‘A long list of problems’: MCPS proposes adding auditor to expand investigative abilities

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) may hire a program audit coordinator to expand the district’s investigative abilities beyond financial audits in response to County Council concerns that the district relies too heavily on the county inspector general’s office for oversight, according to MCPS officials. 

“Well, we have a long list of problems, there’s no question about that. There’s a long list of things that we could look into and correct,” Superintendent Thomas Taylor told the county school board during a Jan. 20 work session on the district’s proposed $3.78 billion operating budget for fiscal year 2027.  

Creating the position, which would report directly to the board, “might help to support identifying areas of improvement … it may enhance our efforts to continuously improve,” Taylor said.

The audit coordinator was among several positions Taylor included in proposed discretionary spending, such as 10 full-time equivalent positions to support implementing a proposed regional program model, a Safe Routes to School coordinator to support pedestrian safety, 28 full-time equivalent elementary school-based safety staff and 153 full time equivalent special education resource teachers...  

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2026/01/29/mcps-auditor-budget/

MCPS left over $3 million in grants on the table in 2022, state audit shows

 https://moco360.media/2024/02/13/mcps-left-over-3-million-in-grants-unused-in-2022-state-audit-shows/

Audit: $12.3 million went unused [including in @mcps @mocoboe] due to lack of training by state Dept. of Education

 

A state audit shows at least eight Maryland school systems didn’t use $12.3 million designated for students in underserved communities.

According to the document from the Office of the Inspector General for Education, officials with the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) didn’t provide training and guidance for local school officials to utilize what are known as concentration of poverty grants.

Those grants are to aid students inside buildings designated as community schools, which receive services such as before- or after-school tutoring, access to mental health professionals and educational field trips. Community schools, which are gradually being established around the state, are part of the Blueprint of Maryland’s Future education reform plan...

...The audit, which reviewed records from July 1, 2019, through Jan. 31, 2023, noted about $1 million was returned to the state. The “selected” school systems, also referred to as local education agencies, or LEAs, that were investigated were Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Dorchester, Montgomery, Somerset, Washington and Wicomico counties...

https://www.marylandmatters.org/2024/02/13/audit-12-3-million-went-unused-due-to-lack-of-training-by-state-dept-of-education/

Multiple BCPS employees took six-month hiatus from work, audit report says

BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. (WBFF) — A report shared this week by the Baltimore County school board outlines some shocking allegations of misconduct inside the district.

The 12-page document is a year-end report from the Investigative Unit of the district’s Office of Internal Audit.

Shared without any discussion by members of the Board of Education on Tuesday night, the report outlines investigations into dozens of BCPS misconduct allegations from the 2022 fiscal year.

The allegations range from theft to falsification of records, to overtime abuse...

Multiple BCPS employees took six-month hiatus from work, audit report says | WBFF (foxbaltimore.com)

MoCo Inspector General Report: MCPS Vendor Using Montgomery County Departments to Promote Image #BusPatrol

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/OIG/Resources/Files/PDF/oig_annual_report_fy_2019.pdf

August 11, 2018 screen shot from BusPatrol website.
The image and quote are no longer on the BusPatrol website.

While the above image and quote were removed from the BusPatrol website, the website is now using the MCPS logo to promote their product. 

BusPatrol website Nov. 29, 2021

Baltimore County Board of Education is told stop-arm school bus cameras have "an excellent chance of financial windfall for the County" even though Montgomery County has not shown any revenue received.

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is one of the largest public school systems in the State of Maryland and in the USA.  Vendors often seek to contract with MCPS and then use MCPS as a recommendation for other public school systems to also contract with the vendor.  

Often, this becomes a game of telephone with the terms of the actual contract/deal being exaggerated over time.

Here we see the Baltimore County Board of Education about to vote on a stop-arm school bus camera contract.  They have been told that this contract has "an excellent chance of financial windfall for the County."  The contract with MCPS/Montgomery County is also referenced, yet no financial details are shared.  In fact, all that the Montgomery County public knows is that the stop-arm school bus camera scheme has not generated any revenue, much less a windfall. 

