[A. Presentation on the 2024 Harford County Public Schools Survey on Racism, Implicit Bias, and Other Forms of Discrimination, Mr. Yakoubou Ousmanou, Manager of Research and Program Evaluation, Dr. Paula Stanton, Supervisor of Equity and Cultural Proficiency, and Miss Madina Sabirova, Student Board Member]

BEFORE PUBLIC COMMENTS. SO ITEM A IS PRESENTATION ON 2024 HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS SURVEY ON RACISM, IMPLICIT BIAS AND OTHER FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION. I'D LIKE TO WELCOME MR. USMAN, MANAGER OF RESEARCH AND PROGRAM EVALUATION, AS WELL AS DOCTOR PAULA STANTON, SUPERVISOR OF EQUITY AND CULTURAL PROFICIENCY. AND AGAIN, MISS MEDINA SABIROVA, OUR STUDENT MEMBER OF THE BOARD FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. WELCOME.

OKAY GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT BOYNTON. VICE PRESIDENT. HAHN. SUPERINTENDENT. BOSTON. HE WENT SOMEWHERE. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, WE ARE HERE TONIGHT TO GIVE RESULTS, KEY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OUR SURVEY ON RACISM. IMPLICIT BIAS, AND OTHER FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION.

I'M HERE WITH MY CO-PRESENTERS, MEDINA SABIROVA AND MR. OSMANI, AND I WANT TO FIRST START BY JUST THANKING THE PARENTS AND THE STAFF MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY THE ADMINISTRATORS. PRINCIPAL WOODEN, PRINCIPAL HOLLEY, PRINCIPAL AWANA, DOCTOR MILLER AND MISS MOCK FOR, GIVING US STUDENT NAMES WHO COULD REPRESENT THEIR SCHOOLS AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THEIR SCHOOLS IN TERMS OF HOW SCHOOLS CREATE A SENSE OF BELONGING FOR STUDENTS.

I ALSO WANT TO SHARE THAT, PRINCIPAL WOODEN WANTED TO BE HERE TONIGHT, BUT THEY'RE HAVING THEIR FIFTH GRADE CEREMONY, SO WE HAVE SOME FOURTH GRADE STUDENTS HERE REPRESENTING OLD POST ROAD. BUT HE WAS VERY UPSET THAT HE COULDN'T BE HERE, AND HE WANTED EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT. SO I'M PAULA STANTON AND WE'RE GOING TO START JUST WITH SHARING OUR AGENDA. SO WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION, GIVE SOME RESULTS AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT OUR KEY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. AND AT THAT POINT WE'LL SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE GIFTS THAT WE BROUGHT THAT ARE SITTING RIGHT BEHIND ME. I WILL JUST TELL YOU THEIR NAMES REALLY QUICKLY. AND THE SCHOOLS THAT THEY ATTEND. SO FROM OLD POST ROAD, WE HAVE VALENCIA, NIXON AND KAYDEN OJO FROM RED PUMP. WE HAVE HARPER HUNSINGER AND MEJIA PURKAYASTHA FROM RING FACTORY. WE HAVE AMIRA FRANCIS AND ZACH TORGERSON FROM SOUTHAMPTON, WE HAVE ADELAIDE SHELLEY AND FROM HARTFORD TECH WE HAVE MADISON, BOB AND LOGAN NGUYEN. SO I CAN, KIND OF EXPLAIN HOW THIS CAME TO BE. SO BACK IN 2020, THE, THE THEN STUDENT MEMBER ON THE BOARD. SO SHE'S SURE. YEAH. THE THEN STUDENT MEMBER ON THE BOARD, CHRISTIAN WALKER, WAS PARTNERED WITH, PHOEBE BAILEY PROBST TO, PROPOSE TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS AT THE TIME, DOCTOR SEAN BOLTON, TO SUGGEST CONDUCTING A SURVEY TO LEARN ABOUT STUDENT PERCEPTION OF RACISM, IMPLICIT BIAS, AND OTHER FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION WITHIN HTTPS, DOCTOR POLSON ENCOURAGED THEM TO WORK WITH DOCTOR, MISTER MANO AND DOCTOR STANTON TO DEVELOP AND ADMINISTRATE THE FIRST EVER HTTPS SURVEY ON RACISM AND IMPLICIT BIAS, THIS YEAR, BECAUSE HTTPS REMAINS COMMITTED TO EFFECTIVELY ADDRESSING ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES, DOCTOR STANTON REACHED OUT TO ME AND ASKED IF WE CAN PICK UP THE SURVEY AGAIN. SO, WITH THE COLLABORATION OF US THREE, WE WENT BACK TO THE, SURVEY FROM 2020, REVISED SOME OF THE QUESTIONS, AND INTRODUCED THEM AGAIN TO GRADES FIVE THROUGH 12, THROUGH HTTPS BACK IN APRIL 2020 FOR. GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBER, HAPPY TO BE BACK HERE. I'M HERE TODAY WITH MY TWO BOYS. THEY ARE SITTING IN THE BACK. AHMAD IS NINE AND I CAME IS FIVE, SEVEN. SO THEY ARE ALSO WATCHING THE PRESENTATION. SO TODAY WE WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE FUNDING AND THE RESULT OF THE SURVEY. YOU CAN SEE FROM YOUR SCREEN WE RECEIVED FIVE ALMOST DOUBLE WHAT THE RESPONSE WAS IN 2020. SO WE RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 7536 RESPONSES. YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN FOR ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL, INCLUDING THE PERCENTAGES OF RESPONDENTS. WE HAVE MORE RESPONSES FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL. A TOTAL 55% OF ALL THE RESPONDENTS, 4178 CAME FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL. SO WE HAVE A GOOD RESPONSE RATE THIS TIME. ALSO,

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THERE WERE THREE OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS INCLUDED IN THE SURVEY IN ADDITION TO THE CLOSED ENDED RESPONSE WHERE THEY HAVE TO SELECT A RESPONSE, WE HAD THREE OPEN ENDED. ONE WAS ASKING THEM TO SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS OR EXPERIENCE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE, ABOUT THE ISSUE OF RACISM.

IMPLICIT BIAS, AND OTHER FORM OF DISCRIMINATION WE RECEIVED FOR THAT ONE. YOU CAN SEE, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, A TOTAL OF 5385 COMMENTS, MEANING THOSE WERE WRITTEN COMMENTS. AND WHEN WE CLEANED THE DATA FOR THAT FIRST QUESTION, WE RECEIVED ABOUT 3775. CLEANING THE DATA MEANS WE REMOVE ITEM LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, I HAVE NOTHING TO ADD, I'M NOT SURE. OR BLANKS, RESPONSE. SO WE WERE DOWN TO 3000. AND THEN WE ANALYZE A SAMPLE BECAUSE WE CAN'T REALLY GO THROUGH EVEN THOUGH WE END UP DOING IT. WE WENT THROUGH AND READ ALL THE COMMENTS. THE SECOND QUESTION WAS ABOUT SUGGESTIONS THAT THEY MAY HAVE REGARDING IMPROVING THE ISSUE OF RACISM. AND THEN THE THIRD QUESTIONS WAS THE THEN STUDENT MEMBER OF THE BOARD AND ALSO MAGDALENA WANTED TO KNOW FROM THE STUDENT, WHAT IS IT THAT THEY CAN DO TO ADVOCATE ON THEIR BEHALF. SO THAT'S THAT THIRD QUESTION. SO WE DID AN ANALYSIS OF ALL THE COMMENTS WE CREATED A REPORT. THAT REPORT WAS SHARED WITH ALL STAFF, BUT ALSO WITH THE PUBLIC AND IS POSTED ON THE WEBSITE. SO YOU CAN SEE SOME SAMPLE COMMENTS THERE AS WELL. SO WHAT WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT IS, THIS YEAR'S RESULTS. BUT WE ALSO DID A COMPARISON OF THE 2020 RESULTS. AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE SCREEN HERE, THERE WERE SOME IMPROVEMENT, IN THE RESULT BACK IN 20 2020, WHICH YOU CAN SEE IN BLUE AND IN THE 2024 RESULTS ARE IN GREEN. SO FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE ASKED THEM IF SHE NEEDS TO DO MORE TO ADDRESS IMPLICIT BIAS OR RACISM FOR IMPLICIT BIAS, YOU CAN SEE BACK IN 2020, BACK IN 2020, AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEVEL, 31% FELT THAT WE NEEDED TO DO MORE COMPARED TO THIS YEAR, WHICH IS ONLY 22. THAT'S GOOD DATA. THAT'S GOOD. THAT MEANS THAT SOMETHING IS BEING DONE AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL. THANK YOU. YES JUST TO ADD A LITTLE BIT OF THAT, I WOULD ATTRIBUTE THAT TO OUR SCHOOLS JUST BEING MUCH MORE VIGILANT AND, REALLY FOCUSING IN ON WHEN STUDENTS ARE REPORTING THINGS AND ADDRESSING IT EFFECTIVELY. AND SO WE DO SEE SOME IMPROVEMENTS, BUT WE WILL ALSO NOTE THAT RACISM IS STILL A PROBLEM IF THERE'S A 1% OF OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE SAYING IT'S A PROBLEM, IT'S A PROBLEM. WE NEED TO ERADICATE RACISM FROM OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, ALSO, WHAT WE DID , YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE FOR, FOR THIS REPORT, WE ASK STUDENTS WHETHER OR NOT THEY FEEL SUPPORTED BY THE SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND EXPLORING OPTIONS FOR POST-SECONDARY AND HIGH SCHOOL OPTIONS. I BELIEVE MEDINA, YOU CAME UP WITH THAT QUESTION. YOU WANTED TO HAVE THAT ON THE SURVEY? YEAH, WHEN WE WERE AT THIS SLIDE AND THE NEXT ONE, THERE'S JUST A COUPLE EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I WANTED TO INCLUDE SPECIFICALLY IN THIS, VERSION OF THE SURVEY, YOU KNOW, AFTER OUR LISTENING SESSIONS AND JUST BASIC INTERACTION WITH STUDENTS AS A STUDENT BOARD MEMBER, YOU KNOW, I HEARD SOME, YOU KNOW, COMMENTS ABOUT STUDENTS BEING FRUSTRATED WITH, YOU KNOW, THEIR COURSE OPTIONS OR NOT HAVING A LOT OF, FREEDOM TO CHOOSE THE COURSES THAT THEY WANTED OR THOSE THAT WERE AVAILABLE TO THEM IN THEIR CLASSES. SO THIS IS JUST SOMETHING THAT I WANTED TO ADD TO KIND OF JUST GET A CONCISE OPINION OF ALL OUR STUDENTS ACROSS THE US. SO YEAH, AND THIS IS OUR RESULTS FROM THAT, AND THE NEXT ONE IS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT OUR STUDENTS ARE BEING ENCOURAGED TO TAKE AN HONORS OR ADVANCED COURSES, WE FILTERED THE DATA TO SHOW STUDENTS IN GRADE 12 HERE BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF THOSE COURSES ARE IN HIGH SCHOOL. SO 69% OF ALMOST 70% OF RESPONDENTS FELT THAT THEIR TEACHER ENCOURAGED THEM TO TAKE HONORS AND ADVANCED COURSES, WHICH IS REALLY GOOD NUMBERS. AND THEN BUT WE DO HAVE 30% WHO DON'T FEEL THAT WAY. MORNING. SO WE THINK THAT IS INFORMATION THAT OUR SCHOOLS CAN USE TO DO A BETTER JOB IN THE FUTURE. AND THAT'S REALLY THE POINT OF THIS SURVEY. WE WANTED TO KNOW, HAVE WE GOTTEN BETTER? WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE SURE ALL OF OUR STUDENTS FEEL SAFE HERE, FEEL WELCOME HERE? AND THIS DATA VARIES. THIS IS AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL OVERALL. SO SCHOOL IN SOME SCHOOL YOU HAVE MORE THAN 80% OF STUDENTS SAYING THAT THEY, THEIR TEACHERS ENCOURAGED THEM TO TAKE HONORS. SO IT DEPENDS ON THE

