MCPS Cut Handball to Pay for Pickleball

...To cover expenses, MCPS no longer will offer handball. Participation in that sport had dwindled down to only two high schools, according to Sullivan...

https://www.mymcmedia.org/pickleball-for-all-mcps-is-first-in-u-s-to-adopt-growing-game-as-varsity-sport/

MCPS Does Not Report Class Fees to County Council #illegal #extortion #slushfund #appropriation #altfacts

Please ask a question: *

Where in the MCPS Operating budget is the money collected from curricular fees accounted for? Thank you.

Ms. Sartucci,

Thank you for the question regarding curricular fees.  Every school provides without charge the textbooks, supplementary readers, audio/visual aids, stationery, and materials of instruction necessary to teach the curriculum or needed by the students to demonstrate mastery of the curriculum through the MCPS Operating budget. The decision to charge curricular fees for designated courses is determined at the school level. An allowable maximum fee has been established for each designated course and must be specific to the course and cost of the item(s) (rounded to the nearest dollar for ease of accounting)—no overcharge may be assessed to paying students to offset the costs absorbed by the school for students who are unable to pay. Course related fees are collected by the school and deposited to the school’s Independent Activity Funds account.  These fees are not accounted for as part of the Operating Budget revenue since they are managed at the school level.  If you have any additional questions regarding course related fees, please contact Dr. Arronza M. LaBatt, Executive Director of School Support and Improvement at 301-279-3994 or via Arronza_M_LaBatt@mcpsmd.org

Nancy Austin
Budget Unit
Carver Educational Services Center
850 Hungerford Drive, Room 170
Rockville, MD  20850
Nancy_Austin@mcpsmd.org
301-279-3547

Today: Council to Review MCPS Financial Report, Moving Cash Around and $2 Million for Chromebooks #found$$$ #notforteachers #slushfund

September 28, 2015 

Montgomery County Council Education Committee

9:30 AM- Room 3CCR at Montgomery County Council building

•MCPS FY15 year-end financial report and categorical transfer

    •Update-MCPS Technology Plan

The Graduation Math - BOE Refuses to Fully Fund Graduation Venue Rental - Slush Funds Abound

When a MCPS high school collects a fee from every senior, what is the total amount of cash collected by the principal? 

For 2014 Graduations based on current senior enrollment the approximate cash collected, not counting late fees, could be:

Blair HS at $30                          $19,560                        

Walter Johnson HS at $60          $32,280

Richard Montgomery HS            $23,175

Northwest HS                             $22,100

Quince Orchard HS at $70         $32,060

Seneca Valley HS at $65            $16,900

Watkins Mill HS at $45              $15,795

Wheaton HS at $55                     $13,750

Based on our past research, the cost to rent DAR Constitution Hall is $5,700. 

MCPS paid $76,500 in FY 2013 to DAR for 21 high schools to graduate.   

It would appear, therefore, that the Board of Education is refusing to pay the full rental cost of this graduation venue. 

According to the numbers on the MCPS Funding Accountability and Transparency webpage, the BOE is only funding $3,642 per school graduation. 
That would leave $2,058 per high school for the graduation venue fee.  

Now, take a look at how much cash the above high schools are collecting from seniors in the name of graduation venue costs!  

Again, if graduation/senior fees were legal they would be authorized by the Board of Education and there would be a public accounting for the fees collected in the MCPS budget. 

Bid on Prime Churchill Parking Spots

Afterall, everything in a Montgomery County Public School

 is for sale, even the parking spots, right?

Your student didn't get a parking spot at Churchill High School? 

Guess you didn't pay enough.

And, by the way taxpayers, you paid for these spots, but the money being collected is NOT going in to the MCPS Operating Budget.  This money will not pay for teacher salaries, it will not build new schools, and you will have no information on how these dollars are being used. 

Another fun slush fund, but this time for a private company thanks to the generosity of Montgomery County taxpayers.  By the way taxpayers, we will send you the bill when these parking spots need to be re-paved.

