Dear State Senators and Delegates Representing Montgomery County,
We, the undersigned, are residents of Montgomery County concerned about the potential of significant cuts to K-12 public education in our County. We have prided ourselves on the quality of our public schools in this County, and cannot afford to reduce our financial commitment to our children. Over the past five years, state funding for public education has been reduced from $57.5 million to $47.1 million. The County has been forced to attempt to bridge the gap through a twelve cents property tax increase in 2012 yet for 2013-14 there is still projected to be a significant shortfall. The state should be investing more, not less, in our County’s infrastructure and personnel. We are deeply concerned that if additional funding is not secured there is a greater likelihood of school closings, cuts in teacher positions, cuts in health care benefits and classroom instruction. Please adopt a budget that protects our schools by restoring state funding to 2008 levels.
Additionally, to bolster the tax revenue of Montgomery County so that the County is better able to fund MCPS, please support:
(a) HB 1449 which provides that the ABC Board may grant a mixed beverage license, notwithstanding the requirement for a referendum, to properties adjacent to Exits 109 and 128 on Interstate 81 in Montgomery County.
(b) HB 889 which authorizes any county to impose a local cigarette tax at a rate not to exceed $0.05 per pack or the amount levied under state law, whichever is greater.
Finally, we ask that you eliminate the unfunded and underfunded state public education mandates and oppose the addition of any new unfunded and underfunded mandates.
We look forward to hearing from you about these critical
budget needs.
Please ensure that the state budget adequately funds public education in Montgomery County.
Sincerely,
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
January 30, 2013
January 30, 2013
The momentum behind this building pressure is undeniable and it is finally forcing the state to acknowledge our demands. The delegation cannot continue to ignore our classrooms while they gut our funding and leave our children behind. We have the numbers now so watch how they try to spin this when we show up at their offices.
January 30, 2013
The State Senators and Delegates are still ignoring the damage these budget cuts are doing to our classrooms. We need to hit the two hundred fifty mark right now to force them to look at our demands before they finalize the budget. Send this link to anyone who refuses to let our schools crumble.
January 25, 2013
The state representatives are ignoring our calls and hoping this funding crisis just fades away. We are gathering every single signature to prove that we refuse to let them gut our schools while they play games with the budget. Keep the pressure on them until they realize these cuts are unacceptable.
Reached 100 supporters
January 25, 2013
6 Comments
Enough with the cuts. We pay enough in taxes already and the schools are showing the strain. Restore the state funding now.
Need to protect our classrooms. Stop playing games with our kids futures.
My kids go to MCPS and the classes are already way too big. Cutting more money is just going to hurt them. Fix this!
If they cut teacher positions here property values are going to tank. Terrible idea for everyone in the county.
Montgomery county schools used to be the gold standard. What happened to our priorities? Keep the funding where it needs to be.
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Dear State Senators and Delegates Representing Montgomery County,
We, the undersigned, are residents of Montgomery County concerned about the potential of significant cuts to K-12 public education in our County. We have prided ourselves on the quality of our public schools in this County, and cannot afford to reduce our financial commitment to our children. Over the past five years, state funding for public education has been reduced from $57.5 million to $47.1 million. The County has been forced to attempt to bridge the gap through a twelve cents property tax increase in 2012 yet for 2013-14 there is still projected to be a significant shortfall. The state should be investing more, not less, in our County’s infrastructure and personnel. We are deeply concerned that if additional funding is not secured there is a greater likelihood of school closings, cuts in teacher positions, cuts in health care benefits and classroom instruction. Please adopt a budget that protects our schools by restoring state funding to 2008 levels.
Additionally, to bolster the tax revenue of Montgomery County so that the County is better able to fund MCPS, please support:
(a) HB 1449 which provides that the ABC Board may grant a mixed beverage license, notwithstanding the requirement for a referendum, to properties adjacent to Exits 109 and 128 on Interstate 81 in Montgomery County.
(b) HB 889 which authorizes any county to impose a local cigarette tax at a rate not to exceed $0.05 per pack or the amount levied under state law, whichever is greater.
Finally, we ask that you eliminate the unfunded and underfunded state public education mandates and oppose the addition of any new unfunded and underfunded mandates.
We look forward to hearing from you about these critical
budget needs.
Please ensure that the state budget adequately funds public education in Montgomery County.
Sincerely,
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
January 30, 2013
January 30, 2013
The momentum behind this building pressure is undeniable and it is finally forcing the state to acknowledge our demands. The delegation cannot continue to ignore our classrooms while they gut our funding and leave our children behind. We have the numbers now so watch how they try to spin this when we show up at their offices.
January 30, 2013
The State Senators and Delegates are still ignoring the damage these budget cuts are doing to our classrooms. We need to hit the two hundred fifty mark right now to force them to look at our demands before they finalize the budget. Send this link to anyone who refuses to let our schools crumble.
January 25, 2013
The state representatives are ignoring our calls and hoping this funding crisis just fades away. We are gathering every single signature to prove that we refuse to let them gut our schools while they play games with the budget. Keep the pressure on them until they realize these cuts are unacceptable.
Reached 100 supporters
January 25, 2013
6 Comments
why do they always go after schools first?? ridiculous.
Enough with the cuts. We pay enough in taxes already and the schools are showing the strain. Restore the state funding now.
Need to protect our classrooms. Stop playing games with our kids futures.
My kids go to MCPS and the classes are already way too big. Cutting more money is just going to hurt them. Fix this!
If they cut teacher positions here property values are going to tank. Terrible idea for everyone in the county.
Montgomery county schools used to be the gold standard. What happened to our priorities? Keep the funding where it needs to be.
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why do they always go after schools first?? ridiculous.