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SCHOOL. YOU CAN GO AND FILTER THE DATA TO HAVE RESULTS FOR A SPECIFIC SCHOOL. SCHOOL HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR OWN DATA. AND THIS SLIDE JUST SHOWS ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS AND THEIR DATA, AROUND THE QUESTIONS. PRINCIPAL ADMINISTRATORS TREAT ALL STUDENTS EQUALLY REGARDLESS OF SKIN COLOR. MY SCHOOL IS WELCOMING AND INCLUSIVE TO ALL PEOPLE, REGARDLESS OF SKIN COLOR, CULTURE, RELIGION, ETC. I FEEL SAFE TALKING AND INTERACTING WITH STUDENTS OF DIFFERENT COLORS, CULTURES, RELIGIONS, OR OTHER PERSONAL TRAITS. AND I BELIEVE WHAT I LEARNED IN SCHOOL REFLECTS EXPERIENCES IN HISTORY OF PEOPLE OF COLOR. SO THESE NUMBERS WERE ON THE HIGH SIDE OF WHAT WE SAW. BUT, AND SO WE WANT TO CELEBRATE THAT AND WE WANT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE SCHOOL, BUT ALSO WE STILL SEE SOME SMALL NUMBERS OF STUDENTS WHO SAY THEY DISAGREE. SO WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON THERE AND, AND DO BETTER. NOW TO THE GOOD STUFF. SO WE'RE GOING TO SHARE A FEW TESTIMONIALS FROM OUR STUDENTS. THEY'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THEIR PERCEPTIONS, A COUPLE OF THEM MAY ADDRESS EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND EVEN SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT WILL BE PRESENTED AFTER THE STUDENTS IN SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE GOT ON THE SURVEY. SO I'M GOING TO GO TO THE BACK AND I'LL GRAB THE MIC AND PASS IT ON AGAIN. YOU CAN STAND UP SO. RING FACTORY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ENCOURAGES BELONGING OR PRINCIPAL AND STAFF WELCOME US EACH MORNING GIVING US WARM GREETINGS AND COMPLIMENTS AS WE ENTER THE SCHOOL. WE HAVE A WONDERFUL AND OPEN MINDED COUNSELOR NAMED MISS PERRY. SHE WORKS WITH STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND PEERS SO WE CAN LEARN TO GET ALONG WITH EACH OTHER TO FEEL SAFE AND WELCOME IN OUR SCHOOLS. WE HAVE AN ACTIVE STUDENT COUNCIL THAT PROMOTES INPUT FROM ALL STUDENTS TO A VARIETY OF IDEAS FOR EVENT PLANNING. THE WORKER NAMED SEVERAL MORE WAYS I WILL END WITH ONE LAST UNIQUE TO OUR SCHOOL FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY. EACH GRADE STUDENTS ARE PARTNERED WITH ANOTHER GRADE STUDENTS TO ENCOURAGE ONE ON ONE AND FUN GAMES AND LEARNING EXPERIENCES TO BRING OUR STUDENTS TOGETHER. NO MATTER WHAT AGE OR BACKGROUND. I FOUND ALL OF THESE HAVE BEEN AMAZING EXPERIENCES WHERE I FELT I TRULY BELONG TO RFE, YEAH, I'M ZACH TORGERSON, I GOTTA RANK FACTORY. I BELIEVE THAT RANK FACTORY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS A GREAT SCHOOL IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS. FOR EXAMPLE, RING FACTORY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WAS AWARDED FOR BECOMING A BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL IN 2012. RING FACTORY IS A GREEN SCHOOL AND WE EVEN HAVE OUR VERY OWN GREEN CLUB LOCATED. LOCATED BEHIND OUR SCHOOL'S GYM IS A GARDEN CREATED BY OUR FIFTH GRADERS IN THE GARDEN. THEY ARE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES SUCH AS CARROTS, CARROTS, LETTUCE, WATERMELON AND SO MUCH MORE. WE ALSO HAVE MANY PROGRAMS AND SOME OF THEM ARE CREATED BY OUR STUDENT COUNCIL TEAM. STUDENT COUNCIL HERE AT RING FACTORY ELEMENTARY CONSISTS OF OUR FOUR OFFICERS. PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT, HISTORIAN AND SECRETARY, FOLLOWED BY OUR 16 STUDENT COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES, STUDENT COUNCILS CONSTANTLY PRODUCING INNOVATIVE IDEAS TO MAKE OUR SCHOOL A BETTER PLACE. FRANK FACTORY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS HOME OF MULTIPLE STAFF MEMBERS THAT ARE ALWAYS THERE FOR US WHEN WE NEED THEM, ALONG WITH OUR AMAZING COUNSELOR, MISS PERRY. AS YOU CAN SEE, RING FACTORY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS AN EXCELLENT SCHOOL FOR MANY DIFFERENT PURPOSES. MY NAME IS AMEERA FRANCIS AND I GO TO RING FACTORY. HELLO, BOARD OF EDUCATION. MY NAME IS VALENCIA NIXON. I AM A FOURTH GRADE STUDENT AT OLD POST ROAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I HAVE BEEN ATTENDING SCHOOL HERE FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS, AND MY TEACHERS HAVE ALL BEEN VERY HELPFUL AND SUPPORTIVE. MY SCHOOL IS WELCOMING AND MAKES IT STUDENTS FEEL APPRECIATED. EARLIER THIS YEAR I WAS HAVING TROUBLE IN A FEW SUBJECTS. MY TEACHER, MISS PIELMEIER, WORKED WITH ME ON IMPROVING MY GRADES. SHE ALLOWED ME TO COMPLETE EXTRA WORK AT HOME AND PROVIDED TUTORING INFORMATION TO HELP ME BRING MY GRADES UP. ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS A REWARD SYSTEM THAT WAS CREATED BY MY PRINCIPAL AND TEACHERS TO KEEP ME MOTIVATED.

THIS YEAR, I ASKED TO HAVE BREAKFAST IN THE MORNING WITH MY FORMER MUSIC TEACHER, MR. JEFFERSON, AS MY REWARD. I WAS ABLE TO ENJOY DOING THIS MANY TIMES THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR. MY SCHOOL ALSO PLANS LOTS OF SPECIAL EVENTS AND REWARDS FOR THE STUDENTS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE KONA ICE TRUCK VISITS THE SCHOOL EVERY SPRING AND WE GET TREATED TO SHAVED ICE. WE ALSO HAVE A REALLY COOL GAME ROOM WHERE WE CAN EARN TIME, WHERE WE CAN EARN TIME FOR POSITIVE BEHAVIOR. THANK YOU. HELLO, MY NAME IS CADEN O'GORMAN AND I'M A FOURTH GRADER AT OLD POST ROAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I THINK THAT OPR IS A VERY INCLUSIVE SCHOOL BECAUSE WHEREVER I LOOK, I SEE KIDS OF ALL DIFFERENT RACES, RELIGIONS AND BACKGROUNDS EVERYWHERE. WE HAVE A SPANISH CLUB TO TEACH HISPANIC KIDS TO READ, WRITE, SPEAK AND UNDERSTAND ENGLISH, A SIGN

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LANGUAGE TRANSLATOR AT ASSEMBLIES AND A CURRICULUM FOR KIDS WHO HAVE AUTISM OR SPECIAL NEEDS. WE EVEN HAVE A GIFTED AND TALENTED GROUP TO DO HIGHER LEVEL READING AND MATH. EVERY MORNING. WE SAY OUR SCHOOL'S MISSION AND VISION VISION AND THAT WE ARE OPR. WE ARE OPTIMISTIC, PROUD AND RESILIENT. PENGUINS NEVER GIVE UP. EVERY STUDENT IS PROUD OF THE PERSON THEY ARE AND THE PERSON THEY ARE BECOMING. GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. TEACHERS ELDERS AND MY DEAR FRIENDS. I'M HERE PURKAYASTHA, A FIFTH GRADER AT REDMOND ELEMENTARY. WHEN I FIRST CAME TO REDMOND, I THOUGHT KIDS WERE GOING TO JUDGE ME JUST BECAUSE I'M INDIAN. BUT THAT NEVER HAPPENED IN FACT, REDMOND FEELS LIKE MY SECOND HOME. WE MOVED FROM INDIA JUST TWO YEARS AGO. SCHOOL IS VERY DIFFERENT IN INDIA, AND MY PARENTS WERE VERY WORRIED ABOUT HOW I WOULD ADAPT TO LEARNING AT RED PUMP COMPARED TO INDIA, BUT RED PUMP WAS VERY WELCOMING AND FRIENDLY TO ME AND I WAS SOON COMFORTABLE WITH SCHOOL HERE. IN NO TIME, THE SCHOOL ENCOURAGED STUDENTS TO MAKE FRIENDS, WHICH IS HOW I MADE MANY FRIENDS AT RED PUMP AND HOPE TO HAVE THEM AS MY CLOSE FRIENDS. GROWING UP, THE TEACHERS HELPED ME BE MORE ORGANIZED AT SCHOOL. THEY TAUGHT US TO ORGANIZE DESKS WHICH MAKES MY PARENTS VERY HAPPY. WHEN I CLEANED UP THINGS AT HOME, TEACHERS ALLOWED EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE EQUALLY IN CLASS, MAKING SURE ALL STUDENTS LEARN EQUALLY WELL. I ALSO LOVE THE MONTHLY PRESENTATIONS ABOUT KINDNESS, INTEGRITY, SELF LOVE, ETC. EVERY MONTH WE HAVE NEW TRAITS TO LEARN. I ENJOYED THE SINGING PROGRAM I PARTICIPATED IN AT SCHOOL AND ESPECIALLY LOVED THE PERFORMANCE WE DID AT THE FOLSOM LIBRARY IN DECEMBER LAST YEAR. I'M THANKFUL TO HAVE GOTTEN EXPERIENCE WORKING IN THE SCHOOL LIBRARY. I APPRECIATE THE SCHOOL FOR SHOWING US JUST HOW IMPORTANT LIBRARY HELPERS ARE. I ALSO LEARNED HOW ONE MUST READ JUST 20 MINUTES A DAY THAT HELPS DEVELOP YOUR VOCABULARY. EVEN THOUGH I AM SAD THAT I HAVE TO LEAVE RED PUMP AND MOVE TO MIDDLE SCHOOL NEXT YEAR, I WILL ALWAYS CHERISH THIS SCHOOL AND IT WILL BE CLOSE TO MY HEART. FINALLY, THANK YOU PRINCIPAL, STAFF, TEACHERS AND MY DEAR FRIENDS FOR THIS AMAZING EXPERIENCE. I ALSO THANK THE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT OUR SCHOOL. HELLO, I AM HARPER HUNZIKER, A PROUD, A PROUD FIFTH GRADE STUDENT AT RED CROSS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. ACCEPTANCE IS TO TREAT ALL PEOPLE WITH THE SAME RESPECT. AT RED FORT, WE HAVE A DIVERSE COMMUNITY AND WE VALUE THESE DIFFERENCES. THIS YEAR WE LEARNED ABOUT DISORDERS AND CONDITIONS THAT SOME FRIENDS EXPERIENCE. THIS HELPED US TO UNDERSTAND WHY SOME CLASSMATES SEEM DIFFERENT, OR MAYBE TO GET SPECIAL TREATMENT. I HAVE A FRIEND WHO HAS UNCONTROLLABLE MOVEMENTS THAT CAN BE MISTAKEN FOR PURPOSEFUL DISRUPTIONS. SOME STUDENTS ALSO WEAR HEADPHONES DURING ASSEMBLIES AND LUNCH BECAUSE THEY ARE SENSITIVE TO LOUD NOISES. THERE ARE ALSO STUDENTS WHO REQUIRE MORE ASSISTANCE AND GET ADDED BREAKS. THIS SPECIAL TREATMENT MIGHT SEEM UNFAIR, BUT WE'VE LEARNED THAT IT HELPS THEM TO SUCCEED. ALSO, OUR SCHOOL CELEBRATES THESE DIFFERENCES. WE WEREN'T YELLOW IN OCTOBER TO CELEBRATE, MY CLASSMATE WITH SPINA BIFIDA, AND IN MARCH FOR DOWN SYNDROME AWARENESS MONTH, WE HAD A BUDDY WALK IN MAY, WE WORE BLUE TO SUPPORT OTHERS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER AND LATER GREEN FOR MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS. IT WAS, IF I WERE A PARENT OF A CHILD WITH A DEVELOPMENTAL OR DEVELOPMENTAL CONDITION, I WOULD BE GRATEFUL THAT RED PLUM GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND TO HELP STUDENTS UNDERSTAND AND ACCEPT MY CHILD, I ALSO HAVE ADD AND TEACHERS BEEN VERY HELPFUL TO ME. AND YES MOM, I DID REMEMBER THAT. I KNOW YOU ARE BACK. THANK YOU. HI, MY NAME IS ADELAIDE SHELLEY AND I'M A LEAVING EIGHTH GRADER AT SOUTHAMPTON MIDDLE SCHOOL AT SOUTHAMPTON. I GENERALLY FEEL SAFE AND ENCOURAGED TO BE MYSELF IN THE HALLWAYS AND OFFICES ARE DECORATED. THERE ARE CONSTANTLY NEW CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES TO TAKE PART IN, AND THERE ARE MANY WONDERFUL TEACHERS AND STAFF WHO TRULY CARE ABOUT THE STUDENTS.

