Montgomery County Isn’t Processing Care for Kids or Senior Dental Applications, Council Staff Say
Montgomery County is not currently processing applications for two county-funded health programs for low-income, uninsured residents, Care for Kids and Senior Dental, because there are no staff to process them, according to a Montgomery County Council staff report prepared for the council’s Oct. 20 meeting. “Applications are not currently beingContinue Reading
HOC Halts New Section 8 Vouchers Until Spring 2027, Citing HUD Reserve Recapture
The Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County (HOC) has stopped issuing new Housing Choice Vouchers, the federal rent subsidy widely known as Section 8, and does not expect to resume until spring 2027. HOC’s program update page says it is “currently unable to issue any new vouchers under the HCVContinue Reading
MCPS Reports a Preliminary $31.7 Million FY2026 Fund Balance, Far Above Spring Projections
Montgomery County Public Schools finished the 2026 fiscal year on June 30 with $27,939,337 of its operating budget unspent and a fund balance of $31,720,955, according to a year-end report on the Board of Education’s Sept. 24 consent agenda. MCPS calls the figures preliminary until the books close. The $27.9Continue Reading
Trump Administration Drops Appeal Over Public Service Loan Forgiveness Rule, Brown Says
The Trump administration has dropped its appeal of a June 2026 federal court decision that vacated a U.S. Department of Education rule on Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced October 23. The rule would have let the administration strip PSLF eligibility from employees ofContinue Reading
MCPS Cut Its Warehouse Lease to Two Years in August; Board Approves Up to $575,750 for Fit-Out Work
The Montgomery County Board of Education amended its lease for a Gaithersburg warehouse on Aug. 12, 2026, cutting the initial term from 10 years to two, through June 30, 2028, according to a superintendent’s memo posted for the Board’s Oct. 22 business meeting. On Thursday, the Board approved a secondContinue Reading
Maryland Attorney General Joins Coalition Opposing Federal Suit to Stop Count of 20,000 California Ballots
Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general opposing the Trump administration’s lawsuit against California, which seeks to stop California election officials from counting the ballots of more than 20,000 people the administration has labeled “likely” noncitizens, according to a release from Brown’s office.Continue Reading
MCPS Board Approves Halving the GPA Boost for Honors Courses, Starting Fall 2027
The Montgomery County Board of Education on Thursday unanimously approved a plan that cuts the extra grade-point weight for honors courses in half, from 1.0 to 0.5, beginning in fall 2027. Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and dual enrollment courses keep their full 1.0 weight. Superintendent Thomas W. Taylor’sContinue Reading
Strathmore and MCPS Celebrate a Decade of Bringing the Blues to Fifth Graders
Strathmore and Montgomery County Public Schools are celebrating 10 years of The Blues, an original concert bringing music history to life for fifth graders. Running October 20–23, this year’s program welcomes 12,500 students for live performances exploring the blues and its influence on American music, with admission and transportation fully funded.Continue Reading
WSSC Lists $155 Million in Electrical Fixes for the Potomac Plant That Lost Power Sept. 29
WSSC Water estimates it needs $155 million in electrical upgrades at its Potomac Water Filtration Plant, the plant that lost power on September 29 and left the utility asking all 1.9 million of its customers to use water only for essential purposes. Three projects account for $130 million of that,Continue Reading
People’s Counsel Calls BGE’s Plan to Charge Only Baltimore City Customers for Conduit Costs “Highly Unusual”
Maryland People’s Counsel David S. Lapp said BGE’s proposal to charge only Baltimore City customers for the cost of using the city’s underground conduit system is “highly unusual” and “must be carefully evaluated,” in a statement from the Office of People’s Counsel, the state agency that represents residential utility customers.Continue Reading













