County Council votes to shift more of property tax burden to resident homeowners

Watch Montgomery County Council analyst Gene Smith reveal growing property tax leakage in his May 17 testimony.  His testimony is a little cryptic to those who are not familiar with how property taxes are calculated, but the County Council members understand (or should understand) what's going on.

Mr. Smith explained that the number of properties that have not applied for the Homestead Tax Credit but are receiving the Income Tax Offset Credit (ITOC) is even greater than five years ago. None of the County Council members had questions or expressed concerns about the growing gap. 

Our experience indicates that the most likely causes of the gap between the number of Homestead Tax Credit applications and the number of ITOC credits are failure of new resident homeowners to submit their Homestead Credit Applications and failure of new and existing landlords to advise the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) that their investment properties are incorrectly coded as "principal residences". Failure of the state and the county to detect improperly coded investment properties shifts even more of the property tax burden to homeowners who are actually using their properties as their principal residence. 

Data provided by SDAT shows that the amount of tax leakage is likely in the tens of millions of dollars each year.

Start watching at the 3:00 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kZUDhOfdTY

As explained in testimony by a county resident, Baltimore City has completely eliminated the problem that Mr. Smith revealed by issuing the ITOC only to properties that have an approved Homestead Tax Credit application on file at SDAT.  Even though Baltimore City's solution has been highly successful, Montgomery County refuses to adopt Baltimore City's approach. 

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/Resources/Files/agenda/col/2021/20210504/testimony/item7-LouisWilen.pdf

Study: Md. Public Schools Will Need to Spend $818 Million to Cool Classrooms by 2025

As climate change leads to hotter days across the country, the cost of cooling public school buildings grows higher. New research estimates that more than 280 Maryland public schools that did not need air conditioning in 1970 could have to spend $818 million to install new heating and cooling systems by 2025 to keep classrooms at a safe temperature.

These schools may also have to spend an additional $32.8 million every year to operate and maintain the HVAC systems, affecting more than 900,000 students across the state, according to the report from the Center for Climate Integrity, an environmental advocacy group. And those costs are expected to increase as the climate continues to heat up.

Montgomery County Public Schools, the largest school district in the state, faces the highest increased costs... 

https://www.marylandmatters.org/2021/05/15/study-md-public-schools-will-need-to-spend-818-million-to-cool-classrooms-by-2025/

Virus testing strategies, opinions vary widely in US schools

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Children are having their noses swabbed or saliva sampled at school to test for the coronavirus in cities such as Baltimore, New York and Chicago. In other parts of the U.S., school districts are reluctant to check even students showing signs of illness for COVID-19.



Education and health officials around the country have taken different approaches to testing students and staff members — and widely varying positions or whether to test them at all as more children give up virtual classrooms for in-person learning. Some states have rejected their share of the billions of dollars the Biden administration made available for conducting virus tests in schools...

https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-education-health-082ade974a5c3257b9f7baa35cb9eec2

Breaking: Woodward High School on Old Georgetown Road Demolished. Only old cell tower remains.

Charles W. Woodward High School (also used as Tilden Middle School) on Old Georgetown Road in Rockville, MD has been demolished.  

As of May 16, 2021, the Woodward High School site:

Only the old cell tower remains standing on the site. 

Pictures taken by Paula Bienenfeld.

Man working on a project for an MCPS contractor at the time sentenced to 15 years in prison for raping 12-year-old girl in his vehicle

 

A man accused of raping a 12-year-old girl in his vehicle nearly two years ago was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Thursday.

James Allen Booker, now 61, picked up a girl who was walking home from school during a thunderstorm on May 23, 2019, police said at the time.

Police said Booker drove the girl to her home, parked in front and raped the girl inside the vehicle.

The girl told her parents what had happened. Police arrested Booker five days later.

