[ Call to Order]
[00:00:08]
TIME I ASK THAT EVERYONE, PLEASE MUTE YOUR DEVICE UNTIL CALLED UPON TO AVOID INTERRUPTION. I CALL TO ORDER THIS BOARD BUSINESS MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF HARFORD COUNTY ON MAY 20TH, 2024 AT 6 P.M. THIS BUSINESS MEETING WILL BE CONDUCTED IN A HYBRID FASHION.
MISS RULLO, PLEASE TAKE A ROLL CALL. MISS ALVAREZ, PRESENT. MISS BRUCE. MISS BRUCE IS ABSENT THIS EVENING. MISS KOCHER HERE. DOCTOR MUELLER HERE. MISS PERRY HERE. MR. SEWELL HERE. MISS STRAUSS HERE. MISS SABIROVA HERE. VICE PRESIDENT HAHN, PRESENT. PRESIDENT. BOYNTON HERE. SUPERINTENDENT PAULSEN HERE. THIS COMPLETES THE ROLL CALL. THANK YOU. PLEASE READ THIS EVENING'S RULES OF ORDER. GOOD EVENING. I'M DJ RAVAGE, REGIONAL COORDINATOR FOR THE OFFICE OF SAFETY AND SECURITY. THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING TONIGHT'S BOARD OF EDUCATION BUSINESS MEETING. IN KEEPING WITH THE BUSINESS PURPOSE OF THE MEETING, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE UPDATED PRACTICES THAT WILL BE ENFORCED THIS EVENING AND FOR ALL FUTURE BOARD MEETINGS DURING THE BUSINESS MEETING, ALL ATTENDEES ARE REMINDED TO CONDUCT THEMSELVES IN A RESPECTFUL MANNER. GRANDSTANDING WHICH INCLUDES APPLAUSE, AUDIBLE COMMENTARY, EXCESSIVE GESTURES, STANDING OVATIONS, AND SIMILAR DISTRACTING BEHAVIORS IS NOT PERMITTED. LIKEWISE, THREATENING WORDS, GESTURES, OR BEHAVIORS ARE NOT PERMITTED. SHOULD AN ATTENDEE ENGAGE IN ONE OF THE PROHIBITED BEHAVIORS, THUS DETRACTING FROM THE BUSINESS PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING, THE ATTENDEE WILL BE EXCUSED. RECEIVE A WARNING TO IMMEDIATELY CEASE THE PROHIBITED BEHAVIOR.
IF THE ATTENDEE DOES NOT CEASE THE PROHIBITED BEHAVIOR, THE ATTENDEE WILL BE ESCORTED FROM THE BUSINESS MEETING BY SECURITY. WE ASK THAT ALL MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE REFRAIN FROM APPROACHING THE DAIS FOR ANY REASON. DURING THE BOARD MEETING. WE APPRECIATE YOUR RESPECTFUL ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION AND LOOK FORWARD TO A PRODUCTIVE MEETING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, VICE PRESIDENT HEIM, PLEASE READ. THE PROCESS WILL FOLLOW THIS EVENING. THE FOLLOWING PROCESS WILL BE USED THIS EVENING. BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF WILL MUTE THEIR DEVICES.
STILL CALLED UPON. BOARD MEMBERS, PLEASE HOLD ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS UNTIL THE END OF EACH PRESENTATION. FOLLOWING THE PRESENTATION, DOCTOR BOYNTON WILL CALL ON EACH BOARD MEMBER FOR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS. BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF MEMBERS SHOULD RESTATE THEIR NAME BEFORE SPEAKING. DOCTOR BOLSON WILL RESPOND TO QUESTIONS OR CALL ON THE APPROPRIATE STAFF MEMBER TO DO SO. WHEN A ROLL CALL IS TAKEN FOR A MOTION, I ASK THAT YOU
[Adoption of Agenda]
PLEASE REPLY WITH A YES OR A NO. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS, YOU HAVE THE AGENDA BEFORE YOU DO. I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADOPT THE AGENDA. THIS IS MELISSA AND I MOVE THAT WE ADOPT THE AGENDA. MISS TERRY, I'LL SECOND. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY YES. YES YES. THERE ARE ANY OPPOSED? PLEASE SAY NO. THANK YOU. THE MOTION PASSES, MISS HAHN, PLEASE LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. PLEASE RISE AND JOIN US IN THE PLEDGE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENTS, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS, MISS CAROL BRUCE, IS NOT WITH US THIS EVENING. IT'S WITH GREAT SADNESS THAT I SAY THAT HER HUSBAND HAS UNFORTUNATELY PASSED AWAY, ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, WE EXPRESS OUR CONDOLENCES AND OUR SYMPATHY . PLEASE JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR THE LIFE OF DON BRUCE. THANK YOU. FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS[Public Comments]
THIS EVENING IN PERSON, SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLED DIRECTLY BY THE BOARD SECRETARY. ALL SPEAKERS WILL RECEIVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK OR FIVE MINUTES IF THEY ARE A GROUP. SPEAKERS MAY BE INTERRUPTED. THEY MAY BE GIVEN NOTICE WHEN THEY HAVE 30S LEFT. WHEN SPEAKERS HAVE REACHED THEIR THREE OR THEIR FIVE MINUTE MARK, THEIR TIME WILL EXPIRE. MISS ROLLO, DO WE HAVE ANY VIRTUAL SPEAKERS THIS EVENING? WE HAVE ONE INDIVIDUAL REGISTERED. OKAY. THANK YOU. VIRTUAL, PLEASE BEGIN WITH IN-PERSON PUBLIC SPEAKERS. YES. THIS EVENING WE HAVE TEN IN-PERSON SPEAKERS, WE WILL START WITH DAVID BAUER, FOLLOWED BY DAVID PARKER. GOOD EVENING. I'M DAVID BAUER IN THIS EVENING.[00:05:04]
I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT DISTRACTIONS FOR STUDENTS. THIS WAS BROUGHT UP BY BOARD MEMBERS IN DISCUSSION OF THE PROPOSED FLAG POLICY. AND IT GOT ME THINKING ABOUT WHAT THINGS I'D ENCOUNTERED AS A STUDENT THAT WERE DISTRACTIONS TO ME OR TO MY CLASSMATES WHEN I WAS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. FIFTH GRADE, WE GOT A NEW STUDENT MID YEAR. HE ALWAYS STANK OF CIGARET SMOKE , WHICH WAS A DISTRACTION TO ME. FORTUNATELY HE WASN'T THERE LONG, BUT BESIDES THE CIGARET SMOKE, I REMEMBER HIM ASKING WHY WE HAD BLACK STUDENTS IN OUR CLASS OR SCHOOL. IT WASN'T A JOKE. HE MADE OTHER RACIST COMMENTS. BLACK STUDENTS WERE A DISTRACTION TO HIM. AND A NOTE ON THE TIME PERIOD. ACCORDING TO GALLUP POLLING, APPROVAL OF INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE DID NOT PASS 50% OF THE US POPULATION UNTIL THE MID 1990S. PASSED NELSON ELEMENTARY. WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL IN AP, US HISTORY, THE TEACHER HAD THE CLASS TO A SERIES OF DEBATES. STUDENTS PROPOSED TOPICS AND THE CLASS VOTED ON WHICH TOPIC WE WOULD DEBATE. ONE TIME, THE CLASS VOTED TO DEBATE SAME SEX MARRIAGE DURING THE DEBATE, ONE OF MY CLASSMATES SAID THE IDEA OF TWO GUYS WALKING DOWN THE HALLWAY HOLDING HANDS WAS DISGUSTING. TO HIM. GUYS HOLDING HANDS WAS A DISTRACTION TO HIM. SAME SEX COUPLES EXISTING IN GENERAL WAS A DISTRACTION TO HIM. I HAVE CHOSEN THESE TWO EXAMPLES BECAUSE THEY ARE GOOD PARALLELS FOR COMMENTS MADE DURING THE FLAG DEBATE. YES, THERE MAY BE SOME STUDENTS WHO ARE DISTRACTED BY THE SIGHT OF A PRIDE FLAG. THERE MAY BE STUDENTS DISTRACTED BY OTHER THINGS THAT OFFEND THEIR PREJUDICES. THAT IS NOT A VALID REASON TO REMOVE THESE THINGS. AND REMEMBER BACK WHEN I WAS IN AP US HISTORY HAVING THAT DEBATE , ONLY AROUND ONE THIRD OF THE PUBLIC APPROVED OF SAME SEX MARRIAGE IN THE US, PER GALLUP POLLING THAT HAS RISEN TO AROUND 70% OF THE PUBLIC APPROVING PUBLIC APPROVAL OF SAME SEX MARRIAGE IS HIGHER. NOW THAN THE APPROVAL OF INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE WAS WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL. DO NOT LET YOUR PREJUDICES DISTRACT YOU FROM THE JOB YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING AS BOARD MEMBERS. THANK YOU ALL. MISTER DAVID PARKER. OKAY, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS, TRACY MUSSER. MAZER. HELLO GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS TRACY MAZER, I STAND BEFORE THE BOARD OF EDUCATION THIS DAY TO IMPLORE HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO DEFINE TRANSPORT IN THE REVISED STUDENT BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION POLICY. TRANSPORT ARE A PHYSICAL INTERVENTION USED ON HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS IN BOTH PUBLIC AND NONPUBLIC SCHOOLS. TRANSPORTS DO NOT FALL UNDER PHYSICAL ESCORT, BUT ARE A GRAY AREA, AND AS SUCH THEY HAVE GONE UNREPORTED TO PARENTS. IN ADDITION, GOING FORWARD, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL INCLUDE PARENTS OF CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN RESTRAINED, SECLUDED AND EXCLUDED, PARTICULARLY IN UNSANCTIONED WAYS. IN MEETINGS WHERE REVIEWS AND CHANGES TO THESE POLICIES ARE DISCUSSED. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS PHILIP HUNTER, FOLLOWED BY CINDY POPPER. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE CAUCUS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN LEADERS, HARFORD COUNTY. I CAME HERE NOT TO SPEAK. I CAME HERE AS A GUEST.CASSANDRA BEVERLY IS OUR PRESIDENT, STEERING COMMITTEE CHAIR. I WAS HANDED A PAPER, AND I DIDN'T REALIZE I WAS BEING HANDED A PAPER TO SPEAK. SO I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE, AP STUDIES FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN, STUDENTS, EXPANSION OF IT ORIGINALLY. I'M FROM SELMA, ALABAMA. I PARTICIPATED IN THE MARCH FROM SELMA TO MONTGOMERY. BLOODY SUNDAY. I'M NOT UP ON THE
[00:10:11]
AP PROGRAM, BUT I LEFT SELMA. THE APARTHEID SYSTEM, BEHIND. BUT IT STILL EXISTS EVERYWHERE I GO IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, ETC. SO AS YOU ALL KNOW, AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE MADE MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO AMERICA IN RESPECTIVE OF THE ODDS THAT WERE PLACED AGAINST US. SO THE STUDIES, ANY STUDY ON AFRICAN AMERICANS IS, IS TO BE APPLAUDED AND NOT TO BE KICKED AGAINST. SO I'M HERE IN FAVOR OF THE EXPANSION OF THE AP PROGRAM SO THAT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY CAN UNDERSTAND THE TURMOIL, THE, TRAVAIL THAT BLACK FOLKS HAVE FACED IN AMERICA AND IN HARFORD COUNTY. I LIKE HARFORD COUNTY. I'M NOT, A NEGATIVE TOWARD HARFORD COUNTY. IT'S SOMEWHAT PROGRESSIVE, IN, IN THE EYES OF SOME FOLKS AND EYES OF SOME OTHER FOLKS IS VERY BACKWARDS, AND YOU ALL KNOW THAT. SO I'M IN FAVOR OF THE PROGRESSIVE PART OF HARFORD COUNTY. SO I RECOMMEND THAT THEY AP STUDY, PROGRAM, BE EXPANDED FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. SINCE THE BOARD APPROVED THE SUPERINTENDENT'S BUDGET, MANY OF US HAVE BEEN BEGGING YOU, ESPECIALLY THE PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD, TO BE PUBLIC ADVOCATES FOR THE BUDGET THAT THIS SCHOOL SYSTEM NEEDS. WE HAVE ASKED YOU TO BE THE SYSTEM'S BIGGEST SUPPORTERS AND BIGGEST ADVOCATES, REGARDLESS OF WHAT MR. CASTLE MIGHT THINK. WE HAVE ASKED YOU OVER AND OVER TO FIGHT ALONGSIDE CPS STAFF TO RELAY THE MESSAGE TO THE COUNTY COUNCIL, THE PUBLIC AND OTHER CPS STAFF THAT YOU BELIEVE THE BUDGET DELIVERED TO THE COUNTY COUNCIL IS WHOLLY UNACCEPTABLE FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR STUDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY. THAT MEANS YOU NEED TO DELIVER THAT MESSAGE TO ANYONE AND EVERYONE THAT HAS AN IMPACT ON THAT DECISION, AND DO IT LOUDLY AND PUBLICLY. MAKE NO MISTAKE, BEING OUR ADVOCATE IS YOUR JOB. ENSURING THAT THIS SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS WHAT IT NEEDS TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS IS YOUR JOB WORKING WITH THE COUNTY COUNCIL TO INSPIRE THEM TO DO WHAT THEY CAN TO. TO MINIMIZE THE DAMAGE THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS DOING IN PUBLIC SESSIONS, AS WELL AS PRIVATE ONES. IS YOUR JOB. PERSONAL POLITICS HAVE NO PLACE IN YOUR JOB. YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE NONPARTISAN. SUPPORTERS OF THAT WHICH YOU APPROVED, YOU APPROVED A BUDGET. YOU NEED TO ADVOCATE FOR IT OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS, THERE HAVE BEEN TWO HEARINGS BEFORE THE COUNTY COUNCIL REGARDING THE BUDGET. YET NOT ONE OF YOU TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO STAND UP AND SPEAK, NOT EVEN AS AN INDIVIDUAL, NOT ONE OF YOU TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO THANK THE COUNCIL FOR WHAT THEY DID LAST YEAR AND APOLOGIZE FOR NEEDING THEIR HELP AGAIN THIS YEAR. NOT ONE OF YOU TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADVOCATE IN ANY WAY FOR THE BUDGET THAT YOU APPROVED. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, ONLY TWO OF YOU. THANK YOU, DOCTOR MUELLER.MR. SEWELL TOOK THE TIME TO ATTEND EITHER OF THE HEARINGS. BELIEVE ME, YOUR ABSENCE SPEAKS VOLUMES. NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR PRIVATE MEETINGS, DISCUSSIONS OR OTHER INTERACTIONS WITH COUNCIL. NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR THAT YOU LISTENED TO THE HEARINGS. NO ONE CARES WHAT THEY WANTED AND NEEDED TO SEE AND HEAR. WAS YOU DOING YOUR JOB PUBLICLY ADVOCATING FOR THE BUDGET THAT HAS NEEDS? INSTEAD, WE SPENT TIME WRITING EDITORIALS BLAMING THE BLUEPRINT FOR OUR BUDGET WOES. WE WASTE TIME AND EFFORT TRYING TO SAVE NICKELS AND DIMES OVER SILLY THINGS. WE SPEND TIME TRYING TO MICROMANAGE STAFF WITH NEW AND UNNECESSARY POLICIES.
AGAIN THIS IS NOT THE ADVOCACY WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR OR ASKING FOR. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT MANY OF YOU NEED TO SIT DOWN AND DO SOME REAL SOUL SEARCHING. IF THE RESULTS OF THAT ARE THAT YOU CANNOT BE A NONPARTISAN PUBLIC ADVOCATE FOR THIS DISTRICT. WHAT WE NEED AND WHAT YOU VOTED TO APPROVE, THEN MAYBE YOU NEED TO RETHINK YOUR PARTICIPATION AND POSITION ON THE BOARD. THANK YOU . OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JACOB BENNETT, FOLLOWED BY BARBARA STAMM. HELLO. JACOB BENNETT. I
[00:15:01]
JUST WANTED TO SPEAK TONIGHT AND FIRST SHARE THAT, YOU KNOW, SPRING ASSESSMENT SEASON'S ALMOST OVER. AND I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU ALL AS A BOARD AGAIN, THAT WE ARE STILL NOT ASSESSING ALL KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS IN HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS USING DIBELS FOR THE SPRING ASSESSMENT WINDOW. LAST YEAR, WE WERE ONE OF TWO COUNTIES IN THE STATE TO FAIL TO ASSESS ALL KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS THREE TIMES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND I'VE SENT YOU ALL AS BOARDS, AN EMAIL THE STATE FAQS FOR THE READY TO READ ACT, WHICH LAYS IT OUT VERY CLEARLY THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO ASSESS STUDENTS THREE TIMES PER YEAR, WITH A UNIVERSAL SCREENER. AND OUR UNIVERSAL SCREENER IS DIBELS. I ALSO RECENTLY EMAILED YOU ALL MY DIBBLE SCORES FOR MY STUDENTS, WHICH I HOPE YOU TOOK THE TIME TO LOOK OVER AND SEE THE TREMENDOUS WORK THAT THEY ALL HAVE DONE. I HAD MY FIRST EVER PERFECT SCORE, WHICH I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT WAS POSSIBLE, BUT I HAD A CHILD READ THE 90 WORDS ON THE LIST AND THERE WERE STILL 23 SECONDS ON OUR ONE MINUTE CLOCK SITTING THERE. SO THIS PAST WEEKEND, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AT HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE AT A SCREENING OF THE FILM THE RIGHT TO READ, I KNOW YOU ALL HAD RECEIVED EMAIL INVITES FROM MYSELF AND FROM HCC FACULTY, NOBODY FROM CPS WAS IN ATTENDANCE EXCEPT FOR MYSELF AND MY WIFE AND, OUR FRIEND TRACY, WHO'S A SCHOOL LIBRARIAN. BUT THERE WERE LOTS OF, UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WHO WERE PREPARING TO BECOME TEACHERS. AND WE HAD A LOT OF, OF DAYCARE PROVIDERS WHO WERE THERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS LITERACY CRISIS. THE FILM, THE RIGHT TO READ IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR EVERYBODY WHO WORKS IN SCHOOL SYSTEM LEADERSHIP TO SEE DOCTOR BEDELL AND ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WHICH ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY WAS THE ONLY OTHER COUNTY IN THE STATE STILL USING EITHER UNITS OF STUDY OR FOUNTAS AND PINNELL FOR READING INSTRUCTION, WHEN HE BECAME SUPERINTENDENT, HE SAT DOWN HIS SCHOOL LEADERSHIP, AND THEY WATCHED THE RIGHT TO READ AND THEN SHORTLY AFTER THEY MOVED AS A WHOLE DISTRICT TO CORE KNOWLEDGE LANGUAGE ARTS AND AS THEIR, CORE READING INSTRUCTION PROGRAM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT AS SCHOOL LEADERSHIP, YOU TAKE SERIOUSLY THE CHARGE TO LEARN ABOUT HOW READING WORKS AND FUNCTIONS, TO BE AN ACTIVE ADVOCATE AND MAKING SURE WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB AND NOT PASSIVELY ACCEPTING WHAT IS SPOKEN TO YOU, YOU KNOW, IT'S, COMPLICATED IN ONE SENSE, BUT ALSO NOT IN ANOTHER. WHAT IT TAKES FOR A CHILD TO LEARN HOW TO READ. AND THERE'S A PLENTY OF INFORMATION OUT THERE. AND YOU ALL HAVE TO REALLY TAKE HOLD OF THAT OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN SO THAT WE CAN TAKE CARE OF CHILDREN BETTER, I REALLY THINK YOU ALL HAVE HAD PLENTY OF TIME UP HERE AS A BOARD TO START LEARNING ABOUT THIS ISSUE. WE CAN'T JUST SPEAK ABOUT ACHIEVEMENT MATTERING TO US. WE HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE THAT IT MATTERS TO US THROUGH EFFORT TO MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN. SO, WITH THAT, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SHARE TONIGHT. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. I'M BARBARA STAM. I EMAILED A LITTLE COMMENT TO ALL OF YOU ALREADY, ABOUT WHY I THINK THAT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES PROGRAM OUGHT TO BE EXPANDED TO ALL THE HIGH SCHOOLS NEXT YEAR. I WANTED TO SPEAK BECAUSE I HAVE A FAMILY, ISSUE THAT I THOUGHT YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, MY 28 YEAR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER, CAME TO ME AND SAID, YOU ARE THE OLDEST PERSON IN THE FAMILY WHO KNOWS WHERE OUR FAMILY ORIGINALLY CAME FROM, AND THAT IS NORWAY. AND SO WE WENT TO NORWAY, WE LISTENED TO LECTURES ABOUT NORWEGIAN HISTORY. WE LEARNED ABOUT HOW THE NORWEGIANS BANDED TOGETHER LIVING UNDER. AND FOR FIVE YEARS, WE LEARNED ABOUT, WHERE THEY HAD LIVED FOR CENTURIES BECAUSE THERE WAS AN OPEN AIR MUSEUM THAT HAS BROUGHT BUILDINGS THERE FOR PEOPLE TO LOOK AT, WE LEARNED SOMETHING ABOUT INVENTIONS. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT A NORWEGIAN DEVELOPED THE PAPERCLIP, THERE, WE ALSO WENT TO ALL FOUR COMMUNITIES WHERE MY FAMILY WAS FROM, WE SAW EVERY APARTMENT, EVERY HOUSE THAT THEY HAD BEEN IN. AND, STILL, THEY EXISTED. WE WENT TO EVERY CHURCH , AND ON THE WAY HOME, MY GRANDDAUGHTER SAID, THANK YOU. I I NOW KNOW WHO I AM. AND SHE SAID SHE BUILT HER LIFE. YOU KNOW, NOW, I KNOW THAT I HAVE STABILITY UNDER ME. I KNOW WHERE QUALITY COMES FROM. AND THEN SHE SAID, BUT MY FATHER IS AFRICAN AMERICAN. HE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT HIS FAMILY. HE KNOWS HIS HIS GRANDPARENTS. AND THAT'S IT DOESN'T KNOW WHERE THEY CAME FROM, DOESN'T KNOW WHERE THEY'VE LIVED, WHERE THEY'VE WORSHIPED, WHERE THEY HAVE, CONTRIBUTED TO SOCIETY AND SO I'M ASKING YOU TO MAKE THIS AVAILABLE TO ALL HIGH[00:20:04]
SCHOOL STUDENTS. I THINK EVERY BLACK AND WHITE CHILD SHOULD KNOW THAT THEY COME FROM SOMETHING THAT THEY RESPECT, AND THEY NEED TO KNOW HOW TO RESPECT EACH OTHER, AND THEY ARE GOING TO BE THE LEADERS THAT WE HAVE COMING UP. MY GENERATION HAS NOT DONE A VERY GOOD JOB ABOUT SOLVING PROBLEMS FOR OUR DEMOCRACY, BUT THIS CLASS WILL HAVE TO DO IT THE BEST THAT THEY CAN. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR CONSIDERING EXPANDING THE COURSE FOR ALL CHILDREN. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MR. TOM PENNINGTON. PLEASE STATE THE NAME OF YOUR GROUP AND YOU'LL RECEIVE FIVE MINUTES. GOOD EVENING. I'M TOM PENNINGTON . I'M WITH THE BLACK ROBE REGIMENT. AND FOR WHAT THAT'S WORTH, THAT IS LITERALLY A NAME THAT WAS BRANDED DURING THE INDEPENDENCE, THE FIGHT FOR OUR INDEPENDENCE DAYS THAT THE BRITISH CALLED SOME CLERGYMEN WHO KEPT, PREACHING TO THEIR PEOPLE TO FIGHT FOR INDEPENDENCE AND, SO IT'S A OLD TERM, BUT TAKE A LOOK AT IT ON THE INTERNET AND YOU'LL GET SOME GOOD AMERICAN HISTORY OUT OF IT.BUT I WANT TO TALK TODAY ABOUT, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOLS AND THE CULTURE CLASH THAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOLS. AND I'VE WATCHED IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS THE DISAGREEMENT ON FLAGS AND WHAT'S HAPPENING. AND IT BOILS DOWN TO ME, SOMETHING THAT'S FOUND IN OUR FOUNDING DOCUMENTS THAT EVERYBODY HERE HAS HEARD. WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT, THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL, THAT THEY ARE ENDOWED BY THEIR CREATOR WITH CERTAIN INALIENABLE RIGHTS, THAT AMONGST THEM ARE LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS, ENDOWED BY OUR CREATOR, ARE THESE RIGHTS GOD HAS GIVEN US THESE RIGHTS? NO MAN CAN TAKE THOSE AWAY. BUT THERE'S ANOTHER FACTION OF PEOPLE WHO ATTEND THESE MEETINGS WHO DON'T BELIEVE THAT. THEY BELIEVE THAT THE RIGHTS ARE GIVEN BY GOVERNMENT OR BY MAN, WHICH WE STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH BECAUSE OF RIGHTS ARE GIVEN BY MAN. THEY CAN BE TAKEN AWAY BY MAN AS WELL. AND THAT GOES INTO SOME OF WHAT I WATCHED. I WATCHED TEACHERS COME UP AND TELL THE BOARD, TELL YOU ALL, AND IN MY OPINION, VERY ARROGANTLY, THAT, YOU KNOW, STEP ASIDE. WE KNOW BETTER, WE'RE BETTER EDUCATED THAN YOU ALL. WE CAN DO IT BETTER THAN YOU GUYS CAN. AND BY PROXY, THEY'RE SAYING THE SAME THING ABOUT PARENTS AS WELL. BUT THEN I LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEMS. ACCORDING TO YOUR OWN DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, ON A 2017 2018 REPORT, THERE WERE 14,000 SEXUAL ASSAULTS, THAT THERE WAS NO LATER REPORT TO COME PAST THAT. BUT YOU HAVE TO SET THE BAR PRETTY LOW FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. SO I GUESS THEY DON'T HAVE ANY NEWER REPORTS THERE. A 14,000 SEXUAL ASSAULTS. WE LOOK IN BALTIMORE COUNTY SCHOOLS, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD A 21 YEAR OLD CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER WHO WAS ENROLLED IN BALTIMORE COUNTY SCHOOLS. AND WHAT DID HE DO? HE OFFENDED AGAIN. AND ON A SIDEBAR, THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN AN ILLEGAL ALIEN, BUT YOU CAN'T GET THE MEDIA TO REPORT ON THAT. SO WE DON'T KNOW THAT FOR SURE. BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THIS GUY'S A IS A CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER IN MARCH, OKLAHOMA. I'M SURE MANY OF YOU HEARD ABOUT THIS. THEIR STUDENTS ARE LICKING AND SUCKING THE TOES AND LICKING ARMPITS OF OTHER STUDENTS FOR CHARITY. YET IT SEEMS THAT NOBODY IN THE LOCAL SCHOOLS STOOD UP AND SAID, THIS AIN'T RIGHT. WE'RE FIGHTING A FUNDAMENTAL CULTURE WAR HERE BECAUSE ANYBODY WHO SAYS, WELL, YEAH, THAT'S GOOD FOR CHARITY, THAT'S NOT RIGHT. JUST LAST MONTH, PENNBROOK MIDDLE SCHOOL HAD A BOY WEARING A DRESS WHO PUT OUT A HIT LIST, A HIT LIST TO GIRLS THAT HE WANTED TO HURT.
