Two San Diego teens investigated their high school foundation’s finances. Then one got called in to the principal.

Kevin Wang, a 17-year-old senior at Canyon Crest Academy, was bored over the summer and needed something to do.

Then he remembered something that had bothered him back when he was a business officer for one of the school’s robotics teams: The school’s nonprofit foundation and main fundraising arm, the Canyon Crest Academy Foundation, was taking a bunch of money from his team.

The foundation kept 25 percent of every donation it collected on behalf of the robotics team. It did that for other student clubs, too, and it controlled the accounts of school-sponsored clubs, such as the robotics team, Kevin said.

Then, at the end of every fiscal year, it would take somewhere between 28 and 34 percent of the team’s revenue, Kevin said — the percentage varied year to year and wasn’t fully explained.

“I thought they were just super expensive — a rip-off,” Kevin said of the fees in an interview. “I just thought it was really wrong.”

Over the summer, he realized he still had access to the robotics team’s financial spreadsheets. So he began digging to find out where this fee money was going.

“What I found was, like, really shocking, and it just kept building up,” Kevin said...

Two San Diego teens investigated their high school foundation’s finances. Then one got called in to the principal. (msn.com)

Instant Equity - and Dr. Doran's Wallet

That was fast.

Within hours of Dr. Starr's State of the Schools presentation here in Montgomery County, accompanied by his call for equity in the school system, we have a prime example of equity in action.

Wootton High School is getting an artificial turf field.

No ongoing construction at the school to bundle the new field.  

According to the memo from the school system,  as a result of a competitive award, a private company agreed to pay $900,000 for the field in return for guaranteed use of the field. 

The Wootton Booster Club agreed to fundraise to the tune of $200,000.  Just for artificial turf.  Even though the field isn't used by all the sports teams, such as swimming, tennis, basketball, etc. 

Wootton parents must be fairly wealthy.  Do they know they committed to this amount?

According to MCPS, but of course. 

At a meeting held last month at the school, attended by 40 parents, almost all favored the field.

Wootton is such a great school.  Imagine 40 parents at your school committing your high school's booster club to raise that amount of money.

I am amazed that the Wootton Booster Club can raise this amount of money.  At my kids schools, our PTSA and booster club budgets were much more modest.

What's in your wallet?  Dr. Doran wants to know.

Here is the memo:

5.2.12 Thomas S Wootton HS Rqst Fund Turf

Churchill HS wants $80,000 Scoreboard. How the "Green" Schools get "Greener".

Wheaton High School Football Stadium

Silver Spring public high schools get cell phone towers on their football fields, but over at Churchill High School the parents have raised $80,000 to put in an upgraded scoreboard.
  

Superintendent Starr's response? Sure, why not! 

What does an $80,000 scoreboard look like?  

Will the Board of Education review the proposal to give this one school a specialized scoreboard or will they rubber stamp Superintendent Starr's approval?  This item is, after all, on the CONSENT AGENDA for the June 14, 2012, Board of Education meeting. No Board discussion is requested. Just get out the Green Zone Rubber Stamp. 

4.2.12 Winston Churchill HS Rqst Booster Funded Upgraded Scoreboard

WTOP: Turf War

Turf war brewing over Montgomery County athletic fields

March 10, 2009 - 12:13am

Kate Ryan, WTOP.com

ROCKVILLE, Md. - The fight over Montgomery County athletic fields isn't exactly following the "Field of Dreams" mantra of, "If you build it, they will come."...

In Montgomery County, a turf war may rage again as the school system proposes adding four more artificial fields at area high schools. They already have one at Richard Montgomery High School.

A posting on the Parents Coalition website argues against the installation of a new field at Walter Johnson High School.

The article on the site complains that the Walter Johnson High School Booster Club will have to fork over nearly $9,000 a year to maintain the artificial turf, a substance that's supposed to be low-maintenance. Richard Montgomery High School boosters pay nothing.

Acting Director of Facilities Management for Montgomery County schools Joe Lavorgna says that's not accurate.

"The booster club at Richard Montgomery is responsible for the maintenance contract for the artificial turf field," Lavorgna says.

He says that's between $7,000 to $8,000 a year. ... (click here for full article)