The bill that would have enabled Montgomery County Public Schools to charge some of its students bus fees has been scrapped in Annapolis by the senator that introduced it, after the state warned Sen. Richard Madaleno (D-Silver Spring) that his proposal might violate the Maryland Constitution.
Madaleno told The Washington Examiner in November that he wanted to give the school system options when facing tough budgetary decisions. Transportation for students attending magnet schools was nearly cut to save $4.9 million in the last budget cycle, but was narrowly saved by protesting parents, and Madaleno thought the ability to charge out-of-consortium bus fees could alleviate the situation.
But Madaleno recently withdrew the proposed bill. In a letter to the chairman of Montgomery County’s House delegation, Madaleno called the legislation “not sufficient” and urged the school board “to explore alternatives to save bus transportation for these exceptional programs and the jobs of these Montgomery County employees.”
The Maryland Attorney General’s office reportedly told Madaleno that the bill was in violation to a child’s right to a free education.
