appears that the deficit began under Booker’s administration, since the
system had a surplus for the two previous fiscal years. Could you identify
where the system overspent funds under the Booker administration?
Bowie: The largest area of overspending was on a computer management system that had millions in cost overruns.
Arthur Laupus, Columbia: Does the Baltimore City schools chief executive
officer, Dr. Bonnie S. Copeland, still have at her use and disposal a
chauffeur? In the past, this chauffeur was making in excess of six figures
a year.
Bowie: The school police officer is now called the “executive protection officer” and he
is paid $52,960 a year. He drives Copeland during the day if she is going somewhere,
but Copeland drives herself to events after the regular work day unless there is a concern
about her security, according to Edie House, the public information officer. “This CEO has
been very cognizant of how much time he drives,” House said. Since staff layoffs, the officer
also has had to pick up administrative duties in the CEO office, including answering phones and
dealing with e-mails. He also is in charge of security at board meetings and other
events in the building.
Artie, Baltimore: Can a further breakdown of spending be possible? I would
like to know what the administration’s spending was on for it to have
increased 51 percent between 1998 and 2002.
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Bowie: A breakdown is not available from the state. We do know that
spending rose in part because the system broke away from City Hall in 1997
and did not have the infrastructure it needed to do payroll, finances and
other basic functions.
Kun Sun Sweeley, Baltimore: As a former student of the Baltimore City
Public School System, I am very concerned regarding the school system’s
financial crisis. I have two questions to ask. One, is it realistic to say
that the school system debt will be under control within the next two or
three years? Two, I was a former student of Lake Clifton High School. What
is going to happen to Lake Clifton High School since the school system is
in such a financial crisis and what are the current plans for School No.
426, the new high school that’s within Lake Clifton?
Bowie: Currently, the school system hopes to get rid of the deficit in the
next two years. If the system keeps to a tight budget, it should be
possible. I am not aware of any plans to change Lake Clifton since its
breakup into several high schools last year.
A baltimoresun.com reader from Baltimore: Who was [former schools CEO] Carmen Russo’s driver, the one who racked up all
the overtime? [$100,000] seems like a lot of money for someone who was
“just an employee!”
Bowie: Carmen Russo’s driver is a school police officer who has been in the
system for many years. He has driven around the last four chief executive
officers. When he worked for Russo, his overtime went through the roof
because she used him more after normal working hours. For instance, he
drove her to night meetings or dinners.
Josh, Towson: When city school administrators were calling for teachers to
take salary cuts of one form or another, did the administrators,
themselves, propose to similarly cut their own salaries?
Bowie: Yes. Everyone, including the CEO Bonnie Copeland, would have taken the same pay cut.
Laura Byrd, Baltimore: What is your take on the new paycheck policy of the
school system? It was in the “Just the Facts” publication distributed this
past Friday.
Bowie: A new computer system, called the Human Resources Management System, will come online in the next several weeks. At that point, City Hall will
no longer be involved in issuing paychecks. It will save money because the
city charges for this service.
Michael, Columbia: It seems all the claims about inadequate Baltimore City
school system funding are directed at the state. The state of Maryland
funds 75 percent of Baltimore City’s school system, while they fund only 25
percent of Howard County’s. Shouldn’t the city of Baltimore increase it’s
funding?
Bowie: The issue of how much money each county and the city should
contribute is complicated because each county has a different tax base to
draw on. Many people believe the city should contribute more, but the city
would have to raise property taxes to increase its contribution by the
hundreds of millions of dollars per year you are talking about. Since the
city already has the highest property tax in Maryland, the mayor and city
council are reluctant to do so.
A baltimoresun.com reader from Baltimore: [City Finance Director] Peggy Watson was quoted as saying once there’s a deficit, it doesn’t seem cause for alarm when it grows
somewhat. It looks as if the deficit is about 3 percent of the total
budget. Thinking of it as only 3 percent, it sounds somewhat manageable. Of
course, it has to be corrected, but was it really the scandal it became?
And why did it become such a huge scandal?
Bowie: It became a major scandal because the deficit created a cash-flow
problem. There was so little cash in the city school bank accounts that
without help from the city or the state, the system would not have been
able to pay teachers and would have had to close schools.
Karen, Baltimore County: Is the city out of line in its spending, compared
to other school districts? How much per pupil does the city spend, compared
to the county? And how does special education spending affect the city
school budget?
Bowie: Actually, there was a chart of per-pupil spending for several
counties in the paper this past Sunday. The per-pupil spending in the city is
about $800 more per pupil than Baltimore County, for example. Spending on
special education in the city is between 25 and 30 percent of the entire
budget. Special education students represent about 15 or 16 percent of the
student body.