Booker was charged with one count of second-degree rape and six counts of third-degree sex offense. Court records indicate that he pleaded guilty on Dec. 6, 2019, to the rape charge and one count of third-degree sex offense...

https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/courts/man-sentenced-to-15-years-in-prison-for-raping-12-year-old-girl-in-his-vehicle/

@DrLeanaWen A question on many parents’ mind: What about unvaccinated young children? First, the facts. Kids constitute nearly 25% of all current #covid19 infections. Over 300 have died. For parents who want to remain cautious, here’s my advice.

A question on many parents’ mind: What about unvaccinated young children? First, the facts. Kids constitute nearly 25% of all current #covid19 infections. Over 300 have died. For parents who want to remain cautious, here’s my advice. @AmaraCNN https://t.co/P83GJeRme2 pic.twitter.com/cBtZOmQm5v

— Leana Wen, M.D. (@DrLeanaWen) May 15, 2021

Think of a virus where 70% of kids are totally asymptomatic, less than 1% have severe symptoms, and less than 0.05% die. Phew that's no big deal for kids then! Don't worry about them! Oops actually it's polio in the 1950s

((Sam Crane)))

   

14 May, 5 tweets, 1 min read

Think of a virus where 70% of kids are totally asymptomatic, less than 1% have severe symptoms, and less than 0.05% die. Phew that's no big deal for kids then! Don't worry about them!

Oops actually it's polio in the 1950s

cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/…

Polio in the 1950s caused lifelong disability to so many children that it changed the trajectory of the disability rights movement even though less than 1% of all kids who caught polio had any form of paralysis. 

And despite "low" rates of severe illness or death in kids, parents in the 1950s were scared enough to close community pools, camps, etc. Many of those parents fought in WWII, they weren't "soft" - they recognized a risk and tried to minimize it. 

It's really concerning that so many people seem willing to just abandon safety measures right now even though almost no kids under 12 have been vaccinated. 

Hopefully as case rates go down we can be less cautious but I'm really concerned about COVID ripping through the pediatric population and causing serious health problems for a lot of kids. 

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1393188103586816001.html

Hundreds of Epidemiologists Expected Mask-Wearing in Public for at Least a Year

When federal health officials said on Thursday that fully vaccinated Americans no longer needed to wear masks in most places, it came as a surprise to many people in public health. It also was a stark contrast with the views of a large majority of epidemiologists surveyed in the last two weeks by The New York Times.

In the informal survey, 80 percent said they thought Americans would need to wear masks in public indoor places for at least another year. Just 5 percent said people would no longer need to wear masks indoors by this summer.

In large crowds outdoors, like at a concert or protest, 88 percent of the epidemiologists said it was necessary even for fully vaccinated people to wear masks...

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/13/upshot/epidemiologists-coronavirus-masks.html

Exclusive: See Jack Smith's New Cell Tower for Old Georgetown Road - Woodward High School Reopening

The Parents' Coalition has obtained a copy of the construction plans for the new cell tower at the Woodward High School Reopening site at 11211 Old Georgetown Road in Rockville.  

On Tuesday, May 11th, Superintendent Jack Smith attempted to get the Board of Education to approve this new cell tower.  However, Superintendent Smith's Memorandum to the Board of Education was factually incorrect and was pulled from the Agenda prior to any Board discussion or vote. 

Superintendent Jack Smith's Memorandum to the Board of Education did not include the plans for the new cell tower or any images showing what the cell tower might look like.  

The Board of Education was poised to approve this new cell tower sight unseen. 

Below is an image showing approximately where we believe the new cell tower would be placed based on the construction plans.  

This new cell tower would be toward the front of the new Woodward High School building (after demolition and construction) on Old Georgetown Road.  The new cell tower will be 75 feet high and taller than the new high school being built at this site.  There will be a 40' x 40' compound around the base of the cell tower. 

We have created this image based on the plans submitted to Montgomery County for the construction of this cell tower.  This image is our best guess as to where the cell tower would be located.  

Obviously, Superintendent Jack Smith would be in the best position to release an accurate image of the location and size of this new cell tower, but to date an official image has not been made public.   