Below is my e-mail to the Baltimore County Board of Education on this topic: 

 

~~~~~~

To the members of the Baltimore County Board of Education:

Tomorrow, the Baltimore County Board of Education is poised to vote on a school bus stop-arm camera scheme from the company now known as BusPatrol America, LLC.  The recommendation form for this agenda item states:

This contract was recommended for approval by the Public Works, LLC “Baltimore County Public Schools Operational Efficiency Review Report.”

The BCPS Operational Efficiency Review Report dated September 7, 2021, states on page 332:

These statements are being used to justify the Board of Education's approval of a contract with BusPatrol America, LLC.

There is no evidence that the Montgomery County contract with BusPatrol America, LLC has resulted in any financial gain, much less a windfall. 

Montgomery County has only had a contract with BusPatrol America, LLC since February of 2020, when a new contract was written removing Montgomery County Public Schools from the revenue stream.  

The new contract was executed after an internal Montgomery County audit was completed in December of 2019. The results of that audit have never been made public.  The internal audit was to evaluate 4 components of the stop-arm camera scheme.  The third evaluation point was:

3. Confirm if (or when anticipated) the break-even point would be reached; 

As the Montgomery County internal audit has never been released to the public there is absolutely no evidence that the BusPatrol America, LLC stop-arm camera scheme has generated any revenue whatsoever for MCPS or Montgomery County, much less that it was a "windfall" for the County.   

Prior to the Montgomery County internal audit, the Montgomery County Inspector General did publicly release a report in June 2019, on the Force Multiplier Solutions aka BusPatrol America, LLC stop-arm camera scheme in Montgomery County Public Schools with regard to the involvement of Montgomery County Police.  Again, that audit showed NO REVENUE had been received by Montgomery County or Montgomery County Public Schools. The Inspector General's report stated: 

Although over $10 million of ticket revenue has been transferred to the vendor, neither the County nor MCPS (based on the contract) has received any ticket proceeds from this program.

​This year, Montgomery County Public Schools began leasing electric school buses.  That means that all of the new buses will need to have new stop-arm cameras, exterior cameras, interior cameras and additional add-ons installed.  These new installations will siphon on years of citation revenue, again pushing any break-even point into the future.  

Since MCPS first contracted with Force Multiplier Solutions aka BusPatrol America, LLC, the cost of these systems has increased as new add on features have been included.  Those add on features ZONAR, BUSPLANNER, TRANSFINDER and FirstNet are now installed with the stop-arm cameras and are paid for out of the stop-arm camera citation revenue stream, even though those add-ons do not relate to the passing of stop school buses.  Those add-ons push the break-even point further out into the future. 

Note:  Montgomery County did not obtain all of these add-ons when they originally contracted with Force Multiplier Solutions.  

The BCPS Operational Efficiency Review Report also assumes that the stop-arm camera equipment will become the property of Baltimore County Public Schools.  That statement was written before any contracts were available and does not follow what has transpired in Montgomery County.  As far as the public has been informed, the stop-arm cameras are not the property of MCPS or Montgomery County. 

​The BCPS Board of Education should not assume that there will be "windfall" revenue generated from a stop-arm camera contract based on the experience in Montgomery County Public Schools, and should not assume that stop-arm cameras become the property of BCPS. 

Janis Zink Sartucci
Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, MD

Formed in 2002, the Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland seeks to achieve the goals of coherent, content-rich curriculum standards; high expectations combined with timely remediation and acceleration; a wider range of educational options for parents and children; greater transparency and accountability; and meaningful community input. 

Baltimore County school leaders pledge to follow report’s recommendation to cut costs

Baltimore County public school leaders pledged this month to address numerous recommendations made by an outside consultant in an effort to cut costs within the state’s third largest school system.

Superintendent Darryl Williams and school board chairwoman Makeda Scott delivered separate updates for the public Tuesday on plans to address the recommendations in a more than 750-page report produced by consultant Public Works LLC. Baltimore County officials hired the firm in February to review both county government and the school system in hopes of identifying cost savings.