OH, YEAH, THEY WENT TO THEIR COUNSELORS, THEY WENT TO THE PRINCIPALS, AND THEY ALL SAID, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN UNTIL THAT BOY WEARING A DRESS CAME OUT AND PHYSICALLY ATTACKED A GIRL IN THE LUNCHROOM, HURTING HER. SERIOUSLY BEATING HER IN THE HEAD. THEY CALL IT THE STANLEY CUP. IT'S LIKE A TROPHY. I NEVER SAW A PICTURE OF IT, BUT IT WAS USED AS AN IMPLEMENT TO HURT THIS POOR YOUNG LADY. RIGHT NOW, AS WE SPEAK, THERE IS A JUVENILE CONVICTED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT ATTENDING BALTIMORE CITY SCHOOLS. I'M THROWING THESE THINGS OUT HERE BECAUSE THERE'S JUST SO MUCH THAT'S GOING ON THAT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT'S BEING ADDRESSED UNTIL IT MAKES THE NEWS. WE ALL HEARD ABOUT LOUDOUN COUNTY, WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE BOY IN THE DRESS WHO WENT IN AND SEXUALLY ASSAULTED NOT ONE, BUT TWO STUDENTS. WHY WAS IT TWO? BECAUSE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM SAW FIT TO QUASH THAT AND NOT LET IT GO PUBLIC. MEANWHILE, AT THE AT, THE STUDENTS PERIL, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE TAKING CARE OF THESE STUDENTS. BUT THIS GETS PERSONAL. IT AFFECTS US IN HARFORD COUNTY HERE BECAUSE WE HAD A FORMER MEMBER OF THE SCHOOL BOARD HERE WHO ACTUALLY WENT ON. THIS MEMBER IS ALSO A VERY ACTIVE PUBLIC SPEAKER. I'M NOT GOING TO NAME HIS NAME, BUT I WILL TELL YOU, HE'S THE ONLY PERSON WHO SPOKE TONIGHT WITH A MASK ON. BUT HE CAME OUT WITH A WITH A ARTICLE FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES, AN OPINION PIECE CALLED THE RIGHT'S BIG LIE WE'RE LIARS. AFTER A BOY IN A SKIRT SEXUALLY ASSAULTS NOT ONE, BUT TWO
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CHILDREN. AND THIS MAN DEFENDED THE BOY IN THE SKIRT. WE HAVE FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCES IN OUR BELIEF SYSTEM, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CAN DEFEND THAT AT ALL. THE FACT IS, THE BOY IN THE SKIRT WAS CHARGED ONCE, CHARGED TWICE, AND CONVICTED OF BOTH. SO IT IS NOT A BIG LIE TO THE RIGHT. ALL WE WANT TO DO AND I THINK WE HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN ALL OF US COMING TOGETHER FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN, NOT JUST NATIONWIDE, BUT WHAT WE HAVE CONTROL IN HERE. BUT WHEN THERE ARE PEOPLE ON THE BOARD AND OTHER EDUCATORS WHO SIDE WITH THE BOY IN THE SKIRT AND TRYING TO DEFEND THEM, I THINK THAT THAT HIGHLIGHTS A PROBLEM. LAST MONTH, THERE WERE SEVERAL EDUCATORS WHO CAME IN HERE, WEARING A CESAR CHAVEZ SHIRT. HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT CESAR CHAVEZ IS A MATTER OF OPINION, BUT, THE PEOPLE UNITED WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED. THE EXACT SAME PHRASE BEING CHANTED BY PALESTINIAN TERRORISTS ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SUSIE SCOTT. PLEASE STATE THE NAME OF YOUR GROUP AND YOU'LL RECEIVE FIVE MINUTES. GOOD EVENING. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. MY NAME IS SUSIE SCOTT AND I AM THE CHAPTER CHAIR OF MOMS FOR LIBERTY. HARFORD COUNTY. I ACTUALLY WASN'T GOING TO SPEAK TONIGHT, SO I'M NOT REALLY PREPARED. I USUALLY SPEND TIME PREPARING MY COMMENTS, BUT I DID WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE ENVISION MATH PROGRAM THAT'S ON YOUR AGENDA TONIGHT, JUST SHY OF $2 MILLION FOR A YEAR OF, MATH RESOURCES FOR ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL, I HOPE THAT YOU HAD SOME TIME TO DO SOME DUE DILIGENCE ON THIS, BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHEN IT CAME UP LAST YEAR, IN THE BUDGET THAT, ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS WAS ASKING QUESTIONS BECAUSE OUR MATH SCORES ARE SO ABYSMAL. AND WE'VE BEEN USING THIS MATH PROGRAM SINCE, I THINK, 2016. SO A MEMBER OF THE BOARD WAS QUESTIONING WHY WE WOULD CONTINUE TO FUND SPEND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON THIS PROGRAM WHEN WE WERE GETTING SUCH POOR RESULTS. AND SHE WAS KIND OF GASLIT AND KIND OF SHAMED FOR BRINGING IT UP. AND WE JUST HAD TO SPEND THIS MONEY RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE HAD TO HAVE THESE, CONSUMABLE MATERIALS FOR OUR KIDS, SO HERE WE ARE AGAIN THIS YEAR. SO WE NEED TO, APPROVE THIS CONTRACT AGAIN, SO I JUST WANT YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE MARYLAND REPORT CARD AND, AND IF YOU DO, YOU WILL SEE THAT, MATH PROFICIENCY IN ELEMENTARY FOR THE 2023 REPORT CARD WAS 40.8.
AND FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL, REALLY, THIS IS I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS 20.7% MATH PROFICIENCY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL. OKAY, SO WHERE'S THE ACCOUNTABILITY ON THIS? IT LEADS ME TO SOMETHING ELSE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT, YOU'RE GOING TO BE ACCOUNTABLE. YOU'RE GOING TO BE TRANSPARENT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP AND WE'RE GOING TO BUMP UP AGAINST IT AGAIN IS, THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REVIEW. SO THERE'S A TIMELINE ON, ON YOUR WEBSITE OF ALL THE STEPS THAT THE BOARD IS SUPPOSED TO GO THROUGH TO ASSESS THE SUPERINTENDENT, ITS PERFORMANCE AND SET GOALS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND I'M JUST WONDERING, BECAUSE WE'RE COMING UP ON THE DEADLINE FOR THE REPORT ON HIS ACCOUNT, YOU KNOW, ACCOUNTABILITY FOR HAVE YOU GONE THROUGH ALL THESE STEPS? IT GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE FALL, AND THEN EVERY MONTH STARTING IN JANUARY, THERE WERE THERE WERE TASKS ON THE TIMELINE. I'M JUST CURIOUS, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, DOCTOR BOLTEN'S BEING AWARDED ALL KINDS OF AWARDS, SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR AND ALL KINDS OF OTHER THINGS. AND WE HAVE MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH PROFICIENCY AT 20. BUT, YOU KNOW , SO I WOULD REALLY LIKE YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE MARYLAND REPORT CARD, THERE'S SOME THINGS ON HERE, IT ALSO TALKS ABOUT HOW OUR ANNUAL TARGET IS NOT MET. OKAY. SO WHY ARE WE USING A MATH PROGRAM THAT IS DOING A TERRIBLE DISSERVICE FOR OUR STUDENTS? I DON'T I DON'T UNDERSTAND, THE OTHER QUESTION, WE'RE SPENDING SPENDING, SPENDING, THERE WAS SOMETHING HELD OVER FROM THE LAST BOARD MEETING, THE NAVIANCE SOFTWARE, AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE THE INFORMATION THAT WE GET FROM THE PUBLIC IS NOT REALLY CLEAR. SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE NAVIANCE HAS TWO, TWO KINDS OF CONTRACTS THAT YOU CAN EITHER GO WITH THE BASIC PROGRAM SUBSCRIPTION OR THE PREMIUM. MY UNDERSTANDING FROM LISTENING TO ALL THE EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON THIS LAST TIME, WAS THAT WE REALLY ONLY NEED THE BASIC NAVY SOFTWARE PACKAGE. SO TONIGHT,
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WILL YOU CLARIFY FOR THE FOR THE AUDIENCE OUT HERE, ARE WE SPENDING ON THE BASIC PROGRAM OR ARE WE DOING THE PREMIUM BECAUSE IT'S JUST REALLY CONFUSING. SO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU HAVE A LOT OF THINGS, A LOT OF MANDATES AND, ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO KEEP TRACK OF. BUT WE'RE COMING UP TO THAT POINT. AND LAST YEAR, WHEN IT WAS TIME TO DO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REVIEW, IT KIND OF LIKE FELL BY THE WAYSIDE. AND I DON'T THINK WE NEED WE WANT TO DO THAT AGAIN THIS YEAR. I THINK WE WANT TO START BEING ACCOUNTABLE FOR THESE RESULTS, THE MATH PROFICIENCY AT 20% IS SOMETHING THAT SOMEBODY HAS TO ANSWER FOR. ARE YOU GOING TO ANSWER FOR IT? ARE YOU GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS? THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CHRISTINA LANZA. YES, WE DO NEED GOD BACK IN OUR SCHOOLS. IF WE HAD HIM, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE WITH CLEAR EYES THAT TAKING THE LORD'S NAME IN VAIN, WHICH WAS DONE SEVERAL TIMES IN ONE RECENT SCHOOL PLAY PERFORMANCE, IS OFFENSIVE TO MANY, INCLUDING CHRISTIANS AND JEWS, STUDENTS AND PARENTS ALIKE. IF THE BOARD IS INTERESTED IN EQUITABLE TREATMENT OF ALL STUDENTS, THEN THEY WOULD SEE THAT THE POLICIES THAT PROTECT THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY SHOULD ALSO BE PROTECTED. THE JUDEO-CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS OTHER BELIEF SYSTEMS. YOU CANNOT BE FOR ONE BELIEF SYSTEM BEING ALLOWED TO BE PROPAGATED, BUT AGAINST ANOTHER ONE'S BEING TAUGHT. YOU CANNOT SAY YOU ARE SERVING ALL STUDENTS WITH EQUITABLE TREATMENT AND PROTECTIONS. IF YOU ARE OKAY WITH OFFENDING ONE GROUP BUT NOT OKAY WITH OFFENDING ANOTHER GROUP, HOW IS THIS RATIONALLY CONSIDERED EQUITABLE TREATMENT? ON ANOTHER TOPIC, I'VE TRIED MULTIPLE TIMES OVER THE LAST YEAR TO ACCESS THE MINUTES TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING THE LINKS PROVIDED IN THE AGENDA THAT SHOULD LEAD TO THE MINUTES DOCUMENTS ONLY LEADS ME TO A PAGE THAT SAYS WE ARE SORRY, BUT THIS FILE OR RESOURCE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. HOW CAN WE ACCESS THESE MINUTES ON A REGULAR BASIS AND BE ABLE TO GO BACK TO ARCHIVE MINUTES? PLEASE HELP REGARDING THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR. ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL LAW, EACH EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION THAT RECEIVES FEDERAL FUNDS FOR A FISCAL YEAR IS REQUIRED TO HOLD AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM. ABOUT THE US CONSTITUTION FOR ITS STUDENTS ON SEPTEMBER 17TH. IF IT FALLS ON A WEEKEND, IT SHOULD BE HELD IN THE PREVIOUS OR NEXT WEEK. I DID SEND YOU THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WEBSITE GIVING YOU RESOURCES FOR THIS DAYS CURRICULUM. PLEASE DO FOLLOW THROUGH IN EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN ON THIS VERY IMPORTANT AND MOST VITAL FOUNDING DOCUMENT OF OUR COUNTRY. PLEASE, IN THE INTEREST OF TRANSPARENCY, PROVIDE US WITH THE CURRICULUM YOU'LL BE USING THIS YEAR TO TEACH THE STUDENTS ABOUT THE US CONSTITUTION. THE BOARD OF EDUCATION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CURRICULUM OF OUR STUDENTS, AND IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE TEACH OUR STUDENTS THE LAW OF THIS UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BY FOLLOWING THE FEDERAL LAW THAT REQUIRES THAT YOUR MAIN JOB IS TO EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN, PLEASE CONSIDER HOW YOU CAN INCREASE THE READING AND MATH PROFICIENCY RATES HERE IN HARFORD COUNTY. THE STUDENTS ARE DEPENDENT ON YOU. PLEASE HELP THEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL IN YOUR DECISION MAKING. PRESIDENT. THAT'S ALL THE IN-PERSON SPEAKERS. THANK YOU. DO WE STILL HAVE ONE VIRTUAL SPEAKER? YES. GOOD EVENING. YOU ARE NOW IN THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE STATE YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME. YOUR TIME WILL CONCLUDE IN THREE MINUTES. YOU WILL HEAR A BELL RING WHEN YOU HAVE 30S REMAINING. PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND YOU MAY BEGIN YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT. NOW HELLO, MY NAME IS REBECCA MILLER AND I'M A PARENT TO A SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD IN HARFORD COUNTY. I AM HERE TO COMMENT ON RENAMING BOARD POLICY 0022000 STUDENT BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION, USE OF PHYSICAL RESTRAINT AND EXCLUSION. AFTER REVIEWING THE NEW PROPOSED POLICY, I BELIEVE IT TO BE A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME GLARINGLY OBVIOUS MISSED OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN MITIGATED HAD A PARENT BEEN GIVEN THE CHOICE TO PROVIDE INPUT. MY RECOMMENDATIONS AS A PARENT WHO HAS EXPERIENCED MY CHILD BEING RESTRAINED, EXCLUDED AND NEGLECTED BY THE CURRENT POLICY ARE AS FOLLOWS. NUMBER ONE, THE DEFINITION FOR MUCH OF THE LANGUAGE USED IN THE NEW POLICY IS LARGELY LEFT TO INTERPRETATION, WHICH, AS A PARENT WHOSE CHILD HAS BEEN PUT IN DANGER DUE TO THIS POLICY, THERE IS NO ROOM FOR INTERPRETATION. THE DEFINITIONS OF THINGS SUCH AS INHUMANE TREATMENT, RETALIATION, ETC. SHOULD BE CLEARLY DEFINED TO ELIMINATE ANY MISUNDERSTANDINGS OR ROOM FOR ERROR. WHEN THESE MEASURES ARE USED IN SCHOOL.QUITE FRANKLY, OUR CHILDREN'S PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH IS PUT AT RISK AND THE RECOURSE IS OFTEN PLACED ON DISCIPLINARY MEASURES WEIGHED AGAINST THE CHILD AND NOT THE ANTECEDENTS THAT CAME BEFORE THE INTERVENTION FROM THE ADULTS INVOLVED. IT APPEARS SROS ARE
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LARGELY EXCLUDED FROM THE POLICY, WHICH, HAVING HAD MY CHILD PHYSICALLY RESTRAINED BY AN SRO IN A WAY THAT WAS NOT A MANDATED HOLD THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED GREAT BODILY HARM, I WOULD IMPLORE HER TO REMOVE ANY WORDING ABOUT SROS THAT EXCLUDES THEM FROM THE NEW POLICY. I WOULD ALSO IMPLORE HER TO INCLUDE IN THIS POLICY THE FOLLOWING ONE ONE. WHENEVER EXCLUSION, RESTRAINT, TRANSPORT, ETC. IS USED IN IEP MEETINGS SHOULD BE AUTOMATICALLY PROMPTED. IF A CHILD IS EXPERIENCING ANY OF THESE EXTREME MEASURES, CLEARLY THEIR NEEDS ARE NOT BEING MET WITH THEIR CURRENT IEP AND OR BIT, AND THEY SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY TO PROVIDE PROPER ACCOMMODATION AND ENSURE THE LIKELIHOOD OF MEETING EXTREME MEASURES THAT PUT THEIR SAFETY AT RISK IS MITIGATED. SECONDLY, THE POLICY SHOULD ALSO BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT DISCIPLINARY MEASURES FOR STAFF WHO ARE NOT FOLLOWING THIS POLICY. IT SHOULD BE CLEARLY STATED WHAT WOULD LAUNCH IN AN INTERNAL OR AN EXTERNAL INVESTIGATION. WHAT ACTIONS WOULD BE TAKEN TO PREVENT THE EMPLOYEE FROM BREAKING THE POLICY AGAIN, INCLUDING BEING PLACED ON LEAVE, DISCHARGING THEM FROM THEIR POSITION, ETC. IT SHOULD ALSO BE MADE CLEAR WHEN THE GOVERNMENT ENTITIES SUCH AS DPS AND POLICE WOULD BE CALLED, AND WHAT THE PROCESS FOR THAT WOULD BE CLEARLY STATED. WHENEVER A CHILD IS INVOLVED IN THESE ACTIONS, ANY AND ALL VIDEO EVIDENCE OF THE INCIDENT SHOULD BE PRESERVED AND MADE READILY AVAILABLE TO LEGAL GUARDIANS, POLICE, LAWYERS, ETC. WITHOUT HAVING TO VIEW IT IN PERSON AS IS THE CURRENT GUIDELINES, THOUGH THOSE ARE NOT EVEN CLEARLY DEFINED. I FEEL AS A PARENT THESE SUGGESTIONS ARE BASIC HUMAN DECENCY TO SEE OUR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN AS JUST HAT CHILDREN CHILDREN WHO RELY ON HTTPS STAFF TO KEEP THEM SAFE AT SCHOOL. UNFORTUNATELY, AS MANY SPECIAL NEEDS PARENTS IN THIS COUNTY ARE WELL AWARE, THIS POLICY IN PARTICULAR HAS VIOLATED WITH NO RECOURSE. YOU HAVE REACHED THE THREE MINUTE MARK, MA'AM. YOU HAVE REACHED THE THREE MINUTE MARK. THANK YOU. AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR VIRTUAL PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE EVENING. THANK[Board Member Comments]
