K-12 Education
Maryland was recently ranked #1 in the country for its K-12 education system by Education Week magazine. The success of these programs is due in part to the State’s commitment to fund education – a commitment which is reflected in the 82% increase in education funding since passage of the Bridge to Excellence Act in 2002. This year, the State budgeted $5.5 billion for educational support and $260 million in school construction funds to continue to replace and renovate aging schools in Maryland.

Public School Construction
This term, Maryland has made record investments in capital funding for new and renovated schools, to ensure that our students have the best possible learning environments. This funding is especially important in rural communities, where our school facilities are sometimes older and have growing school-age populations. Over $1 billion has been invested in school construction across the State over the past three years, including 5.5 million here in St. Mary’s County.

As chair of the Education and Economic Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, John has developed an expertise in the state’s university system, issues of tuition affordability and access for all students to the higher education system.

Tuition Affordability
During the last term, John was appointed to the Special Committee on Higher Education Affordability and Access in 2003. At the time, Maryland college students saw a 33% increase in tuition and our university system ranked 6th most expensive in the country, which left public college out of reach for many Maryland families. The recommendations of this committee lead to the implementation of a tuition freeze, now in its fourth consecutive year. As a result, Maryland has now dropped to 16th for tuition costs in the U.S. … MORE.