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Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Weast Budget Drama: Year 10 - No Change

Here is today's Washington Post headline: Budget Scenario Bleak for Montgomery Schools, Weast List of Potential Cuts, Class sizes, teachers among targets.

As could have been predicted, Superintendent Jerry Weast once again threatens to cut classroom teachers from the MCPS Operating Budget without addressing any of the serious spending issues that have taken place under his leadership.

For example, did Superintendent Weast suggest cutting up the 1,400 MCPS credit cards that are now floating around MCPS? The Parents' Coalition has already documented that these cards are used for non-classroom and non-supply uses. Yes, everyone likes to eat out, but that doesn't mean the Montgomery County taxpayers need to be paying for MCPS staff to eat out as part of the school systems budget.

The Parents' Coalition has only sampled a very small number of these credit cards and documented their use. What we have learned is that in a number of cases the use of these cards wasn't even documented until we ASKED for the documentation. Clearly, the oversight of these cards is very lax. Total cost to taxpayers? Unknown.

For today's second example, let's take a look at the $107,000 (as of 2006)  MCPS staff position whose job is to "supervise" the Student Member of the Board of Education among other student government related tasks. That position is not a classroom position, not an instructional position, not maintenance, and not transportation related.

The red line on the MCPS organization chart to the left shows how the Student Member of the Board of Education is "supervised" by a MCPS staffer.


Exactly, WHY do student leaders need a "supervisor" and why is a Board of Education member reporting to a MCPS staff person? Conflict of interest? 

Yet, this position remains in the "bare bones" (to quote Board President Pat O'Neill in today's Post article) MCPS budget. And oh, yes, the position comes with a MCPS credit card.

Stay tuned for more Parents' Coalition cost savings solutions for the MCPS budget that spare classrooms.

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