I'm very dismayed because I feel like we've been preached to vote for the casinos, and stuff like that," said parent Stacy Sander. "We're supposed to be putting money back into the school system, and I feel like the school system gets the shaft every time."
The district began notifying schools this week of the 167 positions that will be eliminated to recoup $15 million toward the budget shortfall.
With these cuts, the proposed budget presented to the Harford County executive is $347 million, which is $26 million more than last year's budget.
Superintendent Sean Bulson hopes to reallocate staff members from positions that are cut to positions that are vacant due to turnover and retirement.
"Our goal is to ensure everybody has a job at the end of this," Bulson said. "The one thing we can't guarantee is where that job will be."
Bulson says the cuts will increase the average class size by two students, which he says isn't ideal, but he admits that creating a fair budget is a balancing act.
Also on the chopping block are summer school programs, which will save $220,000 toward the budget shortfall. This does not impact Extended School Year, which is federally mandated for special education students.
Bulson added that, despite the rumors, the district has no plans to close any of the 55 schools.
"Basically, the things driving the increases in our budget, increased special education costs, increased cost of healthcare and other insurance, and the lack of flexibility from the Blueprint, all combined have created some of the challenges we're running into," Bulson said.
Bulson says the final budget will also depend on money from the state and likely won't be finalized for another couple of months.
"Education is the foundation of our youth"
Frustrated parents told WJZ that they hope that the local and state governments keep the students at the top of their minds when voting on a final budget.
"I think we need to reevaluate what's important in government and the spending, where we are putting our dollars," Sander said. "Our education is the foundation of our youth, It's the only way they're going to have a future, is to get a good education."
Sander told WJZ that funding for education has been in a downward spiral since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We're getting money taken away from our children's education and I feel like ever since COVID, it's just been a downward spiral with the educational system," Sander said.
