Board of Education finds way to tax students

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are 22:52 and 23:04 arguing with one another? It sort of seems like they are insulating one another but ultimately both seem to be saying the Parents’ Coalition is misrepresenting the matter. Does anyone agree with the PC? I really can’t follow their post.

Isn't the Board of Education resolution self explanatory?

Not to someone who isn’t immersed in budget issues.

Explain it to the rest of us. The resolution is back on the Board of Education's Agenda for tomorrow.

Student fees (money collected from football games, plays, prom, field trips) will be use to purchase computer technology.
That's all the resolution says. Explain why that is permissible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain what exactly is being proposed? Are people saying they would charge a computer fee to be able to use a Chromebook?

No not really, but they can make up things to get people worked up over nothing.

OK, classic Parents' Coalition then. I kind of *want* MCPS to charge a computer fee so I can refuse to pay and have my kids not use Chromebooks. Too bad.

They'll just have to charge you for textbooks and reams of paper instead. And your kid will hate you as they drag those books back and forth.

We had to buy one of two of our textbooks if we wanted a hard copy. I'd prefer my own computer so I'm fine with them only providing it to kids who need it or charging parents a fee as long as we can bring our own (which would be cheaper than a fee).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Next year the board will be collecting fees from students and using that money to fund the operating budget. This is just another tax that school families will be paying.

https://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2024/06/board-of-education-to-raid-student.html

Hi Janis.

I am completely cool with use fees for things like band, sports, etc. I don’t want my taxes to be higher overall to pay for activities that don’t involve my child. Your petition is really stupid. What a strange hill on which to die.

So parents of kids who don't ride a bus shouldn't pay taxes to pay for buses and parents of kids who do ride the bus shouldn't pay taxes for crossing guards. Makes total sense.

We are slightly under two miles. We don't get bus or crossing guards and the walk is across several major roads. Why should I pay for buses we don't get. I'd love a bus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain what exactly is being proposed? Are people saying they would charge a computer fee to be able to use a Chromebook?

No not really, but they can make up things to get people worked up over nothing.

OK, classic Parents' Coalition then. I kind of *want* MCPS to charge a computer fee so I can refuse to pay and have my kids not use Chromebooks. Too bad.

They'll just have to charge you for textbooks and reams of paper instead. And your kid will hate you as they drag those books back and forth.

We had to buy one of two of our textbooks if we wanted a hard copy. I'd prefer my own computer so I'm fine with them only providing it to kids who need it or charging parents a fee as long as we can bring our own (which would be cheaper than a fee).

You never had to buy a textbook. That's illegal in Maryland.

You are fine with what? Charging students for a material of instruction just as long as you don't have to pay?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain what exactly is being proposed? Are people saying they would charge a computer fee to be able to use a Chromebook?

No not really, but they can make up things to get people worked up over nothing.

OK, classic Parents' Coalition then. I kind of *want* MCPS to charge a computer fee so I can refuse to pay and have my kids not use Chromebooks. Too bad.

They'll just have to charge you for textbooks and reams of paper instead. And your kid will hate you as they drag those books back and forth.

We had to buy one of two of our textbooks if we wanted a hard copy. I'd prefer my own computer so I'm fine with them only providing it to kids who need it or charging parents a fee as long as we can bring our own (which would be cheaper than a fee).

You never had to buy a textbook. That's illegal in Maryland.

You are fine with what? Charging students for a material of instruction just as long as you don't have to pay?

It may be illegal but the teacher sent an email saying they needed a copy for at home. Thankfully it was older so we could get a used one cheaply.

[Anonymous]

Why are we taking out a loan for “hardware and services”? What hardware and services are we buying? Why is it so vital that we need to pay interest on it, rather than buying it on a schedule we can afford? Technology tends to have a short lifespan - will whatever we’re purchasing be outdated by the time we’ve managed to pay it off, necessitating another loan to update whatever it is?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are we taking out a loan for “hardware and services”? What hardware and services are we buying? Why is it so vital that we need to pay interest on it, rather than buying it on a schedule we can afford? Technology tends to have a short lifespan - will whatever we’re purchasing be outdated by the time we’ve managed to pay it off, necessitating another loan to update whatever it is?

