A Markell administration proposal to continue funding parts of their federal Race to the Top will meet resistance in the General Assembly.
In an out-of-session House Education Committee meeting Wednesday, state lawmakers are expected to advocate for other initiatives totaling just under $29 million.
Committee Chair Rep. Earl Jaques (D-Glasgow) says it’s time initiatives under Race to the Top – originally awarded in 2010 – come to an end.
“I think that when we went into Race to the Top we had certain expectations that we weren’t going to continue those programs, so I think we shouldn’t be continuing them,” said Jaques.
Jaques (D-Glasgow) says he’s backing, among other plans, a proposal to hire new special education teachers for kids in kindergarten through third grade.
“We want that added in. We want to restore after school programs that was cut a couple years ago. I hear from administrators and teachers and parents and all kinds of elected officials about restoring those programs and that’s $10 million.”
Jaques says he also wants to require all schools to have a permanent nurse, which was estimated to cost the state about $1.7 million last year. Lawmakers would also like to restore some after school program funding,
The governor’s proposed budget calls for $8.5 million to sustain portions of the Race to the Top, which Jaques says shouldn’t take precedence.
State education officials will present their proposed budget to the Joint Finance Committee prior to the committee hearing Wednesday afternoon.