OF COURSE, THERE ARE SOME TEACHERS AND STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT AS ACCEPTING OF THOSE WHO THEY CONSIDER TO BE DIFFERENT. AS A PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT WHO IS OPENLY PART OF THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY, I HAVE EXPERIENCED MANY THINGS THAT STILL NEED TO CHANGE IN SCHOOLS. FOR EXAMPLE, IN SEVENTH GRADE, ANOTHER STUDENT CALLED ME SLURS AND SAID DEROGATORY THINGS TO ME EVERY DAY. BY THE END OF THE YEAR, I HAD LEARNED TO IGNORE HIM. HOWEVER, AFTER GETTING BACK TO CLASS FROM TAKING LESSONS ONE DAY, I WENT TO SIT DOWN AND FOUND THAT HE HAD PULLED OUT MY CHAIR FROM UNDER ME. I HAD ALMOST INSTANT BRUISES ON MY FOREARM FROM WHERE I HAD FALLEN, BUT THANKFULLY NOTHING MORE. HE WAS IMMEDIATELY SENT TO THE OFFICE AND DISCIPLINED. WHILE I FEEL THAT THE SITUATION WAS HANDLED APPROPRIATELY, IT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE FIRST PLACE. I BELIEVE THAT INCORPORATING MORE BACKGROUNDS INTO OUR LESSONS WOULD PROVIDE

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SO MUCH MORE KNOWLEDGE, REDUCE FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN, AND ENCOURAGE ACCEPTANCE OF THOSE AROUND US. PERSONALLY, I VIEW EVERYBODY AS A BOOK. THE COVER CAN GIVE A PREVIEW, BUT ONCE YOU OPEN THE BOOK, THERE ARE SO MANY STORIES INSIDE TO DISCOVER. IF YOU DON'T TREAT THE BOOK WITH CARE, IT BENDS, CRACKS, AND BREAKS JUST AS A PERSON WOULD. YOU MUST ALLOW SOMEONE TO OPEN UP TO TRULY HEAR THEM. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. AND THANK YOU TO DOCTOR MILLER FOR BEING A WONDERFUL, SUPPORTIVE PRINCIPAL. HI, I'M LOGAN NGUYEN, AND I'M UP AND COMING SENIOR AT HARTFORD TECH. IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, I DIDN'T HAVE THE BEST ENVIRONMENT AT MY SCHOOL. WHILE I ALWAYS MAINTAIN STRAIGHT A'S, ON OCCASION, I WOULD HAVE THE M WORD YELLED AT ME BECAUSE I WOULD SIMPLY WALKING THROUGH THE HALLWAY. BUT NOW COMING TO OUR TECH, I HAVEN'T HAD ANY OF THOSE NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES AT ALL. I WAS BROUGHT INTO A POSITIVE COMMUNITY, WHICH ALLOWS ME TO FOCUS BETTER ON MY EDUCATION, WHICH HELPS ME TAKE HONORS. AP AND GERMAN CLASSES. MADDIE AND I HAVE TAKEN HONORS PHYSICS AND HONORS TRIGONOMETRY AND PARTAKEN IN DUAL ENROLLMENT CLASSES. AS JUNIORS, WE HAVE TAKEN HISTORY AND THE JOINT PROGRAM AND SENIOR YEAR WE'LL BE TAKING STATISTICS AND ENGLISH AT HARTFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE. I HAVE TAKEN AP PSYCHOLOGY AND AP ENGLISH AND COMPOSITION. OUR TEACHERS AND COUNSELORS HAVE BEEN A HUGE PART IN ENCOURAGING US TO TAKE HIGHER LEVEL CLASSES. THE COUNSELORS ENSURE US THAT WE CAN HANDLE THE WORKLOAD AND WORK QUICKLY TO HELP US THROUGH THE PROCESS OF APPLYING AND MAKING SURE EVERYTHING IS SET UP. WHEN I WAS DEBATING BETWEEN HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE THAT MY TEACHER PERSONALLY TOLD ME THAT SHE KNEW I WAS READY FOR COLLEGE MATH AND THAT I WOULD SUCCEED. OUR TEACHERS AND COUNSELORS ALSO ENCOURAGE US TO NOT ONLY TAKE DUAL ENROLLMENT CLASSES, BUT ALSO TAKE CLASSES THAT WILL GET US AHEAD IN COLLEGE, WHICH AREN'T TECHNICALLY DUAL ENROLLMENT. FOR EXAMPLE, I HAVE TAKEN SOCIOLOGY AT HCC, WHICH WASN'T A PART OF DUAL ENROLLMENT. INSTEAD OF JUST A COLLEGE COURSE, BECAUSE MY COUNSELORS ENCOURAGED ME AND HELPED ME REALIZE THAT TAKING COLLEGE CLASSES WILL HELP ME IN MY FUTURE. THEY TALK REPEATEDLY ABOUT HONORS AND AP AND DUAL CLASSES BECAUSE THEY WANT US TO SUCCEED IN LIFE. HI, I'M MADISON BOPP, I AM AN UPCOMING SENIOR IN AT, HARPER SAID. THROUGHOUT MY YEAR, THROUGHOUT MY TIME IN WELDING CLASS, THERE WILL BE OCCASIONS WHERE 1 OR 2 OF MY CLASSMATES WILL MAKE COMMENTS ABOUT ASKING ME IF THEY COULD SAY THE N WORD BECAUSE THEY BECAUSE THEIR HANDS HAVE BLACK DIRT ON THEM, AND I WOULD JUST LOOK AT THEM WITH DISGUST. OF THE JUNIOR CLASS I'M THE ONLY FEMALE IN THE WELDING TRADE.

DURING MY FRESHMAN YEAR, I FELT OUT OF PLACE NOT JUST BECAUSE I WAS THE ONLY FEMALE, BUT BECAUSE I WAS THE ONLY BLACK STUDENT AND AN ADOLESCENT WHO LACKED CONFIDENCE AND WAS NEW TO AN ALL MALE STUDENT ENVIRONMENT. I FELT THIS WAY BECAUSE I DIDN'T FEEL INCLUDED IN THE CONVERSATIONS MY CLASSMATES WOULD HAVE, AND I WOULD STRUGGLE TALKING TO THEM AND RELATING TO THEIR CONVERSATIONS. BUT MY PREVIOUS WELDING TEACHER, MR. BILL FUENTES, AND MY CURRENT TEACHER, MR. BRAD MARTIN, TREATED ME THE SAME WAY AND NEVER EXPRESSED THAT I WASN'T UP FOR THIS FOR THE ASSIGNED TASK. THEY ALWAYS CHALLENGED ME TO DO MY BEST IN AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOM. THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE I'VE BECOME FRUSTRATED WITH MY WELDING TECHNIQUE AND MR. MARTIN WOULD CARESS ME, WOULD CORRECT ME IN A KIND AND GENUINE AND GENUINE WAY, NOT JUST BECAUSE HE THOUGHT HE NOT. NOT BECAUSE HE THOUGHT, NOT BECAUSE HE THOUGHT, NOT BECAUSE HE THOUGHT I COULDN'T DO IT, BUT BECAUSE HE SEES SOMETHING IN ME THAT'S BEYOND MY BLURRY EYES. BEING A FEMALE, I DO AND WILL STRUGGLE WITH CUTTING, REACHING AND LIFTING SOME THINGS, BUT MR. MARTIN WILL LET ME TRY. WILL LET ME TRY. BEFORE HE PROVIDED PREFER HE PROVIDED ASSISTANCE.

MR. MARTIN STILL HOLDS ME TO THE SAME STANDARD AS MY CLASSMATES. BOTH HE AND MR. BILL HAVE MOTIVATED ME TO BECOME A LAWYER. ALTHOUGH I STARTED OUT AS THE ONLY FEMALE WHO FELT OUT OF PLACE, THE GUIDANCE, EXPECTATIONS AND WARMTH OF MY INSTRUCTOR HAVE CREATED AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE I NOW FEEL LIKE AN OLDER SISTER TO A BUNCH OF YOUNGER BROTHERS. THANK YOU.

SO FROM LISTENING TO OUR STUDENTS, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE SOME CELEBRATIONS, BUT WE ALSO STILL HAVE SOME WORK TO DO. WE HAVE SOME THINGS THAT WE NEED TO FIX IN OUR SCHOOLS. SO I WANT TO SHARE A FEW SAMPLE QUOTES FROM OUR STUDENTS FROM THE ACTUAL SURVEY. AND I'LL JUST HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF STATEMENTS, BECAUSE THE WRITING IS PRETTY SMALL THERE, THE FIRST STUDENT, ONE OF THE STATEMENTS THEY MADE SAID THAT, SORRY, THAT THEY BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF NEGATIVE PRECONCEPTIONS TOWARD LATINOS AT THEIR SCHOOL AND THAT THEY THINK THAT WE SHOULD INGRAIN THINGS LIKE HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH EARLY ON AND UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE ALL EQUAL. ANOTHER STUDENT SAID THAT, THEY WANT MUSLIM HOLIDAYS TO BE MORE CELEBRATED, THAT WE SHOULD MENTION AND EDUCATE PEOPLE ON RAMADAN AND WHY MUSLIMS DO IT. THE THIRD STUDENT ON THIS SLIDE SAYS WE SHOULD NOT REPRESS ANY RIGHTS OF ANYONE FOR ANY REASON, AND THEY TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT RACISM DOESN'T REALLY EXIST AT THEIR SCHOOL, BUT THEY SEE HOMOPHOBIC SENTIMENTS ARE MORE WIDESPREAD. ON THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU WILL NOTE THAT THE FIRST STUDENT TALKS ABOUT, SPORTS BEING A UNIFIER. SO GETTING TO EXPERIENCE PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS BY BEING ENCOURAGED TO PLAY SPORTS, ANOTHER STUDENT TALKS ABOUT EDUCATION THAT WE NEED TO

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PROVIDE OUR STAFF WITH MORE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AROUND RACISM. AND THEN A THIRD STUDENT TALKS ABOUT PROVIDING GREATER EDUCATION ON ISSUES OF RACISM AS WELL, MENTIONING THAT STUDENTS NEED TO REALIZE THE STRENGTH OF THE THINGS THAT THEY SAY WHEN THEY SAY THEM. SO WHEN WE RECEIVED THE REPORT, WE WENT TO ANALYZE THE DATA, AND I WORK WITH THE DOCTOR, STANTON, TO COME UP WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON WHAT STUDENTS WERE SAYING. SO THESE ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE REPORT. THESE ARE JUST THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS. THE DETAIL ARE PROVIDED INTO THE FINAL REPORT, WHICH IS AVAILABLE ON THE ON THE WEBSITE, SO I ALSO WORK WITH DOCTOR STANTON TO, TO PROVIDE A RESPONSE TO THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT PEOPLE TO THINK THAT, OKAY, THE SYSTEM IS NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. IN FACT , A LOT HAS BEEN DONE AND CONTINUES TO BE DONE. SO WE HAVE THE RESPONSE TO RECOMMENDATION. WE DIDN'T PUT IT IN HERE. IT'S IN THE REPORT, SO NEXT STEPS, THE FINAL REPORT, WHICH IS AVAILABLE ON OUR ON OUR WEBSITE, WE ARE ALSO FOLLOWING UP ON SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE RECEIVED BECAUSE WE FEEL LIKE IF STUDENTS HAVE SHARED THIS INFORMATION WITH US, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE FOLLOW UP AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE OKAY. AND WE DON'T CARE IF IT'S SUMMER OR IF IT'S THE DAY BEFORE SUMMER. WE'RE GOING TO CHECK IN ON THEM AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DO RIGHT BY THEM. WE'RE ALSO. SO JUST TO ADD TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THE DATA FOR THE FLAG COMMENT. SO FOR THAT FIRST QUESTIONS WERE WHEN WE ASKED THEM TO COMMENT ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE, WE RECEIVED 3775 COMMENTS OUT OF THOSE WE ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH WITH STAFF MEMBER AND READ EVERY SINGLE COMMENT, AND WE FLAGGED A TOTAL OF 367 COMMENT OUT OF THE 3775, AND OUT OF THOSE 365, 200 OF THOSE, 365 WERE INVOLVED, INVOLVED STUDENT AND STEPS WERE TAKEN. WE WORKED WITH HR TO ADDRESS THOSE. SO WE WANT THE STUDENT TO KNOW THAT WHEN THEY COME IN, WE LISTEN, WE FOLLOW UP BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE SUPERINTENDENT EXPECTS, THAT YEAH. THANK YOU FOR ADDING THAT. AND THEN THE NEXT STUDENT MEMBER OF THE BOARD WILL BE BRIEFED ON WE'LL BE ABLE TO READ OUR REPORT. AND ALSO YOU'RE GOING TO I HOPE, HAVE A CONVERSATION. OR MAYBE I'VE ALREADY HAD A CONVERSATION. YEAH. I REALLY LIKE HOW THIS, SURVEY IS KIND OF LIKE A TRADITION WITH MOBS NOW BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, STARTED WITH TWO AND THEN PASSED DOWN TO ME. AND THEN THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE USED NOT JUST FOR OUR NEXT SMOB, BUT, YOU KNOW, FOR MONTHS TO COME, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE HAD AN OPEN ENDED QUESTION SPECIFICALLY ASKING STUDENTS HOW WHAT THEY WANT FROM OUR MOMS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S INFORMATION THAT WE COULD USE THAT MOMS CAN USE FOR HISTORY AND TO, LIKE, FORMULATE THEIR GOALS FOR THE YEAR. AND YOU KNOW, TAKE ACTION. SO I'M EXCITED. AND THEN THE LAST TWO THINGS ARE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING. SO THE PREVIOUS, ITERATION OF THE SURVEY, WE USE THAT DATA TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING FOR OUR STAFF. WE'LL DO THAT AGAIN. WE ALSO HAVE SOME SMALLER GROUPS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING ON DIFFERENT PIECES OF ENSURING THAT OUR STUDENTS DON'T EXPERIENCE BULLYING AND HARASSMENT AND INTIMIDATION. AND WHEN THEY DO THAT, WE ADDRESS IT PROPERLY, BUT THAT WE CREATE THAT ATMOSPHERE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR FOR EXAMPLE, THAT THEY WOULDN'T WANT TO ENGAGE IN THOSE BEHAVIORS. SO THE EQUITY TASK FORCE AND THE EQUITY TEAM FOR HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL ALSO BE TACKLING THIS ISSUE. I THINK THAT'S YEAH.

SO QUESTIONS HERE. GREAT. THANK YOU. THIS TIME WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD MEMBERS NOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL THE STUDENTS THAT CAME TO PRESENT I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. YEAH, THE STUDENTS DID A GREAT JOB, ONE QUESTION ON SLIDE NINE.

I NOTICED HOW THE DATA IS BROKEN OUT. WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THE DATA AS WELL. THE RAW DATA.

SORRY, I COULDN'T HEAR THE QUESTION. ABLE TO ACCESS THE RAW DATA AS WELL. WILL THAT BE ATTACHED TO THE REPORT OR ONLINE? THE RAW DATA IN TERM OF THE SURVEY RESPONSES? YES. YEAH.

