Governor Wes Moore puts a pause on ‘The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future’ education spending plan

 Story by Ronnell Foreman. Full article here. From WMDT ABC47.

EASTERN SHORE, Md. – Governor Wes Moore has announced a pause to the blueprint education spending plan. The project titled ‘The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future’ is a $3.9 billion-dollar spending concept over 10 years for the public education system.

The legislation, which passed in 2020, is currently being put on the shelf by Governor Wes Moore. This is because the state faces $2.7 billion in budget deficits. Maryland State Senator of District 38, Mary-Beth Carozza, understands the problems at hand.

“The realization is hitting that the Blueprint spending plan is not funded fully. Now in Maryland, we’re facing a budget crisis.”

Governor Moore hopes to evaluate the entire plan. However, Senator Carozza believes the state needs to look for answers at the local level first.

2025: Superintendent Thomas Taylor wants Power to Spend More $$$$ Behind Closed Doors. How does this increase Transparency?

The Agenda for the January 9, 2025, Board of Education has been posted.  

No details yet, but we do see this one very interesting Agenda Item:

6.2 Expenditure Authorization to Enter into Contracts of $25,000 or More

As it stands now, the Board of Education never even reads or sees the contracts they vote to authorize.

Anything over $25,000 is supposed to come before the Board of Education for "approval" under Board of Education Policy DJA.   

But as we have documented repeatedly, MCPS staff are adept at buying millions of dollars under the table by breaking up the purchases into smaller units.  

Remember Promethean Boards purchased 3-5 at a time and never voted on by the Board of Education for a total in the tens of millions.  And more recently the surprise purchase of tens of millions of BOXLIGHT screens.  And these are just two of such purchases, there's more. 

Governor Wes Moore changed Maryland law to permit public school staff to spend more without Board of Education oversight, but that doesn't mean the Montgomery County Board of Education has to follow his lead.  

Will the newly elected Board of Education members vote to increase waste, fraud and abuse of public-school funds?  Find out on January 9th.