The "Thornton" Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act
The General Assembly enacted the Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act in 2002. The act was based substantially on the recommendations of the Commission on Education Finance, Equity, and Excellence, known as the Thornton Commission after its chairman, Alvin Thornton. With the assistance of expert analysis, the commission determined that Maryland's funding of public education was severely inadequate.
The act increased State funding for public education by $1.3 billion, to be phased in over six years, beginning in fiscal year 2003 and ending in fiscal year 2008. The funding was "back loaded," with the largest increases coming in the later years. The increase for fiscal year 2008 is scheduled to be more than $650 million.
The Bridge to Excellence Act also restructured the education financing system to enhance the adequacy, equity, and flexibility of State public school funding. The legislature adopted the commission's recommended standards-based approach to public school financing, under which the State must ensure that school systems have adequate resources to meet student performance standards while providing maximum local flexibility for the systems to allocate resources. The act significantly enhanced local school system accountability for student performance by requiring that all local school systems develop a five-year comprehensive master plan for student achievement.
The Bridge to Excellence Act increased per pupil funding for all students and eliminated numerous categorical programs in favor of providing additional per pupil funding for students with special needs, including special education students, those with limited English proficiency, and those suffering from economic disadvantage. In addition, the act mandated that all local school systems provide universal full-day kindergarten and targeted pre-kindergarten programs for all economically disadvantaged four-year-olds by the 2007-2008 school year.