$2 Million Slush Fund with Modernization

File this under "who knew that a $2 million slush fund comes with a school modernization?"  How does this work out for Kennedy High School where the floor just dropped in one part of the building? Will Kennedy HS "win" the emergency repair slush fund or must they wait for a modernization?  What about the rotting Old Blair auditorium at Silver Spring International Middle School? Where's the 11 year rotting auditorium slush fund?


Imagine being able to pour an extra $2 million into a school.  A little "gift" from the Board of Education. 


This article also has interesting information on how local schools are funded, $92.70 per student for instructional materials and $35.03 per student for textbooks.  The article says that amount is the same all over the county. What happened to Jerry Weast's red/green zone funding?


The Pitch Online:  What the School’s Budget Means to WJ

...Normally, at the beginning of each school year, the county allocates $92.70 per student for instructional materials, and $35.03 per student for textbooks. The amounts allocated per student are constant within the county, but the amount of money schools receive varies depending on the size of each school’s student body...

...While it may seem that some schools within the county receive more money than others, there are numerous factors that separate the distribution of funds between schools. Due to the lengthy construction, the county granted WJ a Furniture & Equipment account which is comprised of a $2 million budget and is used for materials, furniture, equipment and anything the administration deems a necessary without drawing from instructional funds.
“It comes from the county as a part of the capital budget made years ago when they first started working on the school,” said Cosgrove. “After construction ends we have a year-and-a-half to spend it.”
Only schools undergoing large modernizations are granted this account. WJ uses the money on anything from desks to pencil sharpeners, including the Promethean boards. While the county distributes a few boards per school, the F&E account has allowed WJ to buy enough Promethean boards for each classroom.
“We thought it would be better if every teacher had one. Because teachers work as teams, teachers without boards wouldn’t be able to team plan,” said Cosgrove.
The F & E account is still in use and will be available until the funds run out, giving WJ the leisure of purchasing necessary equipment.
“We were fortunate that we could use our F & E money to give everybody a Promethean board,” said Cosgrove.