The press release put out by Superintendent Jerry Weast at the start of the 2008-09 school year only noted a "$3.3 million expansion" but neglected to state that $3.3 million was only the first year lease payment on 2,600 Promethean Boards, not the total cost for 2,600 boards.
Next, the public learned that MCPS had been holding on to federal rebates received for installing internet access to schools for the last 10 years. More on those funds here and here. MCPS stated they would use those rebate funds to make the lease payments on the 2,600 Promethean Boards. (There is no connection between the rebates and the Promethean Board purchase. The rebates come back to the school system and into the general fund to be used by the governing authority as they desire. The rebates could have been used for school construction or teacher salaries, however, Superintendent Weast made the unilateral decision to use the rebates to purchase Promethean Boards.)
The final payment on 2,600 of the Promethean Boards in MCPS classrooms is due in 2011. (We don't know how the other thousand + Promethean Boards are being funded. That information remains out of the public view.)
There's just one problem. There isn't enough money in the rebate fund to make the full Year Four Lease payment on 2,600 Promethean boards in 2011.
On March 11, 2010, the Montgomery County Council's Education Committee (page 11 at link) discussed the $1.4 million dollar shortfall in funds needed to make the Year Four Lease payment on the 2,600 Promethean Boards.
They had a little chuckle about this. Here's the video:
Ms. Ervin seems to think this $ shortage is funny based on her chuckle at the end while asking MCPS'Sherwin Collette, Chief Technology Officer if he has anything to say. Compare to what she said last year. A politician in every sense of the word.
ReplyDeleteApril 6, 2009
Since the lease came to the attention of the County Council earlier this year, members have expressed frustration with being kept in the dark and have shown little desire to hand over more money.
“They’ll have to find offsetting cuts someplace else,” said Councilwoman Valerie Ervin, chairwoman of the education committee. “The budget is what it is.
Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/High-tech-chalkboards-play-role-in-schools-cash-shortage-42505792.html#ixzz0iv3OV4Wp