School officials hope federal stimulus plan will aid county

While bleak economic times will mean millions of dollars in cuts in the Prince George's County school system's budget, officials are optimistic that the economic stimulus package proposed by President Barack Obama will ease some of the county's fiscal woes.

Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) released a proposed state budget Jan. 21 that showed Prince George's schools would see a $35.2 million decline in direct state aid in next year's budget. The loss is about 2 percent of the county school system's total $1.68 billion budget.