Parents Appeal Md. School Dispute To State Board

CUMBERLAND, Md. (AP) -- Some parents in eastern Allegany County are asking state officials to overturn a local school board decision to phase out a program enabling their children to attend school in neighboring Washington County.

The Cumberland Times-News reported Friday that the families in Little Orleans are citing a federal law requiring that parents be given a choice of where to send their students when local schools underperform.

The families have been sending about 40 children to school in the Washington County town of Hancock since a school in nearby Flintstone was closed in 2000. Hancock is closer than Cumberland, where the students would otherwise be sent.

The Allegany County school board voted last month to phase out the inter-county agreement to save hundreds of thousands of dollars.

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