**BOE Finds $562,721 for Plastic Grass at RM High School.** Not Money for Teachers, Classrooms, Lead Remediation, Mold Remediation, Repairs, Grass Seed... BOE Intentionally Let Warranty EXPIRE! Did Council Appropriate these Funds for this Purpose?

The Montgomery County Board of Education intentionally let the warranty on the defective Richard Montgomery High School artificial turf field expire and now they are going to use $562,721 of Operating Budget funds to replace this one plastic football field. 

The MCPS Real Estate department has been squirreling aways cash.  This money will be used to buy a new plastic field for Richard Montgomery High School.  Those funds are not listed in the MCPS Operating Budget documents in any discoverable location.  The image to the left shows the only mention of this fund in the FY19 MCPS Operating Budget.

Note that the Resolution (below) before the Board of Education on June 25, 2018, does not mention any approriation of these funds by the County Council.

The money in this "fund" has allegedly come in to MCPS through outside sources and is being immediately diverted to pay for plastic football fields without any discussion of the best use of these public school dollars. 

Probably the biggest source of cash for this fund is coming from Cell Tower revenue. 

That means that the high FARMS rate schools that have cell towers on their playgrounds and fields are paying for the plastic grass purchase at Richard Montgomery High School.  

In addition, MCPS has used Field Trip fees to fund Artificial Turf purchases. 

Remember that the actual Artificial Turf PLAN was that these fields would pay for themselves through field rental fees.  That has not happened. 

The Board of Education has not provided the public with an accounting for the funds being used to pay for the Richard Montgomery High School artificial turf field replacement nor are they bringing these outside funds before the County Council for appropriation. 

The failure to present a transparent budget Resolution to the public is on the Board of Education members four of whom are candidates in this year's elections. 

   Award Cont Replace Turf Richard Montgomery HS by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland on Scribd

Significant Damage to New MCPS Elementary School #3yearsold

Clean-up crews set to work through night at Silver Spring school

Clean-up crews planned to work through the night Wednesday to reopen a Silver Spring elementary school that was closed for a day after a flooding problem led to significant damage in the building.
Montgomery school officials said families at Flora M. Singer Elementary School would be notified as soon as an official decision is made about whether classes will be held on Thursday.
Schools spokesman Dana Tofig said a coupler on a pipe broke, resulting in the water problem. There was no immediate cost estimate of the damage.
Singer’s kindergarten orientation, which was scheduled for Thursday and Friday, has been rescheduled to May 28 and May 29, according to a message that principal Kyle Heatwole sent to school families.

 http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/clean-up-crews-set-to-work-through-night-at-silver-spring-school/2015/05/06/ea124f6c-f444-11e4-bcc4-e8141e5eb0c9_story.html

Petition: BEST Bell Times for ALL Montgomery County, MD Students

My name is Lisa Rigazio. I am a new MCCPTA delegate for Flora Singer Elementary School in Silver Spring, MD...

Changing the Bell Times is an issue that this forum is already quite well aware of. Since this issue was initially about finding a solution to starting high school later, many elementary school parents, such as myself, have not stayed abreast of the developments. The recent proposal by Dr. Starr however, tacks on an additional 30 minutes to the END of the already very late school day for elementary schools. This is an additional change that he has stated publicly is not directly tied to changing the start time of high school. This is something that elementary school parents are just beginning to learn about and, from what I am hearing, are not in full support of.

This elementary school time change add-on puts elementary school parents, like myself, who fully support the later high school start time in a very difficult situation. Our kids will be going to high school very soon so want what is best for them then, but not at the expense of their many years in elementary school now.

I have started a petition asking the superintendent and the board to support a Bell Times proposal that DOES NOT END ANY SCHOOL LATER THAN 3:30PM. This does NOT address directly adding 30 minutes to the ES day in general. It simply opposes adding them to the END of the already late day for elementary schools.

I urge you to read the petition for details and to bring this concern of elementary school parents to your PTA’s. I am glad that MCPS is taking this year to fully research the impact of the current proposal on our entire community. And I am hopeful that open and frank discussions of both the great benefits and challenges of the Superintendent's proposal will bring about a greater solution. One that will serve ALL of our students every step of their way through our wonderful school system.

Please share this petition with your PTA’s and local communities.
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/best-bell-times-for-all?source=c.url&r_by=5755375

Thank you for your time! And I look forward to hearing comments on how we can provide the BEST Bell Times for ALL students.


Sincerely,
Lisa Rigazio
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/best-bell-times-for-all?source=c.url&r_by=5755375

Bethesda: Outdoor classroom for you!

Silver Spring? Tricked and gets parking lot instead.  Maybe the Board of Education will make it up to the Silver Spring school by giving them a nice cell phone tower.

Gazette:  Westbrook Elementary in Bethesda to gain new gym, classrooms

...The $13 million expansion, which is being managed by HESS Construction and Engineering Services, also will more than double on-site parking at the school, modify the bus loop to accommodate more buses, and replace aging playground equipment.
To facilitate outdoor classes, the courtyard will feature a tiered seating area built into the ground, said Principal Rebecca Jones. Construction began about three and a half months ago...

MCPS Lies Through Planning Process, Robs Kids of Basketball Court and Outdoor Amphitheater

Through out the multi-year planning process for the modernization of the old McKenney Hills Elementary School site MCPS staff represented that a parking lot at a neighboring pool would be used for the new school.  MCPS had no agreement to use that lot. 
Weeks before the school is set to open, MCPS finally admits that they can't use the neighboring parking lot.  MCPS staff pave over the planned basketball court and outdoor amphitheater for parking without taking this site plan change to the Board of Education for approval.
Silver Spring loses again...

MCPS opts for parking lot, eliminates basketball court at Flora M. Singer Elementary
Though the new Flora M. Singer Elementary School in Silver Spring will open on time for the upcoming school year, the county was forced to eliminate a proposed basketball court to make way for the construction of a 33-car parking lot, county school officials said.... 

http://www.gazette.net/article/20120807/NEWS/708079941/1007/news&source=RSS&template=gazette?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter