Despite the pouring rain, a pumped and cheering crowd of 1,600 people from Baltimore showed up outside the State House in Annapolis last night in opposition to $15 million in budget cuts to Baltimore City Public Schools.

The funding loss is a component of Gov. Martin O’Malley’s proposed budget, which changes the “Thornton” formula, a method by which money is allocated per-pupil throughout the state.

The Baltimore Education Coalition had originally scheduled the rally for earlier in March, but it had to be postponed due to thunderstorms. When it poured again yesterday, City Schools CEO Andres Alonso said he was glad organizers decided the show would go on.

“If it rains, so be it,” he said. “No matter what happens we aren’t going to cancel.”

(Go here to read a story about the rally.)

All photos by Oliver Hulland

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