This image is taken from the Montgomery County Board of Education's presentation of the plans for the new high school at the Woodward High School site on Old Georgetown Road in Rockville.  

We have added to the image a cell tower in the approximate location shown in the construction plans. The image shows the front of the building as it would be seen from Old Georgetown Road.

COVID-19 Outbreaks at Beall Elementary School and Landon School

Previous weekly reports at this link.

Lighthouse Christian School Allegany County 7 05/12/21

St. Mary's School Anne Arundel County 16 05/12/21

Roland Park Elementary/Middle Baltimore City 2 05/12/21

The SEED School Baltimore City 8 05/12/21

Bais Yaakov Eva Winer High School Baltimore County 2 05/12/21

Mount De Sales High School Baltimore County 5 05/12/21

Rosedale Baptist School Baltimore County 8 05/12/21

Sudbrook Magnet Middle School Baltimore County 2 05/12/21

Talmudical Academy Middle School Baltimore County 3 05/12/21

Vincent Farms Elementary School Baltimore County 2 05/12/21

Carroll County Career Technology Center Carroll County 2 05/12/21

Mt. Airy Elementary School Carroll County 2 05/12/21

Westminster High School Carroll County 3 05/12/21

Bainbridge Elementary School Cecil County 5 05/12/21

Cecilton Elementary School Cecil County 2 05/12/21

Perryville Elementary School Cecil County 2 05/12/21

Tome School Cecil County 2 05/12/21

Tri-State Christian Academy Cecil County 2 05/12/21

Choptank Elementary School Dorchester County 12 05/12/21

Brunswick High School Frederick County 3 05/12/21

Hickory Elementary School Harford County 2 05/12/21

John Carroll High School Harford County 11 05/12/21

Ring Factory Elementary School Harford County 2 05/12/21

Youth Benefit Elementary School Harford County 3 05/12/21

Bethel Christian Academy Howard County 10 05/12/21

Cedar Lane School Howard County 2 05/12/21

Fulton Elementary School Howard County 8 05/12/21

Kent County High School Kent County 2 05/12/21

Beall Elementary School Montgomery County 2 05/12/21

Landon School Montgomery County 2 05/12/21

DeMatha Catholic High School Prince George's County 2 05/12/21

Kings Christian Academy St. Mary's County 2 05/12/21

Leonardtown Middle School St. Mary's County 5 05/12/21

Barbara Ingram School Washington County 4 05/12/21

Hancock Elementary School Washington County 2 05/12/21

Lincolnshire Elementary School Washington County 19 05/12/21

Springfield Middle School Washington County 10 05/12/21

Williamsport High School Washington County 31 05/12/21

Pittsville Elementary & Middle School Wicomico County 2 05/12/21

Salisbury Christian School Wicomico County 2 05/12/21

Berlin Intermediate School Worcester County 2 05/12/21

Stephen Decatur High School Worcester County 23 05/12/21

Stephen Decatur Middle School Worcester County 2 05/12/21

 As a reminder, the Maryland Dashboard uses the following criteria for reporting COVID-19 cases.  Not all cases are reported, only those that satisfy the following criteria.

  Note: This dataset reflects public and non-public K-12 schools in Maryland that have COVID-19 outbreaks. Data are based on local health department reports to MDH, which may be revised if additional information becomes available. This list does not include child care facilities or institutes of higher education.

Schools listed meet 1 or more of the following criteria:

    1) At least two confirmed COVID-19 cases among students/teachers/staff within a 14-day period and who are epidemiologically linked, but not household contacts; or

    2) Three or more classrooms or cohorts with cases from separate households that meet the classroom/cohort outbreak definition that occurs within 14 days; or

    3) Five percent or more unrelated students/teachers/staff have confirmed COVID-19 within a 14 day period (minimum of 10 unrelated students/teachers/staff).