Consultants identified five themes in their findings for the school system — the need to restructure the central office, improve accountability and transparency, address low morale among employees, strengthen communication and share more services with government and community stakeholders...

https://www.baltimoresun.com/education/bs-md-baltimore-county-schools-inefficiecies-20211012-20211014-h6mbm6zuinbspevc6u4r7bq7jq-story.html?fbclid=IwAR2ZC8_ndxRjWyl1sWkoNNs8LT0dpbDP0Fs8_CjO7Fstn0OJ-VgSp0wvCnU

PGCPS board chair wants to stop board meetings while board is investigated

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/pgcps-board-chair-wants-to-stop-board-meetings-while-board-is-investigated

Audit of Baltimore County Public Schools Released One Day Before Ransomware Attack Shuts Down Virtual Learning. Audit Found Inadequate Security Safeguards.

NPR:  Ransomware Stalls Online Learning In Baltimore School District

A ransomware attack has shut down schools in Maryland's Baltimore County system. All online learning came to a standstill Wednesday when hackers locked down the school district's computer systems.

November 2020:  Maryland Office of Legislative Audits:  

Baltimore County Public Sch... by Parents' Coalition of Montg...

Maryland PTA Seeks Injunction to Stop Reorganization By National Officials

Maryland’s PTA and the national organization are feuding, with battles over management, alleged hostile work environments and local leader elections.

The Maryland PTA filed for an injunction and temporary restraining order against National PTA in early September to stop the national group from taking over and reorganizing the state chapter.

The Maryland PTA had been put on probation three months earlier for “high turn-over among board members as a result of a hostile board environment” and “an assumed directive of loyalty to the Maryland PTA president rather than to Maryland PTA and its members.”

In late August, the national organization said Maryland’s chapter needed to be restructured because of a failure to comply with its probationary status and a national “Standards of Affiliation Policy.” Under restructuring, National PTA can ask for the state association’s funds, assets, physical property and access to technology accounts. And Maryland PTA can no longer contact its local PTAs or use any of its funds without National PTA’s approval.

But Maryland PTA is still communicating with local units, according to county PTA leaders.

If Maryland PTA does not comply with restructuring rules, National PTA can revoke its charter at any time,..

...After National PTA placed Maryland on probation in May, the state PTA hired an attorney, who is paid from funds that were “raised partially by membership dues, sponsorships and donations from outside sources,” Tonya Sweat, the vice president of advocacy of Maryland PTA, said.

https://www.marylandmatters.org/2020/09/16/maryland-pta-seeks-injunction-to-stop-reorganization-by-national-officials/?fbclid=IwAR1Sm0SOWMQkz4U7jPJlTy256KqO02J1zqbiZCfxxB5xMAW0swdNLzzsOZU

When a Public School Auditor Speaks Up: Dallas, TX (Note: same school system that had arrests from bus camera scam)

Dallas ISD’s Chief Internal Auditor addresses school board over alleged wrongdoing by administrators

Audit blasts Maryland 529 plans’ handling of documents, uncashed checks

The Maryland agency charged with overseeing the state’s college savings plans left hundreds of documents and millions of dollars unaccounted for and failed to properly document steps it took to investigate those problems, a critical legislative audit released Monday said.

The audit also called for a forensic investigation of Maryland 529’s handling of the Maryland Senator Edward J. Kasemeyer College Prepaid Trust, a plan that offers tuition contracts requiring scheduled payments for the future cost of tuition at universities. The trust has 32,900 tuition contracts for $1.2 billion, as of June 30, 2018.

Despite the problems found, the audit also noted that the prepaid trust is in a strong financial position, with a $432.5 million surplus as of June 30, 2018. The audit, conducted by the Office of Legislative Audits,  took place between November 2014 and June 2018...

FULL ARTICLE AT THIS LINK

Audit finds PGCPS broke the law when awarding millions in school contracts

UPPER MALRBORO, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - Prince George’s Co. Public Schools is not following state law or its own policies when it comes to awarding millions of dollars in contracts, according to a state audit on the school system’s financial management.

FOX 5 has learned the school district’s director of purchasing is no longer employed as of Friday. 

According to the audit by the Department of Legislative Services, the contracts in question total nearly $85 million.