I THINK UPON REQUEST OR THROUGH MPI, WE DID SAY TO THE STUDENT THAT WE PROVIDE CONFIDENTIALITY.

I DON'T MEAN BY IDENTIFYING. I'LL ASK YOU LATER. YES WE CAN. THANK YOU. THE DATA IS AVAILABLE OKAY. THANK YOU, JUST WANT TO THANK ALL THE STUDENTS FOR COMING AND SHARING WITH US TONIGHT. WE REALLY APPRECIATE HEARING FROM YOU. IT'S SO MUCH MORE IMPACTFUL THAN JUST READING YOUR COMMENTS. SO WE DO APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I ECHO WHAT MY COLLEAGUE SAID DOWN THERE, AND I REALLY, REALLY THANK YOU FOR DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS BECAUSE, ME,

[00:40:05]

MYSELF, WHEN I'M WITH THE SCHOOL, I, I FELT SOME TYPE OF DISCRIMINATION ALSO. AND TO HAVE YOU HERE AND TO HEAR WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH AND TO SEE THAT WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS, IT'S VERY , VERY, VERY WELCOME. I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL THE STUDENTS, FOR PARTICIPATING AND SHOWING UP TONIGHT. LAST NIGHT, LAST SCHOOL NIGHT. RIGHT THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR BEING BRAVE ENOUGH TO GET UP AND SHARE YOUR STORY. AND THANK YOU FOR THE HARD WORK THAT YOU DO IN THIS AREA, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING PROGRESS AS WE GO FORWARD. THANK YOU. I ALSO WANT TO THANK ALL THE STUDENTS FOR COMING. YOU GUYS ALL DID A GREAT JOB. IT'S HARD TO STAND UP HERE IN FRONT OF AND TALK IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY. I KNOW IT'S YOU KNOW, YOU GET NERVOUS AND EVERYTHING. SO GREAT JOB TO YOU GUYS, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION. MORE SO FOR, DOCTOR STANTON, AND I'M SORRY, I CAN'T PRONOUNCE YOUR LAST NAME. USMAN. MISTER USMAN, I'M SORRY, I APOLOGIZE, BEFORE YOUR YOU ADMINISTER ANY OF THE SURVEYS, DO YOU? DO YOU CONFIRM THAT ALL THE QUESTIONS MEET LIKE THE PRA AND FERPA REQUIREMENTS, WHERE WE DON'T NEED PARENTAL CONSENT TO ASK ANY OF THOSE SURVEYS. CORRECT WE DO. SO YOU MAKE SURE BEFORE YOU ADMINISTER THAT. YES OKAY. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. I'LL LET THE RECORD SHOW THAT MISS BRUCE JOINED MISS BRUCE, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? VIRTUALLY. SORRY. YOU GUYS ARE ALL LOOKING FOR HER? NO, SHE'S NOT HERE IN PERSON. I DON'T KNOW, SHE'S ON MUTE. OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO AT LEAST GIVE HER THE OPPORTUNITY, MY FINAL COMMENTS ARE QUESTIONS ARE. CAN ALL THE STUDENTS STAND UP? YES SORRY, I COULD NOT GET MY MOUSE TO TALK. YES THANK YOU. STUDENTS THANK YOU, DOCTOR STANTON AND DOCTOR AND THE SMOB.

THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING THESE EFFORTS. IT IS SORELY NEEDED. AS DENISE SAID, SHE AND I BOTH EXPERIENCE LIKE KINDS OF THINGS. AND IN SCHOOL AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS INTERESTING TO ME WAS WHEN I DID GO TO COLLEGE, I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT I WAS TOO DARK TO BE IN MISS MORGAN. SO, YOU KNOW, IT HAPPENS ON BOTH SIDES, AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT AS EARLY AS WE CAN. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. CAN WE GET ONE FINAL ROUND OF APPLAUSE? GOOD JOB GUYS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT IN PERSON. SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLED BY THE

[Public Comments]

BOARD SECRETARY. ALL SPEAKERS WILL BE GIVEN THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. IF THERE ARE AN INDIVIDUAL ON FIVE MINUTES IF THEY'RE REPRESENTING A GROUP, PLEASE NAME YOUR GROUP. SPEAKERS MAY BE INTERRUPTED AND MAY BE GIVEN NOTICE WHEN THEY HAVE 30S LEFT. WHEN SPEAKERS HAVE REACHED THEIR EITHER THREE OR THEIR FIVE MINUTE MARK, THE TIME WILL EXPIRE. MISS RALLO, HOW MANY IN PERSON SPEAKERS DO WE HAVE THIS EVENING? WE HAVE 15 IN PERSON SPEAKERS, AND THERE'S NO VIRTUAL SPEAKERS. STILL NO VIRTUAL SPEAKERS. OKAY, WE'LL JUST GIVE A MOMENT FOR THE ROOM TO CLEAR BEFORE WE GET STARTED. OKAY? SO CLEARLY, NO ONE'S HERE TO SEE US .

ALL RIGHT. SO WE'LL GET WE'LL GET STARTED WITH PUBLIC COMMENT. PLEASE CALL THE FIRST SPEAKER, THIS EVENING WE WILL START WITH DAVID BAUER, FOLLOWED BY NATE LIKE.NOW.

GOOD EVENING. I'M DAVID BAUER, STARTING WITH THE TOPIC OF THE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES MASTER PLAN, I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAS A LOT OF SLIDES DISCUSSING THE GAP BETWEEN WHAT SHOULD BE DONE AND WHAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IS ACTUALLY FUNDED TO DO IN TERMS OF RENOVATING AND BUILDING SCHOOLS. I HOPE THAT YOU WILL KEEP IN MIND THAT THAT AS MUCH AS OUR COUNTY GOVERNMENT IS VERY CAUTIOUS OF DEBTS AND THE COUNTY'S BOND RATING, THE COUNTY IS BUILDING UP A BIG DEBT OF OVERDUE RENOVATION AND REPLACEMENT OF SCHOOLS. WHEN YOU

[00:45:05]

LOOK AT THE 110 YEAR CONSTRUCTION CYCLE, UNDERSTAND THAT IS NOT THAT. NOT ONLY IS THE CURRENT CASE UNSUSTAINABLE ABLE, BUT WE AS A COUNTY HAVE BEEN GOING AT THIS SLOW, UNSUSTAINABLE PACE FOR OVER A DECADE. CONSIDER THIS I TOOK THE MARYLAND SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION COST REFERENCE IN SLIDE SEVEN AND COMBINE THEM WITH THE COUNTY'S CAPITAL FUNDING FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT GOING BACK TO 2003. SO THAT GAVE A ROUGH SQUARE FOOTAGE OF SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION THAT WAS FUNDED EACH YEAR. OF COURSE, THE CAPITAL BUDGET PAYS FOR OTHER THINGS THAN JUST BUILDINGS. I THINK IT'S AN ILLUSTRATIVE METRIC. I PROVIDED YOU ALL THE GRAPH BY EMAIL, THE QUICK SUMMARY IS THAT THE CONSTRUCTION ADJUSTED FUNDING WAS ABOUT TWO AND A HALF TIMES AS LARGE IN 2003 TO 2011. TIME PERIOD, COMPARED TO THE 13 YEARS SINCE.

LOOKING AT IT DIFFERENTLY OVER THE PAST ROUGHLY A DOZEN YEARS, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO RENOVATE OR BUILD ABOUT SIX SCHOOLS WHEN WE SHOULD HAVE DONE 12 SCHOOLS. HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST TO DO A MAJOR RENOVATION OR TO REPLACE SIX SCHOOLS? RIGHT NOW THERE'S A FEW HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS. NOW, WHAT'S THE SITUATION GOING TO LOOK LIKE IN 10 OR 20 YEARS IF THE COUNTY STAYS ON THIS PATH FRIENDLY? I SENT YOU ALL A COLUMN FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES TITLED THE RIGHT'S BIG LIE, ABOUT A SEXUAL ASSAULT IN VIRGINIA. THE COLUMN IS ABOUT HOW PEOPLE TOOK A TRAGIC REAL LIFE SITUATION AND PRESENTED A FALSE NARRATIVE ABOUT IT IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THEIR IDEOLOGICAL BELIEFS AND POLITICAL AIMS. I HOPE THAT YOU ALL CAN APPRECIATE THE IRONY AND PARALLELS THE LOCAL SITUATIONS. THANK YOU ALL. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS NATE LESH. NO. OKAY, WE WILL MOVE ON. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JAMES MCVICAR. PLEASE STATE THE NAME OF YOUR GROUP AND YOU WILL RECEIVE FIVE MINUTES. HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS JAMES MCVICAR AND I'M REPRESENTING THE HARFORD COUNTY REGIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STUDENT COUNCILS, HELLO. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. MY NAME IS JAMES. AS I SAID BEFORE, THOUGH MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW ME AS TREY, I CURRENTLY SERVE AS THE CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE HARFORD COUNTY REGIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STUDENT COUNCILS OR CRAFT. BUT I WAS JUST RECENTLY ELECTED AS OUR 2024 TO 2025 PRESIDENT, TODAY I STAND BEFORE YOU NOT JUST TO INTRODUCE MYSELF, BUT TO REPRESENT CRAFT IN OUR ONGOING PLEA FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT. SUPPORT THAT IS CRUCIAL TO OUR MISSION OF IMPROVING OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, WHICH YOU GOVERN. LET ME START WITH A SIMPLE YET PROFOUND QUESTION WHO DO YOU BELIEVE WILL BE THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS IN THIS SCHOOL SYSTEM, THIS COUNTY, AND INDEED THE WORLD? AS YOU THINK ABOUT THIS, LET ME PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT FOR MY REQUEST. H GRASS IS AN ORGANIZATION OF SOME OF THE FINEST LEADERS IN OUR COUNTY, DEDICATED INDIVIDUALS WHO WORK TIRELESSLY TO ENHANCE OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM. WE REPRESENT ALL MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTY, TOTALING 21 SCHOOLS WITH OUR STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION SGA MEMBERSHIP COMPRISING OF 1040 STUDENTS, 775 OF WHICH ARE MIDDLE OR HIGH SCHOOL AND 265 ARE MIDDLE SCHOOL. THAT'S JUST SGA. WE ADVOCATE FOR CAUSES OFTEN OVERLOOKED BECAUSE WE SERVE AS THE STUDENTS VOICE. WE ORGANIZE COUNTY WIDE EVENTS, CONDUCT LEADERSHIP MEETINGS, AND ADVOCATE FOR SYSTEMIC IMPROVEMENTS. YET DESPITE OUR EFFORTS, WE OFTEN FEEL MARGINALIZED, DISREGARDED BY THE BOARD, WHICH IS PARADOXICAL CONSIDERING THAT WE ELECT ONE OF YOU GUYS THE GUESS STUDENT MEMBER OF THE BOARD. I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION TO OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM. I ALSO EXTEND MY GRATITUDE TO THOSE WHO ATTENDED OUR BINGO NIGHT, A SUCCESSFUL EVENT DESPITE GOING INTO A NEGATIVE BALANCE IN OUR ACCOUNT TO FUND IT, THIS EVENT SHOWCASES WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO ACHIEVE EVEN WITH LIMITED RESOURCES. IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES WITH FUNDING. NOW LET'S SHIFT FOCUS OVER TO THE CORE ISSUE FUNDING FOR. UNLIKE OTHER CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES WE RECEIVE OR THAT RECEIVE UNQUESTIONABLE FINANCIAL SUPPORT. GRASS FALLING UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SCIENCES HAS BEEN LEFT TO FEND FOR ITSELF . OUR PRIMARY FUNDING CHALLENGE IS TRANSPORTATION. UNLIKE OTHER CLUBS, WE DO NOT OPERATE IN A SINGLE LOCATION. WE REQUIRE BUSSES TO TRANSPORT STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTY TO OUR GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETINGS. THESE MEETINGS ARE WHERE WE PLAN OUR INITIATIVES, DISCUSS STUDENT CONCERNS AND COLLABORATE ON PROJECTS THAT BENEFIT THE ENTIRE STUDENT BODY. HOWEVER, OUR GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETINGS ARE CURRENTLY LIMITED TO 200 ATTENDEES PER MEETING, WITH ONLY TEN STUDENTS FROM EACH SCHOOL. WE HAVE TO MANAGE WITH THREE

[00:50:03]

BUSSES WITH SCHOOLS PER BUS REQUIRING A TOTAL OF FIVE BUSSES. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE IS NOT ENOUGH FUNDING FOR ADDITIONAL BUSSES AND WE ARE ALSO LIMITED TO SCHOOLS THAT CAN HOST THESE MEETINGS AS WE RELY ON THE HOST SCHOOLS FOR FOOD AND SPACE. WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO MEET FACE TO FACE, OUR EFFECTIVENESS IS GREATLY DIMINISHED IN OUR ABILITY TO ENGAGE. STUDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTY IS SEVERELY RESTRICTED. ADDITIONALLY, WE NEED TRANSPORTATION FOR STUDENTS TO ATTEND STATE CONFERENCES HELD BY THE MARYLAND ASSOCIATION OF STUDENT COUNCILS. THESE CONFERENCES ARE INVALUABLE FOR NETWORKING AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. HOWEVER, WITHOUT FINANCIAL SUPPORT, WE MUST PASS THE FULL COST ON TO STUDENTS, CREATING AN INEQUITY AS THESE COSTS CAN RUN INTO HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS PER STUDENT. TO PUT THESE FINANCIAL NEEDS INTO PERSPECTIVE, HERE IS THE COSTS THAT WE ARE FACING.

