The Montgomery County school system is gearing up for a showdown with the cash-strapped county over education funding. Montgomery County Public Schools took the first step toward a lawsuit, County Council members say, when it asked the Maryland State Board of Education for a “declaratory ruling” of the state’s per-pupil funding requirement — which Montgomery officials say they cannot afford. “It certainly makes it difficult to have a conversation and any trust between the players when the first thing out of the box is a potential lawsuit,” said Councilwoman Nancy Floreen, D-at large. “[The board] can do what they choose to do, but the facts are the facts, our revenues are down. This isn’t helping.”

Montgomery school officials threatened to sue the county government over funding last year when they sent a draft of lawsuit papers to council members, Floreen said.