The Cecil County Council and Executive Tari Moore will be making decisions in the next week that will have serious repercussions for our schools. If you support the work of Cecil County Public Schools and want adequate funding for that work, email our elected officials today.
What projects have been deferred due to lack of funding? Here’s the list
May 13–County Budget work session
May 20–Final decision
Here’s a basic letter that you can cut and paste into an email:
Send to these email addresses: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Subject: I support the CCPS budget
I am a resident of [insert town name here] and I support adequate funding of our public schools. (If you have a child or children in school, include this line–My child/children attend [insert school(s) name(s) here])
Our schools teach and nurture the next generation of Cecil County citizens and, in order for this county to prosper and grow, our students need the proper facilities and services. Our school system has been underfunded for too long, projects have been deferred for years, and the infrastructure is crumbling.
The newly proposed strategic plan for Cecil County lists education as a strategic priority, “Cecil County will advance lifelong educational opportunities for citizens of all ages that serve as a foundation to enhance the quality of life,” however, without proper funding, the goals related to this initiative can not be achieved.
From the Cecil County Strategic Plan:
“GOAL 1: Provide advocacy to enhance the public perception of the value of education.
1.1 Community leaders and officials will promote the value of education related to return on investment in employment viability and income.
1.2 Create awareness regarding the positive impact of education on creating safe and healthy communities.”
Recent Actions & Recommendations Do Not Support Principles Stated in the Plan
The spirit of the strategic plan is not reflected in the current actions of the county. In fact, the county has already reduced the CCPS operating budget by $1.8 million and the Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee last week recommended a further reduction of $2.8 million to maintenance of effort levels. These reductions would cause lasting damage to our schools, their employees, and our students.
A brighter future for Cecil County starts in our schools but your actions will determine their success. I ask you to support the work of CCPS by providing adequate funding for our public schools.
Respectfully,
[your name]
[your address]