Tues. Jan. 12th: Superintendent Jack Smith Will Hide $1.3M in Gifts to the City of Gaithersburg from the Board of Education.

On Tuesday, January 12, 2021, Superintendent Jack R. Smith will present the Montgomery County Board of Education with a memorandum demanding that they vote to pay for gifts to the City of Gaithersburg.  Superintendent Smith will tell the Board of Education that they MUST give these gifts to the City in exchange for the City handing over land for a new elementary school.  

But, the City of Gaithersburg has already handed over the Deed to this land "free of charge."  

On December 3, 2020, the Board of Education already  voted to accept the Deed without having to pay anything for the land.  

Yet, on January 12th, Superintendent Jack Smith will tell the Board of Education they now must buy gifts, specifically an artificial turf football field and baseball field bleachers, for the City of Gaithersburg in order to get the Deed to the City of Gaithersburg land for the new elementary school. 

Why did Superintendent Jack R. Smith hide these gifts from the Board of Education when they voted to accept this "free" land? 

Further, why does Superintendent Jack R. Smith's January 12th memo only list the cost for two of the seven gifts he has already promised to the City of Gaithersburg in exchange for this Deed? 

Here is what Superintendent Jack R. Smith committed to buy for the City of Gaithersburg according to the Land Acquisition Agreement that he signed:  

• County Board must pay for the cost and expense of all off-site easements. (Unknown total cost)

• County Board must pay for design and construction of an artificial turf field up to $800,000.

•  County Board must pay for the rough grade of the field, storm drainage and a sub base for the artificial turf field. ( average cost of grading, storm drainage and sub base in 2020 is $320,000)

• County Board is required to pay up to 25% for the future replacement of the artificial turf field (Unknown cost – Average cost of artificial turf football field surface in 2021 is $400,000. 25% of that cost in 2021 would be $100,000.  Future cost of artificial turf surface is unknown at this time.  

• County Board must pay for new, additional bleachers for the City of Gaithersburg. $26,000

• County Board must pay for 5 parking spaces dedicated to the City park visitors. (Approximate cost could be $10,000.)

• County Board must pay for a City tot lot. [Approximate cost $100,000 based on cost of recent City of Gaithersburg tot lot project.

The approximate current and future cost of the items that the Board of Education must pay in exchange for the "free" Deed from the City of Gaithersburg is $1,356,000. 

How does $1,356,000 = free of charge? 

Where is Superintendent Smith getting $1,356,000 from in the MCPS Operating Budget to pay for these gifts to the City of Gaithersburg?