Audit finds ‘off the books’ account used by vendors to pay Montgomery Co. schools staff

[Anonymous]

Nearly a year after Montgomery County, Maryland, police reported they were investigating “possible financial improprieties” in the county school system’s transportation department, a new state audit offers details on what generated its investigation.
https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2022/10/audit-finds-off-the-books-account-used-by-vendors-to-pay-montgomery-co-schools-staff/

[Anonymous]

Sadly, not a surprise.

[Anonymous]

MCPS transportation is entirely corrupt, so nothing ever gets done. They always have bus trouble and have resisted all efforts to switch the high school and elementary start times.

[Anonymous]

No surprise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS transportation is entirely corrupt, so nothing ever gets done. They always have bus trouble and have resisted all efforts to switch the high school and elementary start times.

I don't think MCPS Transportation really cares about switching start times; they'll be running routes at the same times either way. Just in a different order.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS transportation is entirely corrupt, so nothing ever gets done. They always have bus trouble and have resisted all efforts to switch the high school and elementary start times.

I don't think MCPS Transportation really cares about switching start times; they'll be running routes at the same times either way. Just in a different order.

Guess who puts the lid on it every time it's suggested?

[Anonymous]

The WaPo article suggests that MCPS acted appropriately to identify and address the issues.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/10/04/montgomery-schools-transportation-investigation-audit/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The WaPo article suggests that MCPS acted appropriately to identify and address the issues.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/10/04/montgomery-schools-transportation-investigation-audit/

Explain how they acted appropriately in year 1, year 2, year 3, year 4 and year 5 of this funneling of liquidated damages to a secret account
that paid off Watkins and Ewald under the table.

[Anonymous]

Not a surprise.

MCPS spent 169m on an electric bus contract that probably will probably tear up the electric grid if it's not upgraded, assuming we ever see those busses.

https://wjla.com/features/i-team/school-bus-electric-buses-montgomery-county-public-schools-maryland-joe-biden-administration-mcps-highland-electric-fleets-transportation-fuel-epa-gas

https://driveteslacanada.ca/news/maryland-county-places-single-largest-order-for-electric-school-buses/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not a surprise.

MCPS spent 169m on an electric bus contract that probably will probably tear up the electric grid if it's not upgraded, assuming we ever see those busses.

https://wjla.com/features/i-team/school-bus-electric-buses-montgomery-county-public-schools-maryland-joe-biden-administration-mcps-highland-electric-fleets-transportation-fuel-epa-gas

https://driveteslacanada.ca/news/maryland-county-places-single-largest-order-for-electric-school-buses/

well, if mcps doesn't see buses, they can sue for non-performance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS transportation is entirely corrupt, so nothing ever gets done. They always have bus trouble and have resisted all efforts to switch the high school and elementary start times.

That's why we need to prioritize a boundary study to make busing less costly and create more compact boundaries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The WaPo article suggests that MCPS acted appropriately to identify and address the issues.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/10/04/montgomery-schools-transportation-investigation-audit/

Explain how they acted appropriately in year 1, year 2, year 3, year 4 and year 5 of this funneling of liquidated damages to a secret account
that paid off Watkins and Ewald under the table.

Isn't MCPS and the tax payers the victim here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS transportation is entirely corrupt, so nothing ever gets done. They always have bus trouble and have resisted all efforts to switch the high school and elementary start times.

That's why we need to prioritize a boundary study to make busing less costly and create more compact boundaries.

They'd only get marginally more compact. Not worth it for the angst it'd create.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a surprise.

MCPS spent 169m on an electric bus contract that probably will probably tear up the electric grid if it's not upgraded, assuming we ever see those busses.

https://wjla.com/features/i-team/school-bus-electric-buses-montgomery-county-public-schools-maryland-joe-biden-administration-mcps-highland-electric-fleets-transportation-fuel-epa-gas

https://driveteslacanada.ca/news/maryland-county-places-single-largest-order-for-electric-school-buses/

well, if mcps doesn't see buses, they can sue for non-performance.

But they won’t. They never do. Read the audit. MCPS administrators don’t hold vendors accountable.

[Anonymous]

It’s just another example of MCPS employees who use the system for their own personal financial benefit. It’s amazing how many no-bid contracts are approved by the Board of Education. The Kid Museum is another example outside of the Transportation Department. Seems to be standard operating procedure for MCPS to not get competing bids for a public school system contract.