Issue Position: Education Investment

Issue Position

It is imperative that we fully fund, today, the Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act and carefully monitor and be prepared to support full funding for public education through the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education.

Additional revenue is required to meet the unmet public education funding needs today and into the future. While careful consideration to current and projected economic impact and conditions should be considered, I believe that additional revenue should be pursued in areas like an increase of Maryland State Income Tax particularly for those with high income, extension to additional lines of sale for online sales tax collection and corporate tax reform to close loopholes that prevent companies from paying their fair share.

Many of our children, some of the youngest, attend school in trailers because our schools are overcrowded and outdated. It is important that facility planning programs from the School system and local planning agency, Maryland National Park and Planning, with regard to school construction need and execution are unified by state law. Development without adequate public facilities is unacceptable and needs to be rectified. It is unacceptable that our children are attending dilapidated schools and even when we have new schools that students are soon in trailers because the needs far outstrip the facilities. We need a complete plan and execution to deliver adequate public facilities.

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