Montgomery County (Md.) board approves budget with painful cuts

From The Washington Post: The Montgomery County (Md.) Board has approved a budget that will expand class sizes, eliminate hundreds of teaching positions and slash other services. It is the first year-to-year spending cut in memory, officials say.

From The Washington Post: Montgomery County (Md.) public schools next year probably will see fewer new textbooks, reduced support staff and some layoffs as the district faces its first year-to-year budget cut in recent memory. The cuts will be felt most deeply by teachers, as professional development and supplementary services are cut and salaries frozen. Average class sizes will increase by one, as the school system eliminates 252 teaching positions. Other programs also face the ax as the system faces a 4.4 percent budget cut despite an expected 2 percent increase in enrollment.