TRANSPORTATION TO OUR IN COUNTY GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETINGS TOTALED $6,000 FOR ALL OF THEM ARE THREE STATE CONFERENCES COST A TOTAL OF $14,800 FOR TRANSPORTATION IN TERMS OF FEES FOR TOTAL FOR OUR FALL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE, SPRING LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE AND MASS CONVENTION, THAT IS $43,800 IN TOTAL COMBINED WITH OTHER MISCELLANEOUS COSTS, WE ARE LOOKING AT A NEED OF $65,600 TO SUPPORT OUR ACTIVITIES AND INITIATIVES. NOW, THIS IS AN EXTREMELY LARGE NUMBER AND WE ARE MOSTLY LOOKING TO LIGHTEN THE LOAD OF COSTS FROM OUR STUDENTS. SO WE ARE LOOKING FOR $25,000. THIS AMOUNT WOULD ALLOW US TO CONTINUE HOLDING OUR COUNTY MEETINGS IN PERSON, AND TO LIGHTEN THE LOAD ON STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES TO ATTEND THESE EVENTS. BUT THIS NUMBER MAY SOUND MINUSCULE COMPARED TO THE $3 MILLION SPENT ON SPORTS, WITH ALMOST 500,000 OF THOSE DOLLARS BEING SPENT ON SPORTS TRANSPORTATION. ALSO, WE NEED AN. ALSO, WE SPEND ANOTHER $1 MILLION ON STUDENT ACTIVITIES. SO 25,000 SURE SOUNDS LIKE A DROP IN THE BUCKET NOW, DOESN'T IT? NOW I'M GOING TO PUT THESE CONCERNS INTO A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. ENVISION IS A SPORTS TEAM. EVERYONE ON OUR BOARD HAS TO WORK TOGETHER TO COMPLETE THE TASK AT HAND. AND IT CANNOT BE COMPLETED BEST BY ONE PERSON. NOW ALSO IMAGINE JOINING A SPORTS TEAM, LET'S SAY FOOTBALL AND YOU'RE ONE OF YOUR COACHES LOOKS AT YOU AND SAYS, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO ATTEND THIS NEXT GAME, SO LET'S JUST HOST IT ON A VIRTUAL TEAM'S CALL. FOOTBALL, THAT DOESN'T WORK NOW, DOESN'T IT? BUT DON'T WORRY. FOOTBALL TEAMS, TRACK TEAMS, BASKETBALL TEAMS NONE OF THEM HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THEIR TRANSPORTATION. STUDENTS WHO ENGAGE IN ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE OF SPORTS SHOULD BE GIVEN THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES AS THE ONES WHO ENGAGE WITH THE TRADITIONAL HIGH SCHOOL ACTIVITIES. IN SUMMARY, EACH GRASP LIKE ANY SPORT, CLUB OR ACTIVITY FUNDED BY THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, OFFERS STUDENTS OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP ESSENTIAL LIFE SKILLS, ENHANCE THEIR PERSONAL GROWTH, AND NETWORK WITH PEERS THEY MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE MEET YET, UNLIKE THOSE OTHER ENTITIES, WE LACK THE NECESSARY FUNDING. THEREFORE I CONCLUDE MY REMARKS WITH A REITERATION OF MY PREVIOUS PUBLIC COMMENT FUND GRASP FUND THE STUDENT VOICE. THANK YOU. JUST A REMINDER THAT, APPLAUSE IS NOT ALLOWED DURING PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LAUREN MIRANDA, FOLLOWED BY VIRAJ SINGH.

HELLO, MY NAME IS LAUREN MIRANDA AND I'M A RECENT GRADUATE OF THE SCIENCE AND MATH ACADEMY AT ABERDEEN, AND I ALSO CURRENTLY SERVE OR RECENTLY SERVED AS ABERDEEN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT GOVERNMENT PRESIDENT FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS. OVER MY HIGH SCHOOL CAREER, STUDENT GOVERNMENT HAS GIVEN ME COUNTLESS OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW AND BECOME A SUCCESSFUL YOUNG ADULT. IN 20 DAYS, I'LL BE REPORTING TO THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY, WEST POINT TO START MY 47TH MONTH JOURNEY TO BECOMING A SECOND LIEUTENANT. AS I BEGIN MY ARMY CAREER, I'M EQUIPPED WITH LEADERSHIP QUALITIES AND EXPERIENCES THAT I ATTRIBUTE TO MY TIME IN SGA. I'M NOT HERE TO BOAST ABOUT MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS, BUT TO STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS H. CROSS THAT HAVE LED ME TO GO TO WEST POINT. THE BOARD OF EDUCATION TEACHERS AND STAFF SHOULD PRIORITIZE THE BEST INTERESTS OF THEIR STUDENTS, AND THIS MEANS ENSURING THEY'RE PLACED ON A SUCCESSFUL PATH AFTER GRADUATION . COLLEGES ARE SEEKING STUDENTS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS THAT EXTEND BEYOND ATHLETICS AND ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE. A STRONG EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM SHOULD AIM TO CHALLENGE STUDENTS AND FACILITATE LEARNING EXPERIENCES THAT GO BEYOND TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM SETTINGS. FOR INSTANCE, AGECROFT PROVIDES STUDENTS WITH VALUABLE EXPOSURE TO PUBLIC SPEAKING, POLICYMAKING, AND LEGISLATIVE PROCESSES. THESE ARE CRITICAL KNOWLEDGE AREAS THAT ARE TYPICALLY NOT COVERED IN A CLASSROOM. H CROSS FUNCTIONS AS AN EXTENSION OF THE CLASSROOM, OFFERING UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS THAT WILL BENEFIT THEM IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND BEYOND. THE REASON I'M HERE TODAY IS BECAUSE H. CROSS IS FACING SIGNIFICANT FUNDING CONSTRAINTS. H CROSS IS AN HTTPS ORGANIZATION, YET WE ARE NOT REPRESENTED IN THE BUDGET PROVIDING BASIC TRANSPORTATION TO HIGH SCHOOLS EVERY OTHER MONTH FOR OUR STUDENT LEADERS IS A NECESSITY THAT WE DESERVE, BUT ARE NOT GRANTED BECAUSE OF OUR LACK OF SECURE FUNDING FROM THE BOARD. IN ADDITION TO BEING INVOLVED IN STUDENT GOVERNMENT, I ALSO PARTICIPATED IN VARIOUS CLUBS AND SPORTS DURING HIGH SCHOOL. OTHER COUNTY ORGANIZATIONS FACE MINOR FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS AND RARELY WORRY ABOUT THEIR TRANSPORTATION NEEDS. FOR INSTANCE, SPEECH AND DEBATE HOLDS TWO AFTER SCHOOL MEETS A MONTH FROM SEPTEMBER TO MARCH. THESE MEETS CAN BE HOSTED

[00:55:04]

AT ANY HBS HIGH SCHOOL IN THE COUNTY, BUT OUR SCHOOLS NEVER HAD TO FUNDRAISE OR WORRY ABOUT THE FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF TRANSPORTATION TO THESE EVENTS. THIS DISCREPANCY HIGHLIGHTS THE DISPARITIES THAT OUR COUNTY FACES. A STUDENT CAN EASILY JOIN THEIR DEBATE TEAM OR LACROSSE TEAM AND TRAVEL WITHOUT CONCERN, WHILE ANOTHER STUDENT MIGHT BE UNCERTAIN WHETHER THEIR SGA MEETING WILL HAVE A SECURE TRANSPORTATION. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE ADDRESS THIS INEQUITY.

IT IS UNFAIR THAT OTHER CLUBS CAN OPERATE SEAMLESSLY WHILE WE, AN ORGANIZATION THAT ELECTS ONE OF US A BOARD MEMBER, CANNOT SECURE SUSTAINABLE FUNDING, WE URGE YOU TO PRIORITIZE EQUITY AND ENSURE THAT ALL STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING HHS, HAVE THE NECESSARY RESOURCES TO OPERATE EFFECTIVELY. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS RAJ SINGH AND I'M THE TREASURER OF THE HARFORD COUNTY REGIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STUDENT COUNCILS, OR H CLASS. I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY TO ADDRESS THE PRESSING ISSUE OF FUNDING THAT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTS OUR ORGANIZATION AND ITS ABILITY TO FULFILL OUR MISSION AND SERVE THE STUDENTS OF HARFORD COUNTY.

DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS THAT I'VE SPENT WITH H. TRASK, I'VE WITNESSED FIRSTHAND THE COUNTLESS OPPORTUNITIES AND GROWTH THIS ORGANIZATION OFFERS TO THE STUDENTS OF HTTPS. IT PROVIDES A PLATFORM FOR STUDENTS TO DEVELOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS, ENGAGE IN CIVIC ACTIVITIES, AND MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD ON MATTERS THAT IMPACT THEIR EDUCATION AND THEIR FUTURES.

HOWEVER, OUR ABILITY TO CONTINUE OFFERING THESE INVALUABLE EXPERIENCES TO THE STUDENTS OF HTTPS IS CURRENTLY AT RISK DUE TO OUR SEVERE FUNDING CRISIS AND THE ABSENCE OF FUNDING THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE BOARD, THE ABSENCE OF FUNDING WOULD LEAD TO THE INABILITY TO HOST IN-PERSON MEETINGS DUE TO THE HIGH COST OF OPERATIONS, HINDERING OUR ABILITY TO TRULY AMPLIFY THE STUDENT VOICE. THESE MEETINGS ARE WHERE WE PLAN OUR INITIATIVES, DISCUSS STUDENT CONCERNS, AND COLLABORATE ON PROJECTS THAT BENEFIT THE ENTIRETY OF THE STUDENT BODY.

WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO MEET FACE TO FACE, OUR EFFECTIVENESS IS GREATLY DIMINISHED, AND OUR ABILITY TO ENGAGE WITH STUDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTY IS SEVERELY RESTRICTED. AND UNLIKE OTHER OR MANY OTHER EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND CLUBS THAT RECEIVE REGULAR FUNDING, H CASC HAS STRUGGLED WITH INCONSISTENT FINANCIAL SUPPORT, SO WHILE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS CAN PLAN AND EXECUTE THEIR ACTIVITIES WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS, WE FIND OURSELVES CONSTANTLY SEEKING RESOURCES JUST TO COVER BASIC NEEDS SUCH AS TRANSPORTATION FOR OUR MEETINGS. MOREOVER, IT'S IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT OTHER REGIONAL STUDENT COUNCILS ACROSS THE STATE RECEIVE CONSISTENT FUNDING FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE BOARDS. THE SUPPORT ALLOWS THEM TO OPERATE SMOOTHLY AND FOCUS ON THEIR MISSION WITHOUT THE CONSTANT WORRY OF FINANCIAL INSTABILITY. THE LACK OF SIMILAR SUPPORT FOR H. CROSS PUTS US AT A LARGE DISADVANTAGE, AND LIMITS OUR POTENTIAL TO SERVE THE STUDENTS OF HARFORD COUNTY EFFECTIVELY, AND AS THE PRIMARY BODY THAT REPRESENTS STUDENTS WITHIN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, H CROSS SHOULD BE RECEIVING ADEQUATE FUNDING TO ENSURE THAT OUR OPERATIONS CAN CONTINUE SEAMLESSLY. THE ENTIRE SCHOOL SYSTEM SERVES TO EXIST AND SUPPORT STUDENTS, YET THE ORGANIZATION THAT DIRECTLY VOICES THEIR CONCERNS AND ADVOCATES FOR THEIR NEEDS, STRUGGLES WITH FINANCIAL INSTABILITY. THIS LACK OF FUNDING UNDERMINES OUR ABILITY TO SERVE AS A VITAL LINK BETWEEN STUDENTS IN THE BOARD, AND HINDERS OUR PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE STRIVE TO ACHIEVE FOR OUR PEERS. AS THE TREASURER OF THIS ORGANIZATION FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, I'VE SEEN HOW THE LACK OF STABLE FUNDING LIMITS OUR POTENTIAL AND HINDERS OUR ABILITY TO SERVE THE STUDENT BODY EFFECTIVELY. WE NEED RELIABLE FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO CONTINUE OUR WORK, TO PROVIDE MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCES FOR OUR STUDENTS, AND TO ENSURE THAT THEIR VOICES ARE HEARD AND VALUED. SO IN CLOSING, I ASK YOU TO REMEMBER THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE THE FUTURE LEADERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. THEY DESERVE THE RESOURCES AND THE OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW, TO LEARN AND TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. AS MAHATMA GANDHI ONCE SAID, QUOTE, THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON WHAT WE DO IN THE PRESENT. I URGE THE BOARD TO MAKE THE DECISION TO INVEST IN OUR STUDENTS, TO SUPPORT THEIR GROWTH AND TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF THEIR VOICES ARE HEARD. TOGETHER. WE CAN BUILD A BRIGHTER, MORE INCLUSIVE FUTURE FOR ALL. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS, BEVERLY TALBOT, FOLLOWED BY SILICA FAN. IS THERE A BEVERLY TALBOT? NO. SILICA FAN . GOOD MORNING. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT PAULSON. MY NAME IS SILICA PON, A JUNIOR AND THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM AT EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL. AND THE CURRENT MENTAL HEALTH LIAISON AND OUR COUNTY STUDENT GOVERNMENT. FIRSTLY, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THIS CONFLICTING TOPIC. I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN CRAFTS FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS, AND THIS YEAR I'VE HAD THE GREAT PRIVILEGE OF SERVING AS A STAFF MEMBER. AS I AM SURE YOU ARE ALL AWARE, H CROSS HAS BEEN STRUGGLING TO OBTAIN THE PROPER FUNDINGS FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETINGS AS WELL AS TRANSPORTATION FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS. DESPITE OUR EXECUTIVE BOARD AND STAFF MEMBERS TIRELESSLY WORKING TO FIND SOLUTIONS THROUGH VARIOUS FUNDRAISERS AND EVENTS. ALTHOUGH OUR ORGANIZATION IS DIRECTLY INVOLVED WITH MANY COUNTY EVENTS IN ATTEMPT TO MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD, IT DOESN'T SEEM CLEAR THAT YOU RECOGNIZE OUR IMPORTANCE IN OUR ROLE IN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM. SO ALLOW ME TO MAKE YOU AWARE H. CROSS DEVELOPS OUR COUNTY'S AND EVEN STATE'S TOP STUDENT LEADERS THROUGH MARYLAND'S ASSOCIATION

