Howard County officials' hopes of getting $1 million in state money to hire more teachers and cut some class sizes in September may be fading, but schools Superintendent Michael E. Hickey hasn't stopped fighting for it.

Hickey told several County Council members yesterday that he has sent another letter to Gov. Parris N. Glendening arguing that the county should be eligible for the money because Howard has implemented a general plan for reducing class sizes over the past several years.

Howard, Baltimore and Anne Arundel counties pressed for the money after Glendening reversed himself last month and agreed to give $1.7 million to Montgomery County as an early part of his long-term proposal to cut class sizes.

Glendening pledged during last year's campaign to hire 1,000 teachers for first- and second-grade reading and seventh-grade math classes, and that legislation -- with the state budget -- is under General Assembly consideration.

After initially saying that any county with a concrete plan to cut class sizes would qualify for state help, Glendening said that only counties with plans in effect were eligible, leaving only Montgomery County in line for the money, according to Ray Feldmann, Glendening's spokesman.

"It seems to me they keep changing the rules," Hickey told school board and County Council members yesterday during a quarterly informal meeting. He said he wants "to see if there's any chance that if he [Glendening] funds Montgomery County, he'll be morally compelled to fund us."

"Hopefully, we at least will cause him to find a new reason not to fund us," Hickey said.

Cuts in class size

Since last year in first- to fifth-grade, the letter said, the county has cut the overall class size from 24.7 pupils to 24.6, while reading classes dropped from an average size of 18.5 pupils to 17.2 and math classes dropped from 19.6 pupils to 19.3.

"The class-size plan I described to you in my earlier letter would go beyond this," Hickey wrote, cutting overall class sizes to 19 pupils or fewer in grades one and two in about half of the county's elementary schools.

Anne Arundel County officials and Baltimore County Superintendent Anthony G. Marchione have said they have been reducing overall class sizes for the past several years. Marchione, who included 50 more new teachers in his budget for the next school year based in hopes of state aid, said he has taken no new steps to seek the money.

Despite the jostling for position, budget constraints could determine the issue.

Glendening's budget is about $140 million over the General Assembly's spending limits, and the funds for reducing class sizes probably would be in a later, supplemental budget. That means the General Assembly would have the final word.

Feldmann said yesterday that no definite word on the funds was available but that Hickey's new letter would be considered.

"We'll certainly take a look at it and consider it. We're taking a look at what other people are bringing to the table," he said.

'You get disappointed'

Howard school board Chairwoman Karen B. Campbell, who referred to the state funds last week as "phantom money" because of the uncertainty, said yesterday that her hopes are not high.

"It's self-preservation to not hope for too much. You get disappointed," she said.

Pub Date: 3/09/99