Cell Tower Requested at Roberto Clemente Middle School in Germantown
A communications company has requested a cell tower at Roberto Clemente Middle School in Germantown.
PHOTO | MCPS
Montgomery County Public Schools spokesman Dana Tofig confirmed that a company has approached that school at 18808 Waring Station Road as a potential site for its communications equipment. He did not have specifics about the type of equipment or the name of the company.
“We are waiting for the specs from the cell company,” Tofig said.
But, as Tofig pointed out, the company won’t be allowed to use the site unless the school community agrees to it. That means meetings with the school’s prinicpal, Khadija Barkley and the school’s PTA. Barkley could not immediately be reached for comment.
“If the community doesn’t want it, we don’t approve it,” Tofig said.
So far there are 11 Montgomery County Public Schools with cell towers. You can check out that list here. You can find the list of all cell towers in the county here.
Revenue generated by the cell tower leases is captured one third by the school where the tower is located, Tofig said. That money can be used at the discretion of the principal for things like offsetting costs of special events at the school, to defray the cost of Advanced Placement testing or field trips for students who are enrolled in the Free and Reduced Lunch program. Another third of the revenue is credited to the school cluster and the final third goes into the school system’s general fund.
Each cell tower lease is independently negotiated, according to Tofig. The total revenue generated by these leases was not immediately available.
“There are communities who want them and the revenue is helpful to them,” Tofig said of the cell towers on school sites.
It’s Verizon and the PTA Presentation will be on December 9th.
Odd that the MCPS public information officer doesn’t have the details.