YOU. YOU CAN FEEL FREE, MA'AM, TO SEND ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS TO US THROUGH EMAIL, OKAY. WE WILL MOVE ON THIS EVENING WITH BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS. WE'LL START WITH MISS ALVAREZ. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I'M GLAD TO BE HERE IN PERSON, THIS TIME, AFTER BEING AWAY FOR, A BEING VIRTUAL FOR THE LAST MONTH, BUT I'M GLAD TO BE HERE TONIGHT. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AS WELL. SO THANK YOU, MISS KOCHER. OKAY. WELCOME TO EVERYONE HERE AND THOSE LISTENING IN. I WANT TO SHARE SOME KEY ACTIVITIES. SINCE OUR LAST MEETING, WE HAD A BOARD RETREAT BY THE MARYLAND ASSOCIATION OF BOARDS OF EDUCATION. MAYB ON MAY 2ND, AND THIS WAS A WORKING SESSION WHICH WE AS A BOARD DEVELOPED PRECISE WORDING ON OUR THREE AGREED PRIORITIES, WHICH WILL FORM THE BASIS FOR OUR DECISIONS GOING FORWARD AND FOR OUR NEXT STEP IN UPDATING THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM. MAYBE EXPERT MOLLY YOUNG AGAIN DID A FANTASTIC JOB OF FOCUSING US TO DELINEATE THESE PRIORITIES, WHICH ARE, NUMBER ONE, ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT WITH A FOCUS ON MATH AND READING, LANGUAGE ARTS, IMPROVED SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT WITH AN EMPHASIS ON ATTENDANCE AND SAFETY. AND NUMBER THREE, INCREASED COMMUNITY AND PARENT GUARDIAN TRUST THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS AND TRANSPARENCY. SO JUST WANTED TO READ THOSE AND I THINK THOSE SHOULD ALWAYS BE AT THE TOP OF OUR MINDS AS WE'RE CONSIDERING ALL OUR DECISIONS GOING FORWARD IN THE BUDGET AND POLICIES AND SO FORTH. ANOTHER EVENT WAS THE ROY WILLIAMS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TALENT PATHWAYS VISIT ON MAY 7TH. WE MET SOME AMAZING COLLEGE STUDENTS INTERNING WITH CPS PRINCIPAL ROSE MARTINO IS A TRUE ROLE MODEL FOR HOW OUR SCHOOLS CAN WORK WITH COLLEGES AND STUDENTS IN THEIR TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT STUDENTS HAVING CLASSROOM EXPERIENCES IN THEIR JUNIOR AND SENIOR YEARS. THIS BUILDS THE STUDENTS CONFIDENCE AS FUTURE TEACHERS, THEIR LOVE OF OUR KIDS, AND POTENTIALLY THEIR CAREER PLANS WITH CPS. IT WAS AMAZING TO SEE THE MATURE PERSPECTIVES OF THESE STUDENTS INTERACTING WITH THEIR MENTOR TEACHERS, WHO ALSO GREATLY BENEFITED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE, ONE STUDENT SAID HER MENTOR TEACHER SAID THAT THIS EXPERIENCE WITH THIS GREAT YOUNG LADY HELPED HER REMEMBER HER. WHY? WHY SHE WAS TEACHING. SO FOR TEACHERS, WE HOPE YOU WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES TO MENTOR COLLEGE EDUCATION STUDENTS. THIS PROGRAM WILL MAKE IT VERY USER FRIENDLY FOR YOU. THANKS AGAIN TO PRINCIPAL MARTINO, MISS JONES AND ALL WHO SUPPORT THESE STUDENTS IN GAINING THESE GREAT EXPERIENCES IN OUR SCHOOLS. AND THE KIDS JUST LOVED HAVING THOSE STUDENT TEACHERS IN THEIR CLASSES, THE MANY GREAT HARFORD COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM, END OF YEAR SCHOOL EVENTS ARE NOW IN FULL SWING. I LOVE ALL THE PATRIOTS CEREMONIES, BUT I HAVE TO CALL OUT THE RED PUMP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PATRIOT CEREMONY ON MAY 13TH. THEIR PROGRAM WAS AMAZING AND THAT THE WHOLE SCHOOL WAS INVOLVED. EVERY STUDENT IN EVERY GRADE PARTICIPATED IN SOME WAY, AND A MAJORITY OF THE STUDENTS IN EACH[00:40:05]
GRADE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THEIR PATRIOT PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS FOR THAT GRADE. THE PROGRAM INCLUDED LOTS OF RED, WHITE, AND BLUE PATRIOTIC SONGS, RECOGNITION OF THE MILITARY MEMBERS AND RETIREES ATTENDING WITH THEIR STUDENTS, AND A GREAT STUDENT LEVEL EXAMPLE OF THE PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE BY JUDGE ALLEMAN. PRINCIPAL BLANE HOLLY IS RETIRING AFTER DOING THIS LARGE SCALE PATRIOT PROGRAM AND FINALE EVENT FOR SOME 16 YEARS. I THINK SHE SAID SO BIG SHOUT OUT FOR HER WONDERFUL LEADERSHIP. ANOTHER TRUE ROLE MODEL. I HOPE THAT HER PATRIOT PROGRAM TRADITION WILL CONTINUE AND PERHAPS TO EXPAND TO OTHER SCHOOLS AS WELL. THE ABERDEEN HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE AND MATH ACADEMY PROGRAM SENIOR CAPSTONE PROJECTS WERE AMAZING, AND THAT AWARD CEREMONY ON MAY 13TH WAS VERY WELL DONE. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE SENIORS. NOW THAT WE'RE HEADING INTO GRADUATIONS THROUGHOUT HARFORD COUNTY THAT HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO GET THIS IMPORTANT MILESTONE IN THEIR LIVES. AND THANK YOU TO ALL THE FAMILIES AND OTHERS WHO HAVE SUPPORTED THEM, TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS, AND BEST WISHES FOR A GREAT SUMMER AND FUTURE SUCCESSES TO ALL THIS SENIORS. AND I KNOW OTHERS WILL TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE LINCOLN HARFORD ACADEMY GRADUATION CEREMONIES, WHICH WERE SO WELL DONE, SO MEANINGFUL, AND REQUIRED LOTS OF KLEENEX, THANK YOU TO PRINCIPAL GUYER AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL MANGOLD. MISS CASTELLI, FOR SUCH INDIVIDUAL STUDENT FOCUS AND ATTENTION TO EVERY DETAIL, TO SUPPORT THESE STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. THANKS ALSO TO THE EMPLOYERS WHO GIVE THE FUTURE LINK. GRADUATING STUDENTS A CHANCE. YOU WILL FIND THAT THEIR GREAT PERSONALITIES AND WORK ETHIC WILL BE AN ASSET TO YOUR ORGANIZATIONS. AS ALWAYS, WE ASK PARENTS TO SUPPORT THEIR KIDS AND BEING PRESENT IN SCHOOL, ESPECIALLY IN THESE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, HANGING IN THERE AND ENJOY THE LAST FEW WEEKS AND ALWAYS TREATING EVERYONE WITH RESPECT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DOCTOR MUELLER. HELLO TOOK JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING I HAD. SORRY. IT'S OKAY, I DID GET TO PARTICIPATE WITH THE FOUNDATION, AN EDUCATION FOUNDATION GOLF TOURNAMENT. MR. SEWELL IS A VERY ACTIVE PARTICIPATE IN THAT, IT WAS A GREAT DAY. AND RAISED QUITE A FEW DOLLARS TO HELP WITH GIVING SUPPLIES TO OUR MORE NEEDY STUDENTS AND ALSO PROVIDING BOOKS AND OTHER THINGS THAT THEY DO, ALSO, THE SERVICE RECOGNITION DINNER FOR OUR, EMPLOYEES AND THE PEOPLE THEY DO THE MILESTONE YEARS, YOU KNOW, THE TEN, 20, 30, 40 AND THE AMAZING PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE WORKING IN THE DISTRICT, THERE WAS A LOT OF OTHER, CAPSTONE PROJECT PROGRAMS. I ALSO ATTENDED THE ONE AT HAVRE DE GRACE, ALSO WITH MR. SEWELL. AND OF COURSE, AS TERRY MENTIONED, THE FUTURE LINCOLN HARFORD ACADEMY GRADUATION, IT'S MY FAVORITE ONE TO GO TO. IT IS SO MOVING. AND THE FAMILY ARE SO INVOLVED IN THAT SCHOOL. SOME OF THOSE KIDS HAVE BEEN THERE SINCE THEY WERE TWO, THREE YEARS OLD AND HAVE GONE ALL THE WAY THROUGH UP UNTIL BEING AGE 18, AND IT IS REALLY SPECIAL TO SEE THE RELATIONSHIP THEY HAVE WITH THEIR TEACHERS AND WITH THE SCHOOL. SO I'LL JUST, MOVE ON FROM THERE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MISS PERRY, GOOD EVENING. I ALSO ATTENDED THE FUTURE LINCOLN HARFORD ACADEMY, CEREMONIES, AND I WAS VERY IMPRESSED. AND BY THE DEDICATION AND SUPPORT THAT THE TEACHER THERE GAVE THOSE CHILDREN, AND THEY ARE DOING A GREAT JOB. SO IT JUST TO RECOGNIZE AND APPRECIATE PEOPLE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY CAN AND CANNOT DO. VERY IMPORTANT. I ALSO WENT TO THE CHURCHVILLE PATRIOTS, EVENT, WHICH WAS VERY WHICH WAS VERY GREAT ALSO. I MEAN, THEY HAD A LOT OF I THINK THERE WAS ABOUT MAYBE 40 KIDS WHO ACTUALLY WERE THE PATRIOTS, AND THEY DID A WONDERFUL JOB. AND LET ME SEE, WHERE ELSE DID I GO? I WENT TO DEERFIELD BOOKS AND BREAKFAST, AND THAT WAS OUTSTANDING BECAUSE ALL OF THE KIDS WHO WENT TO THE BREAKFAST GOT TO GET A FREE BOOK OF THEIR CHOICE. AND IT WAS REALLY, YOU KNOW, THEY REALLY APPRECIATED THAT. THANK YOU, MISS SABIROVA. DO YOU HAVE COMMENTS THIS EVENING? I DON'T SORRY, I WASN'T FEELING WELL TODAY, BUT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO TONIGHT'S MEETING. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. HOPE YOU FEEL BETTER, MR. SEWELL, NO COMMENTS.THIS EVENING. THANK YOU, MISS STRAUSS. ALL RIGHT, SO GOOD EVENING. I'M EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE CATALOG OF BOOKS IN EACH SCHOOL LIBRARY IS NOW AVAILABLE. YOU CAN FIND THIS LINK ON THE LIBRARY MEDIA PAGE ON OUR WEBSITE. WE ARE ALSO SEEKING APPLICANTS. IT WILL BE OPEN TOMORROW FOR MEMBERSHIP FOR THE NEW LIBRARY MATERIALS RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE. THIS COMMITTEE IS CHARGED WITH EVALUATING CHALLENGED LIBRARY BOOKS, CONSIDERING THE CRITERIA OUTLINED IN THE LIBRARIES EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCEDURE. WE'RE ALSO STILL WORKING SOME FINAL DETAILS TO GET THE PROCEDURE UP, BUT THAT SHOULD BE UP THIS WEEK AS WELL.
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MEMBERSHIP IS OPEN TO ALL HARFORD COUNTY RESIDENTS, INCLUDING THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE A STUDENT IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. THIS COMMITTEE WILL MEET ONCE IN SEPTEMBER UP TO FIVE TIMES, AND THEN UP TO FIVE TIMES AGAIN IN THE SPRING. ALL MEMBERS MUST READ EACH BOOK ASSIGNED TO THEIR SUBCOMMITTEE FOR RECONSIDERATION. INTERESTED PARTIES SHOULD COMPLETE. AN APPLICATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE LIBRARY MEDIA WEBPAGE. MEMBERS WILL BE CONFIRMED IN JUNE.YOU'LL SERVE A ONE YEAR TERM, AND YOU MAY BE REAPPLY FOR AN ADDITIONAL TERMS. THE DEADLINE TO APPLY IS JUNE 5TH, OF THIS YEAR, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH AND I'M EXCITED TO GIVE THAT UPDATE.
THANK YOU, VICE PRESIDENT HAHN. GOOD EVENING, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE, I WAS ALSO ABLE TO ATTEND A FEW MORE PATRIOT PROGRAMS, AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT RED PUMP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THEIR PATRIOT PROGRAM, IS PHENOMENAL. I LOVE THAT THEY BRING UP OUR MILITARY HEROES AND HONOR THEM. PATRIOTISM TRULY IS THE REASON FOR THE PATRIOT PROGRAM, AND NOTHING IS MORE PATRIOTIC THAN HONORING THOSE WHO FOUGHT FOR OUR FREEDOMS AND THE COUNTRY THAT WE HAVE TODAY.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO ATTENDING A FEW OTHERS IN THE COMING WEEKS , I ALSO HAD THE HONOR OF ATTENDING ALONG WITH MISS COKER, THE SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS ACADEMY SENIOR CAPSTONE GALLERY WALK AND AWARD CEREMONY, WOW. THE TEACHERS, STAFF, AND ADMINISTRATORS DO A PHENOMENAL JOB WITH SUPPORTING THESE STUDENTS AND PREPARING THEM FOR THE FUTURE ENDEAVORS AS SCIENTISTS, DOCTORS, ACCOUNTANTS, BIOCHEMISTS, AND MANY OTHER AMAZING PROFESSIONS.
I CAN SAY, THESE STUDENTS TRULY ARE AMAZING AND THEY ARE OUR FUTURE. THEIR PROJECTS WERE A TESTAMENT OF THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION THAT EACH STUDENT IN THIS PROGRAM MUST HAVE TO BE SUCCESSFUL. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE MANY MENTORS THAT HELP AND SUPPORT THESE STUDENTS, AND THAT GIVE UP MANY HOURS OF THEIR PERSONAL TIME TO WORK WITH THESE STUDENTS AND BRING THEIR PROJECTS TO LIFE. SO THANK YOU. I ALSO HAD THE HONOR OF ATTENDING THE FUTURE LINK COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY IN THE HARFORD ACADEMY COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY. I WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO ALL OF THOSE AMAZING INDIVIDUALS THAT MADE THESE EVENTS POSSIBLE. YOU ARE WONDERFUL. OUR SPECIAL NEEDS POPULATION HAS THE MOST SUPPORTIVE TEAM. IT REALLY DOES TAKE A SPECIAL PERSON TO WORK WITH A SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD, AND WE ARE BLESSED WITH SO MANY THAT MAKE THESE GRADUATIONS POSSIBLE FROM OUR PARAEDUCATORS, OUR INCLUSION HELPERS, OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS, SPECIALIZED STAFF, PRINCIPAL GEIGER AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL MANGOLD. AND IF I FORGOT ANYONE, PLEASE FORGIVE ME. THERE ARE SO MANY INDIVIDUALS WORKING WITH THIS POPULATION, IT IS DIFFICULT TO LIST EVERYONE YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND THE DIFFERENCE THAT YOU MAKE DAILY. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK MOLLY YOUNG FROM THE MARYLAND ASSOCIATED BOARDS OF EDUCATION FOR COMING OUT AND WORKING WITH US AS A BOARD TO COME UP WITH SOME PRIORITIES THAT WE WILL FOCUS EVERY DECISION WE MAKE ON THE THREE PRIORITIES AS A BOARD WE DECIDED UPON ARE, NUMBER ONE, TO INCREASE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT WITH THE EMPHASIS ON READING LANGUAGE ARTS, ENGLISH AND MATH, IMPROVE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT WITH THE EMPHASIS ON ATTENDANCE AND SAFETY, AND INCREASE COMMUNITY AND PARENT AND OR GUARDIAN TRUST THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS AND TRANSPARENCY. THESE THREE PRIORITIES ADDRESS ISSUES THAT WE SEE WITHIN CPS, AND IT IS NOW DOCTOR BOLTON'S JOB TO PROVIDE US WITH SEVERAL WAYS THAT HE WILL BE ADDRESSING THESE PRIORITIES FROM THIS POINT ON, THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE SHOULD ALL TAKE THESE THINGS INTO CONSIDERATION. I HAVE HEARD MANY CONCERNS AND HAVE HAD MANY PARENTS REACHING OUT ABOUT PLAYS, MOVIES, SONGS AND OTHER PERFORMANCES BY OUR STUDENTS.
WHILE I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU REACHING OUT TO ME, YOU NEED TO EMAIL THE BOARD. DOCTOR BOLTON AND DOCTOR DAVIS AND LET THEM KNOW HOW THIS HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THESE CHOICES AND ABOUT THE VETTING PROCESS OR LACK THEREOF. AS A BOARD MEMBER, I HEAR ALL THE TIME, WELL, NO ONE'S COMPLAINED ABOUT IT. IF YOU'RE DISPLEASED WITH THE SELECTIONS AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE A VETTING PROCESS IN PLACE TO PREVENT INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT, PLEASE EMAIL AND VOICE THOSE CONCERNS.
