BCPS seeks bids for online instruction

Meanwhile, despite County Executive Jim Smith’s failure to provide funding in his fiscal 2009 spending plan, the school system recently moved forward, inviting bids for a similar project.

The pilot was provided free this past year by the privately held, Baltimore-based Connections Academy after the county recruited more than 100 formerly homeschooled students to engage in lessons on the Internet.

The project was well-received by students and parents, and recommended by the Board of Education for expansion.

But according to the county administration, BCPS’ request for 2008-09 funding of about $2 million would have been too costly — and was nixed from Smith’s budget.

“From what we heard ... it was a successful program,” said County Councilman Joe Bartenfelder, D-6th District, who added that he wrote a letter to schools Superintendent Joe Hairston a month ago urging him to try to find the funds for the service. However, “any money that might have been earmarked for the program was deleted before it got to the council,” he said, adding that the council had been generous in its new budget allowances. “We didn’t have any cuts or anything, so some money could have been found to fund the program.” 

School board President JoAnn Murphy said BCPS’ move doesn’t indicate certainty about keeping the program.

Rather, “it’s just the first step trying to continue the program,” she said. “Because it was not funded by the county, we’re moving forward getting bids but will have to look at the money side to see if we can come up with what the costs will be.”

Amy Sparks, whose two teen daughters participated in the pilot, said she was “ecstatic” to hear about BCPS’ solicitations for bids.

“It makes us believe that they are considering finding the funding and going forward next year.”

drowley@baltimoreexaminer.com