State Officials Want School Boards To Pay For Pensions

Local school boards throughout the state should contribute to paying for pensions costs, according to officials of the Maryland Association of Counties who are seeking to shift cost directly to school jurisdictions.

The Gazette reports that officials from MACo told a state Senate committee that their proposal was a priority to avoid burdening county governments with a proposal from Gov. Martin O’Malley to shift a portion of the cost of teacher pensions onto local governments. The move could cost local governments $239 million.

O’Malley’s plan would help close an estimated $1 billion state deficit by proposing that the state and counties spilt the cost of teachers’ pensions— which the state now exclusively pays. MACo officials have said that local governments can’t afford the added costs, according to The Gazette.