Teenage boys arrested for robbing man of sneakers, sweatshirt in Gaithersburg. Released to Guardians.

The 14-year-old was armed with two ghost guns at the time of his arrest, according to police.

...Detectives identified both boys and arrested them on Tuesday, March 12, police said. The 14-year-old boy was charged with robbery and handgun-related charges. The 16-year-old boy was charged with robbery.

Both boys have been released to their guardians, according to police. 

https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/teens-arrested-for-gaithersburg-robbery/65-82fc7fd5-0a61-42d6-9301-965df0798022

A representative from the school system was not present when Council member George Leventhal inquired if anyone from MCPS wanted to provide input to the council before the vote.

The Montgomery County Council voted unanimously Tuesday for guidelines that cut bond issuances by $40 million incrementally over a period of four years.

The move by the council is a step toward limiting growing debt-service payments the county is paying on the current $3.5 billion in bonds that fund capital projects such as school construction and new government buildings in the county.

The county pays about $394 million in debt service each year, which is more than the county pays for all but two departments using the county’s $5.4 billion annual operating budget...

http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/2017/County-Council-Votes-to-Cut-Spending-Guidelines-for-Bonds/

The county’s Board of Education, however, is urging the council to instead raise the spending affordability guidelines.

Montgomery County is looking to lower its spending guidelines to reduce its growing debt-service payments, which this year are estimated to cost $394 million on $3.5 billion in bonded debt.

The debt service that Montgomery County is paying is growing at a rate that could affect the county’s AAA bond rating, according to County Executive Ike Leggett.

The County Council sets spending affordability guidelines every two years to determine what bonds the county can financially withstand to pay for long-term capital projects, such as school construction.

The current guidelines enable the county to issue $340 million in bonds per year.

In a memo to the council on Tuesday, Leggett wrote that that figure is too high...

http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/2017/As-Debt-Service-Payments-Grow-County-Council-Looks-To-Limit-New-Capital-Bonds/

BOE Donating $500,000 to Booster Club for Plastic Grass Purchase

In our previous blog post we noted that Senator Craig Zucker and Delegate Anne Kaiser are sponsoring a Bond Bill that will give $200,000 to the Damascus High School Athletic Boosters for the purchase of a plastic grass football field.  Note Zucker and Kaiser are not giving the funds to the Board of Education, they are giving the cash directly to parents.  Anyone wonder why that is? 

In addition to the $200,000 from the State of Maryland, the Damascus High School Athletic Boosters Club are also receiving, or have received, $500,000 from the Montgomery County Board of Education. 

Clearly the MCPS Budget is flush with cash if the Board of Education has an extra $500,000 to spend on plastic grass. 

Meanwhile, if your child is in a school with high radon readings, mold issues, HVAC issues, bathroom renovation needs, or your child is in a classroom trailer remember that plastic grass for football fields is the #1 priority of the Board of Education.  Your child's school needs will just have to wait.

   BOE Gives $500,000 to Booster Club House Bill 0997B by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

Exclusive: State Delegation Tells BOE & Starr to "Cut It Out"

Exclusive video of the November 18, 2014, meeting of the Montgomery County Board of Education and the Montgomery County State Delegation.

At minute 1:30 of this exclusive video Maryland Delegate Kathleen Dumais says the MCPS Press Release on the school construction budget is false.

There did not appear to be any reporters at this event.  This video was taken towards the end of the meeting.



November 17, 2014, Montgomery County Board of Education Press Release

...MCPS sought additional help from the state for school construction during the 2014 legislative session, but the funds were not approved. After the proposal fell through, the Montgomery County Council approved a $1.53 billion CIP for fiscal years (FY) 2015-2020, which was $214 million less than requested by the Board of Education. The Board’s requested amendments approved Monday would increase the six-year CIP to $1.75 billion.

“We deeply appreciate the partnership of our local elected officials and the significant investment our citizens make to meet the space needs of our students,” said Patricia O’Neill, vice president of the Board. “It is my hope that our state leaders will now step up to help provide our students with the learning spaces they need and deserve.”...

Empty Middle School Sits Right Next to Elem. School with Trailers

Empty classrooms right next to a school that is overcrowded, and yet, Superintendent Starr says that MCPS has no use for the empty classrooms.

Meadow Hall Elementary School is  in upper left of this image.  
Broome Middle School is lower right.

Yes, Broome Middle School is located right next door to Meadow Hall Elementary School. Remember Broome is the empty school building that Superintendent Joshua Starr has personally determined is not needed for public school students.

Meadow Hall is...overcrowded and currently has 4 classroom trailers in use at the school.

What other Maryland Counties have the luxury of not using empty classrooms when the school right next door is overcrowded?

Starr Doesn't Need Empty Middle School

Here's an entire MCPS middle school that sits empty.  
Could it be used to get current students out of classroom trailers? 

Superintendent Joshua Starr has told County Executive Ike Leggett that the classrooms aren't needed and won't be needed for at least the next 6 years, and so Montgomery County can use the building.

Should the Board of Education have discussed this decision, or can Superintendent Starr simply declare an entire middle school building useless to the needs of current public school students?      

  2014 Broome Middle School by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

Sentinel: County schools look forward to more funding

...The county council, along with County Executive Ike Leggett, the MCPS school board and members of the Montgomery County Delegation are asking Gov. Martin O’Malley and the Maryland General Assembly to allocate $20 million for school construction. The county will invest $40 million and plans to use $60 million in revenue to support a $750 million bond issuance.
Superintendent Joshua Starr’s 2015-2020 Capital Improvements Program budget requests $1.55 billion over the next six years for 14 new classroom addition projects, including 12 at elementary schools, construction of five new schools and keeping some other previously approved revitalization/expansion projects on schedule. Starr estimates the county actually needs $2.2 billion to accommodate the growing school system...

Time for a Change in Fiscal Authority?

Given the State BOE's decision this week on the Montgomery County request for a waiver of Maintence of Effort, perhaps it is an ideal time to start discussion on changes to the fiscal control structure of schools in Maryland.

The State BOE has effectively eliminated the County Council's legal standing as the School Systems "Fiscal Authority". The Local BOE has also engaged in legal challenges to this relationship through its actions over the past several years, laying its stake in the ground as a "State Agency" as opposed to a "local" one, then using this status to dodge scrutiny of our Inspector General.

Okay,
Maybe it's time we abandon this worthless system of Government checks and balances. Separate MCPS from County Government. Give the BOE fiscal authority and property tax rate setting authority. This is the case in much of the Country, just not in Maryland.

While it sounds out of character for me to be proposing this. I'm willing to admit I might have been wrong.

Maybe giving the BOE taxing authority is just what we need to impose fiscal responsibility on our Board of Education. Bond referendums and millage rate setting are things school boards all over America have to do.

Why do we let Pat O'Neill escape from having to ask the community for funding, while she calls community members who care about our schools a "Pain in the Ass"?

Bob Astrove