Worcester County Commissioners cut Board of Education requested budget by nearly $2.8 million
Salisbury, Md. – Worcester County Commissioners voted 4 to 3 to reduce the Board of Education’s requested budget for the coming fiscal year by almost $2.8 million on Tuesday.
Commissioner Anthony “Chip” Bertino (District 5), who voted in favor of the budget, said in a statement released Wednesday the county increased the Board of Education budget by $8.9 million, an allocation of about 8% more than last year’s.
“The additional funding is expected to go toward salary and bus contractor rate increases, pay increases for substitute teachers, health insurance increases, state mandated cost shifts in teacher pensions and employee retirement and bus assistants,” Bertino said.
However, Vice President and Commissioner Eric Fiori (District 3) voted against citing concerns.
“We had to get into a dire situation with the sheriff’s department before we finally gave them money, because people were rolling out of here one after the next, because they can’t afford to live in this county,” he said during Tuesday’s meeting. “And now we’re at the same situation with the Board of Ed.”
Fiori said though he was grateful to the commissioners for agreeing to fund law enforcement, which was “an amazing step in the right direction,” they were now going to “yank it out” from the employees at the BOE.
“We are deeply disappointed by today’s decision,” Superintendent Dr. Annette Wallace said in a statement from Worcester County Public Schools. “Our budget request was built around the real needs of our students, staff, and schools. To reduce that request by nearly $2.8 million when the stated county shortfall was just over $250,000 is not only difficult to understand but deeply concerning for the future of our school system.”
Board of Education President Todd Ferrante expressed frustration and disappointment with the decision, saying in a statement that it would impact students, employees, and families across the county.
“This vote sends a troubling message about the priority the majority of commissioners place on public education,” Ferrante said. “For the fourth consecutive year, the Board of Education has faced significant reductions to its budget request despite the County having the resources to fully support our schools.”
Bertino also said that agreeing to additional funding was complicated by the criminal investigation into BOE finances, which has resulted in embezzlement charges against the former Assistant Superintendent of Schools.
“A final report from the State Prosecutor’s Office has yet to be released,” he said. “At more than $150 million, the BOE total budget rivals the combined operating budgets of Ocean City, Ocean Pines, Berlin, Snow Hill and Pocomoke. It is imperative that the management of tens of millions of taxpayer dollars be above reproach.”
He said, however, that the BOE has solicited bids for an independent forensic audit. Bertino said that, though he hopes the audit’s conclusions reveal “nothing of consequence,” until then, taxpayers should be “wary of investing even more millions of dollars until confidence has been restored and accountability affirmed.”
