A state audit shows at least eight Maryland school systems didn鈥檛 use $12.3 million designated for students in underserved communities.

According to the from the Office of the Inspector General for Education, officials with the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) didn鈥檛 provide training and guidance for local school officials to utilize what are known as concentration of poverty grants.

Those grants are to aid students inside buildings designated as community schools, which receive services such as before- or after-school tutoring, access to mental health professionals and educational field trips. Community schools, which are around the state, are part of the education reform plan.

Two pieces of legislation focused on community schools are part of this year鈥檚 set of priorities. The bills are proposed to help expand the number of community schools in school systems with fewer than 40.

鈥淪everal [school districts] shared frustrations about the lack of clarification or guidance by MSDE staff about whether certain items, positions, or services could/could not be procured using [concentration of poverty] funding,鈥� Inspector General Richard P. Henry wrote in last week鈥檚 audit. 鈥淪pecifically, [the districts] advised that MSDE staff would primarily provide only verbal guidance regarding how to spend CoP funds on wraparound services, and little to no written approval or guidance was provided.鈥�

The audit, which reviewed records from July 1, 2019, through Jan. 31, 2023, noted about $1 million was returned to the state. The 鈥渟elected鈥� school systems, also referred to as local education agencies, or LEAs, that were investigated were Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Dorchester, Montgomery, Somerset, Washington and Wicomico counties.

According to the audit, money from the concentration of poverty grants is disbursed in two portions:

• Personnel grants: A fixed amount to hire a community school coordinator and a health care practitioner.
• Per-pupil grants: Money used to provide various wraparound services that can include additional school counselors, English language leaner classes and professional development for teachers and other staff.

However, the audit shows personnel grants allocated between fiscal years 2020 to 2022 were only used in Dorchester and Wicomico counties.

Some local school officials used the concentration of poverty grant funding to pay consultants to train staff on how to use the money. One example in the audit noted a school system entered into a five-year, $4.1 million contract to receive 鈥渃ontinued technical support in implementing a community school strategy.鈥�

Senior staff with the MSDE weren鈥檛 aware of this going on, the audit said, but 鈥淟EAs appropriately reported these training costs to MSDE, but MSDE did not have any follow-up questions regarding these expenses. This absence of follow-up appears to be attributable to MSDE’s lack of adequate controls regarding LEAs鈥� submitted reports and expenditures.鈥�

A recommendation from the audit to the department: develop a strategy for communicating policies and procedures to all school staff. In addition, the department should establish a team of subject matter experts, legal counsel and other stakeholders in the process such as representatives from the Blueprint Accountability and Implementation Board. The board, known as the AIB, oversees the education reform plan through 2032.

Responses

Interim Superintendent of Schools Carey Wright, who began working as the state鈥檚 , wrote in a letter dated Feb. 1 that the agency 鈥渋s committed to continuously improving its processes and internal controls鈥︹��

The department submitted several responses to the inspector general, including that a concentration of poverty grant program manager continues to coordinate the development of policies and procedures that began in November. A draft of the procedures will be shared with the AIB, with full implementation estimated for March 1.

The program manager is coordinating an annual review process of the concentration of poverty grant policies and procedures with stakeholders to be implemented by July 1, the agency said in response to the audit.

One recommendation where the department disagrees with the inspector general was a suggestion to temporarily pause specific finance and program activities. mandates funding for buildings designated as community schools.

The department hired an independent firm in September 2023 to verify grant expenditures incurred from fiscal year 2020 to fiscal year 2023. The contract is set to expire this September.

Henry, the inspector general, wrote in response that the department should 鈥渃ontinue to engage the independent firm鈥� beyond September.

The [inspector general鈥檚 office] “believes that the State Audit referenced in MSDEs response will not ensure that LEAs are using grant funds in accordance with State law,鈥� Henry wrote.

Shamoyia Gardiner, executive director of Strong Schools Maryland, said it鈥檚 not the first time an audit has reported problems with the department.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not a surprise,鈥� she said after a rainy rally Monday in Annapolis by advocates requesting that lawmakers 鈥渇ully fund鈥� the Blueprint plan.

Gardiner said the Blueprint board has the authority to approve all implementation plans and assess the spending of funds.

鈥淭he fact that didn鈥檛 happen is a sign that perhaps we need stronger accountability,鈥� she said.

This article originally appeared in .

During a heavy snowstorm Tuesday that caused schools to close all over Wisconsin, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jill Underly spoke by telephone with the Wisconsin Examiner about the health of the state鈥檚 public education system, student achievement, the growth of school vouchers, political attacks on diversity and her hopes for the coming year.

Parents bill of rights

As we spoke, Republican legislators were preparing to hold an executive session Thursday on , a 鈥淧arents Bill of Rights鈥� that encourages lawsuits by parents who feel that their rights have been violated because they were not informed about medical services offered at school or about the discussion of 鈥渃ontroversial subjects鈥�  in class, including gender identity and racism, or because they were not given the authority to determine the names and pronouns used to address their children.

