Mont. Co. only County in State to Suspend Summer Reading Program

We are sure that when Superintendent Jerry Weast gets back from advising California how to run their school systems he will be able to explain how summer reading programs at local libraries are not needed in Montgomery County. 


There is a cost to the lack of oversight in the spending of MCPS, and here is one of the programs that is paying the price. Note there is no Inspector General to review the spending of MCPS so the travel to out of state conferences, credit card spending, hiring of consultants, and addition of administrators while teachers are cut continues unabated.


Gazette: Summer reading program canceled in Montgomery
County is the only one not participating in statewide program
by Cody Calamaio | Staff Writer

...Decreased staffing — a result of county budget cuts — has forced the library system to suspend its participation in the popular statewide summer reading program, said Michele Sellars, county library public services administrator for community engagement and outreach. The library system is decreasing hours at most braches and shuffling many employees to new locations.

As part of a 23 percent reduction in funding for fiscal 2011, the library system will lose 80 positions, said county library business manager Eric Carzon. Fiscal 2010 budget cuts forced the system to eliminate 60 positions.

...Montgomery County is the only county in the state suspending its participation in the Maryland State Department of Education's summer reading program, said Bill Reinhard, a department spokesman.