The Baltimore City Public Schools have a $130 million budget deficit. As described in the Baltimore City Public Schools’ website, Your Voice: Budget, Baltimore City Public Schools’ budget crisis is the result of several different factors. ACLU’s Education Reform Project identifies “flat state funding [as] the primary reason for City Schools’ structural [budget] deficit.”
Prior budget defects were resolved by applying short-term measures. These short-term measures did nothing to improve the underlying causes. Likewise, these short-term measures did nothing to improve the situation for the long-term.
Without increased funding from the State of Maryland and with the intention of addressing a long-term solution to budget shortfalls, Baltimore City Public Schools’ CEO Dr. Sonja Santelieses is forced to address the BCPS’ budget issues head-on. In the short term, it will result in unprecedented cuts to BCPS’ budget—including cuts to educational programs.
Unless the State of Maryland can allocate additional funds for Baltimore City Public Schools, the funding for the majority of Baltimore School for the Arts’ faculty may be cut by as much as 88 percent.
As BSA families know, BSA is a Baltimore City Public School like no other. Part of what makes it unique is its budget. Annually, BCPS covers approximately 70% of BSA’s operating expenses. The remainder is funded via the BSA Foundation. In addition to contributing to BSA’s operating expenses, the BSA Foundation provides approximately 80% of the funding of BSA’s TWIGS outreach program for K-8 students.