Thread by @RamirezReports

Coming up @ 5P: the activist group @PCMC1 is waiving a 🚩 on a $9.7 million diesel school bus emergency purchase order that’s supposed to go B4 the @mocoboe school board tomorrow. We got to ask @MCPS some about it today.
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.@MCPS Spokesperson Chris Cram says the purchase is due to a supply chain issue impacting the special education electric bus orders (which is supposed to start coming in, in 2023). That’s not stated in the memorandum.

The @PCMC1 is questioning whether this is a cover-up & feels it should not be considered for emergency but rather something that should’ve gone before the school board FIRST so parents have an opportunity to comment. Cram also claims MCPS is not double spending.

.@MCPS made national headlines last year for making the largest electric school bus purchase of a school district. news.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/staff-bulletin…
Told this diesel purchase is not supposed to impact the 61 full size e-busses that are supposed to arrive some time in Oct/Nov.

There’s still a lot we don’t know, like when @MCPS learned the electric special education busses would not be ready on time, or whether the special education electric busses not ready yet have already been paid for. Told more will come out in tomorrow’s @mocoboe meeting.

Here’s the @MCPS procurement manual on when emergency purchase orders can be made. www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/dis…
@PCMC1 says this sit. doesn’t fit the bill.
Source suggested it may have to do w/a bridge contract (MCPS can buy w/out bids if vendor already approved by another district)