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

Comptroller Franchot reports MCPS has lost track of financial property

According to the Maryland Comptroller's Unclaimed Property Web Site, MCPS has lost track of at least four of their bank accounts or other financial accounts.  A search for MCPS (in the Last Name field) yields a list of accounts that MCPS has reportedly forgotten about for three or more years.

As required by state law, the funds from the four abandoned MCPS accounts have been forwarded to the State Comptroller's office, waiting for their rightful owner to submit a claim.

The forgotten MCPS accounts are shown below.

Claim No.	Last Name	First Name	MI	Address
01011542	MCPS DIVISION OF	ACCOUNTING		850 HUNGERFORD DR
01151370	MCPS DIVISION OF ACC			850 HUNGERFORD DR
01494623	MCPS SCHOOL PROF LIB			850 HUNGERFORD DR
01889927	MCPS STAFF DEVELOPME			850 HUNGERFORD DR SUI

Searches for individual MCPS school names reveal numerous additional accounts that have been turned over the State Comptroller's Office. Entities related to Walter Johnson High School appear to have lost track of at least three accounts.  And a search for "Wheaton High School" yields a list of five accounts, although at least one of the accounts appears to be affiliated with a school reunion group.

Sloppy account tracking isn't unique to MCPS.  Additional searches of the Comptroller's Unclaimed Property Web Site reveal numerous forgotten accounts that belong to Montgomery County government, Maryland State agencies, and even the Montgomery County Council of PTAs.

Council Limits Review of MCPS Budget to 1 Category

The County Council resolution below says "full and transparent budget information from every County agency is essential to the integrity of our fiscal decision-making process."


But the Council only calls for the Office of Legislative Oversight to investigate the MCPS budget in one budget category, just category 12. 


What about Categories 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 37, 51, 61, 71, and 81? 


Who is making sure there is "full and transparent budget information" on the rest of the MCPS budget? 

20110621_17-177

$2 Million Slush Fund with Modernization

File this under "who knew that a $2 million slush fund comes with a school modernization?"  How does this work out for Kennedy High School where the floor just dropped in one part of the building? Will Kennedy HS "win" the emergency repair slush fund or must they wait for a modernization?  What about the rotting Old Blair auditorium at Silver Spring International Middle School? Where's the 11 year rotting auditorium slush fund?


Imagine being able to pour an extra $2 million into a school.  A little "gift" from the Board of Education. 


This article also has interesting information on how local schools are funded, $92.70 per student for instructional materials and $35.03 per student for textbooks.  The article says that amount is the same all over the county. What happened to Jerry Weast's red/green zone funding?


The Pitch Online:  What the School’s Budget Means to WJ

...Normally, at the beginning of each school year, the county allocates $92.70 per student for instructional materials, and $35.03 per student for textbooks. The amounts allocated per student are constant within the county, but the amount of money schools receive varies depending on the size of each school’s student body...

...While it may seem that some schools within the county receive more money than others, there are numerous factors that separate the distribution of funds between schools. Due to the lengthy construction, the county granted WJ a Furniture & Equipment account which is comprised of a $2 million budget and is used for materials, furniture, equipment and anything the administration deems a necessary without drawing from instructional funds.
“It comes from the county as a part of the capital budget made years ago when they first started working on the school,” said Cosgrove. “After construction ends we have a year-and-a-half to spend it.”
Only schools undergoing large modernizations are granted this account. WJ uses the money on anything from desks to pencil sharpeners, including the Promethean boards. While the county distributes a few boards per school, the F&E account has allowed WJ to buy enough Promethean boards for each classroom.
“We thought it would be better if every teacher had one. Because teachers work as teams, teachers without boards wouldn’t be able to team plan,” said Cosgrove.
The F & E account is still in use and will be available until the funds run out, giving WJ the leisure of purchasing necessary equipment.
“We were fortunate that we could use our F & E money to give everybody a Promethean board,” said Cosgrove.

"large amounts of undisclosed cash"

Gazette:  George Leventhal on Health care reform the right way

...A public agency sitting on large amounts of undisclosed cash is not consistent with good government. All Montgomery County taxpayers should be concerned whether the school system is appropriately accountable for the money it spends...

