Around 300 parents, teachers, principals and students showed up at the public meeting held by the Wicomico County Council at the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center last night to give voice to their concerns over the 2012-13 fiscal budget.
Many wore school colors and some carried yellow signs with bright red apples in the middle with such phrases as “schools matter”, “our home” and “our future”.
Dave White, president of the Wicomico County Teachers Association, led off long line speakers asking the County Council to approve the education budget as submitted.
The Salisbury Daily Times reports that the education spending plan is higher this year, in part, because of the maintenance of effort regulations that requires the county to fund the same amount per year, per student.
But there were other requests.
Robert Strobel, president of the Wicomico County Volunteer fireman’s Association, urged the council to restore the sinking fund for the volunteer fire companies and provide $6-thousand to buy decontamination equipment.