WE ALL NEED TO HEAR THEM. THE SCHOOL YEAR IS QUICKLY COMING TO AN END. JUST A REMINDER TO BE SURE TO CHECK BACK AND ENSURE YOUR STUDENTS HAVE HANDED IN ALL ASSIGNMENTS AND COMPLETED THEIR WORK AND TURN IN ANY BOOKS AND PAY YOUR FINES IN ANY LUNCH ACCOUNTS. THE NEXT FEW WEEKS WILL BE ATTENDING GRADUATIONS. JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT AND SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR GRADUATING SENIORS. THE WORLD IS FULL OF OPEN DOORS AND UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES. WITH HARD WORK AND DEDICATION, YOU CAN ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS. SO CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN TO THE HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS CLASS OF 2024 AND THANK YOU, THANK YOU. WELL, I FEEL LIKE WHAT DOCTOR MUELLER SAID, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING'S BEEN SAID BY THE TIME HE GETS TO ME. SO YOU KNOW, MAYBE NEXT MEETING INSTEAD OF GOING IN ORDER, WE'LL JUST RANDOMLY PICK PEOPLE AND KEEP EVERYBODY ON YOUR TOES. BUT, ALL RIGHT, SO HERE'S WHAT I HAD TO TALK ABOUT TODAY, THE RETREAT, I THINK YOU HEARD ENOUGH ABOUT THAT ALREADY. RIGHT? YOU KNOW WHAT THE THREE PRIORITIES ARE? THAT'LL BE IN THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REVIEW NEXT YEAR, AND IT'LL FILTER ITS WAY DOWN THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION, SECOND IS THE BUDGET. WE HAD A BIT OF A CONVERSATION TONIGHT ABOUT THE BUDGET, UNFORTUNATELY, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET THE BUDGET BACK FROM THE COUNTY COUNCIL UNTIL MAYBE AS LATE AS JUNE 11TH. I JUST REALIZED OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING IS ON JUNE 10TH, SO WE MIGHT HAVE TO FIGURE THAT ONE OUT IF
[00:50:01]
WE DO GET THAT LATE. BUT TO GET AHEAD OF THINGS, THE BOARD WILL BE HOLDING A BOARD BUDGET WORKING SESSION HERE ON THURSDAY AT 9 A.M. IT WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR OBSERVATION, NOT FOR PARTICIPATION, BUT THE BOARD INTENDS TO GET TOGETHER WITH THE ADMINISTRATION AND WORK OUT SOME OF THE FINER DETAILS ON THE BUDGET SO THAT WHEN IT IS PASSED BY THE COUNTY COUNCIL, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A VERY, VERY SHORT WINDOW TO, IMPLEMENT IT IN, IN A AND APPROVE IT. SO YOU'RE WELCOME TO, TO JOIN AND WATCH OR LISTEN IN. AND I BELIEVE THAT I'LL ALSO BE SIMULCASTED, AND RECORD IT, ONCE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STARTING GRADUATION SEASON. I WENT TO MY FIRST GRADUATION JUNE OF THIS YEAR AT THE HARFORD ACADEMY. AND IT'S AMAZING TO SEE THE CARE AND THE LOVE THAT GOES INTO ALL OF THE STUDENTS THAT ATTEND THERE. SO MY SHOUT OUT, TONIGHT IS NOT JUST FOR THE EDUCATORS THAT WORK THERE, BUT ALL OF OUR SPECIAL EDUCATORS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTY, THE WORK THAT YOU DO, THE CARELESS I'M SORRY, THE SELFLESS, EFFORT ON CARELESS, IS JUST BEYOND WHAT I WOULD HAVE EVER HAVE IMAGINED. SO THANK YOU, AND THEN LASTLY, I WAS A LITTLE BIT LATE, ALMOST GETTING HERE TODAY BECAUSE I ACTUALLY WENT TO GETTYSBURG, WITH THE FIFTH GRADE CLASS FROM YOUTH'S BENEFIT AS A PART OF THE PATRIOT PROGRAM, WHICH WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. AND I WANT TO THANK ALL THE EDUCATORS THERE AND ESPECIALLY, MISS EDLER FOR THE GREAT JOB. I WAS ON HER BUS TODAY, FOR, YOU KNOW, KEEPING ALL THOSE STUDENTS, NOT WANDERING AWAY, BUT IT WAS IT WAS A REALLY JUST WHAT A FANTASTIC DAY THAT WE HAD. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE. AND WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON NOW TO OLD BUSINESS. OKAY WE HAVE ONE ITEM[1. Decision on Previously Tabled: Approval of Renewal of College and Career Planning Software]
FOR OLD BUSINESS, WHICH IS AN ITEM THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY TABLED LAST BOARD MEETING, APPROVAL OF RENEWAL OF COLLEGE AND CAREER PLANNING SOFTWARE. SO WE WILL OPEN THIS UP FOR DISCUSSION AT THIS TIME. FOR QUESTIONS. SO I'M GOING TO ASSUME THAT EVERYONE'S HAD TIME TO HAVE ALL THEIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED. NO, I THINK THE ISSUE THERE WAS, AND SOMEONE SAID IT, WHERE ARE WE GETTING THE BASIC OR THE PREMIUM, WHAT'S THE COST? DELTA. AND IS THE ACTUAL VALUE THE $100,000 OR IS THAT IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE? AND SO THERE WAS A COUPLE OF INFORMATION REQUESTS THAT WE HAD IN, AND I DIDN'T SEE THE ANSWERS TO THOSE. BUT YOU KNOW. GO AHEAD, JUDY. GOOD EVENING. THIS IS LAWANDA BROWN, SUPERVISOR OF SCHOOL COUNSELING. I BELIEVE I CAN ANSWER SOME OF THIS, OUR INITIAL INVOICE, WENT THROUGH A PROCESS OF OBTAINING A QUOTE WHICH TOOK ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF FOR ME TO OBTAIN. THEN I DID, REACH OUT TO NAVIANCE TWICE REQUESTING, A QUOTE FOR THEIR BASIC. AND I RECEIVED AN EMAIL THIS AFTERNOON. NOT WITH, THE SECOND QUOTE, BUT I DID RECEIVE AN EMAIL DETAILING THAT IT WOULD BE A $3,500 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO. AND OF COURSE, THAT WOULD MEAN THAT WE WOULD NOT OBTAIN SOME OF THE FUNCTIONALITY THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY. SO IT WOULD IMPACT OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL INNOVATION AND SOME OF WHAT WE PLAN TO DO. THERE IS JUST A $3,500 DIFFERENCE. IS THAT A $3,500 DIFFERENCE ACROSS THE BOARD PER SCHOOL OR JUST PERIOD? IT IS ACROSS THE BOARD. AND AS I SAID, IT WOULD MEAN THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO REWORK SOME OF WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL INNOVATION IF WE DID THAT. AND THE ESTIMATED VALUE OF THE CONTRACT, THIS IS THIS THE TOTAL OR IS THIS JUST A INVOICED AMOUNT? AND THERE'S ADDITIONAL WITH THIS. THIS IS THE TOTAL FOR ONE YEAR. OKAY. THANK YOU. MISS KOCHER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SO THE ESTIMATED VALUE OF THE CONTRACT IS 100 K. AND THAT'S FOR THE PREMIUM PACKAGE. YES,[00:55:09]
THAT IS CORRECT. YES. WAS THERE SOME OTHER INVOICE THAT WAS MORE MONEY TRYING TO THINK. THIS IS JEN PORTER SUPERVISOR OF PROCUREMENT. I BELIEVE THE PACKAGE THAT WE PROVIDED YOU FOR, THE SINGLE SOLE SOURCE THAT WAS REQUESTED BEFORE THE LAST BOARD MEETING THAT HAD THE DETAILED INFORMATION FROM PREVIOUS QUOTES, SO THAT THAT MAY HAVE BEEN THE CONFUSION, BUT THE ONE THAT WE HAVE BEFORE YOU FOR, A DECISION IS THE $100,478.49, OR THE PREMIUM VERSION. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANKS COULD I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE RENEWAL OF COLLEGE AND CAREER PLANNING SOFTWARE? WELL, I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND. IF SOMEBODY WANTED. IF WE WANT TO APPROVE IT , I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE PURCHASE OF THE NAVIANCE SOFTWARE, THE PREMIUM EDITION FOR 100,487 AND $0.49. I'LL SECOND THE MOTION. THANK YOU.ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY YES. YES, YES. IF THERE ARE ANY OPPOSED, PLEASE SAY NO. THANK
[A. Consent Agenda]
YOU. THE MOTION PASSES. OKAY WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. VICE PRESIDENT HAHN, PLEASE READ THE ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING. MONTHLY PERSONNEL REPORT APRIL OF 2024. NUMBER TWO, RATIFICATION OF ASK ME, ASK HCA, ESP OKAY. NEGOTIATE AGREEMENTS, THE SCHOOL ORGANIZATION SPONSORED PROJECT. EDGEWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DEPARTMENT OF WORKS TREE PLANTING AND MEADOW ESTABLISHMENT. CONTRACT AWARD.REFUSE AND RECYCLING COLLECTION SERVICES. CONTRACT AWARD. PRIMARY MATH RESOURCES. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS BOARD MEETINGS FEBRUARY 26TH, 2024 AND MARCH 18TH, 2024. THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS. MAY I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? I MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. THANK YOU. IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND THE MOTION. THANK YOU ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY YES. YES, YES. THERE ANY OPPOSED? PLEASE SAY NO. THANK YOU. THE MOTION PASSES.
[B. Presentation on Gifted Education Citizens Advisory Committee, Ms. Martha Barwick, Supervisor of Innovation in Learning]
MOVING ON TO NEW BUSINESS ITEM B PRESENTATION OF GIFTED EDUCATION. CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. I'D LIKE TO WELCOME MISS BARWICK, SUPERVISOR OF INNOVATION AND LEARNING, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. OH, SORRY, DOCTOR. YOU KNOW, I KNEW THAT, BUT IT SAYS YOU KNOW MISS ON HERE. SO WELCOME. AND DO YOU MIND INTRODUCING YOUR TEAM AS WELL? THAT'S. GOOD. ANYTHING UP TO THAT POINT, VICE PRESIDENT HAHN, BOARD MEMBERS AND SUPERINTENDENT OLSEN I AM JOINED TONIGHT BY MOLLY JOINER, GT SPECIALIST, AND KAYLA PARKER, A STUDENT AT MILTON WRIGHT HIGH SCHOOL. WE ARE HERE THIS EVENING TO BRING TO YOU AN UPDATE ON THE GIFTED EDUCATION CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. THE GIFTED EDUCATION CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE DISCUSSES AND REVIEWS THE IMPACT OF GIFTED EDUCATION PROGRAMS ON HIGHER STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. OUR CHARGE IS TO STUDY THE RESEARCH SURROUNDING GIFTEDNESS AND TWICE EXCEPTIONALITY, AND RECOMMEND WAYS TO INFUSE BEST PRACTICE INTO HOW WE SERVE IDENTIFIED STUDENTS. APPLICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP OPENED IN THE SPRING OF 2023, AND WE WERE PLEASED TO INVITE ALL WHO APPLIED TO SERVE ON THE COMMITTEE. WE ARE ALSO GRATEFUL TO THE GT TEACHERS WHO JOINED EACH MEETING, PRESENTING RESEARCH STRATEGIES AND THEIR OWN APPLICATIONS TO SUPPORT GIFTED EDUCATION. AND OUR FIRST MEETING OF THE YEAR, WE REVIEWED THE GIFTED AND TALENTED REGULATION AS DEFINED BY THE ANNOTATED CODE OF MARYLAND. WE ALSO DISCUSS THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING GIFTED STUDENTS USING MULTIPLE DATA POINTS BEGINNING IN GRADE TWO. ACCELERATION IS ALSO A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE GIFTED EDUCATION PROGRAM. IN OUR SECOND MEETING, WE REVIEWED THE PROCESS FOR GRADE LEVEL OR CONTENT ACCELERATION. THE GIFTED AND TALENTED TEACHER FACILITATES THIS PROCESS IN EACH SCHOOL WITH THE STUDENT SERVICES TEAM USING A DATA COLLECTION TOOL CALLED THE IOWA ACCELERATION SCALE, WHICH PROVIDES A SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION FOR EACH ACCELERATION CONSIDERATION. OUR FINAL MEETING FOR THE YEAR INCLUDED INTRODUCING OUR STUDENT MEMBER, KAYLA PARKER. WE ALSO EXAMINED A NEWLY DEVELOPED DATA DASHBOARD DESIGNED TO ASSIST IN[01:00:06]
GIFTED IDENTIFICATION. DISCUSSION WAS HELD AROUND CONSIDERATIONS TO STRENGTHEN THE GIFTED PROGRAM. WE ARE FORTUNATE TONIGHT TO HAVE A STUDENT WITH US, KAYLA PARKER, WHO HAS RECEIVED GIFTED SERVICES THROUGHOUT HER EDUCATION, CAREER . WE ASKED KAYLA TO SPEAK TO YOU REGARDING THE POPULATION OF STUDENTS THAT SHE REPRESENTS AND SHOWCASE FOR YOU HOW HER UNIQUE NEEDS HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED THROUGH THESE SERVICES. WE HAVE ENOUGH SUPPORT THAT I NEEDED WHILE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HELPED ME LEARN TO CHALLENGE MYSELF. MISS JOYNER ALWAYS PUSHED ME TO DO NOT MY BEST, BUT BEYOND MY BEST. BEFORE MATH OLYMPIADS, WE DID PRACTICE ROUNDS WHERE I LEARNED STRATEGIES SUCH AS BREAKING DOWN THE QUESTION INTO PARTS TO FIGURE OUT PROBLEMS I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO SOLVE. THIS ENABLED ME TO BECOME A BETTER PROBLEM SOLVER IN ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE. THE GIFTED AND TALENTED PROGRAM ALSO FOSTERED MY CREATIVE ABILITY. I WAS CONSTANTLY ENCOURAGED TO PURSUE THINGS THAT INTERESTED ME, SUCH AS WRITING.MISS JOYNER WOULD READ MY WRITING AND PROVIDE ME FEEDBACK TO IMPROVE AS A WRITER. TO THIS DAY, I STILL LOVE CREATIVE WRITING AND HAVE SELF PUBLISHED TWO BOOKS ON AMAZON, BOTH THE CREATIVITY AND THE PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS I GAINED FROM THE GIFTED AND TALENTED PROGRAM ARE SKILLS I USE DAILY. IN GT, WE DID A LOT OF THINGS THAT ENDED UP PREPARING ME FOR HIGH SCHOOL CLASSES IN COLLEGE. ONE OF THOSE WAS HOUR OF CODE. DURING HOUR OF CODE, WE LEARNED BASIC BLOCK CODING AND HOW ROBOTS INPUT AND EXECUTE COMMANDS. THIS INFORMATION WAS AN EXCELLENT BUILDING BLOCK IN EIGHTH GRADE. WHEN I USED BLOCK CODE AGAIN TO OPERATE A SIMPLE MOTOR SYSTEM, KNOWING BLOCK CODE ALSO PROVIDED ME WITH A STRENGTHENED LEVEL OF DIGITAL LITERACY. FROM THIS LITERACY, IT WAS EASY TO TEACH MYSELF HOW TO USE EXCEL, CANVA AND OTHER PLATFORMS. I EVEN TAUGHT MYSELF HOW TO MAKE A CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE STORY USING FORMS. THIS BUILT OFF THE EVENT SEQUENCING I USED IN BLOCK CODING AFTER THE GIFTED TALENTS PROGRAM. I HAVE MANY SKILLS I WILL BE ABLE TO USE FOR LIFE. KAYLA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. IT'S BEEN GREAT TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCES THROUGH THE GIFTED EDUCATION PROGRAM, AND NOW IT'S SO WONDERFUL TO WELCOME YOU TO THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. CAN YOU SHARE WITH US WHAT YOU, AS A STUDENT, HOPE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS GIFTED EDUCATION? CITIZENS ADVISORY? YOU KNOW, ON THIS COMMITTEE, I HOPE TO OFFER A UNIQUE VIEWS OF STUDENTS STILL IN OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM AFTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND HAVING A GIFTED AND TALENTED TEACHER, THERE IS A LACK OF SPECIFIC SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS THAT WERE IN THE GIFTED AND TALENTED PROGRAM. I BELIEVE THAT WHILE OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM IS ADEQUATE FOR MOST STUDENTS, IT SOMETIMES FAILS TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY RESOURCES TO CHALLENGE THOSE WHO WISH FOR DEEPER LEARNING. I WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE RESOURCES THAT STUDENTS CAN USE TO SUPPLEMENT THEIR LEARNING IN CLASS, ESPECIALLY IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL. STUDENTS DESERVE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY EQUAL BUT FAIR WITHOUT BEING CHALLENGED, THESE STUDENTS LOSE THEIR MOTIVATION AND LOVE FOR LEARNING. I WANT TO KEEP LEARNING AS A FUN AND INTERESTING ACTIVITY WITH PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES THAT ENCOURAGE ALL STUDENTS. WE APPRECIATE KAYLA BEING HERE TONIGHT AND PROVIDING THE STUDENT PERSPECTIVE LIVE, AND WE ARE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
GREAT. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, KAYLA. WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO THE BOARD FOR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE PRESENTATION. I'M JUST I'M VERY IMPRESSED. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. AND YOUR PRESENTATION. YEAH THANK YOU. GOOD JOB. I AGREE GREAT JOB. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. IT'S NICE MEETING YOU . I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I SHARE YOUR CONCERNS, WITH, OUR ABILITY TO CHALLENGE, ALL STUDENTS, AND ALL BEING ABLE TO OFFER YOU KNOW, STUDENTS WHO, MAY BE ON THE UPPER END OF BEING ABLE TO, HANDLE, YOU KNOW, OR, OR PROGRESS IN CERTAIN SUBJECTS, IT'S DEFINITELY A CONCERN OF MINE. HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE IN OUR GIFTED AND TALENTED? THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION. I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS FOR EACH SCHOOL, BUT I NEVER DID A TOTAL. SO I CAN I CAN LOOK THAT UP AND. YEAH. AND IS IT SOMETHING THAT THE TEACHERS IDENTIFY AND OFFER THAT OPPORTUNITY TO THE STUDENT AND PARENTS LIKE HOW DOES IT HOW DOES IT WORK? SO, THE KUMAR, ASKS THAT WE LOOK TO ABOUT 10% OF OUR STUDENTS BEING IDENTIFIED AT AND, IN GRADE TWO, THE GIFTED , TEACHER IS VERY INVOLVED, ESPECIALLY WITH THOSE SECOND GRADE TEACHERS AND NOT ONLY USING MULTIPLE DATA POINTS FROM ASSESSMENT DATA, BUT ALSO, DOING SOME LESSONS IN THE CLASSROOM CALLED PRIMARY TALENT DEVELOPMENT SO THAT THERE COULD BE STUDENTS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED IN THAT PROCESS THAT MAYBE WOULDN'T, WOULDN'T BE IDENTIFIED THROUGH THAT. THOSE ASSESSMENT, REALLY LOOKING FOR THAT TALENT DEVELOPMENT. AND SO SOME REALLY, FOCUSED WORK THAT SECOND GRADE YEAR DOESN'T STOP THERE. BUT THAT'S KIND OF WHERE THE FOCUS
[01:05:05]
IS. KELLY, WHAT DO YOU WRITE ON, AND DO YOU WANT TO GIVE YOUR, YOUR BOOK A PLUG. SO THOSE AMAZON SALES WILL GO UP, SO THE FIRST BOOK THAT I WROTE, I THINK I PUBLISHED IN 2021, IT WAS A COLLECTION OF POETRY THAT I WROTE DURING COVET OVER MY SIXTH GRADE YEAR. AND THEN MY SECOND BOOK, I PUBLISHED 5 OR 6 MONTHS AGO, AND IT'S A COLLECTION OF QUOTES FROM MY EIGHTH GRADE ENGLISH TEACHER THAT I, ILLUSTRATED ON CANVA, AND THEN PUBLISHED FOR HER. I'M SURE SHE'LL BE LOOKING FOR HER ROYALTY ROYALTY ONCE THAT TAKES OFF, ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.CONGRATULATIONS. WELL, I'LL CHECK OUT YOUR BOOKS ON AMAZON. SO THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE IT.
