Governor Hogan’s Fiscal Year 2018 budget mainly focuses on education
Governor Larry Hogan's administration released their proposed Fiscal Year 2018 operating budget January 19, 2017.
One of the key points that Hogan is emphasizing is education.
It's $17.1 billion dollars is investing 6.4 billion dollars into K-12 education.
That's almost one-third of the $17.1 billion proposed for the entire 2018 budget for the state of Maryland.
Maryland's Secretary of Budget and Management, David Brinkley tells 47 ABC that this is the most they have ever spent on education.
Brinkley states, "We fulfilled and funded again a record investment in K-12 public education and this budget includes all the funding formulas needed for that."
47 ABC spoke to Somerset County's Superintendent Dr. John Gaddis to find out if these funds can truly make a difference in local school systems. $34.4 million is earmarked for Somerset Schools.
Dr. Gaddis says they appreciate the full funding of the education budget, but they will not seen the final break down of the numbers until next week.
Even though it may be too soon to see where these funds will head to, Dr. Gaddis tells us there a few things they are aiming to focus on, such class size and the impact it has on student achievement, as well as technology and student safety.
The Governor made it clear, despite the record investment numbers, taxes will not go up to accomodate.
Brinkley tells 47 ABC, "We have been successful introducing the budget without reducing services elsewhere, we did that by using some of the money that was saved in previous years because the governor wisely anticipated that the only constant is change."
Ultimately, all of the money will become available this summer on July 1, 2017.
The Other 9 Counties on the Eastern Shore of Maryland's 2018 Fiscal Year Budget for Education:
Caroline County: $59.1 Million
Cecil County: $12.7 Million
Dorchester County: $46.4 Million
Kent County: $11.5 Million
Queen Anne's County: $40.6 Million
Talbot County: $16.9 Million
Wicomico County: $157.6 Million
Worcester County: $26.3 Million
