Gov. Larry Hogan and Comptroller Peter V. R. Franchot plan to summon
Baltimore County leaders to Annapolis to explain why school children are
still sweltering in classrooms without air conditioning.
The
governor called the situation "absolutely disgraceful and unacceptable"
and said "there's no excuse" that the county had still not installed air
conditioning in more than four dozen in schools.
The pair said during Wednesday's Board of Public Works meeting that
Baltimore County Schools Superintendent Dallas Dance and Baltimore
County Executive Kevin Kamenentz need to be called to account.
The
demand for a public explanation on why so many classrooms still lack
proper cooling follows years of complaints from teachers and students.
Already in this new school year, Baltimore County schools has three
times shortened the school day or canceled after school activities to
keep students out of the heat.
Fifty-two
schools in the district - about 30 percent - lack air conditioning.
While county officials say they have a plan to install it in nearly all
those schools within the next six years, Franchot and Hogan say it
should have been done already.
Franchot pointed out the county
collected $27 million in state funds for school improvements over the
past six years, and said the county could have chosen to spend that
money on air conditioning.
"Clearly, it's not a question of
resources," Franchot said. "It's a question of leadership,
management and priorities ... They seem completely disinterested in
dealing with this problem."...
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/education/bal-hogan-franchot-demand-explanation-on-sweltering-classrooms-20150916-story.html
An excuse to raises taxes.
ReplyDeleteActually if you read the article and follow what has been going on it is a discussion about the use of existing resources. Hogan and Franchot are questioning how the existing resources have been used. Good questions!
DeleteApparently, the priorities are building spaces ahead of comfort.
Delete