Tuesday: Interim Superintendent Fibs to Board of Education about Cell Tower Lease Agreement on Woodwards Road Future School Site. Superintendent to Tie Up Open School Land for Cell Tower instead of Using it for Classrooms.

On August 24, 2021, the Montgomery County Board of Education will be presented with a Memorandum from Monifa B. McKnight, Interim Superintendent of Schools. The Memorandum says,

On October 15, 2002, the Board of Education entered into a telecommunications lease agreement with Sprint APC Realty for approximately 300 square feet of land at the vacant Woodwards Road future school site located at 8700 Emory Grove Road, Gaithersburg, Maryland. 

But that statement is FALSE.  The Montgomery County Board of Education NEVER entered into a lease agreement to turn over the vacant, dedicated future elementary school site known as Woodwards Road Future School.  

The Parents' Coalition obtained the original leases for the Woodwards Road Future School site and discovered that the leases had only been signed by the then superintendent, Jerry Weast.  

The leases were never brought before the Montgomery County Board of Education for a vote.  As the land owner, the Board of Education's signature would be require on a lease or transfer of any dedicated, public school land.  

Note the only signature on the 2002 Woodwards Road Future School site lease is that of the superintendent.  There is no signature of the Board of Education. 

If the Board of Education had voted to lease this future school site the signature of the President of the Board of Education would appear on behalf of the Board of Education.  There would also be minutes documenting such a vote. No minutes exist.

October 15, 2002, lease of Woodwards Road Future School site shows only the signature of the then superintendent, Jerry Weast. 

Follow up:  The August 24, 2021, Memorandum contains an additional fib,

 as if the first one wasn't enough to get this vote passed by the Board of Education. 

AND

The company that wants this new 20 year lease appears to still

 owe back $36,410.53 in back property taxes on the existing cell tower.

Woodwards Road Elementary S... by Parents' Coalition of Montg...