Cases reported reflect the current total number of cases. Schools are removed from the list when health officials determine 14 days have passed with no new cases and no tests pending. Archival data is available through the COVID-19 open data catalogue.

These data are updated weekly on Wednesdays during the 10 a.m. hour. MDH is continuously evaluating its data and reporting systems and will make updates as more data becomes available.

 https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/school-resources

How MCPS Superintendents Fib to the Board of Education or How a New High School will Get a New Cell Tower at the Front Entrance.

 May 13, 2021 Update:  As noted in our original blog post below, the memorandum from Superintendent Jack Smith to the Montgomery County Board of Education was not factual.  The Montgomery County Transmission Facility Coordinating Group had NOT approved the placement of a new cell tower at the Woodward High School site on Old Georgetown Road.  

This agenda item was pulled from the May 11th Board of Education Agenda during the meeting because the memorandum from Superintendent Jack Smith was not correct. 

On today's Board of Education Agenda is a perfect example of how MCPS Superintendents fib to the Montgomery County Board of Education.  

The Board of Education members are well aware of these continuing fibs and approve of this method of conducting public school business.

 Board of Education members are "trained" to not question what they are told by the superintendent and by MCPS staff.  The "job" of Montgomery County Board of Education members is to be a rubber stamp for the actions of superintendents. 

Today's example:  Superintendent Jack Smith wants to build a new cell tower at the new high school site on Old Georgetown Road.  In order to do that, the superintendent has to bypass the existing Board policy and procedure that calls for the Board of Education to approve new cell towers. Superintendent Smith doesn't want to put this matter before the Board of Education because for the past 10 years all new cell tower proposals have been rejected by parents and community members in Montgomery County. 

Here are the steps involved in bypassing the existing policy and sneaking in a new cell tower:

1. Do not give the Board of Education members the actual documents they are approving!  Just write a memo (see images) that refers to documents, but gives no details.

2.  Fib about the history of the issue.  In today's Board memo, Superintendent Jack Smith says that the Board of Education previously "entered into a telecommunications lease."  That never happened. The Board of Education never entered into cell tower leases.  Cell tower leases were all executed by previous Superintendent Jerry Weast without Board votes.

3. Mention an internal approval process but give NO DETAILS.  This memo says that MCPS DFM (Department of Facilities Management) staff reviewed a plan and found it acceptable.  Where is the plan? Why can't the Board of Education see the plan? What about parents and neighbors? They haven't seen the plan. Why can't they see the plan?  By referencing some vague approval it sounds as if the plans are just fine and no one should question them.  

4. Claim the Montgomery County Transmission Facility Coordinating Group (TFCG) has approved the new cell tower when they actually haven't.   This particular cell tower is actually listed as PENDING on the TFCG website.  The proposal has not been approved. 

5. Instead of using the word "new" call the new cell tower "longer-term."  That will trick the Board of Education members into thinking they aren't really giving the Superintendent the power to erect a new cell tower.  

The May 11, 2021, memorandum shown above from Superintendent Jack Smith is an excellent example of how to get around Board of Education policies and procedures, keep Board members clueless as to what is being approved, and eliminate public notice of commercial construction projects on public school land. 

TODAY: Board of Education to Approve FIRST Ever Cell Tower on MCPS School Land

May 13, 2021 Update: As noted in our original blog post the memorandum from Superintendent Jack Smith to the Montgomery County Board of Education was not factual. The Montgomery County Transmission Facility Coordinating Group had NOT approved the placement of a new cell tower at the Woodward High School site on Old Georgetown Road.  This agenda item was pulled from the May 11th Board of Education Agenda during the meeting because the memorandum from Superintendent Jack Smith was not correct.

Currently, there are 12 cell towers located on Board of Education property.  

However, NONE of those cell towers were ever approved by the Board of Education.

ALL of those cell towers were placed on public school land by former Superintendent Jerry Weast (1999 - 2011) without the approval of the Board of Education.    

The Board of Education never voted to approve any of those cell tower construction projects.

