Special Education Legal Expenses
Special education legal fees for outside counsel for December 2012 totaled $46,365. The year-to-date total of $201,993 is $33,799 (14.3 percent) lower than the same period in the previous year. Total year-to-date special education legal costs of $201,993 are $88,581 (30.05 percent) lower than the budgeted amount of $290,574 through December 2012.
The Jeffrey A. Krew bill for December 2012 totaled $46,365 and included work on four cases. One case involved administrative hearings ($6,597), and three cases involved appeals to federal or state court ($39,768).
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What would $46,365 buy for students in Montgomery County Public Schools?
A little birdie tells us that the January fees for outside counsel will be even higher!
Does this sound like EQUITY to you?
NOTICE TO MCPS, MCPS LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY OBM
ReplyDeleteMy child was the target of Mr. Krew’s “efforts” in the “one case involving administrative hearings” billable at $6,597. There was literally ONE hearing that took less than one hour. Even at $500 an hour, this would mean that Krew spent 13 hours on the case. Even with billable admin hours in addition to his own hourly rate, there’s no way that Mr. Krew actually put in 13 hours. The real number of hours was less than half of this at most. MCPS needs to stop doing business with outsourced legal counsel… especially ones that over-bill our county, while hurting special needs children and their families.
It is interesting that there have been many complaints about the use and cost of the outsourced legal counsel. The administration has remained quiet about reviewing the issues and has even ignored the efforts of the Parents Coalition of MC to get answers. Apparently, there will be a hearing at the County Council level to review this situation. I hope the Superintendent will be held accountable to present the facts. Too many citizens, such as the person above, have been vilified in court by Mr. Krew. Changes are necessary.
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