[C. Presentation of Proposed, Revised, Renamed Board Policy 0022-000 Student Behavior Intervention-Use of Physical Restraint and Exclusion, Kimberly H. Neal, Esq., General Counsel, Ms. Colleen Sasdelli, Director of Special Education, and Ms. Stephanie Swisher, Coordinator Special Education]
THANK YOU. OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON IN JUST A MOMENT TO ITEM C, A PRESENTATION OF PROPOSED REVISED RENAMING BOARD POLICY 22-000 STUDENT BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION ON USE OF PHYSICAL RESTRAINT AND EXCLUSION. WELCOME. MISS KIMBERLY NEAL, GENERAL COUNSEL, MISS COLLEEN SANDUSKY, SADLY SORRY, DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EDUCATION MISS STEPHANIE SWISHER, DIRECTOR OR COORDINATOR OF SPECIAL EDUCATION, WELCOME FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING. BOARD, MY NAME IS KIMBERLY NEAL. I'M THE GENERAL COUNSEL. I'M JUST GOING TO INTRODUCE THIS VERY IMPORTANT POLICY THAT WE'VE PUT IN A LOT OF GOOD WORK ON, AND AS YOU'VE HEARD, ACTUALLY, IN A COUPLE OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT, IT IS SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO GET, INPUT ON AND TO FINALIZE AS WE LOOK TO THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. SO THIS PARTICULAR POLICY, THE LAST TIME THAT THIS BOARD REVISITED IT WAS ACTUALLY 20 YEARS AGO IN 2004. SO IT WAS CERTAINLY ON OUR RADAR ANYWAY, WITH SOME NEEDED UPDATES. BUT THERE WAS ALSO SOME LEGAL CHANGES THAT OCCURRED IN 2022 AND SOME GUIDANCE FROM MSD IN 2023 THAT REALLY INITIATED THE DISCUSSION. AND, THE REVISIONS, THAT ARE PRESENTED TO YOU THIS EVENING. AND SO THAT GOOD WORK WAS DONE BY OUR DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EDUCATION, COLLEEN CASTELLI, AND OUR COORDINATOR OF SPECIAL EDUCATION COMPLIANCE, MISS STEPHANIE SWISHER. SO, WE HAVE THROUGH THIS PROCESS, THEY WORKED, AND YOU'LL SEE ON YOUR INFORMATION REPORT, THE TEAM THAT INITIALLY MET TO WORK ON THE UPDATES TO THE POLICY, THAT POLICY WAS THEN THAT THEIR WORK WAS THEN PRESENTED TO THE BOARD'S POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE, IN FEBRUARY. AND THEN FOLLOWING SOME REALLY GOOD DISCUSSION IN THE POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING, WE HAD A SEPARATE MEETING THAT WAS MORE FOCUSED, THAT INCLUDED MEMBERS OF OUR ED SERVICES TEAM AND OTHERS, AND AGAIN, THAT'S ALL IN YOUR INFORMATION REPORT. SO FROM THAT MARCH MEETING, WE COME TO YOU NOW WITH A MORE UPDATED POLICY, THAT DOES ALIGN WITH THE CURRENT STATE OF THE LAW. AND ALSO JUST WANT TO REITERATE THAT THIS IS A POLICY, NOT A PROCEDURE. SO SOME PIECES THAT, ONE MIGHT THINK WOULD BE HERE, WOULD BE ACTUALLY MORE SOMETHING THAT'S IN A TRAINING OR IN A PROCEDURE AS OPPOSED TO THE POLICY. THE POLICY IS THE OVERARCHING DOCUMENT THAT'S GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS. AND THE DEFINITIONS WITHIN THE POLICY DO ALIGN WITH THE CURRENT STATE OF THE LAW. SO I'M GOING TO HAND IT TO MISS CASTELLI AND MISS SWISHER. YEAH, I GUESS, STEPHANIE, DID YOU HAVE ANY JUST GENERAL COMMENTS FOR THE BOARD OR DO WE WANT TO OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS, NO. I THINK THE BIG UPDATES ARE ESSENTIALLY TO THE FORMAT, UPDATING THE FORMAT TO INCLUDE DEFINITIONS, STATEMENT OF POLICY. AND AGAIN, THE TITLE HAS BEEN UPDATED AS WELL. SO PREVIOUSLY IT ALIGNED WITH THE CO MA TITLE THAT THIS POLICY SUPPORTS. BUT, FOR EASE OF REFERENCE, THAT TITLE HAS BEEN UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE USE OF PHYSICAL STRAIN, RESTRAINT AND EXCLUSION. SO THIS WAY, AS PEOPLE ARE SEARCHING OUR POLICIES, IT'S EASIER FOR THEM TO REALLY FIND WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR BECAUSE JUST STUDENT BEHAVIOR IS A LITTLE A LITTLE GENERAL. PEOPLE ARE USUALLY LOOKING FOR MORE THAN THAT. AND ONE OF THE, THE BIGGEST SHIFT WITH THE LAW THAT CAME OUT IN 2022 THAT KIMBERLY WAS REFERENCING IS THE RESTRICTION ON SECLUSION IN MARYLAND. PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SO THAT WAS ALSO ONE OF THE REASONS FOR UPDATING THIS POLICY IS TO REMOVE, SECLUSION FROM THAT. CAN YOU SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS THE TWO QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED ON A PUBLIC COMMENT ON TRANSPORTS, AND THEN WHAT LEVEL? I GUESS I KNOW THAT THERE WERE SOME LEGAL CHANGES WHICH WAS PROBABLY THE IMPETUS FOR REFRESHING THIS WHOLE THING, BUT ALSO TO WHAT DEGREE WERE, YOU KNOW, PARENTS INVOLVED IN THIS? I THINK THOSE WERE THE TWO QUESTIONS. TWO QUESTIONS. SO ONE BEING THE DEFINITION OF TRANSPORT, SO TRANSPORT IS NOT A , A TERM THAT IS DEFINED IN THE LAW. AND THAT IS ONE OF THE, THE CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE MADE WHEN UPDATING THIS POLICY IS MAKING SURE THAT THE DEFINITIONS THAT[01:10:04]
ARE HERE DO ALIGN WITH THE LAW, TRANSPORT IS A TERM THAT'S KIND OF USED INTERCHANGEABLY FOR THAT ESCORT, AND ALSO THE PORTION OF THE RESTRAINT LAW THAT SAYS THAT THE SCHOOL EMPLOYEES ARE ALLOWED TO MOVE A DISRUPTIVE STUDENT WHO IS NOT WILLING TO LEAVE THE AREA AFTER OTHER LESS INTRUSIVE MEASURES HAVE HAVE BEEN TRIED. SO TRANSPORT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE A DEFINITION THAT WE CAN KIND OF LEAN INTO FROM ANY LEGAL STANDARD, IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS KIND OF USED INTERCHANGEABLY BETWEEN DIFFERENT TRAINING PROGRAMS, AND JUST ONE REFERENCING THAT PORTION OF THE LAW. AND THEN AS FAR AS WE, WE DID NOT HAVE A PARENT ON OUR POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE. THAT'S NOT A STANDING MEMBER, I KNOW CAROL BRUCE WAS WITH US, SO WE WOULD EXPECT THAT I THINK PARENT INPUT WOULD COME THROUGH THE PUBLIC COMMENT, THE 30 DAY PERIOD WHERE WE CAN ELICIT, INPUT FROM PARENTS IN THAT MANNER. COULD A STUDENT BE ARRESTED FOR SOME FURTHER TYPE OF BEHAVIOR THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IN THIS POLICY? NO, THAT WOULD BE IT WOULD BE SEPARATE.SO YEAH, THE OUR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, IF THERE WAS A CRIMINAL ACT THAT WOULD, WOULD COME IN WITH, WITH DIFFERENT REGULATIONS, DIFFERENT DIFFERENT LAWS WOULD APPLY. AND THAT'S CLARIFIED IN LETTER E UNDER THE STATEMENT OF POLICY, SO THIS POLICY, NOTHING PROHIBITS IT, SCHOOL PERSONNEL FROM INITIATING APPROPRIATE STUDENT DISCIPLINARY ACTION BY LAW ENFORCEMENT OR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS. DO ALL IEPS REQUIRE, OR DO ALL IEPS HAVE, SPECIFIC TRANSPORT DETAILS ON HOW TO TRANSPORT A STUDENT? NO. SO THE LAWS REGARDING RESTRAINT ARE NOT SPECIFIC TO SPECIAL EDUCATION, THE LAWS REGARDING RESTRAINT ARE THERE TO PROTECT STAFF AND STUDENTS FROM THE RISK OF IMMINENT SERIOUS BODILY HARM, SO WHEN RESTRAINT IS APPLIED, THAT IS THE ONLY TIME THAT RESTRAINT CAN BE USED IS TO PREVENT IMMINENT SERIOUS BODILY INJURY, IN SOME CASES, FOR STUDENTS THAT HAVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLANS AND CERTAIN BEHAVIORS, SOMETIMES SELF-INJURIOUS BEHAVIORS, THERE MAY BE APPROVAL WITH PARENT AGREEMENT AND PARENTS HAVE TO SIGN CONSENT FOR RESTRAINT TO BE INCLUDED IN A STUDENT'S BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLAN. AND WHEN THAT IS, WHEN THAT OCCURS, THERE'S VERY DETAILED PROTOCOLS ABOUT THE WHAT AND THE HOW AND THE WHY, BUT THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY CASE WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD SPECIFICALLY APPLY TO SPECIAL EDUCATION. OTHERWISE THOSE THE RESTRAINT LAWS APPLY ACROSS THE BOARD TO EVERY STUDENT. OKAY.
THANK YOU. AND SO THIS KICKS OFF THE 30 DAY PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER POLICY. SO THIS WOULD BE OPEN TO THOSE PARENTS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, THAT OR ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC REALLY THAT WOULD WANT TO GIVE THEIR FEEDBACK. SO WE'LL GET THIS POSTED ONLINE MAYBE BY TOMORROW. ONE MORE QUICK QUESTION. YOU MENTIONED THAT THIS IS A POLICY. SO IT DOES NOT INCLUDE EVERYTHING THAT MIGHT BE INCLUDED IN A PROCEDURE ORDER. WILL THERE BE AN ACCOMPANYING PROCEDURE OR IS THERE AN EXISTING ONE THAT HAS TO BE UPDATED TO REFLECT THIS? WE WOULD YES WE WOULD. WE WOULD NEED TO DO SOME UPDATES. THERE IS A PROCEDURE THERE, BUT IT WILL NEED TO BE UPDATED ONCE THE POLICY IS APPROVED. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. OKAY YOU KNOW, I THINK, STARTING NEXT MONTH, WE'RE ONE BOARD MEETING A MONTH. WE'RE ON THE SUMMER SCHEDULE.
RIGHT? SO WOULD A JULY VOTE ON THIS, GIVEN THE 30 DAYS BE AN ISSUE, GIVEN THE COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW? THAT'S WHY WE WERE HERE TONIGHT. BECAUSE WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GOT IN AND THAT WE GAVE PLENTY OF TIME FOR THE FEEDBACK, FOR OTHER QUESTIONS. YOU ALL MIGHT HAVE AS WELL. AFTER, YOU KNOW, AFTER THIS MEETING AND AFTER YOU SEE SOME OF THE COMMENTS AND THINGS.
SO YEAH, IF WE COULD TARGET A VOTE IN JULY, THAT WOULD BE EXCELLENT. THAT'S NOT TOO LATE, I GUESS IS WHAT IT SHOULD GET US IN IN TIME FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR. PERFECT. AND WE'RE ALREADY, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY BEEN TRAINED ON WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING AND, YOU KNOW, WORKING TO COMPLY. EVEN ABSENT THE CHANGES, OBVIOUSLY. SO WE'RE ALREADY IN COMPLIANCE. THIS JUST MEMORIALIZES IT. REALLY. OKAY. GREAT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. THANK YOU. KIND OF SETTING RECORD PACE HERE I THINK WE'RE WE'RE AT A MEETING BREAK. SO SO PLEASE BE SEATED. YOU'RE DISRUPTING THE MEETING. OKAY.
[E. Decision on Use of Rate Stabilization Surplus, Ms. Deborah Judd, Assistant Superintendent for Business Services, and Mr. Ben Richardson, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources]
ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON TO ITEM D. DECISION ON USE OF RATE STABILIZATION. SURPLUS. MISS DEBORAH JUDD, I THINK YOU MIGHT AS WELL GET COMFORTABLE. YOU'RE UP HERE FOR, LIKE, THE NEXT[01:15:05]
FOUR, TOPICS. ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR BUSINESS SERVICES AND MR. BEN RICHARDSON, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR HUMAN RESOURCES. WELCOME GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU. WE ARE HERE THIS EVENING TO PRESENT THE SETTLEMENT OF OUR HEALTH CARE SURPLUS THAT OCCURRED FOR THE YEAR. FISCAL YEAR 23. EACH SPRING, WE BRING BEFORE THE BOARD THE RATE STABILIZATION, SETTLEMENT AND ANY SURPLUS OR DEFICIT THAT REMAINS. AND ASK THE BOARD FOR APPROVAL. AS FAR AS WHAT OUR OUR, PROPOSED PLAN IS FOR ANY FUNDS REMAINING. SO IN THE FALL, WE RECEIVED A SURPLUS. WE HAD A SURPLUS OF $5.2 MILLION, WHICH CAREFIRST SENT TO THE RATE STABILIZATION THAT BROUGHT OUR BALANCE TO $23.5 MILLION. WE ARE REQUIRED BY THE MOU WITH THE COUNTY TO KEEP $7.5 MILLION IN THAT. IN THAT ACCOUNT, THAT'S THE MINIMUM AMOUNT. SO THAT, LEFT THE BALANCE OF THE 23. THE COUNTY ACTUALLY TRANSFERRED IN APRIL. THE $16 MILLION BACK TO CPS.THAT TYPICALLY HAS NOT HAPPENED BEFORE. SO NORMALLY WE WOULD COME BEFORE YOU AND THEN WE WOULD DECIDE THE BOARD WOULD DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH THOSE FUNDS. SO WE RECEIVED THOSE FUNDS IN APRIL. WE'VE RECORDED THEM INTO THE GENERAL FUND. THEY ARE SHOWING ON THE QUARTERLY FINANCIALS. YOU'LL SEE THEM TONIGHT AS AN ESTIMATE FOR PROJECTED SURPLUS AND WE ARE PROPOSING THAT THE BOARD APPROVE AN ASSIGNMENT OF $5 MILLION FOR A FUTURE CALL, AGAIN, THE MINIMUM AMOUNT IN THE RATE STABILIZATION IS MINIMAL. AND IF WE SHOULD HAVE A CALL, WE FEEL THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE SET ASIDE. SO WITH THAT, WE ARE ASKING FOR THE BOARD'S APPROVAL FOR THAT THIS EVENING. OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE? NOT UNLESS YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, BUT MAYBE BEN HAD SOMETHING TO SAY. I'M JUST HERE TO SUPPORT. THERE YOU GO. ALL RIGHT, OKAY.
WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. I GUESS I'LL START WITH THE FIRST ONE. SO THE 7.5 MILLION. SO WE'RE PART OF THE CONSORTIUM, RIGHT. THAT 7.5 MILLION IS HELD AT THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT LEVEL. RIGHT. SO IF THERE IS A CALL THAT GOES FIRST AND THEN OUR MONEY FROM, FROM THE BOARD OF EDUCATION IS ESSENTIALLY TO REPLENISH THAT ON. CORRECT, WE HAVE TO REPLENISH ANYTHING UP TO THAT MINIMAL AMOUNT ON ON DEMAND ESSENTIALLY. RIGHT. YES. OKAY.
AND WHAT WERE THE PREVIOUS CALLS FOR HISTORIC, BOSTON'S AROUND 4 MILLION, JUST OVER 4 MILLION.
LAST ONE WAS JUST OVER 4 MILLION. AND IT WAS A LITTLE UNDER TWO BEFORE THAT. OKAY.
THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? JUST TO BE SPECIFIC. SO THE AMOUNT REMAINING AS UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE IS WHAT NOW, OVERALL ABOUT 49 MILLION. SO THAT WOULD TAKE THE 16 DOWN TO 11 AND UNASSIGNED AND FIVE WERE ASSIGNING. SO IT'S STILL IN FUND BALANCE, BUT IT'S RESERVED FOR THE SPECIFIC PURPOSE. CORRECT OKAY. FAIRLY SIMPLE. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION IN A SECOND. THIS IS MELISSA AND I MOVE THAT WE, PUT $5 MILLION IN A I GUESS THE RATE STABILIZATION FOR THE HEALTH CARE CALL AND THEN TRANSFER THE REMAINING TO THE GENERAL FUND BALANCE. THANK YOU. IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY YES. YES, YES, YES. THERE ARE ANY OPPOSED? PLEASE SAY NO. THANK YOU. THE MOTION PASSES
[F. Decision on Transfers Between State Categories for the FY24 Budget, Ms. Deborah Judd, Assistant Superintendent for Business Services, and Mr. Eric Clark, Director of Budget]
OKAY. SO NEXT WE WILL INVITE UP ERIC CLARK, DIRECTOR OF BUDGET, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION ITEM E DECISION ON TRANSFERS BETWEEN STATE CATEGORIES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024. BUDGET WELCOME. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU, EACH YEAR THE BUDGET OFFICE AROUND APRIL, STARTS TO LOOK AT YEAR END BALANCES IN TERMS OF STATE CATEGORIES. WE ARE WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO OVERSPEND IN ANY OF OUR 13 CATEGORIES, SO I SEND OUT AN EMAIL WITH A SPREADSHEET TO ALL OF OUR PRINCIPALS TO ALL OF OUR BUDGET MANAGERS. SO I'D LIKE TO THANK THEM FOR GETTING ALL THAT DATA BACK TO ME. THEN I CRUNCH THE NUMBERS AND COME UP WITH WHAT OUR PROJECTION LOOKS LIKE BY STATE CATEGORY IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, WE HAVEN'T NEEDED TO DO AN INTER CATEGORY TRANSFER BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SOME VARIANCES DUE TO THE COVID RELIEF FUNDS AND SOME OTHER THINGS. BUT THIS YEAR WE ACTUALLY ARE FAIRLY TIGHT IN TWO CATEGORIES AND GOING TO BE OVERSPENT IN ONE CATEGORY. SO INSTRUCTIONAL SALARIES TO STATE CATEGORY 103, WE'RE PROJECTED TO BE WITHIN $200,000 AT YEAR END.THAT'S A ROUGHLY $200 MILLION CATEGORY. SO IT DOESN'T TAKE VERY MUCH. PD DAYS BEFORE JUNE
[01:20:06]
30TH TO, TO EAT UP THAT 200,000. SO WE'RE REQUESTING $1 MILLION TO BE TRANSFERRED INTO THAT, CATEGORY 103 NON, SPECIAL EDUCATION. WE'RE PROJECTING TO BE ABOUT $2 MILLION OVERSPENT.AND THAT'S DUE TO OUR NONPUBLIC PLACEMENT TUITION, SO WE'RE REQUESTING $2 MILLION BE PUT INTO THAT CATEGORY, SPECIAL EDUCATION STATE CATEGORY 106. THAT SHOULD PUT US COMFORTABLY WITHIN ABOUT $400,000, POSITIVE VARIANCE IN THAT PARTICULAR CATEGORY, WHICH, AGAIN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CATEGORY OF 68 MILLION PLUS, IT'S A LITTLE TIGHT, BUT WE FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT OUR PROJECTIONS ARE GOOD AND THEN THE OTHER CATEGORY THAT WE WANTED TO MOVE $1 MILLION INTO IS INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS STATE CATEGORY 104. AND PART OF THAT IS TO COVER THE INVASION PURCHASE THAT WAS APPROVED AND THE CONSENT AGENDA. THIS EVENING, WHERE WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THE FUNDS FROM OUR MID-LEVEL ADMINISTRATION PROFESSIONAL SALARIES, 250,000 TRANSPORTATION BUS CONTRACTS, 750,000. OPERATION OF PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 100,000. OPERATION OF PLANT CUSTODIAL SALARIES 400,000 AND FIXED CHARGES. HEALTH INSURANCE 2.5 MILLION. SO WE'RE ASKING THE BOARD TO APPROVE THESE TRANSFERS , UPON APPROVAL, WE WILL GO BEFORE THE COUNTY COUNCIL. THAT IS SLATED TO BE NEXT TUESDAY, MAY 28TH, AND ASK FOR THEIR APPROVAL. AND THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE HAS TO SIGN OFF ON IT AS WELL. AND THEN WE CAN MAKE THOSE TRANSFERS. OKAY. THANK YOU. WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. ONE QUESTION FOR THE AMOUNTS THAT YOU'RE TRANSFERRING FROM, HOW TIGHT DOES THAT PUT YOU FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR ON THOSE? YOU'RE PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT THEY HAVE SUFFICIENT OVERAGES IN AMOUNT THAT WAS BUDGETED, THAT IT'S COMFORTABLE TO TAKE TO TRANSFER THE DOLLARS? YES. MISS COKER? YES. ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY, I'LL REQUEST A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE. ENTER CATEGORY TRANSFER IN THE AMOUNT OF $4 MILLION IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 5-105. I MOVE WHAT YOU JUST SAID. THANK YOU. IS THERE? THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY YES. YES, YES. THERE ARE ANY OPPOSED? PLEASE SAY NO. THANK YOU. THE MOTION PASSES. OKAY, SO
[G. Decision on Transfer of Funds Between Capital Projects, Ms. Deborah Judd, Assistant Superintendent for Business Services]
WE'RE GOING TO STAY ON THIS THEME AND WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM F AND INVITE CORNELL BROWN, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR OPERATIONS. WELCOME, SIR. OKAY ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING, SIMILAR TO OUR STATE CATEGORY TRANSFERS, WE AT LEAST ANNUALLY LOOK AT OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS AND ANY BALANCES THAT REMAIN AND REQUEST TO DO A TRANSFER BETWEEN PROJECTS. SO PROJECTS THAT ARE EITHER COMPLETED OR NEARING COMPLETION. AND WE FEEL CONFIDENT WITH THE FINAL NUMBERS THAT ARE DUE TO BE PAID OUT. WE WORK WITH THE COUNTY IN ORDER TO TRANSFER THOSE FUNDS, AND WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THE BUDGET OFFICE, AND THEY HAVE ASKED US IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS TO ACTUALLY COME BEFORE THE BOARD FOR APPROVAL FOR THIS. WE SEND IT OVER TO THE COUNTY, AND THEY ACTUALLY INCORPORATE IT AS AN AMENDMENT INTO THE FY 25 CAPITAL BUDGET. SO IT WORKS BETTER FOR THEIR PAPERWORK. I THINK. SO WE HAVE TRIED TO ACCOMMODATE THAT SCHEDULE. SO IF THE BOARD APPROVES THESE TRANSFERS THIS EVENING, WE WILL GO BEFORE THE COUNTY COUNCIL ON MAY 28TH. IF APPROVED, THEN IT WOULD BE INCORPORATED INTO FY 25 AND THESE TRANSFERS WOULD ACTUALLY BE MADE IN FY 25. SO I WILL DEFER TO MR. BROWN AND LET HIM WALK THROUGH THE $2 MILLION IN TRANSFERS THAT WERE PROPOSING TO MAKE. THANK YOU, SO WE HAVE, QUITE A FEW PROJECTS THAT WE ARE CLOSING OUT THE BAKERFIELD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ROOFING PROJECT, WE'RE LOOKING TO CLOSE THAT OUT WITH $119,148.78, TO BE TRANSFERRED. AND, THE SAME FOR HALF OF THE GREATEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROJECT, THAT PROJECT IS COMPLETED. WE HAVE A BALANCE OF $535,280.95 THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO TRANSFER, THE SWAN CREEK ROOFING PROJECT ALSO IS COMPLETED, WITH A BALANCE OF $207,000, $190.35 THAT WE'D LIKE TO TRANSFER. THE BAKERFIELD ELEMENTARY, CHILLER PROJECT IS NEARING COMPLETION, WE EXPECT TO, EXPEND AN ADDITIONAL $20,000 ON THAT PROJECT, SO WITH THAT HOLDING THAT IN BALANCE, WE WOULD HAVE $412,772 AND $0.76 THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO[01:25:06]
TRANSFER FOR, THE CHILLER PROJECT AT MIDDLEVILLE ELEMENTARY IS COMPLETE WITH THE BALANCE OF $204,270 THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO TRANSFER. AND THE HVAC PROJECT OVER AT SWAN CREEK HAS A LITTLE MORE WORK REMAINING , SO OUT OF THE PROJECT BALANCE, WE WOULD LIKE TO TRANSFER FIVE, TRANSFER $527,836.77, WE HAVE SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT WERE NOT RECOMMENDED FOR FUNDING BY OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE UNDER OUR REQUEST FOR THE FY 25 BUDGET, AND WITH THAT, 2 MILLION, DOLLARS, $6,499.61, WE ARE, PROPOSING TO TRANSFER $500,000 INTO A FACILITIES REPAIR PROGRAM ACCOUNT FOR SOME ADA PROJECTS, HAD A COUPLE OF SCHOOL SITES, WE HAVE A STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PROJECT ONGOING AT JOPPATOWNE WITH SOME SITE REPAIR AND UTILITY WORK, AND WE'D LIKE TO TRANSFER $300,000 INTO THAT, PROJECT ACCOUNT TO CONTINUE ON WITH SOME WORK, WE ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH CONSTRUCTING A TICKET BOOTH OVER AT ABERDEEN HIGH TO BRING, YOU KNOW, THE SCHOOL UP TO A STANDARD THAT WE HAVE AT, SOME OF OUR OTHER, HIGH SCHOOL FACILITIES. THERE'S SOME ELECTRICAL WORK THAT WE HAVE, THAT WE DID NOT EXPECT. CHECKED TO SEE THE PROJECT. WE HAD $100,000, AND WE'D LIKE TO ADD $25,000 TO THAT PROJECT SO WE CAN, PROVIDE SOME ELECTRICAL SERVICE. THEN WE HAVE A $300,000 BEING PROPOSED FOR TRANSFER INTO OUR LIFE HEALTH AND SAFETY CATEGORY FOR EMERGENCY SYSTEMS, WE HAVE A LIGHTING, EVALUATION AND SOME LIGHTING WORK THAT WE'D LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AT OUR HIGH SCHOOLS TO ADDRESS SOME SAFETY CONCERNS, WE DID NOT RECEIVE FUNDING THAT WE REQUESTED FOR OUR FACILITIES MASTER PLAN CATEGORY, FOR SOME, FEASIBILITY STUDY AND, SOME OTHER PLANNING WORK THAT WE'D LIKE TO DO TO IDENTIFY WORK AT SEVERAL OF OUR SCHOOLS, SO WE'D LIKE TO MOVE $500,000 INTO THAT PROJECT ACCOUNT, AND LAST, WE WOULD LIKE TO TRANSFER $381,499.61, WHICH IS THE BALANCE OF THOSE OTHER TRANSFERS, TO HVAC, MAJOR REPAIR WORK. WE ASKED FOR SOME FUNDING, AND WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY IN OUR FY 25, YOU KNOW, REQUEST. SO WE WOULD LIKE TO PUT SOME MONEY IN THAT ACCOUNT SO WE CAN ADDRESS MECHANICAL ISSUES AS THEY BECOME AN ISSUE FOR US. SO WE'RE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. GREAT. THANK YOU. OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. HAVE WE SEEN WHAT THE COUNTY, HAS SAID THEY WILL FUND FOR OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS? YES. HAS THE BOARD RECEIVED THAT? MAYBE I'VE JUST MISSED IT. WE SUBMITTED IT UP AND YEAH, WE SUBMITTED IT I KNOW WE SUBMITTED IT. HAVE HAVE THEY COME BACK AND SAID WHAT THEY WERE WILLING TO FUND. SO SO THE ANSWER IS YES. AND THE COUNTY'S, COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S PROPOSED BUDGET THAT HE ADVANCED OVER TO THE, COUNTY COUNCIL ON APRIL THE 15TH, YOU KNOW, WE TOOK A LOOK AT WHAT HE'S PROPOSING, AND, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS PROPOSING TO FUND OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE STATE ELIGIBLE PROJECTS, WHERE THERE IS, REMAINING, FUNDING THAT WE REQUESTED FOR THE HOMESTEAD, WAKEFIELD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROJECT, THE HARTFORD TECH, PROJECT, THE ABERDEEN MIDDLE HVAC PROJECT, THE, ENERGY RECOVERY UNITS OVER AT NORTH HARTFORD HIGH, THE PROSPECT MILL , ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ROOF PROJECT , WE DID NOT RECEIVE PLANNING APPROVAL FOR HARTFORD ACADEMY AS YOU KNOW. SO THERE WAS NO FUNDING WE ASKED FOR FROM THE COUNTY, BUT WE DID NOT RECEIVE PLANNING APPROVAL FROM THE STATE. AND THEN WE ASKED FOR FUNDS FOR THE MILTON WRIGHT LIMITED RENOVATION PROJECT. AND THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE WAS PROPOSING SOME $7 MILLION FOR THAT PROJECT. NOW, THOSE WERE STATE ELIGIBLE PROJECTS. SO THE COUNTY IS PROPOSING, TO, FUND ITS SHARE OF THOSE PROJECTS. BUT THEN FOR THE LOCALLY FUNDED INITIATIVES WE RECEIVED, IN THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S PROPOSED BUDGET, A TOTAL OF $5,126,000. OF THE 44,598,915 THAT WE REQUESTED. SO THERE WERE, A FEW PROJECTS ONE TWO, THREE FOUR, 567, PROJECT THAT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS PROPOSING TO FUND.[01:30:08]
WE ASKED FOR $600,000 FOR, ONE OF OUR BLUEPRINT INITIATIVES FOR THE EXPANSION OF PRE-K. WE ASKED FOR 600,000. THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS PROPOSING 600,000. WE ASKED FOR FUNDING FOR PA SYSTEMS UPGRADES IN 13 SCHOOLS UNDER OUR TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE INITIATIVE. WE ASKED FOR 910,000. THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS PROPOSING 910,000. WE ASKED FOR $5,330,000 FOR SOME OTHER TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS. WE ASKED FOR THAT. WE, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS PROPOSING NO FUNDING IN THAT CATEGORY. WE ASK FOR SOME $400,000 FOR SOME SPECIAL ED FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS, FENCING AND THINGS OF THAT SORT. FOR OUR SPECIAL ED PROGRAMS. WE ASK FOR $400,000.THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS PROPOSING 400,000. NOW, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF, THINGS BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, THE TEXTBOOKS AND FURNITURE AND ALL OF THAT. WHATEVER WE ASK FOR, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS PROPOSING ZERO, AND I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH THEM ALL, RELOCATED, MAYBE. YES. CAN YOU SEND THAT TO ME? SO, YES, WE CAN TO THE WHOLE BOARD, IF YOU DON'T MIND. PLEASE YEAH. WE CAN.
