Md. Comptroller Franchot questions Washington County Public Schools collections proposal

ANNAPOLIS — Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot weighed in Wednesday on the proposal by Washington County Public Schools to use a collection agency to recover some $45,000 in unpaid charges for student meals.

The topic came up as the Maryland Board of Public Works agreed to let the Washington County Commissioners dispose of the former Conococheague Elementary School.

Franchot used it as an opportunity to comment on a Herald-Mail Media article about the school system "considering a proposal to contract with a collection agency to go after parents whose children have negative balances in their school meal accounts."

"Being humiliated and harassed … by collectors are the last thing families who are experiencing financial hardship need," he said, "and I sincerely hope that the children are not being denied meals or going hungry in schools simply because their parents are not, or are unable to settle up their school meal debts."...

https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/news/annapolis/md-comptroller-franchot-questions-washington-county-public-schools-collections-proposal/article_a9a36403-a1b7-5caf-875b-436ad4271112.html