Under the bill, a parent or guardian who successfully asserts a claim 鈥渕ay recover declaratory relief, injunctive relief, reasonable attorney鈥檚 fees and costs, and up to $10,000 for any other appropriate relief.鈥�

鈥淭he reality is that meaningful parental engagement is happening every single day between our teachers and their students鈥� families and caregivers,鈥� Underly said. The Parents Bill of Rights 鈥渋s designed to shut down discussion and creates an environment of fear for our educators because it inserts them into a culture war that no one should be fighting in the first place.鈥�

She sees the bill as part of a larger pattern of attacks on public schools and democracy itself.

鈥淵ou think about the things that the Legislature picks up on,鈥� Underly said. 鈥淟et鈥檚 attack libraries. Let鈥檚 attack the curriculum. Let鈥檚 attack teachers, let鈥檚 attack school boards because they wanted to wear masks during the virus. 鈥� I think it鈥檚 really a way to make sure that we instill distrust in our public institutions.鈥�

There is 鈥渁 lot of misinformation out there,鈥� Underly added, propagated by people and groups insinuating that schools provide inappropriate materials to kids. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 by design. Misinformation is designed to stoke outrage.鈥�

Another Republican bill, , would require public schools to comply with written requests from residents in their districts to inspect a textbook, curriculum or instructional material within 14 days.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 really burdensome,鈥� said Underly. 鈥淟et me just say right now, if you have a question about curriculum, you can access that. You contact the school, the principal and the teacher will work to get you the information.鈥�

School voucher lawsuit

The message that public schools are 鈥渇ailing鈥� and do not adequately serve Wisconsin families has been promoted for decades by advocates for school privatization, including the Bradley Foundation, which also Milwaukee鈥檚 first-in-the-nation school voucher program. That program, which started out serving 350 kids, has mushroomed to include more than 52,000 students in the statewide, Racine and Milwaukee programs.

In December, the Wisconsin Supreme Court declined to hear a challenging Wisconsin鈥檚 private school voucher program. The suit, sponsored by Minocqua Brewing Co. owner Kirk Bangstad, named Underly, in her official capacity, as a defendant. It charged that taxpayer-financed private school vouchers are a huge financial drain, pushing local public school districts into a 鈥渄eath spiral鈥� and that they violate the state constitution鈥檚 promise to provide high-quality public schools for every child.

Asked to comment on the lawsuit, Underly said she couldn鈥檛 speak to the constitutionality of school vouchers. But, she added,  鈥淚 believe that we cannot afford two school systems.鈥�

鈥淲e need to robustly fund the system that serves all kids,鈥� she said, 鈥渁nd that鈥檚 our public schools.鈥�

(Late last year Underly another recent Supreme Court lawsuit, filed by teachers and other public employees challenging Act 10, the 2011 law that took away most collective bargaining rights from most public employees: 鈥淩eturning collective bargaining rights to public sector employees will strengthen our educator workforce, and strengthening our educator workforce will improve our children鈥檚 education and create a stronger future for our state,鈥� she said in a statement.)

Even though the voucher lawsuit was kicked back down to lower court, Underly said it could still help raise awareness  that, unlike public schools, which are open to every child, Wisconsin鈥檚 school choice programs 鈥渁re allowing these schools that accept vouchers to discriminate against students, students with disabilities, students who are LGBTQ+.鈥�

Worrying about LGBTQ kids

Underly said she worries 鈥渁ll the time鈥� about the well-being of LGBTQ kids in Wisconsin. She cited data showing that 鈥渢hese kids who struggle to feel included or to be seen, you know, their mental health struggles are higher.鈥�

鈥淎t the heart of all this I think what I would like people to realize, and I think many people do, [is that] at the center of all of this is a child.鈥�

鈥淎nd when we attack them,鈥� she added, 鈥渨hen we tell them, you know, their identity doesn鈥檛 matter or we have to take down symbols that show that they鈥檙e included, that鈥檚 hurting them. 鈥� It鈥檚 saying that you don鈥檛 belong here or you鈥檙e not wanted. 鈥� I just want to tell people, these are kids. These are human beings. And they deserve love and empathy.鈥�

Missing the Regents鈥� vote to cut back DEI

Along with recent efforts to ban books and remove LGBTQ Pride flags, Wisconsin schools have been at the center of a battle over diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. Underly, who serves on the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, was absent for the vote in which the Regents reversed themselves and agreed to legislative Republicans鈥� demands that they eliminate DEI positions in exchange for promised funding for faculty raises and capital improvements.