IT'S. WELL, IT'S JUST ON THE COUNTY WEBSITE. IT'S ON THE COUNTY WEBSITE THAT HAS THE PROPOSED FY 25 OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGETS ARE ON THIS SITE. WE JUST WENT INTO HIS BUDGET BOOK AND PULLED THE, YOU KNOW, LIKE BUSSES THEY'RE GOING TO FUND FOR BUSSES, AND THERE'S OUTDOOR TRACK AT HAVRE DE GRACE. HE PROPOSED TO FUND THAT AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL THAT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS FUNDING FOR THOSE LOCALLY FUNDED INITIATIVES. AGAIN, OUT OF THE 44.6 MILLION THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS, PROPOSING, YOU KNOW, 5.1 OUT OF WHAT WE REQUESTED. THANK YOU. SO THE 2 MILLION IS GOING YOU'RE PROPOSING THAT IT GOES TO EXISTING CAPITAL PROJECTS? IS THAT IS THERE A SOMETHING THAT WOULD PRECLUDE IT FROM GOING TO NEW ONES OR, SO THEY ARE LIKE THE SECURITY MEASURES WE'RE WE'RE ASKING TO PUT FUNDING IN AREAS THAT WERE NOT FUNDED AS WE REQUESTED, BUT BECAUSE THERE'S ALREADY A PROJECT BALANCE, IT'S ALREADY IN EXISTING CAPITAL. THOSE ARE LARGER CATEGORIES. SO SEVERAL YEARS AGO WE REORGANIZED OUR CAPITAL BUDGET. ALL OF OUR ITEMS USED TO BE ITS OWN ITEM. AND OTHER THAN THE STATE FUNDED PROJECTS, THE LOCAL PROJECTS ARE DIVIDED IN MAJOR CATEGORIES. SO THE FIRST DESCRIPTION IN THE LINES BELOW FACILITIES REPAIR PROGRAM. THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS WITHIN THAT, SITE IMPROVEMENTS. THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS. SO THE PROJECTS THAT ARE LISTED HERE WOULD BE PROJECTS, SUB PROJECTS OF THOSE LARGER CATEGORIES IF THAT HELPS. YEAH.
THANK YOU. I JUST HAVE A QUESTION. THE ABERDEEN HIGH SCHOOL TICKET BOOTH, I BELIEVE WE VOTED ON THAT LAST YEAR. WHAT IS THE TURNAROUND TIME FOR LIKE IT TO ACTUALLY BE UNDERWAY. AND NOW WE'D LIKE TO COMPLETE IT FOR THE NEXT, SPORTS SEASON. OKAY THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YEAH. THE 500 K FOR THE FACILITIES MASTER PLAN. COULD YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT'S IN THAT. YEAH. SO WE ASKED FOR, 600,000 SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH SCOPE STUDIES FOR HARBOR GRACE MAGNO FOR, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND, SPACE ASSESSMENT SO WE CAN EVALUATE OUR SCHOOL FACILITIES, TO DETERMINE HOW OUR BUILDINGS ARE PERFORMING, YOU KNOW, PER OUR EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND EDUCATIONAL SPECIFICATIONS. SO WE DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY FUNDING FOR THAT. SO WITH THIS, BALANCE, WE LIKE TO PUT $500,000 TOWARDS THAT EFFORT. IS THAT FOR A CONSULTANT? BASICALLY, YES. AND WILL YOU GET A FACILITIES PLAN WITH SPECS AND DRAWINGS AND VERY DETAILS FOR THAT. SO I JUST, I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER IF THIS BOARD , VOTED ON OUR, LIKE ANY ASPECTS OR SCOPE STUDY THAT WE'VE DONE FOR PREVIOUS FACILITY PROJECTS. SO WHAT WE WOULD DO IS GET A SIMILAR EVALUATION FOR THOSE FACILITIES, BECAUSE OF CAPACITY ISSUES AND OTHER, SPACE REQUIREMENTS AT THOSE BUILDINGS, WE LIKE TO EVALUATE TO DETERMINE WHAT, YOU KNOW, CONCEPTS WE COULD DEVELOP THROUGH THE EVALUATION. SO. IT SEEMS LIKE A FAIR AMOUNT OF MONEY. HOW MANY SCHOOLS WAS IT AGAIN? SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, LIKE THREE INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE GOING TO
[01:35:04]
MOVE FORWARD WITH, AGAIN AT THE HARBOR, GRACE, MAGNOLIA AND A DISTRICT WIDE, SPACE ASSESSMENT.AND THEN I'D LIKE TO REMIND THE BOARD SOON WILL BE COMING BEFORE THE SUPERINTENDENT TO TALK ABOUT OUR PLAN FOR OUR BALANCING ENROLLMENT THAT WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, WITH THE, OPENING OF HARFORD ACADEMY. SO, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THIS WORK WILL BE TOWARDS LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, THAT EFFORT SO WE CAN GET READY FOR THAT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ONE MORE QUESTION. THE LIFE, HEALTH AND SAFETY, WHAT DOES THAT $3 MILLION. WHAT IS THAT EMERGENCY HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. 3 MILLION. NO, 3 MILLION IS THE TOTAL. WHAT IS THAT? WHAT IS THAT? EMERGENCY SYSTEMS. WHAT DOES THAT ENTAIL? LET ME GO TO MY OTHER REPORTS. YES, SIR. I CAN. SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PROJECTS THAT ARE UNDER THERE WHERE WE HAVE EMERGENCY SYSTEMS AND COMMUNICATIONS, SECURITY MEASURES, ADEQUATE HEALTH, SUITES, ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE. SO IF I CAN GO TO BECAUSE AGAIN, THERE'S LIKE A, SUBCATEGORIES, I JUST NEED TO FIND THAT SO I CAN MAKE SURE I'M LOOKING AT THE RIGHT ONE. ARE YOU ABLE TO SEE THIS? BUT THAT MIGHT BE TOO SMALL FOR ME. I PUT IT ON A BIGGER THING, BUT NOW I'M LOOKING AND I'M LIKE, WHERE IS THAT? WE MIGHT HAVE TO DO WITH THIS. I MIGHT HAVE TO. I CAN READ THEM. I MIGHT HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT. OH NO, NO, NO, THANK YOU. I WAS LOOKING OVER YOUR SHOULDER. RIGHT. SO, AGAIN, THE LIFE, WE HAD, LIKE, EMERGENCY SYSTEMS. OVER TIME, WE HAD AN APPROPRIATION OF, LIKE, $4 MILLION OVER THE YEARS. AND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT ARE BALANCES FOR DIFFERENT, LIFE, HEALTH AND SAFETY, PROJECTS LIKE WATER AND BACKFLOW PREVENTION, OUR FACILITIES PEOPLE, THEY WORK ON THE PLUMBING SYSTEMS TO PREVENT WATER FROM BACK FLOWING INTO BUILDINGS, WE HAVE A BALANCE IN THAT SUB CATEGORY FOR THAT WORK, WE HAVE BALANCE OF FUNDS FOR OUR ENERGY MANAGEMENT, ENERGY CONSERVATION WORK, SO WE HAVE BALANCE THERE, WE HAVE SOME SECURITY MEASURES THAT WE WORK WITH, MR. BROOKS OFFICE TO, WITH SECURITY CAMERAS. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT TYPE OF WORK, AGAIN, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS WITH 300,000 PLACE SOME FUNDS IN THERE. SO WE CAN DO, LIGHTING, TO ADDRESS SOME SAFETY ISSUES THAT AROSE AT OUR HIGH SCHOOL FACILITIES. SO ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS IN EACH OF THE QUARTERLY FINANCIALS, THERE'S THE LAST PAGE, I BELIEVE, IS THE OPEN CAPITAL PROJECTS. AND YOU CAN SEE EACH OF THOSE CATEGORIES IN EACH OF THE PROJECTS. THANK YOU. IN EACH OF THOSE. YEP OKAY. IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION AND A SECOND, TO APPROVE AND FORWARD THE ATTACHED TRANSFERS OF 2,000,006 $6,499.61 TO THE HARFORD COUNTRNMENT, SO THAT THEY MAY INCLUDE THEM, AS AMENDED, TO THE TWO FISCAL YEAR 2025 CAPITAL BUDGET AND IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. AND YOU DO NOT NEED TO REPEAT THAT ENTIRE THING MOTION. AND A SECOND, PLEASE, I MOVE JUST WHAT YOU SAID THERE A SECOND, A SECOND.
THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY YES. YES, YES, YES. THERE ANY OPPOSED? PLEASE SAY NO.
[H. Presentation on Quarterly Financials for Period Ending March 31, 2024, Ms. Deborah Judd, Assistant Superintendent for Business Services]
THANK YOU. MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. AND THIS IS ALL LEADING UP TO PRESENTATION OF QUARTERLY FINANCIALS FOR THE PERIOD ENDING OF MARCH 31ST, 2024. MISS JUDD, THE FLOOR IS YOURS. ALL RIGHT. HERE WE GO. OKAY SO THIS IS THE QUARTERLY REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING MARCH 31ST, 2024. IT'S OUR THIRD QUARTER, WE ARE NOW IN OUR FOURTH QUARTER. WE WILL COMPLETE THAT JUNE 30TH AND BEGIN OUR ANNUAL AUDIT AFTER. ACTUALLY, IT'S BEGINNING IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS. THE FINANCIAL SHOW THAT OUR REVENUES ARE AT ABOUT 78% OF BUDGET. YOU CAN SEE IN THE PROJECTED SURPLUS, WE'RE SHOWING ABOUT $21 MILLION. SO 16, 18 MILLION OF THAT ARE THE FUNDS FROM THE RATE STABILIZATION THAT WERE SENT TO US. SO YOU SEE, THE $16 MILLION THERE. AND THEN, A PROJECTED SURPLUS OF $4 MILLION FOR INTEREST REVENUE. INTEREST RATES REMAIN TO BE, YOU KNOW, MUCH HIGHER THAN WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST. SO THAT IS CONTRIBUTING, TO THE SURPLUS FOR THE CURRENT YEAR. OUR EXPENDITURES ARE ABOUT 73% OF OUR BUDGET. YOU CAN SEE ON THE FAR RIGHT THE PROJECTED SURPLUS AND DEFICIT. THIS LEADS TO THE[01:40:04]
STATE CATEGORY TRANSFERS THAT WE DISCUSSED, IF YOU LOOK AT INSTRUCTIONAL SALARIES, THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE TRANSFERS THAT YOU APPROVE THIS EVENING. SO INSTRUCTIONAL SALARIES WERE A $200,000, $217,000. THAT'S TOO TIGHT FOR US AT YEAR END. ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN. SO WE WANTED TO INCLUDE THAT TRANSFER. AND THEN THE TEXTBOOKS THAT DOES INCLUDE FOOD, THE PURCHASE OF THE TEXTBOOKS THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE PROJECTION. SO THAT WOULD HAVE PUT US AT -$400,000. SO WHERE WE REQUESTED THE TRANSFER OF A MILLION THERE, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE SPECIAL EDUCATION. WE'RE ABOUT 1.9 MILLION SHORT THERE AS WELL. SO WE'VE REQUESTED THE TRANSFER OF 2 MILLION. THE OTHER CATEGORIES ARE OKAY FOR WHAT WE HAVE PLANNED BASED ON WHAT OUR BUDGET MANAGERS HAVE NOTIFIED US OF. SO WE SHOULD BE OKAY THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR, THE PROJECTED SURPLUS IN OUR EXPENDITURES IS ABOUT $8 MILLION. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL PROJECTED, REVENUES OVER EXPENDITURES IS ALMOST $29 MILLION. THE TOTAL FUND BALANCE AT JUNE 30TH, 2023, WAS $73 MILLION. OF THAT $73 MILLION, 15 MILLION WAS ASSIGNED IN THE CURRENT YEAR'S BUDGET. THE PRELIMINARY ASSIGNMENT FOR THE FY 25 BUDGET IS $5 MILLION. AGAIN, THAT CAN CHANGE TILL THE END OF THE YEAR WHEN THE BOARD MAKES ITS FINAL DECISION ON THE BUDGET. ON JULY 1ST, WE TRANSFERRED MONEY TO THE RESTRICTED FUND AND THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND BASED ON THE APPROVAL BY THE BOARD LAST YEAR. SO THAT'S ABOUT $22 MILLION. WE DO HAVE AN ASSIGNMENT FOR EMERGENCY FUEL THAT'S REALLY TO PROTECT AGAINST RISING FUEL COSTS, WE DO HAVE AN ASSIGNMENT FOR OUR LEASE. OUR LEASES, AND THEN THE PROPOSED ASSIGNMENT, WHICH THE BOARD APPROVED THIS EVENING FOR THE HEALTH CARE CALL OF 5 MILLION. THEN, OF COURSE, WE HAVE OUR NON EXPENSE NON SPENDABLE AMOUNT. SO THAT BRINGS OUR TOTAL PROJECTED UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE TO $49.6 MILLION, WHICH IS ABOUT 8% OF OUR BUDGET. SO WITH THAT I WENT THROUGH THAT QUICKLY. BUT I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. THAT INCLUDES THE FIVE FOR HEALTH CARE THAT WAS JUST DONE. YES. WHAT'S YOUR ESTIMATE ON Q4 OVERAGES? USUALLY IT IS VERY CLOSE TO THIS BECAUSE A GOOD MAJORITY OF THE YEAR IS DONE. SNOW HOPEFULLY IS DONE. WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF UNANTICIPATED CLOSURES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THE FOURTH QUARTER, AND BECAUSE WE ASKED THE BUDGET MANAGERS FOR THEIR PROJECTIONS TO SPEND, THEY'VE LOOKED AT THEIR BUDGETS AND TOLD US WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO SPEND.SO THEY DO A GREAT JOB OF KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH US FOR THINGS THAT DO COME UP AND, YOU KNOW, THAT WAY WE CAN BE SURE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S A NO BECAUSE WE WON'T HAVE ENOUGH FUNDS IN A CERTAIN CATEGORY OR, YOU KNOW, WE ALLOW THEM TO DO IT IF SOMETHING HAS COME UP. SO THE PROJECTIONS ARE USUALLY PRETTY CLOSE TO FOURTH QUARTER. AND WHAT WAS THE SURPLUS AND FIXED CHARGES? THE SURPLUS IN FIXED CHARGES IS REALLY THE HEALTH CARE, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD POSITIONS TRANSFERRED TO GRANTS AND SO FORTH. THERE WAS A BUDGET THERE THAT WE'VE NOT SPENT.
HOWEVER, FOR FY 25, THAT BUDGET, ANY EXCESS THAT WAS THERE IS USED FOR THE HEALTH CARE PREMIUM COST INCREASE THAT WE'RE PROJECTING. SO WE DON'T EXPECT TO HAVE THAT SURPLUS NEXT YEAR.
IT'S PROJECTED Q4 INTEREST INCOME INCLUDED IN THAT. YES. SO THE PROJECTION ON THE REVENUE.
