Schools

Up to half of sexually active young people will get a sexually transmitted disease by the time they are 25, yet many don't seek testing because it may be difficult, costly or embarrassing. Public health officials nationally and in particularly affected cities like Baltimore, however, say they've found a method that seems to address the major hurdles — a website that supplies free in-home testing kits for three of the most commonly reported STDs. "The highest prevalence is in young adults, and we knew we had to reach these kids," said Charlotte A. Gaydos, a professor of infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

The Maryland State Department of Education may have to pay back up to $540,000 in federal money intended to help the state's poorest schools after a scathing audit found that Baltimore City was one of two school districts that misspent the funds, using the money for dinner cruises, makeovers and meals. The report, reviewing grant expenses from 2009 and 2010, was conducted by the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Education. It found similar misspending in Prince George's County schools.

The expectation by many local hoops followers was for Daxter Miles to step into Dunbar's lineup this winter and establish himself as one of Baltimore City's top public school players. Miles, who played two seasons at Archbishop Curley before transferring to Dunbar last spring, was a star for the Friars and would likely have been just as successful for the Poets. But his father, some friends and coaches suggested that he leave the city to play at IMG Academy in Sarasota, Fla. Just like that, Miles was on the move for his last two years of high school.

Among the expenditures by the city school system that U.S. Department of Education auditors found inappropriate: $4,352 spent by two elementary schools for dinner cruises at Baltimore's Inner Harbor $2,413 spent on fried chicken, potato salad, coleslaw, biscuits, cookies and soda for 28 attendees at a PTA meeting to discuss a school's budget $1,336 spent to take 30 people to a theater performance downtown that included dinner, dancing and...

The Food & Nutrition Services of Howard County's public schools has added a new link to its Web page where families can view the daily lunch menu for their respective schools, along with the menus for the next week as soon as they are posted. In addition, the nutritional value of each menu item is available in a drop down box. Go to schoolmenu.com or hcpss.org and click on lunch menus in the quick links area.

Baltimore school officials recommended Thursday severing ties with independent operators of six schools after a months-long review of more than two dozen diverse programs. In a presentation to city school board members, district officials recommended granting three-and five-year contract extensions to all but three of the 18 charter schools seeking renewal: Bluford Drew Jemison STEM Academy Middle School, Baltimore Freedom Academy and Collington Square Elementary/Middle School. Bluford and Baltimore Freedom Academy would stay open for current students until the end of 2013-2014, admitting no new middle and high school students as officials weigh whether the schools would close altogether at the end of that year.

According to The Kansas City Star, which is using numbers published by Forbes magazine (in an article that does not appear to be online yet), the Big Ten will earn $310 million during the 2012-13 financial year from outside deals. That's the most of any conference. But because the Big Ten is paying 12 schools and the Big 12 is only paying 10 schools (what an absurd clause to have to write), Big 12 schools get the most money returned from the conference at $26.2 million. Big Ten schools make $25.8.

Confidence in public schools has dropped five percentage points in the past year and is at its lowest point since 1973, according to a recent Gallop poll.  Only 29 percent of people  surveyed said they had a great deal of confidence in public schools, less than other institutions such as the military, small businesses, theU.S. Supreme Court, the presidency, and police. The highest confidence was reported in a poll in 1973 when it was 58 percent.  Gallup reported that a drop in public confidence in American institutions as a whole, with Congress coming in last.

Vacation Bible school - Sponsored by First Baptist Church of Laurel, July 18-22, 6-8:30 p.m., 15000 First Baptist Lane. Open to children who have completed kindergarten through fifth grade. No charge. Kerrie Pariso, 410-309-3381. Vacation Bible school - Big Apple Adventure, Where Faith and Life Connect, July 25-29, 9 a.m. to noon, Our Savior Lutheran Church, 13611 Laurel Bowie Road. For kids age 4 to completion of sixth grade. Music, crafts, Bible study, missions focus, snacks and games.

Editor: In Wednesday's edition of The Aegis , County Executive [David R.] Craig attempted to defend his seemingly indefensible decision to waste $40 million on an EOC [911 center] replacement. He stated the EOC, "Is outdated, in dire need of replacement, not repairs. "  He also quoted his facilities chief stating, "The current EOC facility as a whole is in a state of failure and overall conditions range from inadequate to unsafe. " Rather than providing meaningful insight, Mr. Craig's double-speak leads me to further questions. What are the specific failures and inadequacies?