[01:00:03]

OF STUDENT COUNCILS. WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES THAT GREATLY EXPAND OUR TEAMWORK SKILLS, PUBLIC SPEAKING, AND COMMUNITY SERVICE. EACH CLASS ELECTS A STUDENT MEMBER ON THE BOARD. A MEMBER THAT YOU WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH. EACH CLASS BUILDS CONFIDENCE IN OUR STUDENT BODY, A CRUCIAL FACTOR IN ENSURING HIGH QUALITY MENTAL HEALTH IN OUR STUDENTS. EACH OF THESE CONTRIBUTIONS SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED AND RATHER BE SUPPORTED BY THE BOARD. ADDITIONALLY, AS A PART OF THE ASSOCIATION, I, ALONG WITH OTHER MEMBERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE STUDENT GOVERNMENT MEMBERS FROM MANY SCHOOLS WITHIN OUR COUNTY AND HAS NOT BEEN UNNOTICED THAT THE VOICES OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE INCREASED IN TERMS OF LEADERSHIP AND EXTRACURRICULAR PARTICIPATION, QUALITIES THAT ARE VITAL TO THE GROWTH OF OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM. THROUGH MY OPPORTUNITIES TO MENTOR OUR GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEMBERS WITH WORKSHOPS IN OUR MEETINGS, ONE PRIMARY THING THAT I HAVE SEEN IS STUDENTS GAINING CONFIDENCE TO SPEAK UP AND VOICE THEIR OPINIONS. I HAVE LOVED WATCHING MY PEERS GROW MORE AND MORE AS OUR EVENTS HAVE PROGRESSED THROUGHOUT THE YEARS. HOWEVER THESE IN-PERSON GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETINGS ARE AT A LARGE RISK OF HAVING TO BE MINIMIZED OR EVEN ELIMINATED DUE TO OUR LACK OF FUNDING. YOU HAVE CLAIMED TO VALUE THE OPINION OF STUDENTS IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM. HOWEVER, THE RECENT DECISION TO NOT INCLUDE AN ORGANIZATION IN THE COUNTY'S FUNDING ARGUES FOR THE OPPOSITE BY TAKING AWAY OUR FUNDING IS TAKING AWAY OUR INVOLVEMENT IN THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS OF MATTERS THAT IMPACT US FIRSTHAND. SO AS A LEADER, AS AN AGE CRAFT STAFF MEMBER AND AS A STUDENT, I AM ASKING YOU TO RECONSIDER YOUR DECISIONS REGARDING THE FUNDING OF OUR REGIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STUDENT COUNCILS AND REMEMBER THE IMPORTANCE AND ROLE IN OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM. THANK YOU.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GARY JOHNSON, FOLLOWED BY WILLIAM MARTINO.

CHANGE OF TUNE HERE. THE BOOK OF ROMANS. AND THERE WE ARE TOLD THAT THE WRATH OF GOD IS REVEALED FROM HEAVEN AGAINST ALL UNGODLINESS AND UNRIGHTEOUSNESS OF MEN, WHO BY THEIR UNRIGHTEOUSNESS SUPPRESS THE TRUTH, EXCHANGING THE TRUTH ABOUT GOD FOR A LIE. THOUGH THEY KNOW GOD'S RIGHTEOUS DECREE THAT THOSE WHO PRACTICE SUCH THINGS DESERVE TO DIE, THEY NOT ONLY DO THEM, BUT GIVE APPROVAL TO THOSE WHO PRACTICE THEM. OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM IS LIKEWISE GIVING SUCH APPROVAL TO OUR CHILDREN BY EXCHANGING THE TRUTH OF GOD FOR A LIE. THE OLD DELUDER SATAN ACT OF 1647 WAS PASSED ONLY 12 YEARS AFTER PURITANS ARRIVED AT PLYMOUTH ROCK. THAT LAW STATED THAT CITIZENS SHOULD READ THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND KNOW THE LAWS OF THE LAND. ALL PARENTS AND MASTERS WERE TO TEACH THEIR CHILDREN AND APPRENTICES SOME HONEST, LAWFUL CALLING, LABOR OR EMPLOYMENT. IF PARENTS HAD MASTERED, MASTERS FAILED TO DO SO AND THEIR CHILDREN BECAME RUDE, STUBBORN AND UNRULY, THE SELECTMEN WERE TO TAKE CHILDREN FROM THEIR PARENTS AND PLACE THEM UNDER MASTERS WHO WOULD DISCIPLINE THEM. THIS WAS THE ROLE OF EDUCATION TO RAISE VIRTUOUS, KNOWLEDGEABLE AND PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS. IT WAS SO SUCCESSFUL THAT OVER THE NEXT 40 YEARS, EVERY TOWN SOON HAD A SCHOOL. WHILE FEW HAD NEED OF A PRISON. THIS WAS THE RESULT OF NOT CHANGING THE TRUTH OF GOD FOR A LIE. HOWEVER, SATAN IS PATIENT AND HE STILL USES SCHOOL SYSTEMS TO PERPETUATE SUCH LIES. IF YOU VISIT HARVARD'S CAMPUS, YOU WILL FIND THE WORD VERITAS EVERYWHERE. HARVARD IS ALL ABOUT VERITAS. THAT'S LATIN FOR TRUTH. HOWEVER, THEIR OFFICIAL MOTTO OF VERITAS DIDN'T STAND ALONE. IT WAS JOINED BY THREE OTHER LATIN WORDS CHRISTO ET ECCLESIA.

TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH. IT READS TRUTH FOR CHRIST AND THE CHURCH. IT WAS ADOPTED BY THE UNIVERSITY IN 1692, AND WAS CONSISTENT WITH HARVARD'S ORIGINAL VISION FOR ITS EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE. AMONG HARVARD'S RULES AND PRECEPTS OF 1646 WAS THE FOLLOWING. LET EVERY STUDENT BE PLAINLY INSTRUCTED AND EARNESTLY PRESSED TO CONSIDER. WELL, THE MAIN END OF HIS LIFE IN STUDIES IS TO KNOW GOD AND JESUS CHRIST, WHICH IS ETERNAL LIFE AND THEREFORE TO LAY CHRIST IN THE BOTTOM AS THE ONLY FOUNDATION OF ALL SOUND KNOWLEDGE AND LEARNING. THIS PHRASE ASSUMES THAT ALL TRUTH IS RELEVANT TO CHRIST AND HIS PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE TRUTH OF PHYSICS, CHEMISTRY, SOCIOLOGY, PHYSICS, PHILOSOPHY, AND ANY OTHER FIELD OF STUDY. IT DENIES THE OFTEN MADE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE SACRED AND THE SECULAR. HARVARD FORGOT ITS MISSION THANKS TO THE PROGRESSIVES WHO EXCHANGED THE HISTORY OF GOD'S CREATION FOR AN ABSURD THEORY OF EVOLUTIONARY ORIGINS. THEY EXCHANGED THE TRUTH ABOUT GOD FOR A LIE.

HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE TEACHERS UNION HAVE DONE LIKEWISE. THEY HAVE BOUGHT INTO THE CURRENT WAVE OF INSANITIES AND PERVERSIONS, AND HAVE LEFT OUR CHILDREN IGNORANT AND AT THE RISK OF THEIR ETERNAL SOULS. WE SHOULD TAKE BACK THE $50 MILLION THAT THEY HAVE HOARDED AND SEND THEM PACKING. AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE STATE OF MARYLAND. DANIEL DOLLARS THAT

[01:05:03]

WON'T BE THERE IN A YEAR OR SO. THANK YOU. WE SHOULD JUST SAY NO AND EDUCATE THEM IN OUR MEETINGS. MR. GOOD EVENING. I FEEL THE NEED TO ADDRESS SOME RECENT COMMENTS FROM PAST MEETINGS BY THE BOARD MEMBERS. FIRST, THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM DISTRICT E ENCOURAGED HER FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS TO JUST TRUST THE EXPERTS AND VOTE ACCORDING TO THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS. IF THAT'S THE CASE, THERE IS NO NEED WHATSOEVER FOR THIS BOARD TO EXIST. JUST APPROVE WHAT COMES OUT OF COMMITTEE FROM THE SO-CALLED EXPERTS. THE EXPERTS. THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE A DISMAL RECORD OF TRUTH AND ACCURACY. REMEMBER EXPERTS TOLD US IN 2020 THAT THE WHOLE WORLD BECAME SICK BECAUSE SOMEBODY ATE A BAT. WE NOW KNOW THAT IT WAS BIOENGINEERED IN A LAB AND THE VIRUS ESCAPED. ANOTHER EXAMPLE THE EXPERTS RIGHT HERE IN HKPS ADVOCATED FOR A RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE ENERGY MANAGEMENT CONTRACT WITH SYNERGISTIC. WHEN THE CITIZENS PRESENTED PAST INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORTS FROM OTHER STATES ABOUT SYNERGISTIC. THE BOARD WISELY VOTED 8 TO 0 THE COUNT AGAINST THE CONTRACT, WITH TWO ABSTAINING. SO MUCH FOR BLINDLY TRUSTING THE EXPERTS.

THE EXPERTS CAN BECOME MYOPIC AND MISS THE BIGGER PICTURE. IT IS YOUR JOB TO STEP BACK AT THE 10,000 FOOT VIEW AND MAKE GOOD DECISIONS FOR HARFORD COUNTY. RESIGN YOUR POSITION IF YOU ONLY WANT TO BE A RUBBER STAMP. ON ANOTHER NOTE, THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM DISTRICT C IMPLIED THAT TEACHING THIS CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE WAS ACCEPTABLE IN THE CLASSROOMS. SHE IDENTIFIED THE HISTORICAL BOSTON TEA PARTY TO SUPPORT HER POSITION. THE FOUNDERS OF THIS NATION PETITIONED PARLIAMENT IN THE KING FOR REPRESENTATION IN GOVERNMENT. NUMEROUS TIMES, SO THAT THEIR VOICES COULD BE HEARD IN AUTHORITY, REJECTED THEIR PETITIONS OVER AND OVER AGAIN, ESSENTIALLY MUZZLING OUR FOREFATHERS VOICES AND PLACING THEM IN BONDAGE. THIS IS NOT THE SAME SITUATION WE HAVE TODAY. ALL CITIZENS CAN HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD BY THEIR REPRESENTATIVES. THIS FORUM IS ONE SUCH EXAMPLE. EVERYONE ON THIS BOARD IS A REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE CITIZENS IN THEIR DISTRICT. DO YOU WANT THE CITIZENS IN YOUR PRECINCT TO VIOLATE THE LAW, OR COME HERE AND AIR THEIR GRIEVANCES TO YOU, SUGGESTING CIVIL DISORDER LIKE WE PRESENTLY SEE ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES IS SHAMEFUL. YOU SHOULD RESIGN YOUR POSITION FOR THESE COMMENTS. THE BOARD REPRESENTATIVE FROM DISTRICT B CONTINUES TO EXPOSE HIS EXTREMIST LIBERAL VIEWS. WHEN HE ADVOCATED FOR THE STUDENT BOARD MEMBER TO HAVE FULL VOTING RIGHTS. THE STUDENT MEMBER CAN'T EVEN VOTE FOR YOU, MR. SOWELL. HOW DO YOU GIVE A MINOR FULL VOTING RIGHTS TO SHAPE EDUCATIONAL POLICY? THIS IS TOTALLY INSANE. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME AIR MY GRIEVANCES. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS THOMAS PENNINGTON. PLEASE STATE THE NAME OF YOUR GROUP AND YOU'LL RECEIVE FIVE MINUTES. GOOD EVENING. BOARD. I'M AFRAID I'M GOING TO BE ALL OVER THE PLACE TONIGHT BECAUSE A LOT HAS BEEN SAID I FEEL NEEDS TO BE ANSWERED TO. NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH ARE THE YOUNG PEOPLE HERE, JUST HIGHLY IMPRESSIVE. A COUPLE OF THEM. THAT REALLY STRUCK ME WAS THE ONE YOUNG LADY. I DON'T THINK SHE'S HERE ANYMORE, BUT SHE'S GOING INTO WELDING. YES, SHE'S VERY MUCH A MINORITY, AND SHE'S GOING IN THE LION'S DEN AND HAVING THE SPINE TO BE ABLE TO GO IN AND DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS COMMENDABLE. I WISH SHE WERE HERE. THE OTHER YOUNG LADY WHO'S GOING INTO WEST POINT. BEST LEADERS IN THE WORLD. I'VE HAD THE HONOR TO WORK WITH A NUMBER OF WEST POINT PEOPLE. AND PLEASE FOLLOW THEIR PATH BECAUSE THEY'RE THEY'RE WONDERFUL PEOPLE. SO I APPRECIATE YOU ADDRESSING THE STUDENTS, BUT CAN YOU ADDRESS THE BOARD? FAIR ENOUGH, FAIR ENOUGH, AND WITH THAT, THEN I'D LIKE TO, WITHOUT SO MUCH LEVITY, ADDRESS A COMMENT MADE BY MY FAVORITE FORMER BOARD MEMBER, WHEN HE WAS REFERRING TO THE RIGHT'S BIG LIE, THE OPINION PIECE. SO WE DID UPDATE THE RULES FOR THIS EVENING. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WERE HERE. I MAY NOT HAVE BEEN. YEAH. SO DOES ANYBODY HAVE. CAN I HAVE MY TIME WHILE YOU TALK? YEAH. WE CAN PAUSE THE CLOCK, AND THAT WAS AT FIVE MINUTES.

