Bureaucracy run amok in Balto. Co. schools

It seems the Baltimore County Public School system is bent on prohibiting as many non-school day activities in its facilities as it can ("No fair — Parents protest ban on craft shows," Jan. 18). My children's elementary school was recently denied permission by BCPS's facilities department to hold an electronics recycling collection on a Saturday in the parking lot. The reason given was that there were liability issues (with household electronics?!) and the "uncertainty of 3rd party vendors" (i.e., the recycling agency, who has done this for us for several years).

Last year the school was denied permission to build some compost bins in a new interior courtyard. This project was planned to support our Green Schools curriculum by recycling grass clippings and plant cuttings, while giving children hands-on learning opportunities. In contrast, Baltimore City schools are encouraged to offer many kinds of green activities on school property.

As a taxpayer and a concerned parent, I feel that school facilities should be used for school and community activities which enhance the curriculum and which generate income for school functions. Additionally, third party vendors are often necessary for having a fundraiser that the community wants, and vendors can be selected who support educational goals. It is time for the BCPS's policies to be revised with the larger community in mind.

Susanne Ogaitis-Jones, Catonsville