Underly was out of the country, traveling with her elderly mother in Austria, on a vacation she said she鈥檇 had to reschedule several times, when the Regents voted 9-8 to reject the deal limiting diversity positions on Saturday, Dec. 9. She was still out of the country the following Wednesday, Dec 13, when the Regents reversed their decision in a second vote.

Between votes, Underly issued a statement asking that the second vote be postponed so she could attend. She had intermittent internet access, she explained, and wouldn鈥檛 be available at the meeting time. But the Regents went ahead without her.

鈥淧art of my frustration with that is that my position on diversity, equity and inclusion is very clear,鈥� Underly said. 鈥淚 think people knew how I was going to vote. Unfortunately, I couldn鈥檛 make it 鈥�  I wasn鈥檛 part of any of the discussions.鈥�

Like Gov. Tony Evers, Underly doesn鈥檛 believe there should have been any further negotiations between the Regents and the Legislature over funds that were already approved as part of the state budget.

Now, as Assembly Speaker Robin Vos pledges to eliminate every trace of DEI throughout the state, Underly said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely that slippery slope argument. You give in on one thing, and they certainly will want to take more.鈥�

Still, she added, 鈥渢hese programs aren鈥檛 going to go away. 鈥� They exist to make sure that every citizen in the state of Wisconsin has access to higher education. That includes veterans. That includes kids from rural Wisconsin who want to study to become doctors. It includes women. It includes kids who come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.鈥�

Will UW hold onto minority scholarship programs and other targets of Republicans in the Legislature, and somehow meet its agreement to eliminate the language of DEI without actually getting rid of programs that promote diversity?

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know,鈥� Underly said. 鈥淚 guess in my role as Regent what I do look forward to is having these conversations and in many ways protecting these positions [including] the scholarships and [other] components.鈥�

What about voucher schools that serve underserved kids?

On the flip side, what does Underly make of the argument made by school choice advocates like Madison鈥檚 One City independent charter school founder Kaleem Caire, that Wisconsin鈥檚 between Black and white students is unacceptable and the lack of diversity among teaching staff contributes to a lousy environment in the local public school district for Black kids?

鈥淚鈥檓 not going to say that his heart鈥檚 not in the right place,鈥� said Underly. 鈥淲e want all kids to be successful, and he is in a community and he interacts with children of color and their families all the time.鈥�

Still, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think the answer is pulling kids out of public schools and funding private schools,鈥� Underly said. 鈥淚 would argue the opposite and say we need to put the resources in the public schools so that all kids can be successful.鈥�

Working on teacher training, curriculum, adjusting the length of the school day or the school year are all 鈥渨ays we could address the achievement gap, and the opportunity gaps that we see, especially among children of color,鈥� she said.

鈥淭his is really where we get at the root of what equity is,鈥� Underly added, 鈥済etting the schools what they need, so that their kids can be successful, and that鈥檚 not going to be the same thing in every school or in every community.鈥�

Poverty and student success

Among the biggest equity issues public schools must address, Underly said, is poverty.

Children facing housing insecurity and hunger are 鈥渘ot going to score as well on a standardized test,鈥� she said.

鈥淲hat public schools have done is they鈥檝e tried to level that playing field. They have provided food for kids, they provide stability, whether it鈥檚 for in-school or after-school programs, they provide the art and the music and these enrichment classes that kids in poverty perhaps can鈥檛 afford to get outside of school.鈥�

The whole purpose of public schools is to create a more equitable society by providing opportunity to kids whose families live in poverty. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a fundamental value of democracy,鈥� said Underly. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 inclusion 鈥� making sure that not just the wealthy have access to these things.鈥�

Fundamentally, Underly agrees with the plaintiffs in the anti-voucher lawsuit that the private school voucher movement undermines democracy. 鈥淧ublic schools are among the most democratic institutions that you can think of because they accept everybody, regardless of their language, their socioeconomic status, their gender, who their parents are, their immigrant status. Because that鈥檚 what inclusion is. And when you have these outside groups attack public schools, they鈥檙e really attacking that democratic institution.鈥�

School report cards

The latest round of released by DPI showed students test scores continuing to improve after the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic.

None of Wisconsin鈥檚 school districts is rated as 鈥渇ailing鈥� in the latest assessments and 94% of districts meet or exceed  expectations. But critics say DPI is setting the bar too low. Will Flanders of Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty told : 鈥淲hile DPI may tout there has been an increase across the board, we still have districts like Milwaukee where proficiency rates are less than 20% and somehow that seems to be meeting expectations.鈥�

Public school student proficiency rates for 2022-23 were better than in 2020-21 and 2021-22. But they still seem low:  38.9% were proficient in English language arts and 37.4% were proficient in math. Students participating in the state鈥檚 Private School Choice Programs, however, had even lower proficiency rates of 22.1% in English language arts and 17.9% in math in 2022-23.

