Rock Terrace Parents: What Happened to My Kid’s Work-Study Pay?

As a special education advocate, Lyda Astrove, an attorney, has helped many families get their kids into Rock Terrace School, a public school in Rockville designed for special-needs students.

But now a group of parents have come to Astrove for help after learning their children had secret bank accounts set up through the school—which they say they discovered when they applied for public assistance and found out their kids were earning income.

“The money was coming into these accounts and going out— but going where is the question,” Lyda said.

Montgomery County Public Schools is investigating allegations that staff set up bank accounts for the money students earned through a work-study program and then withdrew the earnings for themselves.

Parents want to know what happened to the money.

“I think there are a lot of affected families that don't realize their kids earned money and what happened to it,” Astrove said.

Parents claim the accounts were set up without their knowledge and that bank statements and W2s were never sent home but were mailed to the school. Astrove told Patch that she’s seen a student bank record dating as far back as 2004—an account the parents claim they never knew existed until this year.

“Somebody needs see what bank statements were sent to 390 Martins Lane [the school’s address] and come up with a list of kids who were affected by this, then figure out what to do,” Astrove said.

The school system said in a statement last week that MCPS was taking the allegations seriously and that appropriate action would be taken pending a thorough investigation.

Rock Terrace principal Dianne Thornton has been placed on administrative leave, Montgomery County Public Schools spokesman said Dana Tofig said.

“We will be communicating to all parents at Rock Terrace soon and will provide them a contact should they have information that will be helpful to the investigation,” Tofig said.

Tofig said Rock Terrace’s high school-to-work programs were designed to serve students with special needs who may not have all the skills for gainful employment. He said the students can build their skills at school then, when they’re ready, transition into community-based job settings, which are either volunteer or paid.

Tofig said such work can include maintenance, clerical work, food service, landscaping, and retail.

When reached Monday, Tofig said he could not comment on how MCPS policy addressed student work-study pay.