Friday, July 25, 2014

Ripping Students Off One at a Time

Question for Superintendent Joshua Starr and Board of Education:  Why do you permit principals to rip off students? 

In 2014 the fee to take an AP exam from the College Board was $89. Source: College Board website.
ExamThe fee for each AP Exam is $89. The school normally retains $8 of that fee as a rebate to help with administrative costs.

It cost $89 to take an AP exam at Walter Johnson High School and Seneca Valley High School in 2014.

But, at Springbrook High School it cost $92.56 to take an AP exam. Why? Because Springbrook High School added a fake "processing fee" to the cost of the AP exam.  That puts a cool $2,500 into the principal's slush fund for that school.  (Feb 2014 Audit of Springbrook Principal's school accounts.)

Note that high schools already get $8 per test as an administration fee to cover the cost of exam proctors. Apparently, that wasn't enough for Springbrook High School and so they tacked on their own fake "processing fee."

5 comments:

  1. Perhaps if you read carefully, or you were actually interested in discovering truth, you would see that the school used a registration service (totalregistration.net). I imagine that the service charges a fee to process credit card payments and the like. Did you even bother to contact the school (name and number of the coordinator is in the letter to parents) to verify your claims? You border on slander by stating the fee "puts a cool $2,500 into the principal's slush fund." Where is the evidence? It is not in the audit you attach.

    If you are going to make claims that crimes are being committed, you better be able to provide evidence.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A registration service????? Schools are NOT authorized to use a registration service. Who set that up? Who is getting paid for that? Kickbacks?

      Students are being charged an illegal fee. It's right in the document. That's the evidence.

      Now do tell what you know about this deal.

      And, by the way, look up the definition of slander when you get a chance.

      Delete
    2. I am sure you can have your questions answered by contacting the school directly, or the registration service.

      Please provide the following evidence:

      1. MCPS schools are not authorized to use a registration service.
      2. The fee being charged students is illegal (stating that the amount of the fee is in the document does not prove that it is illegal - definition: contrary to or forbidden by law, especially criminal law.

      While slander is not appropriate in this case, libel is. You defame the school and principal by making baseless written claims.

      Delete
    3. Any fees charged to students MUST be authorized by the legislature and the Board of Education.

      YOU need to provide proof that this fee meets Maryland law.

      Illegal fees are ones that do NOT have the authorization of the government.

      See Boston Tea Party if you don't understand the concept of a governments taxing authority and it's impact on citizens.

      http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-boston-tea-party

      Document from school speaks for itself. Illegal fee being charged. No authorization from State or BOE for this charge.

      Delete
    4. Noting that person posting these comments is anonymous and does not even have the courage of their convictions to state their name and position in MCPS.

      Delete

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