According to the report, “the required justification was not documented for 13 of the 15 sole source contracts we tested totaling $6.8 million and PGCPS had not documented the benefits from one ICPA (intergovernmental cooperative purchasing agreement) contract“ valued at $34.8 million over five years.

The audit also found 32 contracts totaling $43.1 million were not submitted to the Board of Education for approval as required. Two of those contracts were awarded to vendors that were either not the most qualified or the lowest cost bidders, according to the audit.

“It has the appearances of bid steering, improper bid steering,” said Louis Clark, CEO of the nonprofit Government Accountability Project.

The state audit does not name the companies or offer details on why rules were not followed with certain contracts. Clark says an additional investigation is necessary to find out if there was improper bid steering...

http://www.fox5dc.com/news/local-news/audit-finds-pgcps-broke-the-law-when-awarding-millions-in-school-contracts?fbclid=IwAR367OzapMPZNzzLcns-LRBzXN7T5nq0IaVHqXg9PkHhVNkEytyGX7-hTxg

HoCo Board of Education Member Can Not Get Actual Budget Information, Asks "Where is the Money Going?"

Principal charged with theft of school funds, withdrawing cash at casino

The former principal of an alternative high school in southeast Baltimore has been indicted on charges of stealing more than $13,000 from a school account — proceeds from the sales of school uniforms, class dues, graduation fees — and withdrawing the cash from an ATM at Maryland Live Casino, state prosecutors said.

The Office of the State Prosecutor announced Monday the indictments charging Leslie Lewis, 44, of Owings Mills, and her former colleague Albert Fluker, 45, of Randallstown. Lewis worked as principal of Baltimore Community High School near the Dundalk line. Fluker formerly worked as a teacher at the alternative high school. Lewis is charged with theft, misappropriation and conspiracy to commit theft; Fluker with theft and conspiracy...

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/bs-md-ci-principal-teacher-charged-20170320-story.html

County-initiated audit of Howard schools released ahead of budget season

As local officials grapple with how to fund the school system's record-high budget request this year, the county's auditors released a long-anticipated report on the school system's finances.
In their review of financial statements for special education, the health and dental fund and legal services, the auditors found the school system generally complied with all procedures. State law limits the scope of the financial audit, which purely verifies transactions, traces payments to contracts and reviews other financial statements.
The audit capped an often contentious back-and-forth between the school system's leadership and local officials last year as the Howard County Council considered the school's budget request...

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/howard/elkridge/ph-ho-cf-school-budget-preview-0323-20170316-story.html

Ho Co BOE Wants BOE Staff to Report to BOE and Internal Audit, So Superintendent Sued Them.

...The complaint states one of the first resolutions passed by the newly sworn-in board on Dec. 5 sought to " misappropriate the superintendent's lawful authority."
At that first meeting with the new board member, Delmont-Small and Ellis passed eight resolutions, including a move to give the board responsibility over school board staff, such as the board administrator, secretarial staff and internal auditor, to increase transparency.
This change, which was passed despite opposition from board members Christine O'Connor and Sandra French, states that staff will report directly to the board rather than the superintendent. The board would then handle any staff terminations.
Another passed motion, introduced by Delmont-Small, instructed and authorized the board's internal auditor to review operations of the transportation department and all current and existing sole-source contracts.
According to state law, the complaint read, the superintendent is responsible for school administration, including discipline and terminations; therefore, deeming the board's actions illegal...

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/howard/columbia/ph-ho-cf-foose-suit-boe-0119-20170112-story.html

NBC4: Hundreds of Computers Stolen From DC Public Schools Over Three Years

At least 300 computers or tablets have been stolen from D.C. Public Schools in the past three years, far more than in larger, neighboring districts, according to an investigation by the News4 I-Team.

The thefts include computers reported stolen during school hours, nights and weekends. They listed in a set of D.C. records obtained by the I-Team under the Freedom of Information Act.

Source: Hundreds of Computers Stolen From DC Public Schools Over Three Years | NBC4 Washington http://www.nbcwashington.com/investigations/Hundreds-of-Computers-Stolen-From-DC-Public-Schools-Over-Three-Years-391677171.html#ixzz4IpQpqnyr