2007: Weast's $6.9 mil slush fund & Council transfer of capital budget money to operating budget to close gap

The Washington Post: Weast's Budget Isn't an Easy Sell; Council Approval Likely, Along With Increased Scrutiny;
Miranda S Spivack and Daniel De Vise - Washington Post Staff Writers

May 14, 2007

pg. B.1
Copyright The Washington Post Company May 14, 2007

After one of the most heated budget debates in recent memory, the Montgomery County Council is moving toward final approval of a $4 billion county spending plan that would deliver all but a small amount of the money sought by the school system.
Although proposed trims in Superintendent Jerry D. Weast's $2 billion request are not huge -- perhaps as little as $6 million - - the approach suggests that the county government might be taking a harder stand on school funding as state and local lawmakers confront looming deficits.
"I think, clearly, the public schools aren't going to get all the money that they anticipated receiving, and neither has any other county agency or department," said council member Valerie Ervin (D- Silver Spring), a former member of the school board.
The debate began in early March, when County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) unveiled his budget proposal. Leggett proposed a $117 million increase for schools, about $20 million less than Weast and the school board requested.
Leggett was hit by a barrage of criticism from Weast, school officials and the school system labor unions, whom Weast had promised 5 percent raises.
Leggett noted that his proposal included a 6.3 percent increase in school spending. But Weast argued that the total was less than the school system needed to cover union contracts and other commitments.
Ervin, a member of the council's education committee, said in the early spring that she hoped to ensure that Weast and the school system could get the $137 million increase they were seeking.
But as the weeks passed, a majority of the council, while not fully embracing Leggett's plans, decided that the school system should shoulder at least part of the fiscal pain.
Leggett predicted that the county, which faced a $200 million revenue gap when he took office this year, will confront a bleaker scenario next year. Estimates already suggest that the county will need to find $269 million next year to essentially maintain current spending, Leggett said. State officials, struggling with their own looming $1.5 billion deficit, have signaled that they will provide less school-construction money to counties next year.
"Next year is going to be a disaster," said Michael Knapp (D- Upcounty), who took over the chairmanship of the council's education committee this year and pledged to more carefully scrutinize the school system's budget than did his predecessor, Michael L. Subin (D- At Large).
County Council President Marilyn Praisner (D-Eastern County) said the school system cannot be exempt from budget scrutiny. "Every . . . agency has identified extremely painful reductions," she said.
For weeks, Weast insisted that the council should not chip away at his proposed spending increase. But last week he told the school board that he had found $6.9 million in unspent funds and reiterated a willingness, expressed earlier in the spring, to trim another $6 million from his original proposal.
The council's education committee then added nearly $8 million by transferring school construction money to the operating budget, and with that, the $20 million gap for school system operating expenses suddenly was closed.The council will examine the committee's plan tomorrow...

Congrats to the Class of 2011 - please write a check before you go

Honestly.  This is on a PTSA listserve tonight.  I've retyped it and deleted the identifying information not because of FERPA and privacy act issues, but because it's just plain old embarassing.

And besides, the school that sent this out to its list is probably not the only one.

Congratulations!


Dear 12th-grade parents,

Congratulations. You are the proud parent of a [school] alum. We will miss all of you next year, but we at the PTSA are not passing up one last opportunity to shamelessly capitalize on your warm, fuzzy feelings of goodwill toward the school and the world in general by making one last heartfelt grab at your wallet.

You know how critical the financial support of parents is to invaluable programs such as teacher mini-grants, After prom, staff appreciation, and other school events. We want to make sure all [school] students and teachers can take advantage of all the opportunities available to them. If you would like to make a legacy contribution to help us continue our important work, you can send a check to [school] PTSA, [address].

Thanks in advance for leaving something important behind, and our best wishes for a successful transition to life beyond high school for you and your child.


[name]
Out-going [school] PTSA President

Board of Ed to Approve Cell Towers at 6 Schools

On June 16, 2011, the Montgomery County Board of Education will approve new construction on 6 cell towers on public school property. 


