Gazette: School officials downplay mistake by facilities staff

The Parents' Coalition blog broke this story on September 21, 2011, with the video of MCPS' Director of Facilities James Song giving the Board of Education incorrect information regarding land ownership, prior to their vote on the Farquhar Middle School modernization.

Then, on November 7, 2011, this blog posted the memo from Superintendent Joshua Starr to the Board of Education, apologizing for Mr. Song's incorrect information before the Board vote.  


Now the Gazette follows up on this story with reaction to these events from MCPS staff.  But really, isn't it more important what Board of Education members have to say about this?  They were the ones that voted based on incorrect information given in response to a direct question. 

Gazette:  Montgomery education officials are downplaying a recent error by the school system’s building management team that led to a public correction from the schools chief... 

...In a Sept. 16 memo to the Board of Education, Starr wrote that the Department of Facilities Management provided incorrect information to board members about the ownership of land adjacent to William H. Farquhar Middle School in Olney, which school officials are planning to modernize. 

The ownership of the land is crucial because, under a plan approved by the school board, it would be the location of the new middle school. 

The department’s director, James Song, incorrectly informed board members in a Sept. 13 discussion that the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (which oversees land use issues in the county) owned land adjacent to the school that would be used in the modernization process as part of a land exchange...

...Song also said Starr’s memo to board members did not upset him, and that he hopes the land exchange option will proceed once the commission gets the title.“There was really no negative impact as a result,” he said...