OH. ARE YOU REPRESENTING A GROUP? YES BLACK GROUP. ALL RIGHT. CAN WE REREAD, THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS ADDED IN? DO WE HAVE THAT AVAILABLE? SORRY, WE JUST MADE A MINOR CHANGE, AND IT'S GOING TO BE RELEVANT TO YOUR COMMENTS. I BELIEVE IF YOU COULD JUST BEAR WITH US FOR ONE SECOND. MR. SAID CAN YOU REREAD THE, NEW PIECES OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT

[01:10:06]

THAT WERE ADDED? SURE THANKS. YOU CAN STILL CONTINUE, PROVIDED IT'S IN THIS GUIDANCE. OKAY.

YEAH. FAIR ENOUGH. THANKS WE ASK THE COMMENTERS, REFRAIN FROM IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND DO NOT SIT ON THE BOARD CALLS, EXCEPT WHILE IT IS ACCEPTABLE TO ADDRESS BOARD MEMBERS DIRECTLY, IT IS PREFERRED THAT INDIVIDUALS DO NOT IDENTIFY OTHERS, AS THIS CAN BE CONSTRUED AS A PERSONAL ATTACK WHICH IS PROHIBITED. THANK YOU. SO THE SO YEAH. SO THE PUBLIC COMMENT IS TO THE BOARD. AND SO LIKE YOUR PREVIOUS LIKE THE PREVIOUS COMMENTER MADE COMMENTS ABOUT BOARD MEMBERS IDENTIFYING THEM BY THEIR DISTRICT. THAT'S ACCEPTABLE. BUT IF THERE ARE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT ARE HERE, REGARDLESS OF WHATEVER PREVIOUS POSITION THEY HAVE HELD, THIS ISN'T THE RIGHT FORUM FOR THAT. SO YOU'RE WELCOME TO ADJUST YOUR COMMENTS IF YOU'D LIKE. OKAY. WELL, I JUST HAD A HAD A QUESTION, BUT, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE'LL GO WITH THE RULES OF OLD PRESS ALONG WITH THAT OKAY. THANK YOU. GO WITH THAT. YEAH, JUST REFERENCING THAT ARTICLE, THE RIGHTS. BIG LIE. I FEEL COMPELLED TO. LET'S STICK TO THE FACTS INSTEAD OF THE SMOKESCREEN THAT'S BEEN PUT OUT HERE, WAS A BOY IN A SCOURGE OF YOU KNOW, DID HE COMMIT A SEXUAL ASSAULT IN A NORTHERN VIRGINIA SCHOOL? YES HE DID. DID THE SCHOOL SYSTEM LITERALLY HIDE THAT? YES THEY DID. DID HE REOFFEND AGAIN FOR A SECOND VICTIM IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA? YES, HE DID. AND THOSE ARE WHAT? THAT'S THAT'S NOTHING ABOUT THE RIGHT IS LYING ON THAT. AND I FEEL COMPELLED JUST TO PUT THAT OUT. AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM AND YOU ALL ARE AWARE OF THIS, ON REGARDING THE SURVEY, ON RACISM AND IMPLICIT BIAS, ACTUALLY, IT LOOKED LIKE SOME, SOME PRETTY GOOD STUFF WAS COMING THROUGH THERE. ONE OF THE PRESENTERS ACTUALLY MADE THE COMMENT THAT THEIR GOAL IS TO ERADICATE RACISM, IN ORDER TO DO THAT, THEY'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO ERADICATE SOME EDUCATORS AS WELL, I THINK OF MYSELF, I'M A PRODUCT OF HARFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS. I GRADUATED ABERDEEN HIGH SCHOOL BACK IN THE DINOSAURS ROAMED THE EARTH AND, MOVIE, ROOTS, MANY OF YOU MAY HAVE HEARD WAS ACTUALLY PRESENTED. AND WE WERE TAUGHT ABOUT SLAVERY AND WHAT WAS GOING ON IN AMERICA DURING THAT TIME.

IT WAS AN EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT MOVIE, AND IT WAS DISCUSSED AFTERWARDS THROUGH HISTORY TEACHERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND THE ONE TEACHER WHO WAS, AFRICAN AMERICAN, WAS JUST HAMMERING US BECAUSE WE'RE WHITE, WE'RE JUST HAMMERING US. AND ONE OF MY CLASSMATES RAISED HER HAND AND SAID, WE WEREN'T EVEN HERE. HOW HOW CAN WE BE AS BAD AS YOU'RE SAYING WE ARE? AND TEACHER, JUST SAYS, ARE YOU WHITE? YOU JUST TURNED AROUND AND WALKED BACK TO THE BOARD.

AND THAT WAS A LOT OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THAT. WELL I'VE GOT TWO GRANDCHILDREN, THEY'RE MIXED . VERY PROUD OF THEM. I LOVE THEM. AND, WHEN MY ONE GRANDDAUGHTER, CAME TO ME ONE DAY, TALKING TO ME ABOUT THE EVILS OF SLAVERY THAT AMERICA HAS, HAS COMMITTED. OKAY, I'M HERE TO HEAR YOU, BECAUSE THERE'S NO DEFENSE ON SLAVERY, BUT I SAID, YOU REALIZE THAT THE FIRST DOCUMENTED INSTANCE OF SLAVERY WAS IN THE BIBLE THAT YOU READ, RIGHT? THAT THAT. WELL I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT. YEAH, IT WAS IN AFRICA, YOU KNOW, IN EGYPT. THAT WAS THE FIRST KNOWN. SHE DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT, BUT SHE KNEW SHE WAS ANGRY WITH AMERICA FOR HOLDING SLAVES. AND MY PROBLEM WITH THAT IS WHERE DO YOU THINK SHE LEARNED THAT FROM? BECAUSE SHE DID NOT LEARN THAT FROM US. ON THE FLIP SIDE, I THINK ABOUT MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IN THE MILITARY DOING DESERT COMBAT TRAINING. I'M IN A TENT. I'M THE ONLY WHITE GUY IN THE TENT. BLACKS, LATINOS. AND ONE NIGHT, WE'RE JUST. WE GET. WE'RE LUCKY. WE GET TO SLEEP IN A TENT THIS NIGHT. AND ONE NIGHT WE'RE GETTING READY TO CRASH OUT. AND ONE OF THE ONE OF MY TEAM MEMBERS SAYS, HEY, MILKWEED, WILL YOU PUT UP THE COVERS? YOUR SKIN IS KEEPING US UP. NOW WHO WOULD CONSIDER THAT TO BE A RACIST SLUR? BECAUSE I DIDN'T. THAT WAS, IN MY MIND, A TERM OF ENDEARMENT. IT WAS SOMETHING THAT THAT THEY DID. IT WAS A JOKE. AND THE REASON I SHARE THIS EXPERIENCE IS BECAUSE I THINK WITH WITH MULTICULTURE AND DIFFERENT COLORS AND EVERYTHING ELSE IS COMING IN, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A SENSE OF HUMOR AND UNDERSTAND WHEN THINGS AREN'T NECESSARILY SAID TO BE MEAN, THEY'RE SIMPLY SAID BECAUSE YOU'RE JOKING AROUND. AND I THINK WE'VE LOST A LOT OF THE SENSE OF HUMOR IN THIS. NOW, I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S GOING TO DO ANYTHING TO GET RID OF RACISM OR ANYTHING, BUT I THINK IT CERTAINLY HELPS. INSTEAD OF TAKING IT PERSONALLY AND BEING SO SELF CONSCIOUS ABOUT SOMEBODY SAYING SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE WRONG TO US BECAUSE IN THEIR EYES, PERHAPS IT'S NOT THAT IT'S PERHAPS THEY DIDN'T INTEND IT TO BE THAT WRONG. I THINK OF DENNIS LEARY, A COMEDIAN. HE TALKED ABOUT, RAISING HIS CHILDREN. AND ONE OF THE THINGS HE WAS SAYING IS CHILDREN TYPICALLY LEARN FOR FROM THOSE WHO ARE BRINGING THEM UP, THEIR THEIR PARENTS, THE WHOLE NINE YARDS. HE SAYS, YOU

[01:15:01]

KNOW WHAT? I GOT A THREE YEAR OLD, YOU KNOW WHAT? HE HATES NAPS. AND I THOUGHT THAT THAT PUT THE MESSAGE ACROSS PRETTY WELL, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO ERADICATE, RACISM, WE NEED TO START WITH THE ADULTS. THANK YOU . OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SUSIE SCOTT. PLEASE STATE THE NAME OF YOUR GROUP AND YOU WILL RECEIVE FIVE MINUTES. GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. MY NAME IS SUSIE SCOTT. I'M THE CHAPTER CHAIR OF MOMS FOR LIBERTY, HARFORD COUNTY.

THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU THIS EVENING, LATER IN THE NIGHT, DOCTOR BOYNTON AND MISS JUDD WILL BE GIVING THAT PRESENTATION ON THE BUDGET OVERVIEW. I TOOK A PEEK AT THE SLIDES, FOR THIS PRESENTATION AND SAW THE BOARD'S PRIORITIES FOR THE 2025 SCHOOL YEAR. VERY COMMENDABLE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT WITH A FOCUS ON MATH AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS, IMPROVED SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT, INCREASED COMMUNITY AND PARENT. GUARDIAN TRUST THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS AND TRANSPARENCY. I CONCUR WITH THESE PRIORITIES 100% AND IT'S WONDERFUL TO SEE YOUR PRIORITIES ALIGNING WITH THE PRIORITIES OF THE COMMUNITY. BUT ARE THESE THE PRIORITIES OF THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE CENTRAL OFFICE? HAVING SAT THROUGH THE PRESENTATION ON IMPLICIT RACE AND RACISM AND IMPLICIT BIAS, THERE'S AN OBVIOUS DISCONNECT WITH THE CENTRAL OFFICE PRIORITIES AND THOSE OF THE COMMUNITY. THE TIDE IS TURNING ON DEI, JUST LIKE THE TIDE IS TURNED ON. BALANCED LITERACY FADS ARE NOT THE FOUNDATION ON WHICH TO BUILD A SOLID ACADEMIC FOUNDATION. HOW MUCH MONEY IS BEING SPENT ON DEI PROGRAMS CURRICULUM, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, STAFF INITIATIVES, STUDIES, CONSULTANTS AND THIRD PARTY VENDORS? IS THIS THE BEST USE OF OUR LIMITED TAX DOLLARS? LIKE SO MANY EXPENSIVE EDUCATIONAL FADS, DEI IS BEING EXPOSED. A GROWING VOLUME OF RESEARCH DEMONSTRATES THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND OTHER DEI TRAININGS ARE ABJECT FAILURES, IS WHAT DEI IS A BIG BUSINESS, A STUDY OF ALL THE MONEY THAT HAS BEEN WASTED ON REDESIGNING CURRICULUM , CLASSROOM RESOURCES LIKE THE DISCOVERY EDUCATION EXPENDITURE ON TONIGHT'S CONSENT AGENDA, THE CREATION OF A DEI DEPARTMENT DEI PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN BY YOUR AUDITOR REGARDING DISCOVERY, EDUCATION MISSION. IN MY RESEARCH ON THIS VENDOR, I FIND WHAT I FIND IS WHAT I FIND WITH EVERY OTHER SUBSCRIPTION AND VENDOR AND SERVICE THAT YOU'RE CONTRACTING FOR MORE DEI IDEOLOGY MASQUERADING AS EDUCATION. ONE OF THE DISCOVERY EDUCATION CHANNELS WE'RE PAYING FOR IS CALLED DISSENT, EQUITY AND INSPIRING CHANGE, WHICH IS INTENDED TO, QUOTE, HELP EDUCATORS FACILITATE CLASSROOM CONVERSATIONS AND MUCH NEEDED DISCUSSION ABOUT IMPLICIT BIAS AND SYSTEMIC RACISM, HUMAN RIGHTS, EQUITY, SOCIAL JUSTICE, DISSENT, PROTEST, AND EMPATHY. THIS IS NOT EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL. THIS IS POLITICAL TRAINING. THE CONTENT I WAS ALSO ABLE TO ACCESS FOR DISCOVERY EDUCATION IS COUCHED IN LEFT WING LANGUAGE, POLITICAL LANGUAGE, AND EXPLICITLY ENCOURAGES EDUCATORS TO TAKE ON AN ACTIVIST STANCE TO DISMANTLE SYSTEMS OF POWER AND PRIVILEGE.

