MCPS Violated Open Meetings Act, According to State Board

Montgomery County Public Schools violated Maryland's Open Meetings Act by choosing as the site for a new middle school in a closed meeting, the state ruled Friday.

The Open Meetings Compliance Board said in its ruling that the Board of Education ran afoul of the act when it did not disclose important facts about its April 28 site-selection meeting and did not keep adequate minutes of the proceedings. The ruling also says that MCPS neglected to give proper notice to the public about the meeting and did not give neighborhood residents proper representation on the site-selection committee.

MCPS anticipated this ruling and has already changed its policy on closed-door meetings to avoid further violations, spokeswoman Lesli Maxwell told the Gazette.

The ruling does not recommend any punitive action, and the Open Meetings Compliance Board does not have the power to issue penalties or overturn rulings, the Gazette reported.

The Board of Education had previously acknowledged following the selection of the Rock Creek Hills site, and the summer-long feasibility study meetings on the project have often featured clashes between neighbors and MCPS representatives.

The next public meeting on the middle school is Thursday at 7 p.m., when architects and MCPS representatives will discuss proposed designs for the school to the community at Westland Middle School in Bethesda.