But, TODAY the Montgomery County Board of Education will VOTE to approve a NEW CELL TOWER at the Tilden Middle School/Woodward High School on Old Georgetown Road.  

The lease for the cell tower on the Tilden Middle School/Woodward High School is about to expire. And the entire site is about to be leveled for the construction of a new high school.   

Superintendent Jack Smith has told the Board of Education to grant HIM the power to sign a new, 20 year lease for a NEW cell tower at the Tilden Middle School/Woodward High School site.  The new cell tower will go somewhere on the site of the new high school, but the public doesn't know where the NEW cell tower would go if approved.  

Under the Board of Education's cell tower approval process, the principal and the community are supposed to be involved in the placement of any NEW cell towers.  The MCPS New Cell Tower Process is shown on the image to the left. 

BUT, Superintendent Jack Smith does NOT WANT the public or the school community involved in this decision, so today he is telling the Board of Education to give HIM total control of the placement of a NEW cell tower at this site.  

Today, is a historic day!  Never before has the Montgomery County Board of Education voted to place a cell tower on a public school site.  But today, the Board of Education will vote to approve a NEW cell tower at the Tilden Middle School/Woodward High School site and turn over that entire decision to the Superintendent, thus bypassing any school, PTSA or community notice or input into the decision.  The public will have no opportunity to be heard on whether or not this NEW cell tower should be built on this school site, or where a NEW cell tower could be placed on this school site.  

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/C2NJD54C7B68/$file/Charles%20W%20Woodward%20HS%20Telecom%20Lease%20Amend.pdf

Clean Commute for Kids Act of 2021

The Clean Commute for Kids Act was introduced into Congress. House sponsors are U.S. Representatives Jahana Hayes (D-CT), Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA). Senate sponsors are Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Jeff Merkely (D-OR).In addition the Senate bill introduced by U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) is co-sponsored by U.S. Sens. Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.).

The bill is here.

The bill would authorize $25 billion over the next 10 years for the EPA, with assistance from the Department of Energy, to provide grants to replace existing buses with clean, zero-emission buses -- 40 percent of this funding would go toward replacing school buses serving environmental justice communities.

Funding awarded to school districts may cover up to 100 percent of the replacement costs of zero-emission buses, including acquisition and labor costs for charging infrastructure, workforce development and training, and planning and technical activity costs. This bill also directs the EPA to develop an outreach program to assist school districts in transitioning school bus fleets.

Planning for the inclusion of unaccompanied minors in Montgomery County discussed today at 2PM, WILC 900 AM

 Today at 2pm on Radio 900 AM

Planning for the inclusion of unaccompanied minors in Montgomery County and identifying the challenges they face will be the focus of “En Sintonía con el Concejo del Condado de Montgomery”, today at 2 p.m. on Radio America

Guests will discuss the education, safety and well-being of unaccompanied minors and the unique challenges faced by indigenous communities

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ROCKVILLE, Md., May 7, 2021 — Montgomery County Council Vice-President Gabe Albornoz; Executive Director of the International Mayan League Juanita Cabrera; Community Council Member for the Mayan Community at the International Mayan League Mercedes Say; Member of the Montgomery County Board of Education Karla Silvestre; and Supervisor of International Admissions and Enrollment Office at Montgomery County Public School Margarita I. Bohórquez, will be the featured guests on this week’s En Sintonía con El Concejo del Condado de Montgomery (In Tune with the Montgomery County Council), airing today at 2 p.m. on Radio America (WILC 900AM).

This week’s show will focus on the topic of unaccompanied minors arriving in the County after fleeing violence from their home countries. Council Vice President Albornoz will begin by providing an update on the children who have recently arrived in the County and will talk about the educational, public health and legal services available to help them adapt to their new homes.

Then, Ms. Cabrera and Ms. Say will discuss the unique challenges and dangers that immigrant children of Mayan descent from Guatemala and other north-triangle countries face during their journey across the region to reach the United States.

