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With the end of the school year approaching and the possibility that unpaid curricular fees will prevent some students from participating in graduation ceremonies and other events, I want to acknowledge state Del. Saqib Ali's recent advocacy on behalf of  public school students and their parents.

Several weeks ago, Magruder High School announced that students would be charged a $5 fee for "lock rental" for their hallway lockers. (Personally supplied locks are not permitted.) Written inquires to the school confirmed that the fee was a rental charge, not a refundable deposit.

I remembered that Delegate Ali (D-Dist. 39) of Gaithersburg had shown interest in the school fees situation during a televised meeting of our state delegates, so I forwarded the announcement about the lock rental fee to him. Delegate Ali contacted the school system's headquarters and within a day, the school changed the "fee" to a "deposit."

Because of Delegate Ali's intervention, more than 400 graduating Magruder seniors will each receive a $5 refund when they empty their lockers later this month.

Earlier in the semester, I received a letter from Magruder High School stating that if I did not pay a $35 curricular fee, my child would not be allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony. A written appeal requesting that the fee be rescinded was denied. I forwarded my correspondence about the fee to Delegate Ali but I did not explicitly ask for his help. Delegate Ali promptly contacted Superintendent Jerry Weast and the fee was rescinded because it was determined to have been "a mistake" on the part of the school. (Please note, though, that the decision to rescind my child's fee may not have been applied to all students' accounts, so parents should be vigilant if they receive a bill for a curricular fee.)

Delegate Ali has made a positive difference for many students and parents, many of whom are probably unaware of his behind-the-scenes advocacy.

Louis Wilen, Olney