The time to speak up about school budget cuts is before a vote

The county school board has approved — without making any changes — a $991.5 million budget request for the fiscal year beginning July 1, the same as what Superintendent Cheryl Dyson proposed. The board voted 6-1 to send the budget request for the school system to County Executive Jessica Fitzwater. In a budget of almost $1 billion, the members of the board found nothing to cut, add or revise. That is rare. After all, the request is about 9% larger than the current year, an increase of about $81.3 million.