While the adults are arguing about funding the Cecil County Public Schools budget, let’s talk about the most important people in this discussion–the children.

Many of the people fighting against public education funding don’t have any idea what difficulties some of our students face. The reality is that the “Leave It to Beaver” idealized nuclear family living a middle class life must seem like a fairy tale for many children in the Cecil County.

How dire are the needs of some of our children?

At Christmas, some of our schools have “giving trees” that are stocked only with requests and needs from students in their school. Not anonymous children in some inner city neighborhood but children who sit in classes with and play on sports teams with our children. Throughout the school year, teachers, staff, coaches, and families make individual contributions of things like clothes, cleats, or rides to and from practices or other events. When sports teams have later games, families or boosters may provide meals or snacks for the whole team because they know there are students who don’t have the means to buy anything else to eat. And these are just the few things I’m aware of; I’m sure there are countless other acts of kindness that happen in our schools. Read a teacher’s description of how poverty manifests in the classroom

What are the demographics of the students enrolled in Cecil County?

• Total of 15,731 students (source: CCPS FY 16 Budget Basics)
• 45% or more than 7,000 of those students qualify for free and reduced meals (FARMS).
• 649 students are homeless. That number stunned me the first time I heard it because I immediately compared it to the enrollment at Perryville Elementary when I was active in PTA there–about 400 students–and couldn’t imagine that many children being homeless in our communities.

649! To put this number into perspective, that’s more students than:

• Every elementary school in the county with the exception of Rising Sun Elementary. (source: CCPS FY 2014 Annual Report)
• Four out of six middle schools
• The entire student body at Bohemia Manor High School

Summary

As Dr. D’Ette Devine summarized at a recent board of education meeting, “Poverty has a significant influence on student achievement.” While these students face challenges at home and school and may need more support services in order be successful, the school system must legally and, more importantly, morally, give them the support necessary. True, these services come with a price tag but how much will it cost in the long run if we don’t help them succeed?

County Executive Tari Moore is preparing her budget recommendations now for presentation to the Cecil County Council at the end of March. Once the council receives the budget, they can only cut funding, not increase it. The time to contact our elected officials is now.

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