thursday,may 2, 2013 - County Times - Southern Maryland Online

Spotlight OnThe County TimesThursday, May 2, 2013 16School System PraisesCommissioners for Budget IncreasePhoto by Alex PanosSuperintendent Michael Martirano and the Board of Education addressthe Board of County Commissioners.By Guy LeonardStaff WriterSchools Superintendent Michael Martirano and teacher’sunion leaders thanked the Board of County Commissionersfor a 4 percent increase to the education budget forfiscal 2014, marking a change from years just prior whenboth sides traded barbs over just how much the county’sallocation to school funding would be.“They are pleased with how the budget process hasgone this year,” Martirano told commissioners Tuesdaynight about the attitudes of school staff, particularlyteachers.“They were marked with peace and harmony as opposedto acrimony and vitriol.”The increase agreed to by commissioners will allowfor the system to fulfill the contract agreements it has withschools employees, he said, as well as ensure that no programswould have to be cut.Martirano held out hope that commissioners couldstill be persuaded to fund his plan to have 10 additionalsecurity assistants for elementary schools and another twoschool resource officers for middle schools.Anna Laughlin, president of the Education Associationof St. Mary’s County (EASMC) said the change wasnoticeable.“It’s been a good year,” Laughlin said. “It’s been muchmore productive and less contentious that previous years.”She said, however, that much still needed to be doneto make up for lost step increases teachers should havereceived but did not because of revenue reductions to thecounty.“This is an affluent community and we can afford todo the right thing.”The total county allocation for the school system is$89.9 million; the state-mandated maintenance of effortrequires just $80.3 with an extra $3.1 million to offset thestate’s pension shift to the counties.For fiscal 2014 the county also includes $2 millionfrom the county’s fund balance and $955,256 of revenuesfor other post employment benefits for board of educationemployees.guyleonard@countytimes.netAviationTechnology ProgramReceives DonationSpring Ridge RenovationBecomes Top PriorityFor School SystemBy Guy LeonardStaff WriterMaggie Giles, left, Keegan Nash, Cortez Bush, Talon Sanchez, Max Smith,Mr. Greg Schultz, Robert Wright, Jason McCauley, Scott McCauley, SamMorgan, and Theo Cramer.The Aviation Technology program at the Dr. James A. Forrest Career& Technology Center recently accepted a $5,000 donation fromthe International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.The donation is the result of a letter that Aviation Technology instructor,Greg Schultz, wrote to I.A.M.A.W. to request help in coveringcosts associated with the repair of a 1976 Cessna 150 and a 1980’sUltra-Lite. Both aircraft were in poor condition and needed numerousrepairs. Aviation Technology students are performing the repair workunder the direction of. Schultz.Max Smith, left, Greg Schultz, Robert Wright, Jason McCauley, Scott Mc-Cauley, and Sam Morgan.Students returned to Spring RidgeMiddle School the beginning of thisweek after a late night fire badly damagedseveral classrooms at the front ofthe school.The debate over the status ofthe school, opened first in 1974, hassparked outcries from parents to electedofficials to make quick renovations forsafety’s sake.Schools Superintendent MichaelMartirano told the Board of CountyCommissioners at their annual publichearing on the budget that renovatingthe school was now a top priority.“We’re greatly concerned aboutthis 40 year old building,” Martiranosaid at Chopticon High School. “I personallycannot predict when anothersystem will fail.”The fire occurred at about 10 p.m. April 25 aboutan hour after a student-produced play had finished.Spring Ridge Principal Angela Fulp said a motoristtraveling on Three Notch Road saw the blazeat the front of the school and called emergencyresponders.No one was at the school to sustain injury, shesaid.“We’re very grateful for that,” Fulp said. “Wethink that it [the fire] might be electrical in nature.”The fire, along with water and smoke, damagedtwo class pods, she said, as well as three classrooms.The plan to renovate the school had been movedout to 2018 in the schools capital improvement planbut parents urged commissioners to agree to fund itPhoto By Guy LeonardFire damaged several classrooms last week at Spring Ridge Middle Schooland led to outcries for drastic renovations at the aging building.immediately.“Parents want urgent an urgent limited renovationproject,” said Andrea Dyson, a former parentleader at Spring Ridge.Andrea Bowman, the president of the localNAACP, said that many of the students attendingSpring Ridge were minorities or had disadvantagedbackgrounds that were already challenges to learningwithout having to worry about the safety of theschool grounds.“Spring Ridge Middle School is long overduefor a renovation,” Bowman said. “What if the moneyhad been invested [earlier], could the fire have beenavoided?”guyleonard@countytimes.net