“Funding Our Future” Effort Puts A Finer Point on Kirwan Costs, Means
Education / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues
“Funding Our Future” Effort Puts A Finer Point on Kirwan Costs, Means

Stakeholder groups supporting the Kirwan education plan have developed a coalition to support tax reforms to help support its substantial costs, including a slate of revenue proposals in a report, "Funding our Future" The policy debate over school funding, and the goals and costs of the Kirwan Commission plan, has been gaining steam for months leading up to its expected peak during the 2020 legislative session. Now, a coalition supporting the effort is offering specifics…

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November 19, 2019
Kirwan-Curious? The Sun Tackles The Questions You’re Afraid To Ask
Education / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Kirwan-Curious? The Sun Tackles The Questions You’re Afraid To Ask

Sun reporter Pamela Wood offers a "Kirwan 101" Summary of the major policies and politics of the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education. So... you've been trying to keep up with Kirwan and the school funding debate, but you have a day job and can't dial in for 6 hours of meetings every two weeks for over three years. So, you've been left a bit behind... trying to sort out...just what is this really…

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November 14, 2019
Kirwan Commission 11/12: Fazed by Phase-In; Triggered by Teacher Testing
Education / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Kirwan Commission 11/12: Fazed by Phase-In; Triggered by Teacher Testing

The Kirwan Commission's latest meeting saw a deep reaction to the formula funding workgroup's proposals to "phase in" the Commission's series of recommendations, and also focused on MSDE pending regulations for teacher certification. The Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education held its latest meeting on November 12, advancing their discussions toward a year-end final report. Phase-In of Recommendations The most compelling discussion of the day came as the full Commission heard from representatives of…

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November 13, 2019
State Casino Revenue Down 8.9% in October
County News / Education / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues
State Casino Revenue Down 8.9% in October

Gross gaming revenue (GGR) fell 8.9% percent in October to $143,895,409 from $157,960,668 in October 2018, state lottery and gaming officials announced last week. In terms of year-over-year data, it’s the second month in a row that Maryland casinos brought in less revenue. Casino revenue in September was down 1.1% compared with September 2018. Contributions to the State of Maryland from October 2019 casino gaming revenue totaled $59,267,140, including $44,456,366 for the Education Trust Fund.…

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November 11, 2019
Legislative Leaders Tout 2020 “Built To Learn Act” For School Construction
Education / School Construction and Capital Budgets / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Legislative Leaders Tout 2020 “Built To Learn Act” For School Construction

Legislative leaders announced plans to emphasize a major school construction plan in 2020 legislation - including some $2.2 Billion in project funding above the current plans. Look for House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 1 next year to be a major effort to leverage casino revenues to support a fast-tracked school construction effort, targeting a lengthy list of ready-to-go projects. Legislative leaders laid out the framework for this priority at a press conference today, held…

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November 6, 2019
Where Do We Fit On the State/Local Balance Sheet?
County Budgets / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Winter Conference
Where Do We Fit On the State/Local Balance Sheet?

An annual "Balance Sheet" report from the Department of Legislative Services shows the net effects of state revenues and state aid, by jurisdiction. The Balance Sheet is an annual report, derived from the most recent audited data, assessing the revenue contributions and local aid distributions for each Maryland jurisdiction. While no single measure can fully capture these fiscal matters perfectly, this report is frequently employed to gather a relative sense of these intergovernmental finance issues…

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November 5, 2019
Breaking Down the Blueprint: School Funding in Focus
County Budgets / County News / Education / MACo Events / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Winter Conference
Breaking Down the Blueprint: School Funding in Focus

Obviously, The Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education (Kirwan Commission) is a big deal right now. With recommendations from the Funding Formula Workgroup finalized and the full Commission's last scheduled meeting creeping up later this month, there is no better time to join MACo's Winter Conference Session, Breaking Down the Blueprint: School Funding in Focus during #MACoCon. Join our panelists in deep diving into exactly what this whole Commission is about and what it…

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November 4, 2019
Governor Declines Invitation to Kirwan, Relies on Brinkley
Education / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Governor Declines Invitation to Kirwan, Relies on Brinkley

In a letter sent by William E. "Brit" Kirwan, Chair of the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education, Governor Hogan was invited to directly address the Commission at an upcoming meeting. Kirwan believes that the Commission members "would benefit greatly by hearing directly" from the Governor and suggested he hoped to "find common ground on how we can ensure that all Maryland students have access to a high quality education." This invitation was declined…

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October 31, 2019
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