Open Letter to County Council ED Committee on Rock Terrace School

I understand that the ED Committee is holding a hearing concerning the ongoing Mold problem at Rolling Hills ES. The health and safety of our children is paramount. Similarly, I would like to ask that the ED Committee schedule a session as soon as possible on the issues involved with Rock Terrace. The scheme at Rock Terrace School constitutes nothing less than FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES.

In case the ED Committee needs a refresher:

1. Opening credit union accounts for students without their parents' permission.

2. Failing to give students/parents copies of credit union account statements.

3. Failing to give students/parents copies of W-2 forms.

4. Removing sums of money from student accounts without parent permission.

5. Staff members holding joint accounts with students without their parents' permission.

6. Transferring money between student accounts without the knowledge of the students involved, or their parents.

7. Using the above money taken from the students for unknown purposes.

8. Destruction of student bank records.

9. Destruction of student W-2 forms.

10. Failure to hire a forensic auditor to ascertain how much money is owed each student.

11. Whether MCPS is spending public dollars on criminal attorneys in this matter for staff members.

The above issues need to be investigated. Paramount is whether MCPS has changed any of their policies and procedures to ensure that such financial exploitation never happens again. How can you trust MCPS to responsibly manage a $2.1 billion dollar budget when these childrens' bank accounts were drained, for years, by MCPS staff?

Who is looking out for these students? MCPS, the superintendent, and the Board of Education have remained silent. Will County Council members speak up and demand that the students who suffered financial exploitation be compensated for their losses?

Lyda Astrove