Bus drivers and aides employed by a Baltimore schools contractor say that unsafe conditions such as fires and mold spores are endangering lives and unfair wages are threatening their livelihoods. The grievances were aired Thursday at a rally of employees of Durham School Services, a national company that transports children in more than 350 school districts. Since 2002, the city has contracted with Durham, which earned an estimated $15.5 million over the last three school years. The company's buses transport about 928 students.

The top-ranked Century boys have been solid all season and got off to a strong start on the rain-filled first day of the state track and field championships Thursday at Morgan State. Century finished the first day - which has events for Class 1A and 2A schools - in first place with 55 points. The Knights have a comfortable lead over Oakdale (28), from Frederick County, in the Class 2A division. Julian Woods and Jake Stefanick each gave the Knights a victory. Woods took first in the long jump (22 feet, 3.25 inches)

A. Blaine Hawley, principal of Red Pump Elementary School in Bel Air, was recently elected to the board of directors of the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). Gail Connelly, NAESP's executive director, announced the election results from the association's headquarters in Alexandria, Va. Hawley begins her three-year term as director of Zone 3 on July 1. She will represent principals in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia.

Debora Coates-Consugar has a penchant for making math simple and enjoyable for students at Summit School, an Edgewater-based, not-for-profit education center for children with dyslexia and other learning problems. But sometimes the math department chair will encounter a struggling student who tells the teacher she can't possibly understand how frustrating certain subjects can be. Truth is, Coates-Consugar knows it all too well. "I'm dyslexic, too," says Coates-Consugar, fighting back emotions as she reflected upon once having endured the same struggles she now helps her students overcome.

Rep. Andy Harris said Thursday that he will request an expanded review of the Maryland Department of Education's use of federal funds after an audit found that the state may have to return up to $540,000 in misspent stimulus dollars and money designated for poor children. Harris, a Baltimore County Republican, said he will use his seat on the House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the U.S. Department of Education's budget to press for greater scrutiny. "What it uncovered is a pattern of waste, fraud and abuse of federal tax dollars," Harris said of the audit.

Gene Iager and Chris Pereira live on opposite sides of Scaggsville Road in Fulton, and take conflicting views of a 91-acre expanse of grass and woods that lies between them. Iager looks out his front window and across the road at the land and sees a future development of apartments, townhouses and single-family homes that would let his farming family cash in on years of hard work, while also suiting the goals of local and state planners. Pereira looks at the green field out her back door and sees a potential suburban mess — what she believes will be too many people on too little land, generating more traffic than roads can handle, packing schools and spilling runoff into a stream that runs through the property not far from Triadelphia Reservoir.

Why does Baltimore City Schools CEO Andrés Alonso need a driver ("Overtime costing schools millions," March 2)? You would have to think that he is an important personage to merit that, such as a vice president or a general? F. Cordell, Lutherville

In a long-sought victory for Baltimore, the Maryland Senate approved a $1 billion financing plan Friday for an unprecedented systemwide drive to rebuild and renovate the city's crumbling school buildings. The measure passed easily on a bipartisan vote of 40-7. It now goes back to the House of Delegates for approval of a minor amendment and then will move to Gov. Martin O'Malley's desk. Takirra Winfield, a spokeswoman for O'Malley, said the governor will sign the bill. "He's always been a supporter of Baltimore City and Baltimore City public schools, and he is very pleased that a deal has been reached," she said.

The Howard County Council adopted a $923.5 million general fund spending plan Thursday that increases allocations for schools and police while not raising income or property taxes. The council voted 4-1 to approve the budget, roughly $2.7 million higher than the proposal made a month ago by County Executive Ken Ulman. The dissenting vote was cast by Councilman Greg Fox, the council's lone Republican, who criticized spending practices several times during the two-hour session. Fox wrapped up his remarks after the vote with a display of black, pointy wizard hats, each representing a new fund that he said appears suddenly, as if by magic, every year in the budget while some basic needs go unfunded.

A tornado of epic proportions hit Oklahoma, which claims to have the finest weather forecasting in the nation specifically because of the tornado threat ("Tornado in Oklahoma leaves dozens dead," May 21). These forecasters note when tornadoes are imminent and attempt to save lives through warning. The day after the first tornado hit, and when all the conditions for more tornadoes remained a danger, the children were sent to school like always. Compare this to how Maryland shuts down the state merely on the rumor of snow.