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| Education Committee Current Issues |
When available, links are provided to documents that can be accessed on this or another website. To use
a link, simply click on the underlined item.
a link, simply click on the underlined item.
- On March 8, 2011, the Board of Education agreed to a change in the lease for the 20 acre MCPS
preparing the way for the county Department of General Services (DGS) to sign a new lease allowing
Montgomery Soccer, Inc. to develop soccer fields on the site.
- On March 20, 2012, Planning Department staff sent a letter to David Dise, DGS Director, asserting his
3/8/11 testimony to the BoE, in which he stated at a March 2010 meeting with DGS the "MNCPPC staff
did not raise any concerns at that time giving pause to this project", was a bit of a stretch. In their letter,
Planning staff detail several requirements in law which must be met in order for the county government to
proceed with the lease agreement for the re-use of the Brickyard Road site as private soccer fields (click
to view 3/20/12 Planning Dept. letter to Dise).
- Report of updates on issues that the Federation's Education Committee is tracking as of November
- On 10/28/11 the Superintendent's Recommended MCPS FY2013-2018 CIP (Capital Improvements
of Education will hold worksession; public hearings before the Board held 11/10/11 and 11/14/11 on
Superintendent's Recommended FY13 Capital Budget and FY13-18 CIP; Board took final action in
November 2011; County Council to hold worksession in late November to discuss portion of MCPS FY13
Capital Budget that relates to state funding; County Executive will publish his CIP recommendations for
all county agencies in mid-January 2012; Council will hold public hearings in early February, then
worksessions in March and April, and adopt in late May 2012.
- On 12/7/11 Superintendent Joshua Starr released his proposed MCPS Operating Budget
2013, a 2 percent increase ($41.4 million) over the current budget. MCPS held public hearings on
January 11 and 18, 2012. (Click to view proposed FY13 MCPS Operating Budget)
- New MCPS Superintendent Joshua Starr's Transition Team has filed its report (click to view the
- On July 19, 2011, the Office of Legislative Oversight released a report entitled "Food in
- In June 2011, Superintendent of Schools Jerry Weast sent a memo to the Board of Education to
- On 5/10/11, the Board of Education announced the official appointment of Dr. Joshua P. Starr as
Starr bio, or copy of contract)
- On June 8, 2010, an Agreement was signed between Montgomery County Public Schools and
Program Development Plan (PDP) was to have been released by MCPS within 10 days of signing the
Agreement
- On February 23, 2011, MCPS finally released the North Star Project draft Program Development Plan
which was due for release in June 2010 (click to view draft PDP)
- On 5/2/11, the Civic Federation transmitted a letter to Council seeking retention of existing School
(see Public Finance-Current Issues webpage for link to letter)
- On May 26, 2011, County Council approved FY2012 Operating Budget, retaining 6 SROs (see Public
Finance-Current Issues webpage for link to Council press release on approved budget)
- On 4/13/11, draft "Review of Benefits and Issues Associated with Natural and Artificial Turf
county Departments of Environmental Protection and Health & Human Services--deadline for public
comments was extended from original May 13 date to June 3 (click to view the draft report)
- On 5/13/11, MCCF submitted detailed comments on draft report (click to view MCCF comments)
- Final Report of the Artificial Turf Playing Fields Working Group released (click to view Final Report)
- On 9/26/11, Council Education Committee and Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment
Committee will discuss Final Report of the Working Group (2:00 pm in 3rd Floor Hearing Room)
- On March 18, 2011, Maryland House of Delegates suspended rules to allow late introduction of
funding for public school operation and expenses." in addition to county property tax (click to view status
of bill)
- On March 30, House Ways and Means Committee hearing on the bill
- not reported out of committee for House vote
- On March 8, 2011, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Cluster Middle School Site Selection Task Force
Rosemary Hills/Lyttonsville Local Park as their first choice for the site of a second middle school in the
cluster, with the Rock Creek Hills Local Park (site of former Kensington Junior High School) as an
alternate (click to view report)
- At their April 28, 2011 meeting, the Board of Education chose Rock Creek Hills Local Park as their
preferred site for B-CC Middle School #2; a feasibility study will be conducted in Spring 2011.