Ms. Silvestre and Ms. Bohórquez will wrap up the show by talking about unaccompanied children in the County’s public school’s system, the importance of ensuring that they enroll in school once they arrive and how MCPS works to ensure their academic success.

The Montgomery County Council and Radio America have entered a partnership that provides the Latino community with key information on issues and programs. The partnership also provides a forum for residents to express their views and ask questions. The partnership includes the weekly one-hour show each Friday on the Washington metropolitan area’s most popular Spanish language station. Lilian Mass is the show’s host.

Each week, the show features guests talking about important issues before the Council and provides information about programs offered by the County to help residents.

 

La integración de menores no acompañados que llegan al Condado de Montgomery y sus retos serán el enfoque del programa radial “En Sintonía con el Concejo del Condado de Montgomery”, hoy a las 2 p.m. por Radio América

Los invitados se enfocarán en el la educación y la seguridad de los menores no acompañados y los retos que a los que se enfrentan las comunidades indígenas

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ROCKVILLE, Md., 7 de mayo del 2021 — El Vicepresidente del Concejo del Condado de Montgomery Gabriel Albornóz; la Directora Ejecutiva de la Liga Internacional Maya (International Mayan League en inglés) Juanita Cabrera; la representante de la comunidad Maya ante la Liga Internacional Maya Mercedes Say; la miembro de la Junta de Educación del Condado de Montgomery Karla Silvestre; y la Supervisora de Admisiones Internacionales de la Oficina de Servicios de Matrícula para las Escuelas Públicas del Condado de Montgomery (MCPS, por sus siglas en inglés) Margarita I. Bohórquez, serán los invitados de En Sintonía con el Concejo del Condado de Montgomery, hoy a las 2 p.m. en Radio América (WILC 900AM).

El enfoque del programa radial de esta semana serán los menores no acompañados que llegan al condado al huir de la violencia en sus países de origen. El vicepresidente Albornóz comenzará el programa dando una actualización sobre los menores que han llegado recientemente al Condado de Montgomery, y hablará sobre los recursos que se han establecido a nivel local para asegurar que se puedan adaptar a sus nuevos hogares.

Tras esta actualización, Juanita Cabrera y Mercedes Say discutirán los desafíos únicos que enfrentan los niños inmigrantes de descendencia Maya de Guatemala y otros países del Triángulo del Norte durante su travesía y al llegar a este país

Por su lado, Karla Silvestre y Margarita Bohórquez concluirán el programa hablando de los menores no acompañados en las escuelas públicas del condado, la importancia de asegurar que los niños estén inscritos y acudan a la escuela, y los esfuerzos de MCPS para garantizar su éxito académico.

El Concejo del Condado de Montgomery y Radio América se han asociado para proporcionar a la comunidad Latina información clave sobre temas que le conciernen. Esta colaboración ha dado fruto a un programa semanal de una hora todos los viernes, denominado “En Sintonía con el Concejo” donde los residentes pueden expresar sus opiniones y hacer preguntas, por medio de la estación de habla hispana más popular del área metropolitana de Washington D.C.

Lilian Mass es la anfitriona de dicha entrega.

En este programa semanal, se discuten asuntos importantes ante el Concejo, se proporciona información sobre los recursos disponibles en el Condado y se fomenta la educación cívica de la comunidad.

###

 

View all Council press releases: https://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapps/press_List.aspx?id=01

Contact:          
Lilian Mass
240-907-9008, Lilian.Mass@montgomerycountymd.gov

Additional Contact:
Lucia Jimenez
240-777-7932, Lucia.Jimenez@montgomerycountymd.gov

Stay Connected:
Council Website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram
 

ELRICH: ‘I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH STAFF RIGHT NOW TO OPEN UP ALL THE LIBRARIES’

 From MyMCMedia, reporter Deirdre Byrne. Full store here. Our question, were library staff laid off during the Pandemic? Yellow highlight my own.