Student assessment scores are only one factor in determining district report card scores, a spokesperson for DPI explains. For districts with high percentages of low-income students, growth is weighted more significantly than achievement 鈥� a .

鈥淥ur public education system should be about getting every kid what they need 鈥� in the way they need it 鈥� in order to achieve success,鈥� Underly said.

In announcing the latest assessment data, DPI pointed to a that found Wisconsin鈥檚 performance standards in reading and math were among the highest in the nation, corresponding to higher levels of proficiency as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

Big financial challenges for public schools

Still, schools face big challenges, particularly those with large numbers of low-income and special education students and English language learners. The biggest challenge, Underly said, is revenue.

After more than a decade of school funding that , and a less than 30% state reimbursement for special education 鈥� a mandatory cost that is eating up school districts鈥� budgets, driving deep cuts in other programs, public school advocates with the latest state budget.

Gov. Evers had adopted DPI鈥檚 proposals in his own budget, including a big increase in the state reimbursement for special education from less than 30% to 60%, lifting local revenue limits and providing a total funding increase of $2.6 billion. The Legislature stripped that down to $1 billion, and left 40% of school districts with less funding this year than they had under the previous, zero-increase budget.

Remaining hopeful part of the job

Despite the existential challenges facing Wisconsin public schools, including the elimination, next year, of the cap on enrollment for voucher schools, Underly said she has a lot of hope for 2024.

鈥淲hen we talk to kids, especially the ones that remember COVID 鈥� middle school, high school kids 鈥� they have a lot of hope for the future.鈥�

She is already working on her next budget proposal, which will include teacher recruitment, increasing funding for mental health and, once again, an increase in the state鈥檚 special education reimbursement, as well as programs including free meals that address poverty.

鈥淲e need to get kids what they need, so that they can be successful and making sure that they鈥檙e not hungry is really critical for them to be able to focus and concentrate,鈥� she said.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important that we continue this hopeful outlook because that鈥檚 what our schools need,鈥� Underly added. 鈥淥ur schools don鈥檛 need to be attacked. Our students don鈥檛 need to be attacked. So just supporting our schools, supporting our students and supporting that hope is part of supporting their education.鈥�

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Wisconsin Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Ruth Conniff for questions: info@wisconsinexaminer.com. Follow Wisconsin Examiner on and .

The towers, which stand 60-to-80 feet tall, have been erected by the school district at  Dunbar High School, Morningside Middle School, Rosemont Middle School and Eastern Hills High School. 

One-quarter of students most in need of internet access have been connected. The remaining 75% of students will get internet service when phase two of the project begins in December. Zip codes that are underserved will be targeted, according to the district. 

The pandemic and its effects, including the rise of virtual learning, exposed the digital divide, particularly in communities of color. Those students lack wifi access, exacerbating the already existing racial achievement gap in many schools across the country. 

The towers are meant to help combat that problem in Fort Worth where an estimated 60,000 residents lack internet access. 

鈥淥ur towers are up and functional,鈥� said Chief Information Officer Marlon Shears in a statement. 鈥淲e are continuing to deploy service by getting modems to students in need. We also have begun the process to put up more towers, extending service into additional areas.鈥�

Voters approved funding the project in November 2020 through the Tax Ratification Election (TRE).

According to the 2019 Worst Connected Cities from the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, Fort Worth ranked No. 245 out of 625 cities in terms of connectivity. The report, based on data from the 2019 American Community Survey, found that 11% of  Fort Worth households did not have broadband and nearly 28% of households lacked a cable, fiber optic line or DSL. This was an improvement over 2018, when 31% of households did not have cable, fiber optic or DSL. 

NDIA Executive Director Angela Siefer said 36 million U.S. households don’t have a home broadband subscription. Of the 36 million, 26 million are in urban areas. 

鈥淪o we know we have an infrastructure availability issue in rural areas,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd what we know in urban areas is even when the infrastructure is there, people don’t always subscribe. And why don’t people subscribe? It’s expensive, digital literacy issues, trust issues about getting stuck with large bills. 

鈥淪o there needs to be alternative solutions,鈥� Siefer continued. 鈥淎nd what some school districts are doing … is they’ve come up with an alternative solution, which is, you know what, we’re just going to build it ourselves.鈥�

That鈥檚 what Fort Worth is doing.  

Clay Robison, spokesman for Texas State Teachers Association, noted that most students in Texas are no longer learning remotely, but are back in classrooms. 

鈥淭he new Fort Worth towers should benefit students and teachers who are still involved in remote instruction,鈥� he said, adding students learn best with a teacher in the classroom.  

鈥淚f the Fort Worth district continues to provide wifi access. This will help students with their homework and studies at home and, we hope, help narrow the digital divide between low-income and more-fortunate students,鈥� he said, later adding: 鈥淢ost school districts were scrambling after the pandemic broke out to provide digital access to students who needed it. Some districts were more successful than others.鈥