If it is curriculum related a school system cannot charge a fee

These words come from the Maryland Attorney General's office in response to questions about hundreds of course fees charged students who attend Montgomery County Public Schools.

If it is curriculum related a school system cannot charge a fee.

Yet, we see Superintendent Weast continuing to put out contradictory information to MCPS staff via the February 17th edition of the MCPS publication "The Bulletin". In this edition of the MCPS Bulletin, MCPS staff are told:

Generally, allowable course-related fees are limited to:

• Materials that become a product that belongs to the student, such as a student art project.
• Personal items that become the student’s property, such as auto technology uniforms.
• Food consumed by the student as part of a course.

According to the Maryland Attorney General, there are no "allowable course-related fees". Why are MCPS staff being given bad information?

On August 18, 2008, Superintendent Weast was sent a letter (see below) from the Maryland Attorney General's office. The letter outlined current Maryland law with regard to curricular fees and quoted the opinion of the Attorney General that, "we are safe in saying that anything directly related to a school's curriculum must be available to all without charge."

Why are MCPS students being denied their Maryland Constitutional right to a free public education under Superintendent Weast's leadership? Why has the Board of Education been silent on this fundamental issue of equal access to education for all?

For a complete overview of the Curricular Fees issue in Montgomery County Public Schools, please see the Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland's Guide to Fees, including MCPS' own attorney's explanation of the difference between Curricular Fees and Extra-Curricular Fees in Maryland. MCPS' own attorney knows that Extra-Curricular fees can be charged under Maryland law, and Curricular Fees can not be charged.

KameenOAGLetter