- At the November 2, 2011, Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Joshua Starr detailed all of the
issues that have arisen during the BCC Middle School #2 Site Selection process including the Open
Meetings Act violation, the challenge of the site selection that is currently pending at the State Board of
Education, and concluded his presentation by announcing that a new site selection committee should be
formed and the process should be re-started.
- On Monday, November 7, 2011, WTOP radio reported that Superintendent Starr has stated a new site
selection process will be undertaken.
- Planning Board scheduled review and discussion of public sites evaluated in the new Report of the Site
Selection Advisory Committee for Bethesda-Chevy Chase Middle School #2 for Monday, April 9, 2012 at
5 p.m. (click to view new SSAC report)
- On March 2, 2011, the Montgomery County Board of Education filed a "Petition for Declaratory
Maintenance of Effort school funding law to require the county increase the MCPS budget for FY12--the
fiscal year beginning July 1, 2011--by $82 million (or 5.8 percent) above last year's approved funding of
$1.4 billion.
- In a letter dated March 10, Council President Ervin requested the county BoE withdraw its "Petition for
Declaratory Ruling," in order to avoid potential litigation. (click to see Council press release on 3/10
letter)
- On April 28, 2011, County Council and County Executive Leggett sent a letter to the Maryland Board
of Education saying they will not seek a waiver from the State's "maintenance of effort" schools funding
law but would instead pay a penalty, if required, in order to reset per-pupil spending at a lower level
- State Delegate Richard Madaleno (D.-District 18) has pre-filed Bill MC 11-11, which gives
associated with the construction, remodeling, and placement of certain school buildings; and
generally relating to the authority of the Montgomery County government to issue permits and
enforce regulations and codes associated with school buildings.” Public hearing before the county
delegation set for December 6, prior to the 2011 General Assembly session.
Background: In October, the BOE installed two portable trailers at College Gardens Elementary
School, in violation of the City of Rockville Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO). The
Rockville Planning Commission had denied the application because the portable trailers do not
meet fire safety provisions. When the City of Rockville went to the Board of Education (BOE), the
MCPS superintendent wrote to City officials, telling them that MCPS is not required to follow City
regulations. The September 23, 2010 letter from Dr. Weast (MCPS Superintendent) to the City of
Rockville states in part, “MCPS is not obligated to comply with regulations of a local jurisdiction,
such as Rockville’s APFO.” Madaleno’s Bill corrects that oversight, so that MCPS legally will not
have to comply with local regulations.
(click to view Bill MC11-11)
- 4/9/11 bill withdrawn by sponsor
- Memo dated 1/6/11 from School Superintendent Jerry Weast to Board of Education notes
more grade levels, sending those clusters into moratorium as of July of 2011--meaning no new
residential development projects could be approved by the Planning Board in those cluster areas
until additional classroom capacity is added (click to view Weast 1/6/11 memo)
- On May 26, 2011, County Council approved amendments to the FY11-16 Capital Improvements
Program, including funding to add classroom capacity in B-CC, Northwest, Downcounty Consortium, and
Richard Montgomery clusters to keep them from going into moratorium (see Public Finance-Current
Issues webpage for link to Council press release on approved budget)
- In early 2011, the Board of Education held public forums on MCPS Superintendent search
community comment on the educational priorities and desired leadership qualities of the next
superintendent of the Montgomery County Public Schools.
- On May 10, 2011, the BoE announced the hiring of Dr. Joshua Starr, who was currently the
Superintendent of Schools in Stamford, Connecticut, to replace outgoing MCPS Superintendent of
Schools Jerry Weast (click to view Starr contract and Starr bio)