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Rally Held To Ask Governor Hogan To Restore Funding To Baltimore Schools

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- Passionate protest. Monday night, there's growing concern among Maryland parents about proposed cuts to education. A group of Baltimore City school students and teachers took their fight to Annapolis.

Christie Ileto reports city schools have a lot on the line.

Baltimore City Schools are already in the red with a $60 million shortfall. Parents, students and teachers took their fight to Annapolis to fight for every single dollar on the chopping block.

"Education is important," said Quinn Katz Zogby.

It's a message from Quinn Katz Zogby.

Dozens of students, teachers and parents delivered 4,000 postcards to Governor Hogan's office, fighting to fund their schools.

"We've sent letters; we've been here every Monday night," said one.

On the table this session: fewer state dollars for school districts across Maryland. And for Baltimore City, already facing a $60 million shortfall, when you tack on a $35 million cut from state lawmakers, the money woes just get worse.

"So far, we've heard a lot of `Give us more' without any discussion about where it's going to come from," said Governor Hogan.

"That takes away resources from my child," said Craig Williams.

Blaming part of the city schools' shortfall on a 2010 contract that gave teachers a raise, a budget inherited by new CEO Gregory Thornton from the last administration.

"I'll admit, we knew we had this challenge in front of us. What we didn't anticipate was the $35 million that came out of Annapolis," said Gregory Thornton, City Schools CEO.

"I just feel like Governor Hogan knows that you need money to be able to run a school properly. He needs to understand not just how you feel about how we feel about these budget cuts," said Quinn.

Governor Hogan has said he welcomes ideas on where money can be found to fund Maryland schools.

Baltimore City school leaders are proposing a new budget to the city council in April. The new fiscal year starts in July.

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