The Board of Education takes out loans for everything. 100M in loans taken out all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are we taking out a loan for “hardware and services”? What hardware and services are we buying? Why is it so vital that we need to pay interest on it, rather than buying it on a schedule we can afford? Technology tends to have a short lifespan - will whatever we’re purchasing be outdated by the time we’ve managed to pay it off, necessitating another loan to update whatever it is?

The Board of Education takes out loans for everything. 100M in loans taken out all the time.

Board of Education just approved this agenda item. Student fees can now be used to support the operating budget.
A direct tax to parents without any oversight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are we taking out a loan for “hardware and services”? What hardware and services are we buying? Why is it so vital that we need to pay interest on it, rather than buying it on a schedule we can afford? Technology tends to have a short lifespan - will whatever we’re purchasing be outdated by the time we’ve managed to pay it off, necessitating another loan to update whatever it is?

The Board of Education takes out loans for everything. 100M in loans taken out all the time.

Board of Education just approved this agenda item. Student fees can now be used to support the operating budget.
A direct tax to parents without any oversight.

IAF is regularly audited by the Internal audit department and reported on each year. So clear there will be oversight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are 22:52 and 23:04 arguing with one another? It sort of seems like they are insulating one another but ultimately both seem to be saying the Parents’ Coalition is misrepresenting the matter. Does anyone agree with the PC? I really can’t follow their post.

Isn't the Board of Education resolution self explanatory?

Not to someone who isn’t immersed in budget issues.

Explain it to the rest of us. The resolution is back on the Board of Education's Agenda for tomorrow.

Student fees (money collected from football games, plays, prom, field trips) will be use to purchase computer technology.
That's all the resolution says. Explain why that is permissible.

How much more technology do they need. They are against virtual learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are we taking out a loan for “hardware and services”? What hardware and services are we buying? Why is it so vital that we need to pay interest on it, rather than buying it on a schedule we can afford? Technology tends to have a short lifespan - will whatever we’re purchasing be outdated by the time we’ve managed to pay it off, necessitating another loan to update whatever it is?

The Board of Education takes out loans for everything. 100M in loans taken out all the time.

Board of Education just approved this agenda item. Student fees can now be used to support the operating budget.
A direct tax to parents without any oversight.

IAF is regularly audited by the Internal audit department and reported on each year. So clear there will be oversight.

Regular as in every time a principal changes and never, ever all the IAF accounts only a small sample.

Lots of room for MCPS to start dipping into these accounts. They already used Field Trip Fees for artificial turf purposes and you didn't even notice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are 22:52 and 23:04 arguing with one another? It sort of seems like they are insulating one another but ultimately both seem to be saying the Parents’ Coalition is misrepresenting the matter. Does anyone agree with the PC? I really can’t follow their post.

Isn't the Board of Education resolution self explanatory?

Not to someone who isn’t immersed in budget issues.

Explain it to the rest of us. The resolution is back on the Board of Education's Agenda for tomorrow.

Student fees (money collected from football games, plays, prom, field trips) will be use to purchase computer technology.
That's all the resolution says. Explain why that is permissible.

How much more technology do they need. They are against virtual learning.

They are only against virtual learning for sick or disabled children. They are not against virtual summer school, virtual field trips and virtual adult education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are we taking out a loan for “hardware and services”? What hardware and services are we buying? Why is it so vital that we need to pay interest on it, rather than buying it on a schedule we can afford? Technology tends to have a short lifespan - will whatever we’re purchasing be outdated by the time we’ve managed to pay it off, necessitating another loan to update whatever it is?

The Board of Education takes out loans for everything. 100M in loans taken out all the time.

Board of Education just approved this agenda item. Student fees can now be used to support the operating budget.
A direct tax to parents without any oversight.

IAF is regularly audited by the Internal audit department and reported on each year. So clear there will be oversight.

Regular as in every time a principal changes and never, ever all the IAF accounts only a small sample.

Lots of room for MCPS to start dipping into these accounts. They already used Field Trip Fees for artificial turf purposes and you didn't even notice.

Practically speaking, was that just an accounting move? As in, paying field trips out of the operating budget, but then using field trip fees to pay for turf? Or are they overcharging on field trip fees?