It's Not Just a Job: It's a MEAL PLAN

According to the Montgomery County Public Schools Division of Food and Nutrition Services, MCPS prepares and serves thousands and thousands of meals per day. They even have a catering division! Is there some reason why school breakfasts and lunches are not suitable for the Executive Leadership Team? The Deputy's Steering Committee? Perhaps someone didn't think that "Hamburger Patty on Bun, tater tots" was sufficient for a Christmas-time office luncheon.

1/10/07 Cheesecake Factory 1/11 ELT $42.25
1/25/07 Corner Bakery ELT $360.15
2/8/07 Ricks ELT $268.50
2/9/07 Barnes&Noble Book, Lacey off. $20.95
2/14/07 Olney Bagel Bakery Dep. Ldr. Retreat $208.87
3/14/07 Quality Suites Business meeting $531.92
3/20/07 Timpano Business lunch $89.60
4/24/07 Cameron's Seafood Staff Mtg $102.71
5/1/07 Corner Bakery Dep. Steering Com.$101.19
5/22/07 Ches Catering Dep. Steering Com.$101.90
6/28/07 Honey Baked Ham ELT $247.22
7/18/07 Honey Baked Ham Phase I Middle Schools $392.58

7/18/07 Corner Bakery Dep. Steering Com.$203.81

8/24/07 Chesapeake Catering Exec Staff Opening Week $222.34
8/24/07 Chesapeake Catering Exec Staff Opening Week $252.24
8/30/07 Honey Baked Ham Exec Staff Opening Week $211.86

9/07/07 Barnes& Noble For Lacey to give Exec Staff $271.80
9/12/07 Corner Bakery Deputy's Steering Comm. $193.76
9/26/07 Corner Bakery Deputy's Steering Comm. $119.53

10/17/07 Honey Baked Ham Deputy's Leadership Team $214.94

10/29/07 Barnes&Noble Books for Dr. Lacey $175.56

11/7/07 Corner Bakery Deputy's Steering Comm. $161.00

12/18/07 PGA Tour Grill Office Luncheon $262.30

12/28/07 Corner Bakery Deputy's Steering Comm. $162.00

1/18/08 Amici Miei Business dinner $75.08
2/15/08 Corner Bakery Churchill Cultural & Equity $137.50
3/14/08 Corner Bakery Business meeting/Churchill $144.50

For the last few days, we've presented you with examples of profligate spending with taxpayer money on catered food for "executive staff," fine dining at local restaurants, food, food, food, and more food.

The Parents Coalition first brought you examples of MCPS credit card spending a year ago. Since that time, the Office of Legislative Audits has slammed MCPS credit card practices. But that's not enough. Questions remain:

1. Does this type of credit card spending continue within MCPS?
2. What will it take to require a comprehensive audit of the use of 1400 American Express cards? Who is the appropriate entity to request such an audit from? Does the Board of Education have suffient cojones to request such a comprehensive audit of these 1400 credit cards?
3. If improper purchases are found, will the Cardholder be required to repay the amounts?
4. Will taxpayers have to file another "Public Information Act" request for purchasing card logs to get answers to these questions?
5. Regarding the book purchases from Barnes & Noble: what's that about? Doesn't MCPS have a professional library?