Follow us: @nbcwashington on Twitter | NBCWashington on Facebook

Exclusive: BOE Spends $75,600 Fighting 1 Child. BOE would rather Litigate than Educate. BOE has No Idea how many Hours Atty Spends on Each Case. #waste #irresponsible

2016 MD State Legislative Audit of MCPS

The Maryland State Office of Legislative Affairs has flagged the Board of Education's contract with an outside attorney for failing to determine if the billing arrangement "obtained the best value".

The media has not reported on the 2016 State Audit of the Montgomery County Public School system, but the Parents' Coalition did follow up on this issue flagged by the Auditor.  We have obtained invoices from the Board of Education's outside attorney who handles special education litigation from October 2015 through May 2016.


These invoices show that the outside attorney handling Board of Education special education litigation never accounts for the hours spent on a case unless the matter goes to Federal Court.

The billing arrangement that the Board of Education has approved with this outside attorney enables the attorney to take a minimum fee of $3,150 on every case set to go before an Administrative Law Judge.  Even if a case is immediately withdrawn or settled, the minimum fee is $3,150.

If a case goes before an Administrative Law Judge for a hearing, the fee is then based on how long the attorney can extend the proceeding.  One day before a Judge earns a $6,300 fee, no matter how much time was actually expended on the case prior to the day of the hearing.

The $6,300 daily fee equates to 26 hours of time based on this attorney's billing rate of $245.

Every day spent before a Judge, earns the attorney another 26 hours of fees, regardless of how many hours have actually been spent on the case.   

In this set of bills we see the following days charged on non-Federal Court matters.  On non-Federal Court matters, from October through April (7 months) this attorney billed the Board of Education for the equivalent of 904 hours or 23 weeks of full-time work.  We know this attorney represents other public school systems in Maryland.

Is the Montgomery County Board of Education obtaining the "best value" for these education dollars?  

Here is a list of the cases shown on the invoices obtained by the Parents' Coalition. For each case (shown by #), we have grouped together the charges shown on the invoices below.  We have divided up the charges by the hourly rate of $245 to shown how many hours would have to have been billed to have earned the charges shown.  The Board of Education has no idea if the charges shown on the invoices are justified, as the BOE does not require the attorney to actually detail the hours spent on each case.  

2015 October  Case withdrawn #29318       $3,150   = 13 hours

2015 October  Attend 1 day   #31838         $6,300    =  26 hours
2015 November 1/2 day         #31838         $3,150    =  13 hours   Total = 39 hours

2015 November  6 1/2 days #28847           $34,650    =  141 hours
2015 December   1 day        #28847             $6,300    =   26 hours
2016 January     4 days        #28847           $25,200    =  103 hours  Total = 270 hours

2015 December    1/2 day    #36487              $3,150     =  13 hours

2015 December    4 days      #35653             $25,200    = 103 hours
2016 January        3 days      #35653             $18,900    = 77 hours   Total = 180 hours

2016 February    Case withdrawn #18051       $3,150    = 13 hours

2016 February    4 days       #41442            $25,200   = 103 hours
2016 March        4 days       #41442             $25,200  = 103 hours
2016 April           4 days      #41442             $25,200  = 103 hours  Total = 309 hours

2016 March      Case withdrawn #05236        $3,150 = 13 hours

2016 March      Case withdrawn #07725        $3,150 = 13 hours

2016 March      Case withdrawn #05278        $3,150 = 13 hours

2016 March      Case withdrawn # 04604       $3,150 = 13 hours

2016 April        Case withdrawn  #08826       $3,150 = 13 hours

   MPIA response Jeffrey Krew billing statements by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland on Scribd

Balt. Co. Auditors want Answers on School Spending on Laptops

Baltimore County auditors are pressing the public school system for answers on its laptop-per-student program, as well as the schools’ overall spending and other priorities for next school year — including whether parents could be given “an ‘opt-out’ alternative to digital learning environments” for their children.
In a May 16 memo from the Office of the County Auditor to Baltimore County Schools Superintendent Dallas Dance, auditors asked BCPS about the schools’ technology initiative, with planned “total costs” of $285 million in the first several years...

http://towsonflyer.com/2016/05/18/county-auditors-seek-answers-bcps-budget-tech-initiative/