Nark Chandler, Towson: How many people are employed by the Baltimore City school system? How many classroom teachers are employed by the Baltimore
City school system?
Bowie: The school system has 11,180 employees. Of that number, about 8,000 are teachers and teaching assistants.
Renae Phillips, Columbia: What provision is being made by the school’s
chief executive officer and the mayor to transition some of the laid-off
staff back in schools? My understanding is that a recruitment effort is
taking place now. Many of [those] laid off have given their creative skills and
leadership to the system. What kind of model is this for new teachers? Were
the laid-off individuals really laid off temporarily or are they considered
collateral damage from the school board, Russo, [former Chief Operating Officer Mark] Smolarz and others’ mismanagement?
Bowie: Depending on how many teachers leave the system after this school
year, the school system may not hire any new teachers over the summer. The
system is still trying to reduce its payroll, not increase it. The
employees were not laid off temporarily.
J.E. Sidlowski, Baltimore: When will The Sun publish an organizational
chart of the school administration — showing names, titles,
responsibilities and number of employees supervised? Such charts showing
the structure before and after Russo would be interesting. Also, who were
the administrators who hired new employees after the deficit was known? How
many were hired and for what reasons — empire building, nepotism, etc.? Why
is city Mayor Martin O’Malley keeping the old school board, which, at its
best, was merely incompetent and, at its worst, criminal?
Bowie: The kind of chart you are talking about would be pretty complicated.
There are several hundred people in school administration. Every high-level
administrator has hired employees since the first deficit appeared in 2000.
Much of the overspending was done to try to improve the city school system,
and, in fact, the system is improving. Test scores are going up fairly
quickly in the lower grades. The issue was that the chief executive officer
should have controlled the spending. Three of the nine school board members
were new in July. Three more positions will turn over in July. So, by July,
the majority of the board will be new members.
George Pollack, Pasadena: Does state Superintendent of Schools Nancy
S. Grasmick now have any legal authority to install an independent auditor to
obtain accurate spending information? Do Mayor O’Malley and the school
board recognize any such authority?
Bowie: No, she does not yet. However, I believe at this point, no one would
try to stop her from putting an independent auditor into the system. A
financial oversight board is now checking on the system’s finances.
Anne Horvath, Sykesville: Please explain the state and Baltimore City
school organizational system. Specifically, I would like to know how the
governor, the city mayor, the state superintendent of schools and the
Baltimore City [schools] CEO relate to each other with authority and responsibility.
Bowie: The mayor and the governor appoint members of the school board
jointly from a list supplied by state Superintendent of Schools Nancy S.
Grasmick. The City Council has authority over the school system budget,
just as the county councils in each jurisdiction have control over spending
in their school systems. Grasmick and Bonnie Copeland relate to each other
as colleagues. Grasmick can’t tell Copeland what to do in the case of
finances, but she has the ability to speak out and she can withhold state
money if she believes there are severe financial problems.
Paul, Baltimore: Who is responsible for the city school finances now? Is
someone making sure this won’t happen again?
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Bowie: Good question! A new chief financial officer, Rose Piedmont, was
hired in the fall. Because the city has loaned the system $42 million, the
mayor and City Council have asked for greater accountability. The school
system will be reporting on a monthly basis.
A baltimoresun.com reader from Baltimore: What kind of reaction have you gotten to your article from officials and from the public?
Bowie: I have had no reaction
from public officials. I have gotten numerous calls and questions from
readers. I really enjoy hearing from readers.
Shawn, New Jersey: Due to the financial difficulties of the city’s public
schools, how have city services — police, fire and public works — been
affected? City services are the first to have hiring freezes and budget
cuts. Have any of Baltimore City’s agencies experienced cuts?
Bowie: No city
agencies or services have been cut as a result of the schools’ financial
crisis.
R. Smith, Baltimore: Mayor O’Malley says he will save money by retiring
hundreds of teachers; I say that will cost money. Who is correct? Teaching
is a part-time job — why not pay accordingly?
Bowie: If you were a teacher, I don’t think you would see your work as a
“part-time job.” I think teachers don’t get enough thanks. They work harder
during the school year than many people do in higher paid jobs. They often
take their work home at night. They get paid 10 months a year. And the jobs
in the city, although rewarding, can be full of stress.
A fully certified, starting teacher makes $38,000. There are about 900 teachers who could retire this year. Since they would likely be replaced by young, inexperienced teachers, it would cost the system less.