The Board will approve new construction and new easements for outside commercial entities at:

Daly Elementary School Playground

Daly Elementary School in Germantown (You'll remember Daly ES, that was the school where the PTA and the neighbors opposed the placement of the cell tower but Superintendent Jerry Weast placed the tower there anyway.)


Einstein High School in Kensington


Magruder High School in Rockville


Springbrook High School in Silver Spring


Watkins Mill High School in Gaithersburg


Wheaton High School in Silver Spring




Note that by hiding these decisions on the Board's Consent Agenda and by labeling the vote "utility easements" this is the only public vote that the Board of Education takes on these commercial construction projects on public school playgrounds. 




The Board of Education will not be approving new construction at cell towers on Whitman High School, Wootton High School, Walter Johnson High School, Julius West Middle School or Pyle Middle School grounds because those communities were opposed to the placement of a commercial structure on their school sites and the Board of Education responded to their advocacy.


And in late breaking news, the Board of Education will not be approving a cell tower for the Sligo Middle School playground because T-Mobile has withdrawn their request for that construction project after the community intervened in the proceeding before the Montgomery County Board of Appeals. 


4.2.3 Daly

Stranger Danger: Cell Towers on School Grounds

In case you haven't noticed, Daly Elementary School currently has a T-mobile cell tower in the back of the school. (See photograph.) MCPS wants to add additional devices from Clearwire, onto the tower and within the fenced in area at the base of the tower. There are some facts you as community members, parents and tax payers need to know about.

While you read these facts, consider the following questions: What benefit is it doing to our children? What benefit does it bring to our community?Why are other schools benefiting from the cell tower in our backyard? How is this tower helping the value of our homes? When did a public school become a profit generating business?

1. Since the erection of the tower, Daly ES has received a total amount of $31,442.68, each year the amount increases based on the CPI (Consumer Price Index) not to exceed 5%.

2. The cell tower funds the school receives are not appropriated by the County Council and are separate from the approved MCPS budget. Daly ES basically has a slush fund that can be utilized, and not be penalized, for use as the principal wishes. This authority of funds of a non-elected official is, in my opinion, not in the best interest of the school, the community and tax-payers.

3. The majority of this money is still sitting in an account for Daly and has not been used for anything to help improve our school. What good is this money doing if still sitting in an account? There should be a process in place in implementing these funds into the school year that they are received that would benefit the whole school if not the community.

4. Daly currently receives a yearly third of the total amount of $24,000 from T-mobile, as stated in the contract (that is up for renegotiation in approximately a year). MCPS gets a third and then the schools within our cluster receive the other third. Why are school within our cluster benefiting? It is not in their backyard or neighborhood!

5. Clearwire wants to put additional communication devices onto the cell tower to the tune of $24,000 split three ways as stated above.

6. T-mobile frequently visits the cell tower site and until recently when a group of parents brought it to the attention of the school, were not checking into the school as required by their contract.

7. MCPS does not require the employees or subcontractors of T-mobile to have background checks. If anyone, like me, who has a child in the trailers with no barriers, this is a MAJOR concern!

8. Since the erection of the cell tower, the driveway has been an eyesore for the school and the community and needs to be installed properly.

We as parents and tax payers need to demand that the money being brought into our school is used appropriately and for all children.

MCPS and Daly want the PTA to vote on the additional Clearwire devices but at what cost to our school and especially for our children?

Do we want or need more communication devices on school property that will in turn allow more unchecked workers on school grounds?

In my opinion, No.

Jennifer Kerchaert
MCPS parent

MCPS' secret stash of cash! Cell phone tower income!

See all those cell phone towers on Montgomery County Public School property?

Another cell tower is being proposed for Whitman High School in Bethesda. Where does the income from those towers go? As of a few years ago there was an estimated $900,000 in cell phone tower income coming into MCPS. How much cell phone tower income is coming into MCPS today?

Does the cell phone tower income go into the MCPS Operating Budget? Does it go before the County Council for appropriation? No, to both of those questions.

