The Baltimore County Council will vote Monday night on a proposal by County Executive Jim Smith to spend the $12 million originally allocated for an addition to Loch Raven High School on repaving school parking lots and tennis courts.

Mr. Smith announced his decision just 12 hours after the Board of Education rescinded its support of the county executive’s plan to add on to Loch Raven, saying the county’s pattern of “warehousing” students had to stop.

While the list of projects the county executive chose to fund did come from the school system, parents are sharply questioning the county’s priorities. Half the schools in Baltimore County still don’t have air conditioning — a statistic that ties us for last in the state of Maryland. Many would like to see that money spent on that.

Others, like Perry Hall activist David Marks, question why the money wouldn’t be saved to purchase land for a new high school in the northeast area of the county — which would alleviate overcrowding at several high schools.

The Board of Education was not consulted on what to do with the $12 million, which some have said was improper.

Read more about Monday’s vote here, in this Baltimore Examiner article. Or email your County Councilman at the address below:

County Councilman Sam Moxley, Council1@baltimorecountymd.gov
County Councilman Kevin Kamenetz, Council2@baltimorecountymd.gov
County Councilman T. Bryan McIntire, Council3@baltimorecountymd.gov
County Councilman Ken Oliver, Council4@baltimorecountymd.gov
County Councilman Vince Gardina, Council5@baltimorecountymd.gov
County Councilman Joe Bartenfelder, Council6@baltimorecountymd.gov
County Councilman John Olsewski, Council7@baltimorecountymd.gov