TO YEAR END, WE'RE SAYING I SAID $5 MILLION PROJECTED FOR YEAR END, INTEREST REVENUE. SO IF THAT GOES UP AND IT'S MORE THAN 5 MILLION, THEN THE PROJECTED SURPLUS OF 4 MILLION WILL BE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER. BUT I TRY TO STAY A LITTLE BIT MORE CONSERVATIVE ON THAT BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. BUT IT WILL CERTAINLY BE HIGHER THAN NORMAL. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS CAN I ASK, THE ASSIGNED FOR 20 YEAR, THE 2024 BUDGET, THE 15 MILLION? YES. IS THAT ALREADY SPENT IN THE 24 BUDGET. SO WE ASSIGNED $15 MILLION TO COVER THE EXPENDITURES THAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN, RIGHT NOW WE'RE PROJECTING TO HAVE 8 MILLION LEFT. SO OF THAT 15 MILLION, WE WOULD HAVE SPENT SEVEN OF IT. SO WE'VE USED $7 MILLION OF ONE TIME MONEY FOR RECURRING EXPENDITURES IN THIS YEAR. AND THEN IF THAT $7 MILLION IS REMAINING, IS THAT THEN TRANSFERRED TO THE FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET? NOT AUTOMATICALLY. SO
[01:45:01]
IT WOULD FALL TO FUND BALANCE AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WHICH IT'S INCLUDED IN THE NUMBERS THAT YOU SEE. SO IT'S INCLUDED IN THE 49 MILLION, BECAUSE THE PROJECTED EXCESS ABOVE THE 29 MILLION INCLUDES THE SURPLUS FOR THE YEAR. SO THAT INCLUDES THE EXPENDITURES THAT WOULDN'T BE SPENT, AND IT INCLUDES THE REVENUES THAT CAME IN THAT WE WEREN'T ANTICIPATING, NAMELY THE INTEREST REVENUE AND THE HEALTH CARE SURPLUS THAT WAS TRANSFERRED TO US. SO ALL OF THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE 29 MILLION ABOVE THAT FLOWS DOWN TO THE 49. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO THE 49 ASSUMES WE SPENT ALL THE 15 THAT WE TRANSFERRED IN FROM. NO NO IT DOESN'T. IT'S INCLUDING $29 MILLION OF SURPLUS THIS YEAR, WHICH INCLUDES THE REVENUES THAT ARE ADDITIONAL THIS YEAR THAT WE WERE NOT BUDGETING. AND IT INCLUDES THE EXPENDITURES THAT WE'VE NOT OR WE'RE PROJECTING NOT TO SPEND. SO THE $29 MILLION INCLUDES THE 21 MILLION IN REVENUES FOR PROJECTED SURPLUS AND THE 8 MILLION IN EXPENDITURES THAT SURPLUS.ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY. THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. THANK YOU VERY
[I. Presentation on the Proposed Prolonged State of Emergency Virtual Education Plan, Dr. Eric Davis, Chief of Administration and Ms. Heather Kutcher, Executive Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment]
MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NEXT WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM H PRESENTATION OF PROPOSED PROLONGED STATE OF EMERGENCY VIRTUAL EDUCATION PLAN . WELCOME. DOCTOR ERIC DAVIS CHIEF OF ADMINISTRATION. AND MISS HEATHER KUTCHER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT. WELCOME ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING US HERE TONIGHT. I'M JOINED BY MISS HEATHER KUTCHER, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION. AND AS YOU HEARD, WE ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE PROLONGED STATE OF EMERGENCY VIRTUAL EDUCATION PLAN. NOW, THIS IS A PLAN THAT EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE STATE HAS TO SUBMIT BY JUNE 1ST. SHOULD WE CLOSE FOR 14 CONSECUTIVE DAYS. AND SO WE HAVE BEEN IN THE PROCESS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS, MEETING WITH DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS TO REALLY GET THEIR INPUT AND FEEDBACK, SOME OF WHICH YOU'LL SEE REFLECTED IN TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION. AND SO TONIGHT REALLY IS ABOUT JUST GETTING YOUR FEEDBACK. BUT WE DO HAVE TO HAVE AN APPROVAL BECAUSE WE HAVE TO SUBMIT IT BY JUNE THE 1ST. AND SO I'LL LET MISS KUTCHER GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION, WE'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE, BUT WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR AN APPROVAL TONIGHT. SO. MISS KUTCHER SURE. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. SO THE STATE IS REQUIRING HAVING ALL OF US LIVED THROUGH THE PANDEMIC, THAT EVERY SYSTEM DOES HAVE A VIRTUAL EDUCATION PLAN. SO THAT IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN REQUIRED TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT WOULD MOVE US TO VIRTUAL SHOULD THAT STATE OF EMERGENCY BE BE CALLED BY THE GOVERNOR. AND SO WE'RE GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU THE PIECES OF THE PLAN THIS EVENING, BUT WE DID WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEEK INPUT FROM VARIOUS GROUPS PRIOR TO BEING HERE TONIGHT. SO WHILE WE CERTAINLY HAVE NOT YET DONE WIDESPREAD PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, ANY KIND OF COMMUNICATION, BECAUSE WE DO NEED THE APPROVAL OF THE BOARD AS WELL AS THE STATE, WE HAVE SOUGHT INPUT. AND SO WHAT YOU'LL HEAR TONIGHT DOES INCLUDE THE FEEDBACK FROM THESE GROUPS. SO WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THIS WITH OUR UNION PRESIDENTS, WITH OUR TWO TEACHERS OF THE YEAR GROUP. THAT WOULD BE THE COMMUNITY, THE COMMUNITY TEAM AND THE SUMMIT SQUAD. AND WE HAD A CHANCE TO SHARE WITH DOCTOR POINTON. WE WORKED WITH DOCTOR DAVIS OPERATIONAL ADVISORY GROUP, WHICH INCLUDES PRINCIPALS AND SCHOOL LEADERS FROM ALL LEVELS. WE PRESENTED THIS TO SENIOR STAFF. WE'VE TALKED WITH MANY OF OUR SUPERVISORS, AND LATER THIS WEEK WE'LL BE TAKING THAT TO THE FULL GROUP, AND DOCTOR DAVIS AND I ALSO HAD A CHANCE TO PRESENT THIS TO MR. CASSERLY AND HIS DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION, MR. ROBERT MCCORD. SO AGAIN, THIS INCLUDES FEEDBACK FROM ALL OF THOSE GROUPS. THE STATE DOES HAVE REQUIRED PIECES OF THIS PLAN. SO THERE'S EIGHT PIECES THAT YOU SEE UP THERE ON THE SCREEN ARE ALL ADDRESSED IN OUR PLAN. SO WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS A LITTLE HEAVILY ON INSTRUCTION THIS EVENING. BUT ALL OF THESE PIECES WILL BE ADDRESSED. AND THEY ARE IN THE FINAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. SO THIS IS A VIRTUAL EDUCATION PLAN NOT JUST FOR VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION, BUT HOW WE WOULD SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS SOCIAL EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING, THEIR NUTRITION, THEIR HEALTH, THEIR TECHNOLOGY NEEDS THROUGHOUT ANY TYPE OF CLOSURE. SO WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE, UNDER THAT SENATE BILL, IF THE GOVERNOR OF MARYLAND DOES DECLARE THE STATE[01:50:03]
OF EMERGENCY, WHAT THAT MEANS IS THE GOVERNOR HAS DECIDED THAT IN-PERSON EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS CANNOT OCCUR FOR AT LEAST 14 CONSECUTIVE DAYS, SO ONLY THE GOVERNOR CAN CALL THAT. AND SO SHOULD THAT OCCUR. THAT WOULD KICK IN A MEETING OF THE BOARD. AND THEN THIS PLAN AND SO I HAVE A STAR NEXT TO THAT SECOND ONE, BECAUSE THERE WOULD BE COMMUNICATION OF COURSE, AFTER THAT. SO IT WOULD BE A STATEWIDE DECLARATION BY THE GOVERNOR. AND THEN WE WOULD FOLLOW UP WITH COMMUNICATION. I WILL CIRCLE BACK TO THAT AT THE END, BECAUSE AFTER MEETING WITH THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT, WE HAD SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMMUNICATION THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE. BUT SHOULD THIS EMERGENCY BE CALLED, SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED, THEN WE WOULD FOLLOW UP WITH EXTENSIVE COMMUNICATION ON THAT FIRST DAY OF THE CLOSURE WHEN SCHOOLS CANNOT BE IN PERSON, WE WOULD PROVIDE A FULL DAY OF PLANNING FOR TEACHERS. NOW, CERTAINLY, IDEALLY, TEACHERS WOULD HAVE ADVANCED NOTICE. TEACHERS WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS THEIR CLASSROOMS AND THEIR MATERIALS. BUT BECAUSE THIS IS AN EMERGENCY, WE SHOULD ABSOLUTELY CANNOT KNOW THAT AHEAD OF TIME, BUT THAT IS THE IDEAL SITUATION OF PROVIDING THEM THAT FULL DAY TO GET WHAT THEY NEED AND TO PREPARE FOR THIS PROLONGED STATE OF EMERGENCY. IN THIS CLOSURE.WE'LL BE TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE THAT TEACHERS OF SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS WOULD RECEIVE. SO THOSE WOULD BE OUR TEACHERS OF STUDENTS WITH IEPS, OUR TEACHERS OF GIFTED EDUCATION STUDENTS, OUR TEACHERS OF PRE-K, AND ALSO OUR TEACHERS OF ENGLISH LEARNERS. BECAUSE THOSE ARE CO-TAUGHT IN MANY SITUATIONS WHERE LEARNERS WITH UNIQUE NEEDS, THEY WOULD BE ADDRESSED A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY. AND SO TEACHERS WOULD RECEIVE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THOSE GROUPS. SO FOR THIS CLOSURE, THE PLAN WOULD BE TO RUN A SYNCHRONOUS VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION DURING THE REGULAR SCHOOL HOURS THAT STUDENTS ARE USED TO AHEAD OF THE CLOSURE. AS PART OF THIS IS BECAUSE THE STATE IS REQUIRING THAT THERE IS NOT A PRUNING OR A ROLLING BACK OF CURRICULUM. THE EXPECTATION BY THE STATE IS THAT THE PACING, THE SCOPE AND SEQUENCE EVERYTHING IS COVERED IN THE SAME MANNER THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED HAD WE NOT BEEN CLOSED. SO THIS PLAN WOULD BE IF A SCHOOL IS CLOSED, IF A REGION IS CLOSED, IF THE WHOLE COUNTY IS CLOSED, IF THE WHOLE STATE IS CLOSED. AND SO TO KEEP UP WITH ALL OF THE SCOPE, THE PACING, WE WOULD LIFT THAT SCHOOL DAILY SCHEDULE AND PROVIDE VIRTUAL SYNCHRONOUS INSTRUCTION FOR THE DURATION MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. AND WE WILL CIRCLE BACK TO THAT IDEA AT THE END AS WELL. BECAUSE OF SOME FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED FROM SOME OF OUR GROUPS. AND SO DURING THIS TIME, OUR TEACHERS WOULD PROVIDE THAT VIRTUAL SYNCHRONOUS INSTRUCTION USING WHAT THEY'RE USED TO, USING WHAT OUR STUDENTS KNOW, WHICH IS, OF COURSE, MICROSOFT TEAMS AND OUR CANVAS PLATFORM.
AND SO YOU ALL GOT TO SEE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT WHEN WE DID OUR INCLEMENT WEATHER PRESENTATION, THIS WOULD LOOK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE IT'S LONGER, BUT THAT'S THE SAME PLATFORM THAT OUR PARENTS HAVE HAD ACCESS TO THE SECOND HALF OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR AND THAT OUR TEACHERS HAVE BEEN USING. NOW, THIS IS OUR SECOND YEAR. WE'VE ALREADY WORKED WITH MR. MOORE'S OFFICE SO THAT TEACHERS OR FAMILIES WHO DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO INTERNET WOULD BE PROVIDED A HOTSPOT, SO THEY COULD ACCESS THIS VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION. NOW, CERTAINLY WE'VE LEARNED A LOT OVER THE YEARS FROM HAVING VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION AT SWAN CREEK, BUT ALSO WHEN WE WERE CLOSED DURING THE PANDEMIC. AND SO WE KNOW THAT THOSE BEST PRACTICES WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THIS CLOSURE. AND SO TEACHERS WOULD CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT THE SAME CURRICULUM, THAT HIGH QUALITY CURRICULUM THAT THEY HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTING , JUST MODIFYING IT AS NECESSARY TO FIT THAT VIRTUAL PLATFORM. WE WOULD USE CANVAS TO CONTINUE TO CURATE ALL OF THE RESOURCES SO THAT STUDENTS HAVE THOSE ACTIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCES, THOSE THAT YOU SAW IN OUR EXAMPLES FROM THE INCLEMENT WEATHER CLOSURES, WE HAVE MANY WAYS TO ENSURE ACTIVE STUDENT PARTICIPATION ON CANVAS AND TEAMS, INCLUDING THINGS LIKE CHAT ROOMS, BREAKOUT ROOMS, DISCUSSION BOARDS, AND SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE'LL TALK TO YOU ALL ABOUT. OUR TEACHERS WOULD CONTINUE TO USE FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT TOOLS, INCLUDING OUR NEW IREADY THAT THE BOARD APPROVED AT THE LAST MEETING, WHICH IS AN ONLINE ASSESSMENT PLATFORM THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO PROGRESS, MONITOR STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THIS CLOSURE, AND WE WOULD MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO MAKE SURE, SHOULD STUDENTS NEED SOMETHING, BEYOND WHAT IS ON CANVAS OR MICROSOFT TEAMS, THAT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, WE COULD PROVIDE THAT TO THEM FOR THE DURATION OF THE CLOSURE. NOW, WHEN THE PANDEMIC CERTAINLY HIT BACK IN 2020, WE WERE NOT THINKING AHEAD OF WHAT WOULD WE DO TO TEACH? SHOULD WE HAVE TO MOVE TO A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT? HAVING LIVED THROUGH IT, THOUGH, WE KNOW SOME OF THE THOUGHT PROCESS THAT WE ALL CAN SORT OF TAKE NOW IN ANTICIPATION THAT SHOULD THIS EVER HAPPEN AGAIN, OR SHOULD SOMETHING NECESSITATE THIS KIND OF CLOSURE. AND SO THIS IS JUST A CONSIDERATION FOR TEACHERS TO BE TAKING AHEAD OF THE CLOSURE. THINGS THAT WE WANT TO START THINKING ABOUT SHOULD SOMETHING HAPPEN OR SHOULD WE START HEARING THINGS IN THE NEWS THAT MIGHT, REALLY KIND OF FORESHADOW SOME KIND OF CLOSURE. SO JUST THINKING ABOUT WHAT MIGHT BE COMING UP FOR THOSE,
[01:55:05]
YOU KNOW, UPCOMING DAYS, WHAT COULD WORK AS IT IS, WHAT MIGHT NEED TO BE CHANGED, WHAT CO-TEACHERS DO I NEED TO CHECK IN WITH? WHAT DO I NEED TO MAKE SURE I'M TAKING HOME WITH ME? HOW WILL I CHECK IN ON MY STUDENTS? JUST THINKING ABOUT THOSE THINGS AND HAVING THAT BE PART OF OUR PLANNING AND OUR MINDSET AS WE MOVE FORWARD. WE ALSO WANT OUR TEACHERS TO CONTINUE TO CONTINUE USING BEST PRACTICES FOR SYNCHRONOUS INSTRUCTION. CERTAINLY, THESE ARE BEST PRACTICES FOR INSTRUCTION REGARDLESS, BUT USING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AND THOSE TOOLS TO ALLOW STUDENTS TO TALK WITH EACH OTHER, TO USE THINGS LIKE MICROSOFT FORMS, 365 FORMS, SOME OTHER INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY TOOLS THAT ALLOW TEACHERS TO SEE WHAT THE STUDENTS ARE WORKING ON REAL TIME AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK, MAKING SURE THAT STUDENTS HAVE LOTS OF THINK TIME AND PROCESSING TIME. MAKING SURE THAT EVEN IF THAT CLASS PERIOD RUNS FOR THAT HIGH SCHOOL 82 TO 90 MINUTES, THAT THERE IS TIME OFF MIC FOR STUDENTS TO PROCESS TO READ AND TO WRITE, TO THINK. AND IT'S NOT JUST A STAND AND DELIVER KIND OF A LECTURE THROUGH THAT PARTICULAR CLASS PERIOD. AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT THAT TEACHER STUDENT CONNECTION THROUGH HOMEROOM, THROUGH LESSONS IS MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT THIS PARTICULAR TIME.WE FEEL THAT THE BEST PREPARATION FOR THIS IS JUST THE FACT THAT OUR TEACHERS ARE USING CANVAS. CURRENTLY AND THROUGH DOCTOR BARWICK AND HER OFFICE, THERE ARE RESOURCES THAT HAVE BEEN CURATED AND CONTINUE TO BE PUBLISHED THROUGH NEWSLETTERS ABOUT THE BEST PRACTICES OF USING CANVAS, AND SO CONTINUING TO DO THAT IS GREAT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR TEACHERS. WE ALSO WILL ENCOURAGE OUR TEACHERS TO HAVE STUDENTS BE PREPARED TO USE CANVAS AND MICROSOFT TEAMS SHOULD A CLOSURE OCCUR. SO JUST MAKING SURE STUDENTS KNOW HOW TO ACCESS THOSE WHERE THEY ARE, WHERE THE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL SUPPORTS ARE AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE EVERYTHING THAT THEY WOULD NEED. OUR STUDENTS AND SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS WILL RECEIVE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT. AND SO THERE IS A SECTION OF THE IEP, THE IEP, PLANNING FOR EMERGENCY CONDITIONS THAT DOES OUTLINE THE SUPPORTS AND ACCOMMODATIONS AND SERVICES THAT ARE DELIVERED TO STUDENTS IN THE EVENT OF AN EXTENDED SCHOOL CLOSURE. AND SO THOSE WOULD BE FOLLOWED. BUT WE UNDERSTAND THAT DURING AN EMERGENCY, THERE MAY BE SITUATIONS THAT WOULD PREVENT A SPECIAL EDUCATOR OR SERVICE PROVIDER FROM PROVIDING EVERYTHING TO THE LETTER OF THE IEP. SO PROGRESS MONITORING, MONITORING WOULD OCCUR. AND UPON RETURN TO SCHOOL, IEP TEAMS WOULD CONVENE. CONSIDER THE IMPACT ON STUDENTS AND THEN OFFER COMPENSATORY SERVICES IF THAT SHOULD BE WARRANTED BECAUSE OF WHAT OCCURRED DURING THE CLOSURE. WE HAVE SOME SUPPORTS IN PLACE IF TEACHERS NEEDED SUPPORT WITH CONTENT, WE HAVE OUR CONTENT SUPERVISORS, WE HAVE OUR TEACHER SPECIALISTS, WE HAVE OUR INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES. AND IF THERE ARE TECHNOLOGY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS FROM STAFF OR FROM FAMILIES, THIS IS A WEBSITE THAT ALREADY EXISTS. THAT'S UP NOW THAT HAS MANY LINKS TO HARDWARE SUPPORTS. IT ALSO HAS LINKS TO ACCESSING CANVAS. SO IF YOU ACTUALLY VISIT THAT SITE, YOU'LL SEE ALL OF THAT. AND WITH A CLICK OF A BUTTON, THE ENTIRE SITE IS TRANSLATED INTO SPANISH.
SO HOPEFULLY WE ARE SUPPORTING AS MANY FAMILIES ACROSS OUR DISTRICT AS POSSIBLE WITH THIS QUICKLY ACCESSIBLE RESOURCE. NOW IN ADDITION TO INSTRUCTION, THERE WILL BE OTHER PIECES IN PLACE FOR THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE IF SOMETHING CATASTROPHIC ENOUGH HAPPENS TO CLOSE SCHOOLS, WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT MIGHT BE IMPACTING OUR FAMILIES IN MANY, MANY WAYS. AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE PURPOSEFUL MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORTS, THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, THROUGH THINGS LIKE OUR VIRTUAL CALMING ROOM THAT WAS STARTED BY OUR STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES OFFICE DURING COVID. AND WE ALSO HAVE THAT CARE SOLACE PARTNERSHIP APP THAT ALLOWS FAMILIES AND EMPLOYEES, TO MORE EASILY SEEK SPECIFIC PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT. WE WILL HAVE MEAL DISTRIBUTION SITES, MUCH LIKE WE DID DURING THE PANDEMIC, AND WE WILL CONTINUE WITH THAT REGULAR COMMUNICATION THROUGH MEANS THAT OUR FAMILIES AND OUR COMMUNITY ARE USED TO.
