Statement by Shirley Brandman
President, Montgomery County Board of Education
Re: County Executive Isiah Leggett’s
FY 2010 Recommended Operating Budget


“Throughout this budget process—in extraordinary economic times—we’ve worked to strike the right balance between being both fiscally prudent and appropriately responsive to the needs of a growing population of students, who are being challenged to reach higher levels of achievement than ever before.

“We have imposed a strict spending freeze to achieve significant savings, asked employees to make tremendous sacrifices, and made substantial budget reductions designed to have the least harmful impact on classroom instruction.

"County Executive Leggett's proposal appears to continue this County's commitment to protecting the educational excellence that has been a hallmark of our school system—even in economic times such as these. We appreciate the challenge he faced in preparing this budget and, while we will need to study the details, we intend to work collaboratively in the interest of all Montgomery County's children and families.”