The MCPS budget is "bare bones".
Yet, somehow the Board of Education has found a spare $90,000 that they can donate to a Marriott foundation called Marriott Foundation for People.
$30,000 was paid to the same Marriott foundation on April 26, 2010, and and another $60,000 will be paid on July 8, 2010.
Don't expect the Board of Education to discuss why they are donating $90,000 in one year to a Marriott foundation, this item is on the Board's Consent Agenda. That's the place for the no discussion-no bid-push it through-agenda items.
Could this donation to a private foundation have been used to pay for a classroom teacher?
Absolutely.
One more question, shouldn't a foundation be donating to MCPS instead of MCPS donating to a foundation? It's your tax dollars, you might want to ask.
What a great post.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know whether this was FOR something or just a general donation? No question that if they're just giving tax $$$ to a charity they've violated the public's trust if not the actual law.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, With all respect, I don't think you realize that MCPS is not a state nor a county agency; nothing the BOE does breaks the "law." They cannot be audited or investigated by the state Attorney General, or by the county IG. They can take the county tax dollars ($2B.26M and change, almost 57% of the MoCo budget) and distribute them however they want. If you voted for the members of this BOE, that is what you voted for. If you voted for this county council and this County Executive, that is the arrangement you voted for.
ReplyDeleteAs Executive Director of the Foundation, I can shed some light on the subject. First, the name of our 501 (c) (3) was cut off on the budget line item. The full name is the Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities, and we operate "Bridges… from school to work"; a program we've been proud to manage in partnership with MCPS for 20 years. Bridges' mission is to foster competitive employment opportunities for youth with disabilities as they exit high school. Since inception, Bridges has enrolled over 1,600 Montgomery County students, placing more than 1,380 into competitive employment with hundreds of local businesses. Bridges is a year-round employment initiative that continues to be an important first step toward employment for many youth with disabilities. Here in Montgomery County, Bridges staff working closely with school based staff to identify students and provide them with pre-employment job-readiness and life skills training to prepare them for the world of work. Once on the job, Bridges monitors their progress and growth. These students come from the MCPS's Learning for Independence (LFI) program. The funding ($30,000 for fiscal year 2010 year and $60,000 for FY 2011) offsets costs of two Bridges staff working full-time to assist in the transition of up to 24 young people. It's an effective, transparent partnership and I commend Montgomery County for helping our organization provide opportunities and more independence for youth with disabilities. The Foundation started here in the county and now operates Bridges… from school to work programs in urban centers across the country, about 55 percent of our funding comes from local, state and federal sources. Our website is http://bridgestowork.org and we also have some student stories in a series of videos at http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/marriott/41998/. Our local Bridges office is located in Silver Spring and we'd be happy to share more about our program for anyone interested.
ReplyDeleteTad Asbury
Executive Director
Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities - Bridges… from school to work