OUR OFFICE OF INNOVATION AND LEARNING UNDER DOCTOR BARWICK WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SUPPORTS TO TEACHERS IN BEST USING THE ONLINE PLATFORMS OF CANVAS AND MICROSOFT TEAMS. NOW, THE STATE HAS BEEN VERY CANDID ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE MIGHT PLAN FOR AN EVENT AND THE NATURE OF THE EVENT MAKES OUR PLAN COMPLETELY OBSOLETE. AND SO THEY UNDERSTAND THAT SHOULD SOMETHING OCCUR WHERE THERE IS NO INTERNET IN THE DISTRICT, WE WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE TO ADJUST. AND SO THEY ARE VERY OPEN TO THAT AND ASK THAT SHOULD THAT OCCUR, WE JUST SUBMIT OUR NEW PLAN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. SO WE KNOW THAT WE'VE TRIED TO PROVIDE A FRAMEWORK BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE LIVED AND LEARNED AND BASED ON WHAT THE STATE IS REQUIRING. BUT WE HAVE TO REMAIN FLEXIBLE, GIVEN THE UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES THAT MIGHT PRECIPITATE THIS. ALSO, AFTER RECEIVING SOME FEEDBACK, OUR TEACHERS AND OUR FAMILIES WERE INTERESTED IN CHANGING THE SCHEDULE SLIGHTLY AS POSSIBLE SHOULD THIS CLOSURE GO FOR MORE THAN THREE WEEKS. SO IF IT GOES
[02:00:01]
PAST THAT, WE'LL LOOK AT ADJUSTING THE SCHEDULE. CLASSES MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME BETWEEN THEM. WE MIGHT LOOK AT THINGS LIKE FLEX FRIDAYS, WHICH WOULD ALLOW OUR TEACHERS MORE TIME TO COLLABORATE, AND ALSO OUR FAMILIES MORE TIME DURING A REGULAR DAY TO INDIVIDUALLY REACH OUT TO A TEACHER AND RECEIVE SUPPORT AND ASK QUESTIONS. BACK TO THE STAR.FROM ONE OF THE FIRST SLIDES. THAT COMMUNICATION PLAN. WHEN DOCTOR DAVIS AND I MET WITH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND HIS DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION, WE TALKED ABOUT A TASK FORCE AND IT REALLY LED TO SOME GREAT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL HERE FOR A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. SHOULD THERE BE AN EMERGENCY. AND SO ONCE THIS PLAN IS APPROVED AND WE GET OUR FEEDBACK FROM THE STATE, WE WILL CONVENE A TASK FORCE BEGINNING THIS FALL, THAT WILL INCLUDE THOSE MEMBERS THAT YOU SEE LISTED THERE, AND SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO MONITOR, TO PLAN, TO CONSIDER THE PLAN THAT WE HAVE CHANGES NECESSARY, QUARTERLY, SHOULD THE STATE OF EMERGENCY BE CALLED. THAT WOULD, OF COURSE, ESCALATE TO AT LEAST WEEKLY MEETINGS OF THAT TASK FORCE. AND THAT TASK FORCE WOULD HELP TO DETERMINE THAT COMMUNICATION PLAN, AS WELL AS MONITORING HOW STUDENTS AND FAMILIES ARE BEING IMPACTED, HOW THIS PLAN IS SUPPORTING THEM, PROBLEM SOLVING ISSUES AND THEN CREATING THAT SAFE RETURN TO IN-PERSON PLAN ONCE THE STATE OF EMERGENCY HAS BEEN LIFTED. SO THAT TASK FORCE WILL CONVENE AND BE THAT ONGOING SOURCE OF COLLABORATION AND SUPPORT AND MONITORING OF THIS PARTICULAR PLAN. SO THAT IS OUR PLAN, TO SEEK APPROVAL FROM YOU ALL TONIGHT AND THEN SEND TO THE STATE. WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. ABSOLUTELY. I KNOW IN THE SMALL GROUP MEETING WE TALKED ABOUT THE I THINK IT'S CALLED THE ACP AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM, WHICH WAS FEDERALLY FUNDED BY CONGRESS, WHICH IS COMING TO AN END, I THINK THIS MONTH. RIGHT. SO THERE'S ABOUT, I THINK, 300,000 MARYLANDERS THAT WERE ON THAT PROGRAM. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY WERE HARFORD COUNTY, BUT ONE THING TO CONSIDER AS WE MOVE FORWARD WILL BE HOW MANY OF THOSE FAMILIES ARE COMING OFF THAT PROGRAM AND WON'T HAVE INTERNET AT HOME, WHICH IS GOING TO BE CRUCIAL TO THIS PLAN? YEAH. NO, WE APPRECIATE THAT. THAT CAME UP DURING SMALL GROUP. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE STARTED DOING, ACTUALLY, I MET WITH ONE OF OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS THIS MORNING TO TALK ABOUT A POSSIBLE FORM SURVEY TO SEND OUT PRIOR TO THE END OF THIS YEAR, JUST SO THAT WE COULD GET SOME INPUT FROM SCHOOLS JUST TO SEE WHAT FAMILIES WOULD BE IMPACTED BY THAT AND JUST DON'T HAVE INTERNET IN GENERAL. SO OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. I JUST, HAVE ONE QUESTION. HAVE YOU TESTED PORTIONS OF THIS OR DONE, YOU KNOW, SOME PRELIMINARY TESTING TO SEE LIKE DRY RUN THROUGH IT, SEE IF IT WORKS OKAY AND NOT AT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PLAN IN GENERAL. YEAH. NOT AT THIS POINT. I MEAN, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE PUT THIS TASK FORCE IN PLACE IS SO THAT WE COULD REALLY LOOK AT THOSE LOGISTICAL PLANS, AND REALLY TALK ABOUT WAYS TO IMPLEMENT, SO TO SPEAK. WE NOTICED THAT WHEN WE HAD THE PANDEMIC, AND WE HAD THE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE THAT WE PUT IN PLACE, WE MET WEEKLY AND WE TALKED ABOUT LOGISTICAL TYPES OF THINGS THAT AFFECTED OPERATIONS AND SO FORTH. AND SO WE'VE NOT TESTED THIS YET.
HOWEVER FOR ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE PULLED THIS TASK FORCE TOGETHER SO THAT THAT GROUP COULD PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO MOVE FORWARD. ERIC WE TESTED IT FOR TWO YEARS. WELL, IF IT'S THE SAME SITUATION AND WE ALSO HAD OUR, VIRTUAL INCLEMENT WEATHER DAY, WHICH WAS A TEST OF SORTS, A SMALLER SCALE TEST OF THIS, SWAN CREEK IS ALSO A TEST OF THIS ON A DAILY BASIS. AND SO WE DID HAVE A CHANCE. WE TALKED TO MR. TRUSCOTT. WELL, WE GOT THE SCHEDULE FROM MR. TRUSKOWSKI, YOU ALL HAVE HEARD FROM SWAN CREEK. AND SO, THAT'S THAT'S WHERE SOME OF THIS LEARNING HAS COME FROM AS WELL. SO IF, IF WE DO GO INTO AN EMERGENCY SITUATION BECAUSE I'VE BEEN TO SWAN CREEK, SO WOULD LOOK SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME? SO THAT THAT IS. YES WE NOW THEIR SCHEDULE DOES INCLUDE MORE TIME BETWEEN CLASSES FOR THAT PERSONAL LEARNING TIME, WHICH IS WHAT WE WOULD ADJUST TO SHOULD THIS PLAN GO BEYOND THE THREE WEEKS. OKAY. THANK YOU, SO SLIDE 14 WAS INTERESTING, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALWAYS, PREPARING FOR THE NEXT EMERGENCY BASED ON THE LAST EMERGENCY. AND I THINK THE BIG THIS IS GREAT. I'M OBVIOUSLY GOING TO APPROVE IT TO GO FORWARD. BUT ONE THING WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IS, WHAT IF IT'S AN EMERGENCY WHERE THERE'S NO INTERNET, RIGHT. WHICH MOST EMERGENCIES ARE? THE PANDEMIC WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE A STORM. IT'S GOING TO BE A CYBER ATTACK. IT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND MAYBE THERE'S JUST NOT A WAY TO DELIVER EDUCATION. MAYBE WE JUST, YOU KNOW, HALT, YOU KNOW, EDUCATION FOR THE TIME BEING. BUT, JUST SOMETHING TO CONTINUE THINKING ABOUT AS THESE GROUPS GET TOGETHER. ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. ANOTHER REASON FOR THE TASK
[02:05:04]
FORCE. WAS THE PLAN IN THE EXHIBIT. WHERE IS THE PLAN? DID WE ACTUALLY RECEIVE THAT AS THESE ARE THE ELEMENTS OF THE PLAN THAT WE'LL HAVE TO PUT IN THAT TEMPLATE THAT WE SENT TO YOU ALL OKAY. YEAH BUT THE PLAN ITSELF, CAN YOU SEND THAT, PLEASE? SURE, SURE. YEAH. SO WONDERFUL COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE HAS BEEN BUILDING THAT, FOR US. SO IT'S NOT FINAL YET OR. WHAT ARE YOU ASKING US TO APPROVE TONIGHT? I THOUGHT YOU SAID THE PLAN. THIS IS PLAN? YEAH, THIS IS OUR PLAN. THIS IS NOT. YOU'RE NOT SENDING THIS POWERPOINT TO THE STATE, SO. RIGHT? RIGHT.THIS THIS IS BEING TURNED INTO WHATEVER FORMAT THEY NEED. YEAH. BASED ON THE TEMPLATE THAT YOU ALL WERE SENDING WITH THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES, WE WILL FILL IN THOSE CATEGORIES WITH THE ELEMENTS OF THIS DISPLAY. THIS IS THE LANGUAGE LIFTED FROM FOR THAT FOR THE PLAN. BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY GET THAT TO YOU OKAY. SO YOU'RE GOING TO SEND A DOCUMENT TO THE STATE THAT'S REQUIRED. IT'S NOT FULLY FLESHED OUT WRITTEN YET. IS THAT RIGHT. IT IS. SO THAT THE STATE DID NOT PROVIDE A TEMPLATE FOR THE PLAN. THEY JUST PROVIDED A RUBRIC THAT HAS THE EIGHT PIECES THAT WE NEEDED TO ADDRESS. OKAY THIS STOCK I'M SORRY, THIS DOCUMENT IS TO BE SENT TO THE STATE BY JUNE 1ST. CORRECT YES. SO, WHEN YOU SEND A COPY TO THE STATE, IS IT POSSIBLE YOU COULD SEND A COPY TO THE BOARD AS WELL? OH, YEAH. ABSOLUTELY. AND ALSO TO, ON SLIDE FIVE. AARON, IT DOES SAY THAT, THEY'LL HAVE HOT SPOTS PROVIDED TO ANYONE THAT DOESN'T HAVE WI-FI ACCESSIBILITY. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAW THAT ON THERE. AND THERE WAS ONE OTHER QUESTION THAT I HAD HOT SPOTS DO WE HAVE, I THINK 600. OH, AND JUST TO BE 100% TRANSPARENT, IN THE EVENT THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE IMPLEMENTED, THE BOARD WILL THEN CONVENE AND VOTE TO IMPLEMENT THIS. YES. CORRECT. OKAY. AND THAT'S WHAT THE PLAN WOULD SAY. I WOULD GO ONE FURTHER THAN WHAT MISS HAHN SAID. I WOULD ASK TO SEE THE PLAN AND DRAFT BEFORE YOU SEND IT TO THE STATE. AND I WOULD I MOVE THAT THIS APPROVAL TONIGHT BE PROVISIONAL BASED ON ALLOWING US TO ACTUALLY REVIEW THE PLAN, THE DOCUMENT THAT'S BEING SENT FORWARD. THERE'S NO TIME TO VOTE ON IT AGAIN. SO, I MEAN, IT'S DUE JUNE 1ST NEXT WEEK OR WHAT IS THAT THIS WEEK, YEAH. NEXT WE WOULD WE WOULD BE APPROVING THIS PLAN, JUST PUT IN WHATEVER FORMAT. SO IT'S THIS IS WHAT WE'RE APPROVING, RIGHT. YEAH. SO YEAH YOU'RE POINTING TO THIS. YOU'RE POINTING TO A VIEWGRAPH PRESENTATION. RIGHT? I'M, I'M POINTING TO THIS PRESENTATION. IT'S NOT POWERPOINT. YEAH. SORRY. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. AND SO I JUST HAVE THE ELEMENTS ON SLIDE THREE. THE, THOSE WERE PROVIDED FROM THE STATE. YES, YES. SO ALL RIGHT. AND THOSE ARE MINIMUM ELEMENTS. THERE'S THESE ARE MINIMUM ELEMENTS. THOSE ARE THE THOSE ARE THE REQUIRED PIECES. RIGHT. SO MY QUESTION IS WE'RE ASSUMING THAT THE GOVERNOR CALLS THE STATE OF EMERGENCY AND HAS ALREADY SAID THAT HE WILL CLOSE SCHOOLS FOR 14 DAYS. RIGHT. YOU DON'T HAVE ANY INPUT TO HOW WE DO THAT. IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S BOTH THINGS HE CALLS A STATE OF EMERGENCY. AND 14 DAYS. THAT'S HIS DECISION. CORRECT. AND THAT COMES PASSED DOWN TO US. YEAH, CORRECT. WELL, THE STATE OF EMERGENCY WOULD BE HIS DECISION. IT'S NOT NOT NECESSARILY THE GOVERNOR'S DECISION ON WHETHER OR NOT TO CLOSE SCHOOLS. A LOT OF TIMES IS LEFT TO THE TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ITSELF. IT JUST IT DEPENDS. IT'S HARD TO SAY. SO SHOULDN'T THAT BE IN THE PLAN? THAT PART OF IT, HOW YOU GET INTO IT AND HOW YOU GET OUT OF IT. SO THE, THE, THE REQUIREMENT IS BY THAT SENATE BILL, THE GOVERNOR WOULD DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY, AND THEN IT WOULD GO TO THE BOARD TO VOTE IF THE SYSTEM IS GOING TO MOVE TO VIRTUAL. SO THE GOVERNOR SHUTS DOWN THE SCHOOLS FOR IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION FOR 14 OR MORE DAYS, AND THEN IT'S VOTED ON. AND THEN WE HAVE TO ALREADY HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE. SHOULD THE BOARD VOTE FOR VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION. SO AT THAT POINT, WE WOULD JUST BE VOTING FOR VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION OR NOTHING OR VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION, OR KEEP THE SCHOOLS OPEN. YEAH, WELL, IT JUST DEPENDS. AND THAT'S WHY WE FELT IT TO BE ESSENTIAL THAT WE HAVE A TASK FORCE IN PLACE TO TALK ABOUT THAT. I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED OVER COVID AS WELL, I MEAN, THE GOVERNOR GAVE THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS, THE OR THE
[02:10:05]
COUNTY GOVERNMENT WERE REALLY THE BOARDS OF ED, THE DISCRETION OVER A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS, YOU KNOW, SO THE GOVERNOR CAN CALL A STATE OF EMERGENCY, BUT THIS BOARD WOULD DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO IMPLEMENT THIS PLAN AT THAT TIME. OKAY. RIGHT. AND I THINK ALL THAT SHOULD BE DISCUSSED IN THE PLAN AND THE TASK FORCE I ASSUME WILL BE DISCUSSING. WELL, THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS WE WOULD BE DISCUSSING IN TASK FORCE. BECAUSE REMEMBER NOW THE REQUIREMENTS WERE THE ONLY THING THAT WE HAD TO HAVE IN THERE. THE TASK FORCE IS EXTRA THAT WE ARE DOING JUST BECAUSE WE FELT LIKE IT WAS ESSENTIAL FOR INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION AND THE TOP OF THE RUBRIC, THE LANGUAGE FROM THE STATE DOES OUTLINE THAT PROCESS TO HAVE A TASK FORCE OR COMMUNICATIONS PLAN. THE PLAN FOR THE CLOSURE VIRTUAL IMPLEMENT THE PLAN. I DO THINK THAT, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT REQUIRED, THE TASK FORCE MEETING, I THINK QUARTERLY OR PERIODICALLY, WHATEVER IT IS, IS A GOOD IDEA JUST BECAUSE SO MUCH OF THE PLAN IS DEPENDENT ON TECHNOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS, AND OUR TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES ARE CHANGING ALL THE TIME. ABSOLUTELY YEAH. YOU RAISED IT LIKE TEN MINUTES AGO.THAT'S OKAY, THAT'S OKAY, RIVETING CONVERSATION. I DID NOT WANT TO BREAK US AWAY FROM WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO, TO SPEAK TO WHAT YOU WERE MENTIONING. DOCTOR BOYNTON, REGARDING ACCESS, THE INTERNET ACCESS. BECAUSE GOVERNOR MOORE ACTUALLY, JUST TODAY ANNOUNCED $19.6 MILLION ADDITIONAL FUNDING, SPECIFICALLY TO PROVIDE INTERNET ACCESS TO ROUGHLY 2400 HOUSEHOLDS ACROSS MARYLAND, SO IN THAT 18 COUNTIES APPLIED FOR THAT, INCLUDING HARFORD COUNTY. AND WE ARE AWARDED 1.1 MILLION, WHICH IS THE LARGEST, OTHER COUNTIES ALSO GOT 1.1. SO IF YOU DO THE MATH ON THAT, THAT MEANS IF ON AVERAGE, YOU KNOW, OUR TO GET INTERNET TO OUR HOUSEHOLDS, IF WE ARE AN AVERAGE, YOU KNOW, IF THE COST IS ON AVERAGE, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET 135 HOUSEHOLDS IN, HARFORD COUNTY, UP TO SNUFF WITH INTERNET ACCESS FOR A YEAR OR WHAT FOR? NO, JUST LITERALLY RUNNING FIBER TO THEM OR WHATEVER. LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF PLACES IN THE COUNTY THAT DON'T HAVE. WELL, IT'S GOOD TO KNOW. I DO KNOW THE STATES WERE LOOKING TO DO SOMETHING SINCE THE FEDERAL WAS RUNNING OUT. SO WELL, THERE'S THE ANSWER TO THAT . ALL RIGHT. IT'S A PARTIAL ANSWER. SHOULD ALWAYS GO BACK TO NEWSPAPERS. IF THE INTERNET DOESN'T WORK OUT. WORKS FOR ME. NEWSPAPERS YEAH, I KNOW, ALL RIGHT. I THINK WE'RE GETTING OFF TRACK HERE, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I KNOW THIS CAME UP AS A SUDDEN REQUIREMENT. YOU HAVEN'T HAD THAT LONG TO RESPOND TO IT, AND IT IS DUE VERY SOON, I CAN'T VOTE FOR SOMETHING UNLESS I ACTUALLY SEE THE PLAN. THAT'S JUST ME. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY.
OKAY. SO AT THIS TIME, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE PROPOSED, PROLONGED STATE OF EMERGENCY VIRTUAL EDUCATION PLAN TO BE SUBMITTED BY THIS TO THE STATE BY THE 1ST OF JUNE. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY I'M SORRY. I NEED A MOTION. YEP. AWKWARD PAUSES. CAN I GET A MOTION? I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THIS PLAN. I SECOND, THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY YES. YES YES, YES. ANY OPPOSED? PLEASE SAY NO. ABSTAIN. THANK YOU. THE MOTION PASSES. OKAY ALL RIGHT. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MOVING ON TO ITEM I. SUPERINTENDENT'S
[J. Superintendent's Report]
REPORT, DOCTOR BOLSON. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SO YOU HEARD ABOUT MANY OF THE EVENTS, THE SERVICE RECOGNITION EVENT ON MAY 8TH WAS FANTASTIC, WE RECOGNIZED OUR PEOPLE WITH TEN, 20, 30, AND 40 YEARS OF SERVICE. AND THEN, ACTUALLY, THE PEOPLE WITH FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE WERE ALSO RECOGNIZED PRIOR, THERE WAS A MSDE, DID A VIDEO PROMOTING APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS, AND THEY THEY HIGHLIGHTED HARFORD COUNTY THROUGH THAT APPRENTICESHIP THROUGH THAT VIDEO. I SENT THAT TO YOU AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING TONIGHT. IT'S A COUPLE MINUTES LONG. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN WATCHING THAT. THEY'RE GOING TO, RECOGNIZE US FOR THAT TOMORROW.SO THEY'VE ASKED ME TO SPEAK FOR JUST A SECOND. WE'LL BE DOWN THERE BECAUSE ALSO TOMORROW THEY ARE RECOGNIZING THE, TEACHERS OF THE YEAR FROM EACH DISTRICT. SO MSDE AT THE STATE BOARD MEETING WILL BE HAVING A, RECOGNITION EVENT FOR THEM. YOU CAN WATCH THAT MEETING ONLINE. WE'VE HAD, TWO SCHOOLS RECOGNIZED AS NATIONAL SHOWCASE SCHOOLS BY CAPTURING KIDS HEARTS FOR THE
[02:15:02]
FROM FOR THAT PROGRAM. THOSE ARE CHURCHVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND GEORGE D LISBIE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT HILLSDALE. AND SO CAPTURING GUITARS WILL PROVIDE EACH AWARDED CAMPUS WITH A $200 DONATION TO HOST AN ICE CREAM PARTY TO CELEBRATE. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM FOR DOING THAT. TEN OF OUR SCHOOLS COMBINED RAISED MORE THAN $215,000 FOR THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION IN THE SCHOOLS OR CHURCHVILLE, DARLINGTON, EMERSON, HICKORY HOMESTEAD, WAKEFIELD, JOPPATOWNE ELEMENTARY, OLD POST ROAD, RED PUMP, FALLSTON MIDDLE AND FALLSTON HIGH HOMESTEAD. WAKEFIELD WAS THE TOP EARNING SCHOOL IN MARYLAND AND THE EASTERN STATES REGION, RAISING MORE THAN $74,000. SO EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE IN TEMPORARY HOUSING, THEY CAN STILL RAISE MONEY. APPARENTLY SO CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE FOR THAT FANTASTIC WORK. I HAD THE CHANCE TO ATTEND THE EDUCATION FOUNDATION EDUCATION FOUNDATION FUNDRAISER A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. YOU HEARD DOCTOR MUELLER TALK ABOUT THAT. I JUST WANT TO TAKE A SECOND TO THANK THE LEAD SPONSOR FOR THAT WAS HESS CONSTRUCTION. THEY WERE THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY HAD TAKEN OVER SORT OF THE MAIN SPONSORSHIP. SO I APPRECIATE THEM, AND THEN OF COURSE, YOU HEARD THAT WE BEGAN GRADUATION SEASON LAST FRIDAY WITH TREMENDOUS EVENTS, FOR THE FUTURE LINKS PROGRAM AND, HARFORD ACADEMY. THIS FRIDAY, WE HAVE MILTON WRIGHT HIGH SCHOOL AND THEN EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL. AND SO I GUESS THIS IS JUST THAT TIME OF YEAR TO REMIND EVERYBODY, PLEASE MAKE SAFE CHOICES, IT'S AN EXCITING TIME OF YEAR. THERE'S A LOT GOING ON. THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF CELEBRATING HAPPEN. WE DON'T WANT ANY TRAGEDIES LINING UP WITH THESE AMAZING CELEBRATIONS. SO WE JUST HOPE EVERYONE MAKES GOOD DECISIONS AND HAS A GREAT TIME. WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO CELEBRATING EVERYONE, BECAUSE AS SOON AS WE GET BACK FROM THAT THREE DAY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, WE GO ON A BIT OF A MARATHON FOR OUR REMAINING GRADUATIONS, AND THAT'S, THAT'S ALSO EXCITING TIME. SO WITH THAT, WE WILL SEE YOU ALL IN A FEW WEEKS. HOW DID YOU PLAY ON THE GOLF GOLF GAME, AS WELL AS I ALWAYS DO, BUT FORTUNATELY IT'S CAPTAIN'S CHOICE AND THERE'S NO INDIVIDUAL SCORE. I HEARD THE TEAM HAD TO[Future Meetings Review]
CARRY YOU, SO ALWAYS. ALL RIGHT, NEXT BOARD MEETING. THAT WILL BE, REGULAR BOARD MEETING MONDAY, JUNE 10TH AT 6 P.M. THIS MEETING IS* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.