@mocoboe @mcps Board of Ed to Misuse Maryland State Grant Money in 2nd Attempt to Funnel $$$ to Electric School Bus Company not Registered in MD

In 2019, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) was awarded a grant from the State of Maryland Department of Environment.  The grant was part of funding from the Volkswagen Settlement and was very specific as to the amount of the award and as to how the funding was to be used. See image below for specifics of grant.

MCPS was to replace one diesel school bus with one new electric school bus and one associated charging station. The electric school bus was to run a very specific route. 

But MCPS never claimed the grant award and the money has been on hold for years.  

This week, Superintendent Monifa McKnight has announced that MCPS has received the grant but is not going to spend it as directed by the Maryland grant award. 

Instead of using the grant to purchase one electric school bus and one charging station, Superintendent McKnight wants to turn the $349,393 grant award over to a company that does not have a contractual relationship with MCPS.  In fact, the company isn't even registered to do business in Maryland.  

Just last month Superintendent McKnight tried to funnel money to this company and after this blog post the resolution was removed from the Board of Education's agenda without discussion.

This month Superintendent McKnight wants to give this MD Grant of $349,393 to a company called Highland Electric Fleets.  Highland Electric Fleets does not have a contract to supply electric school buses to MCPS and is not even registered to do business in Maryland.  

Why does Superintendent McKnight misrepresent to the Board of Education that they have a transportation services agreement (TSA) with this company when they do not? 

The Board of Education actually has a Transportation Equipment Services Agreement (TESA) with a company called HET MCPS, LLC.  

MDE Alt Fuel School Bus Appendix D-4.pdf (maryland.gov)

Superintendent Monifa McKnight's proposed Resolution to the Board of Education contains the following errors:

• The resolution states that MCPS has a relationship with Highland Electric Fleets. They do not. 
• The resolution states that MCPS has a TSA with Highland Electric Fleets. They do not. MCPS has a TESA with HET MCPS, LLC.  
• Highland Electric Fleets is not a private partner with MCPS.
• The Maryland Volkswagen Grant was not awarded to Highland Electric Fleets. It was awarded to MCPS for the purchase of one electric school bus and one charging station to run a very specific route.
• The grant is not a pass through for outside companies, it is to be used to benefit MCPS.