MACo Supports Initiative on School Funding Laws

Senator Eckardt, Commissioner Valentine, and Executive Director Sanderson support MACo's school funding bill
Senator Eckardt, Commissioner Valentine, and Executive Director Sanderson support MACo’s school funding bill
Allegany County Commissioner William Valentine and MACo Executive Director Michael Sanderson presented testimony to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee supporting MACo Initiative SB 627, Education- Maintenance of Effort Requirement- Alterations on March 10, 2015. This bill makes modifications to state school funding laws. These changes would help promote sensible and flexible application and reduce the disincentives for counties to make voluntary investments.

The three changes in this bill include:

  1. Clarify that nonrecurring costs are supplemental to the maintenance of effort calculation and clarify a few types of costs that may and shall be considered nonrecurring.

  2. Clarify that costs of fixed-term leases for school facilities are removed from the maintenance of effort after the lease ends.

  3. Repeal the escalation of maintenance of effort for counties whose education effort dips below the statewide moving average.

The written testimony explains the modifications in depth.

The cross file of the bill, HB 1079, was heard in the House Ways and Means Committee last week, March 5, 2015.

For more on MACo’s 2015 legislation, visit the Legislative Database