If the MCPS Operating Budget is REALLY tight, then shouldn't this income be used to fund teacher salaries instead of slush funds for local principals? Whitman's student newspaper reports on the proposal to put yet another cell phone tower on public school school property.  

Whitman's Black and White, Proposed cell tower sparks parent debate

...T-Mobile would pay a $2,000 rental fee per month, which would be split evenly among Whitman, the elementary school cluster and MCPS. Similar financial arrangements exist with cell service companies at other area schools, including Sherwood, Blake, Springbrook and Blair...

Breaking News: Waiver DENIED

UPDATE: Washington Post 5/15/09 Md. Education Board Denies Cuts, Counties Face Layoffs
UPDATE: Examiner 5/15/09 State Board denial means more cuts for Mont Co., PG
UPDATE: Washington Post 5/16/09 Md Rejects Requests to Cut Funds for Schools
Commentary: Time for a Change in Fiscal Authority?
Montgomery County PDF

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Weast Slush Fund Revealed

Did you know that Superintendent Weast has a separate source of income from the funding appropriated to the school system by the County Council? Did you know that the Superintendent had been carrying a surplus in unappropriated funds? An April 7th letter to the Council's Education Committee reveals the existence of some of the "slush fund" that is available to the Superintendent. There are two other potential sources of "slush fund" cash.

Below is testimony delivered to the Montgomery County Council on April 13th discussing these three sources of non-County income to MCPS. Will the Council seek out these funds and control their use and appropriation, or will the Council ignore these funds and continue to cut from other county requests?

April 13, 2009 - Testimony to Montgomery County Council

I may be the only person to sit before you during Operating Budget testimony and not ask for any money. Instead, I am going to tell you how to hunt down some cash. I am bringing you over $5.5 million in unappropriated funds. It will be up to the Council to bring these funds to the Council table for appropriation, or in the alternative to simply ignore their existence.

Where is all this cash?

1. MCPS has entered into a contract with Wireless Generation. The contract has not been made public but a paper on the relationship between MCPS and Wireless generation has been published by the Harvard Business School. I can’t attach a copy because the article belongs to the Harvard Business School. But I can tell you that this article gives a first look at the terms of this agreement citing specific terms of the contract. We learn in this Harvard publication that MCPS is collecting a per student royalty on every mCLASS: Reading ED software sold around the country. Click here to read about this contract.

Where are those royalties? When have they been brought to the Council for appropriation? Councilmember Marilyn Praisner had been following this partnership, but with her passing did all oversight of this arrangement also disappear? Click here to read about missing royalties.

2. MCPS has also entered into a partnership with TrueNorthLogic to develop a Professional Development online system. What are the details of this partnership? Is MCPS reaping any royalties or income from this partnership? Sorry, I can’t help you out on this one. The details of this agreement aren’t public. But take a look at the TrueNorthLogic advertisement available online to see the MCPS logo proudly displayed. Click here to see the TrueNorthLogic advertisement.

3. The last place you might want to check for unappropriated funds is the e-Rate surplus that Superintendent Weast has been carrying. In an April 7, 2009, letter to the Education Committee, Superintendent Weast reveals that he is carrying $3.9 million in unexpended e-Rate rebates. In addition, MCPS will be receiving another $1.6 to $1.8 million in e-Rate rebates this year. That’s $5.5 million in funds that are not coming to the Council table for appropriation this year alone. Why do I say that? Because in an April 2, 2009, memorandum to the Council’s Education Committee Superintendent Weast makes clear, once again, that he will not be bringing e-Rate rebates to the Council for appropriation. So if the Council wants these funds, they are going to have to go and fetch them.

See below for April 7, 2009 letter from Weast to Education Committee revealing surplus unappropriated funds that have been carried from previous years.

Click here for April 2, 2009 letter from Weast to Education Committee where he tells the Council he will not be bringing e-Rate funds to the Council for appropriation. (See what the Council President said about these funds here.)

I will end with a quote from Superintendent Weast:

"Nothing builds trust like transparency."

Jerry Weast, foreword to Getting it Right-

Why Good School Communication Matters, 2008.

April 7, 2009 Weast to EdCo.

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