Thursday, April 22, 2010

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/bs-ci-school-budget-cuts-20100413,0,2281198.story

This seems to be same story over and over, that there is not enough money for anything of importance in the Baltimore City Public School System (BCPSS). We are continuing to experience budget cut after budget cut and trying to find how to pick up the pieces in order to find money for necessary budget items. This article started with direct testimony from a local BCPSS principal about how the budget cut would affect her school directly. Principal Rhonda Richetta vividly recalls days when students have come to her office door at City Springs School gasping for air because the school has a large population of asthmatic elementary- and middle-school-age students who receive critical services such as daily breathing treatments — from a nurse practitioner in its health center. This cut would release the nurse practitioner and this could change next year if the school is one of six that are slated to reduce their health care services because of proposed funding cuts from the city. Further, the city may cut the budget for the crossing guards that are essential to ensure that are students who walk to school, cross the street safely.
Finally, the budget may be cut to the point of taking away the students subsidized or free bus passes, if the students have to pay to come to school, it poses the question-are the students going to stop coming? I find it unfortunate that the city continues to cut the budget at the expense of the student’s heath and safety.

4 comments:

Larry said...

I completely agree that keeping the health center open at City Springs should be a top priority, as should student bus passes, and other services that will help students overcome barriers to learning and encourage overall health and development. If we assume that the school system really does not have the money to maintain all services, the question is where should the money come from? Increased taxes? Grants from foundations? Parents and community members working together to raise money? High poverty communities are hardest hit by these cuts, but the issues go beyond the problem of budget cuts and stem from the overall maldistribution of wealth in our society.

Jennifer Nathan said...

This article interests me because I most often thought about budget cuts affecting the literal “classroom” – the materials, instruction, etc. However, now I am realizing that the cuts are affecting the entire school day – the students’ academics as well as their school health and safety (their school experience). The glory of a public education is that it’s free – ok, so the actual learning is free, but now are they going to charge to use the bathroom? To see the nurse? To use the pencil sharpener? Hopefully schools can reexamine their tighter budgets and redistribute the funds that can be to benefit the students’ entire educational experience. It seems that the recent U.S economic hardships are going to have trickle-down effects, and that this issue may be prominent for years to come, so it is time to tackle this issue head-on with our students’ best interests in mind.

Palmer Hurtado Family said...

I think that it is a tragedy that health services is one of the first things to go when the money gets tight. It is good that schools spend money on things like more books in the library, new desks, computers etc but don't our students need to be alive to take advantage of those things. Eliminating crossing guards, really? Has the city government not seen how people drive in this city. Small children do not always look both ways before crossing or wait for the white hand to cross. It is a shame that the city seems to value child safety so little. But public safety is also at stake with all the budget cuts. Fireman and policeman are losing their jobs. Honestly the only people who should be losing their jobs right now in Baltimore are the Orioles pitchers!

TK said...

I agree that this is the same story over and over again. These stories in the Baltimore Sun and the claims being made by city officials and school administrators certainly make the budget situation seem desperate and in great need of additional federal funding. They also make it seem that there is no where else to cut funding, especially when we're now jeopardizing public health and hurting students' abilities to get to school. But for some reason, I am fairly hesitant to believe that BCPSS is currently making the best use of the money that it does have. I think that a large-scale audit of BCPSS is in order. I think a proper audit will reveal that cuts can be made in several other places before slashing funding for bus tickets, nurses, and crossing guards. I also think that some schools are perhaps illegitimately receiving funding that they do not deserve. Based on experience, I know that schools are receiving funding based on an inaccurate student population. I know that many class rosters have names of students who have not attended school all year, however, they continue to appear on rosters so that the school can receive the money as if they were attending school. It’s really unfair to students and to the schools that are doing the right thing how poorly BCPSS manages its money.