THE GAZETTE
Thursday, August 29, 2013 bo
Page A-5
Saving students from failure n
Credit recovery program helps alleviate problem BY JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER
LINDSEY ROBBINS/THE GAZETTTE
TrafďŹ c backs up as the State Highway Administration performs roadwork on Virginia Manor Road in Laurel.
State: Gas tax funds split will be even STAFF WRITER
By the time Maryland ďŹ nishes handing out $4.4 billion in new transportation funding, the money should spread evenly among road and transit priorities, according to the state. Maryland lawmakers this spring passed the Transportation Infrastructure Investment Act, which raises the tax on gasoline and diesel, to bring $4.4 billion in new investment and 57,000 jobs in the next six years, ofďŹ cials said. The new law indexes the state’s current 23.5-cent-pergallon gas tax, which has not been increased since 1992, to ination but limits increases to 8 percent per year. The final list of projects funded under the new law will come out with the state’s Consolidated Transportation Program in early September, said Erin Henson, spokeswoman for Maryland’s Department of Transportation. When it comes to roads and transit priorities, the state looks to fund both about 50-50, she said. Henson said the state meets with each jurisdiction to understand what projects are a priority and works to fund those. State leaders have so far announced $1.9 billion in projects funded by the new law. While in dollars, slighly more of the money promised to date funds transit projects such as the 16-mile Purple Line, a light rail planned to stretch between Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, most of the projects funded will be on roads. Henson noted that in more
urban areas, the projects tend to have higher price tags. The cost of transit creates a disparity between the priorities, Sen. Richard F. Colburn said. Colburn (R-Dist. 37) of Cambridge said that while the gas tax was intended to fund road and bridge projects, it now also subsidizes transit. Even with the ination in the new law, Colburn said the state will struggle to fund future road and bridge projects. Despite voting against the gas tax increase, Colburn said his region still received funding for its priorities from the state, including $50 million for a new Dover Bridge on Md. 331 and $42 million to widen and “dualizeâ€? a portion of Md. 404, a popular route to reach Ocean City. “Can you equate that $100 million with what is going to go into the new Red Line or the Purple line? No,â€? he said. “We are getting our priorities funded, but they don’t cost as much, and that is part of the problem.â€? About $1.1 billion has been announced for transit projects,
with the bulk, or $680 million, going toward the Purple Line’s $2.2 billion price tag. Between the Eastern Shore, Montgomery County and Prince George’s County, about another $929 million will go to about 23 road projects. Among those projects are $100 million for an new interchange on Md. 201 (Indian Head Highway) in Oxon Hill.
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n Virus caused two canine deaths
RYAN MARSHALL STAFF WRITER
A strain of “highly contagiousâ€? canine influenza has emerged in Montgomery County, although the virus isn’t believed to be capable of spreading to humans. The virus has been identiďŹ ed in six dogs in the county since mid-August, two of which have died, according to an Aug. 22 bulletin released from the state Department of Agriculture to veterinarians and health and government ofďŹ cials. The disease comes in two varieties — a mild form with a cough and a more severe form that can cause potentially deadly respiratory disease, according to the bulletin, which calls it “highly contagious.â€? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some dogs can have virtually no symptoms while others’ reactions can be severe. The state bulletin said previous outbreaks have seen a fatality rate of 1 to 5 percent of dogs who get the disease. “It is too early in the reporting of this disease event to provide good epidemiological data,â€? according to the bulletin. “As more information on this current virus strain is gathered and evaluated, additional information will be provided.â€?
Dr. Leonard Bers
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Dog u breaks out BY
janfenson-comeau@ gazette.net
A new is just an office
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KATE S. ALEXANDER
school provides after-school and summer bus transportation. Approximately 250 students have been through the school’s credit recovery program, Mahmud said. Mahmud said he is working on the second phase of the program, which will involve incorporating online tutorials. Jamaal Woodland, 17, a senior at DuVal, was in danger of failing English and history last year when he enrolled in the program. Woodland said the program has made a huge difference in his educational outlook. “My scholastic conďŹ dence has increased tremendously because of the program,â€? said Woodland, who also plays on the football team. “I’ve gained five Division I scholarships, and credit recovery is the main reason.â€?
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Last year, Tolu Adeboyeku, 16, a junior at DuVal High School in Landover, was in danger of failing biology and losing his spot on the school’s football team. But he made the grade thanks to a class credit recovery program at his school. “Everyone has those bumps in the road,â€? Adeboyeku said. “But once you walk into that classroom, you feel like you’ve been given a second chance.â€? Under the leadership of Alice Swift, who took over as DuVal’s principal in 2012, the school began offering credit recovery year-round, said Kawsar Mahmud, one of the two coordinators for the program, which also has ďŹ ve teachers. “It’s easy to say, ‘You should be getting this subject matter the ďŹ rst time, and if you’re not, you should go somewhere else, but the reality is, that’s not always possible,â€? Mahmud said. “That’s where this program comes in, to give students the extra assistance they need.â€? The program is offered to
students identified by their teachers or school staff as being in danger of failing. Students and parents must sign a contract, which requires the student to attend afterschool tutorials on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Teachers provide supplemental instruction to students, who complete extra credit assignments and makeup work to help raise their grade. Attendance is strictly monitored, Mahmud said, and teachers and staff consult with parents weekly on the progress being made. “At the end, they’re assessed, and if they pass, they earn the credit,� Swift said. A version of the program also runs during the summer as an alternative to summer school, allowing students to make up a failed class, Mahmud said. “The idea there was to make it amenable to the parents, so they would not have to spend money on things we could do in-school,� Swift said. The program is free for identified students, and the
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