Baltimore City Schools officials hinted that they had a major budget hole to close. Now that Superintendent Gregory Thornton has a plan to balance spending, he’s signaling that layoffs are likely ahead.
The budget dilemma stems from $35.6 million in cuts to Baltimore City Schools that Gov. Larry Hogan is proposing as part of his budget. According to district officials, the entire budget gap for the 2015-16 school year is $72 million.
Thornton sent a letter to district employees this week saying that his team found a way to save $63 million. The letter says layoffs will “almost certainly be necessary,” but it took a Baltimore Sun interview to get the numbers out of him.
The CEO told Erica L. Green that his plan won’t have room for teachers who are part of the City Schools’ “surplus pool” of teachers, which are teachers who don’t have a permanent placement. He also plans to layoff employees at the school’s district offices.
The budget isn’t official yet. Parents and community members will get a chance to sound off first. Thornton will present the plans at public forums on March 12 and 14. Details on the locations are here.
