Good Call

It is rare when I praise County Executive John Leopold, but he did the right thing in telling Kevin Maxwell he will not get his full funding request:

County Executive John R. Leopold said last night that the county just can't fund the school superintendent's massive spending plan.

Mr. Leopold laid out his vision for the county's future to the Greater Crofton Chamber of Commerce last night and ruled out the increase that would bring Superintendent Kevin M. Maxwell's school budget to $920 million.

"I drive by the school administration building on Riva Road and I wonder how many of those positions are duplicated," Mr. Leopold told the crowd of 65 gathered at Kauffman's Tavern in Gambrills. "We simply cannot afford a 17 percent increase in the school budget."

Let's see how much the increase winds up being. And lets' see if Maxwell actually tries to trim the fat in the budget. But I am pleased that Leopold will not acquiesce to the Superintendent's funding request. Everybody wants to have a great system and improve education. But let's not do in a fiscally irresponsible manner, as was suggested by Maxwell. Even today's Capital editorial got into the spirit:

Taxpayers here are more averse to big spending increases for education and government services. But without an elected school board they have few means to hold the school system accountable for its spending. And that's the rub: What will they get for putting another $131 million into education?

We don't doubt the superintendent is sincere in wanting to give Anne Arundel the best schools possible. But taxpayers have to be persuaded that their money is being well spent.

One of the goofier quotes from this first story was this:

Bob Mosier, a spokesman for the superintendent, said the county school system's ratio of administrators to students already ranks among the lowest in the state.

As noted Tuesday, the ratio of one administrative staff member for every 4.35 teachers; the ratio for students is one administrative staff member for every 69.4 students. It's amazing that nobody on Riva Road seems to think that the school system is too top heavy, and that is what Leopold is talking about when he discussed inefficiencies...