At his weekly media briefing on Wednesday, County Executive Marc Elrich was asked by a reporter about why libraries, recreation centers, and senior centers still have not reopened.

According to Elrich, there are “different issues” for why these places have not fully reopened. “One is you know we don’t we don’t have everybody vaccinated then unless you’re going to start using passports to determine who comes in we’d like to be at a higher level of vaccination before we generally open things up which is why we’ve set our targets based on the percentage of people vaccinated now,” he said.

Elrich said another issue is that the county has not filled vacant positions for libraries and recreation over the last year, so it requires going through a hiring process. “I don’t have enough staff right now to open up all the libraries,” he said.

FOX5 Exclusive: Top Montgomery County schools executive lives in Georgia

 MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - One of the highest paid employees in Montgomery County Public Schools has taken working from home to a new level, moving to Georgia last summer, according to real estate records...

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/exclusive-top-montgomery-county-schools-executive-lives-in-georgia

Household COVID-19 risk and in-person schooling

 

Abstract

In-person schooling has proved contentious and difficult to study throughout the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Data from a massive online survey in the United States indicates an increased risk of COVID-19-related outcomes among respondents living with a child attending school in-person. School-based mitigation measures are associated with significant reductions in risk, particularly daily symptoms screens, teacher masking, and closure of extra-curricular activities. A positive association between in-person schooling and COVID-19 outcomes persists at low levels of mitigation, but when seven or more mitigation measures are reported, a significant relationship is no longer observed. Among teachers, working outside the home was associated with an increase in COVID-19-related outcomes, but this association is similar to other occupations (e.g., healthcare, office work). While in-person schooling is associated with household COVID-19 risk, this risk can likely be controlled with properly implemented school-based mitigation measures...

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2021/04/28/science.abh2939?fbclid=IwAR2mg0zW_LF_6W94QAcTc8bLbWKlVnjbIDwBlx3kzrIky7w5zGRNR3dYZWQ

COVID 'Doesn't Discriminate By Age': Serious Cases On The Rise In Younger Adults

After spending much of the past year tending to elderly patients, doctors are seeing a clear demographic shift: young and middle-aged adults make up a growing share of the patients in COVID-19 hospital wards.

It's both a sign of the country's success in protecting the elderly through vaccination and an urgent reminder that younger generations will pay a heavy price if the outbreak is allowed to simmer in communities across the country.

"We're now seeing people in their 30s, 40s and 50s — young people who are really sick," says Dr. Vishnu Chundi, an infectious disease physician and chair of the Chicago Medical Society's COVID-19 task force. "Most of them make it, but some do not. ... I just lost a 32-year-old with two children, so it's heartbreaking."..

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/05/01/992148299/covid-doesnt-discriminate-by-age-serious-cases-on-the-rise-in-younger-adults

Broward schools will begin on-campus COVID-19 vaccinations Tuesday with eight-day tour

 By reporters Wells Dusenbury and Scott Travis, in the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Full store here.

Broward County students will soon have the opportunity to get vaccinated without leaving campus.

Beginning on Tuesday, the Broward County School District will offer the COVID-19 vaccine at six schools, with all of the county schools visited over an eight-day span from Tuesday through May 13.

All students 16 and older are eligible to receive the vaccine, which will be administered by staff members from the state department of health in Broward County. The shots will be provided on a walk-up basis, so no appointments are necessary.

Students under 18 must be accompanied by parent to receive the Pfizer vaccine. Family members and school faculty will also be eligible to receive the vaccine.

“I think the health department is looking for unique ways to get the whole community vaccinated, so this is just another way that they can ensure that everyone has access to it,” Broward Schools Chief Portfolio Services Officer John Sullivan said. “So we’re very happy to partner with them to make it available to our school community.”

Everyone 16 and older is eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccines are free.

Everyone 16 and older is eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccines are safe and effective, and they're free. Make your appointment at a mass vaccination site now: covidvax.maryland.gov. #MdReady