THIS IS WHAT I COULD FIND PUBLICLY. THIS SUBSCRIPTION IS PASSWORD PROTECTED, SO YOU HAVE TO WONDER WHAT'S BEHIND THE PAYWALL. DEI PROGRAMS, IRONICALLY ENOUGH, DON'T MAKE PEOPLE MORE TOLERANT OF INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES. THE BOTTOM LINE DEI PROGRAMS ARE FAILING AT THEIR INTENDED OUTCOMES. LET ME QUOTE AN ESTEEMED HARVARD PROFESSOR NAMED IRIS BOHNET. ABOUT $8 BILLION A YEAR IS SPENT ON DIVERSITY TRAININGS IN THE US ALONE. NOW, I TRIED VERY HARD TO FIND ANY EVIDENCE I COULD. I LOOKED NOT JUST IN THE UNITED STATES, BUT ALSO IN RWANDA AND OTHER POST-CONFLICT COUNTRIES, WHERE RECONCILIATION IS OFTEN BUILT ON THE KIND OF DIVERSITY TRAININGS THAT WE DO TO SEE HOW THIS IS WORKING. SADLY, I DID NOT FIND A SINGLE STUDY THAT FOUND THAT DIVERSITY TRAINING IN FACT LEADS TO MORE DIVERSITY. HUNDREDS OF STUDIES HAVE FOUND THAT ANTI-BIAS TRAININGS DO NOT REDUCE BIAS, ALTER BEHAVIOR, OR CHANGE THE WORKPLACE. PUBLIC MONEY SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR DEI OFFICES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS DRESSED IN LANGUAGE OF FAIRNESS AND SAFETY, DEI INSTEAD JUSTIFIES OVERT DISCRIMINATION AND FORCED COMPLIANCE BASED ON IMMUTABLE CHARACTERISTICS AND THE SINS OF OUR FATHERS. THE INDIVIDUAL IS REDUCED TO HIS OR HER COLLECTIVE IDENTITY GROUP. THANKFULLY, EVERY DAY MORE AND MORE AMERICANS OF ALL SKIN COLORS ARE REALIZING THE TRUTH. DEI IS A GRIFT, AND THE TAXPAYER DOESN'T WANT TO FOOT THE BILL FOR THIS. HOW IS FORCING CHILDREN INTO DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT IDENTITY POLITICS ADVANCING? HCP'S STATED GOALS OF IMPROVING MATH AND READING SCORES. ALL CHILDREN DESERVE TO BE TREATED AS THE UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS THAT THEY ARE. LET'S STOP PRETENDING THAT IDENTITY POLITICS IS EDUCATION, AND LET'S RETURN OUR FOCUS TO

[01:20:05]

ACADEMICS. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CHRISTINE BOWERS, FOLLOWED BY KAREEM WALLACE. IS THERE A CHRISTINE BOWERS? OH, OKAY. FIRST TIMER I THINK IT FALLS WITHIN THE NEW GUIDELINES.

IF I AM IGNORING ALL BUT ONE MEMBER OF THE BOARD, TO THE NON, I'M IGNORING THE NON STUDENT MEMBERS, I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS MISS SABIROVA, THE HARFORD COUNTY CHAPTER OF MOMS FOR LIBERTY WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME OF SERVICE ON THE BOARD, AND WE WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK IN YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS. YOU'RE GOING TO GO FAR AND, IN KEEPING WITH TRADITION, WE HAVE AN APPLE FOR THE EDUCATOR. IF WE COULD PASS THIS ON TO THE TO THE SECURITY PERSON. FANTASTIC TO YOU. YEAH, WE JUST THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

YOU HAVE A BEAUTIFUL. GOOD EVENING. BOARD MEMBERS AND GUESTS. MY NAME IS KAREEM WALLACE, AND I'M A RISING JUNIOR AT EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL. I'M HERE TO ADDRESS THE SEVERE LACK OF EQUITY IN THE FUNDING FOR H CRASH OR THE HARFORD COUNTY REGIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STUDENT COUNCILS. H CRASH PROVIDES A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR LEADERSHIP IN THE HANDS OF STUDENTS TO REACH OUT IN OUR COMMUNITY, ADVOCATE FOR PREVAILING ISSUES AND WORK TOWARDS SOLUTIONS SITUATED FOR BETTERING THE BROADER HARFORD COUNTY COMMUNITY. HOWEVER, WE ARE FACING A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE. THE ABSENCE OF FUNDING WE RECEIVE FROM THE BOARD CAUSES US TO STRUGGLE ORGANIZING IN-PERSON MEETINGS, WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL FOR STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION. THESE MEETINGS ARE WHERE WE PLAN, COLLABORATE, AND ADDRESS THE CONCERNS OF OUR PEERS AND THE STUDENTS OF HARFORD COUNTY. SO I PROPOSE A FEW SIMPLE QUESTIONS. WHY IS IT THAT DIFFERENT CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR COUNTY RECEIVE CONSISTENT FUNDING, ALLOWING THEM TO OPERATE SMOOTHLY AND ACHIEVE THEIR OBJECTIVES? WHILE H IS NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THE SAME FACTORS, WHY IS IT THAT THE EFFORTS OF THIS ORGANIZATION ARE OBVIOUSLY UNAPPRECIATED TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY GO UNSUPPORTED? AND WHY DOES OUR COUNTY STILL HAVE SUCH A LACK OF EQUITY AND DISPLAY A SIGNIFICANT DISPARITY? THIS CLEAR DISPARITY CREATES MASSIVE CHALLENGES FOR OUR ORGANIZATION AND EXPOSES A GLARING INEQUITY. IT IS UNFAIR AND COMPLETELY WRONG THAT WHILE OTHER CLUBS CAN FUNCTION COMFORTABLY, EXCUSE ME, WE SCRAMBLED TO ACCOMPLISH FOUNDATIONAL GOALS. IN-PERSON MEETINGS ARE CRUCIAL FOR AMPLIFYING STUDENT VOICES. FOR EXAMPLE, DURING H CRASH GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETINGS, WE HAVE HOSTED STUDENT VOICE FORUMS, WHERE A DIVERSE GROUP OF STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT JUST H CRASH MEMBERS, COULD EXPRESS THEIR OPINIONS DIRECTLY TO BOARD MEMBERS, FORUMS AND EVENTS LIKE THIS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR FOSTERING EQUITY AND ENSURING THAT ALL STUDENTS VOICES ARE HEARD AND CONSIDERED IN DECISION MAKING PROCESSES. THE INEQUALITY AND FUNDING NOT ONLY HAMPERS OUR OPERATIONS, BUT SENDS A MESSAGE TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT THE VOICES OF STUDENTS AND THE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT OF H. CHRIST MEMBERS ARE NOT, AS VALUED AND APPRECIATED AS THOSE OF OTHER GROUPS. EQUITY MEANS PROVIDING EVERY STUDENT ORGANIZATION WITH THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO SUCCEED, AND RECOGNIZING THAT DIFFERENT SCHOOLS, GROUPS, AND ORGANIZATIONS MAY NEED DIFFERENT LEVELS OF SUPPORT TO ACHIEVE THE SAME LEVEL OF EFFECTIVENESS AND IMPACT. ADDRESSING THIS FUNDING ISSUE IS ABOUT MORE THAN JUST SUPPORTING OUR ORGANIZATION.

IT'S ABOUT COMMITTING TO THE PRINCIPLE OF FAIRNESS WITHIN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM. IT'S ABOUT RECOGNIZING THE VALUE OF DIVERSE STUDENT LEADERS AND ENSURING THAT ALL STUDENTS HAVE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE, LEAD AND CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR COMMUNITIES. I URGE THE BOARD TO ADDRESS THIS FUNDING DEFICIT AND ITS IMPLICATIONS BY PROVIDING CONSISTENT AND ADEQUATE FUNDING TO H CRASH, YOU WILL SUPPORT AN ORGANIZATION THAT PLAYS A PIVOTAL ROLE IN EMPOWERING OUR STUDENT BODY TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR VOICES AND THEIR EDUCATION, ENCOURAGING PASSION AND ADVOCACY AND LEADERSHIP, AS WELL AS MUCH MORE. PLEASE WORK WITH ME AND H.

CRASH TO CREATE A MORE JUST AND IMPARTIAL SYSTEM WHERE EVERY STUDENT ORGANIZATION HAS THE NECESSARY RESOURCES THEY NEED TO THRIVE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS BONNIE KNUTSEN, FOLLOWED BY SRI SHAH. GOOD EVENING BOARD. I AM SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE NAACP.

I WAS HOPING TO HAVE THE FIVE MINUTES. IF YOU COULD DO THAT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. YES, FIRST

[01:25:02]

OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO SAY, FUN H CROSS AFTER LISTENING TO ALL THEM TONIGHT. I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY, BUT IF YOU COULD FIND THE MONEY TO FULLY FUND THEM, THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC, I WANT TO JUST POINT OUT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS. I'M KIND OF ALL OVER THE PLACE. ALSO, I'VE NOTICED WE'VE HAD SOME NEW GROUPS ADDRESSING THE BOARD TONIGHT. THE NEWEST ONE BEING THE BLACK VERB REGIMENT. I'M NOT SURE IF THE BOARD OR ANY OF THE PEOPLE BEHIND ME ARE FAMILIAR WITH THEM, I WILL SAY DO YOUR RESEARCH, TO PUT IT KINDLY IN A NUTSHELL, THERE ARE ANOTHER GROUP OF CHRISTIAN NATIONALISTS TRYING TO INSTILL CHRISTIAN VALUES IN OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, SECONDLY, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT A FEW THINGS ABOUT I KNOW IT'S BEEN TAKEN OFF THE AGENDA, BUT THE PROPOSED AFRICAN AMERICAN AP HISTORY COURSE, IF WE TRULY WANT TO BE ONE NATION WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL OF OUR CHILDREN, WE MUST INCLUDE AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY IN OUR SCHOOLS. WE NEED TO TEACH THE STRUGGLES, SUCCESSES, AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS TO OUR COUNTRY, AND NOT JUST IN FEBRUARY. I'M GOING TO QUOTE A TEACHER IN NEW JERSEY WHO SAID, LEARNING ABOUT AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY ALLOWS STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT AFRICAN AMERICAN TO HAVE A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION FOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS TO THE WORLD WE LIVE IN TODAY. THIS IS CRUCIAL FOR BUILDING AN ACCEPTING MORE COHESIVE AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY FOR TOMORROW. END QUOTE, AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY IS AMERICAN HISTORY, PERIOD, WE'LL HAVE A LOT MORE TO SAY ON THAT, PROBABLY OVER THE SUMMER AND INTO NEXT YEAR, AND HAPPY EARLY JUNETEENTH TO THOSE WHO CELEBRATE. LASTLY, I'D LIKE TO SHARE A STORY ABOUT BOOK BANNING . COURTNEY GORE, A SELF-DESCRIBED SMALL TOWN CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN IN FORT WORTH, TEXAS, WAS RECENTLY ELECTED TO THE SCHOOL BOARD, PLEDGING TO INSPECT EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS FOR INAPPROPRIATE MESSAGES ABOUT SEXUALITY AND RACE AND REMOVE THEM FROM EVERY SCHOOL IN THE COUNTY. AFTER TAKING OFFICE, SHE EXAMINED HUNDREDS OF PAGES OF CURRICULUM AND WAS SHOCKED BY WHAT SHE DIDN'T FIND, THE INDOCTRINATION SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS RALLYING AGAINST DID NOT EXIST. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT CHILDREN WERE BEING SEXUALIZED, NO EVIDENCE OF CRT, AND THE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING WAS JUST TEACHING KIDS HOW TO BE A GOOD FRIEND AND A GOOD HUMAN. I HAVE A SUMMER READING PROJECT FOR SOME OF YOU ON THE BOARD. READ THE BOOKS IN THE SCHOOL LIBRARIES, NOT JUST THE EXCERPTS THAT SOMEBODY POINTS OUT TO YOU. IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN, ASK A LIBRARIAN. READ THE CURRICULUM, PERHAPS A SAMPLE FROM EVERY GRADE IN EVERY SUBJECT, AND THEN REPORT BACK TO US IN THE FALL. WITH ALL YOUR FINDINGS OF INDOCTRINATION, AND CRT, I'D BE VERY SURPRISED IF YOU FOUND ANY OF THOSE THINGS. LASTLY AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR, I HAD ASKED MELISSA HAHN AND DIANE ALVAREZ TO RESIGN FROM THEIR POSITIONS FROM THE BOARD BECAUSE OF THEIR CONFLICT AS BEING MEMBERS OF MOMS FOR LIBERTY. I AM ASKING YOU TO RESIGN. AGAIN.

I DO NOT BELIEVE YOU CAN MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, WASTING THE BOARD AND THE COMMUNITY'S TIME WRITING AND PROPOSING THE FLAG POLICY IS JUST A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THIS. THE INTENTION WAS NEVER TO UNITE ALL STUDENTS UNDER THOSE THREE FLAGS, BUT TO EXCLUDE STUDENTS, SPECIFICALLY QUEER STUDENTS WHO ONE BOARD MEMBER ACTUALLY REFERRED TO AS BEING FILTH. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. GOOD EVENING. MEMBERS OF THE HARFORD COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION. MY NAME IS SHREYA SHAH AND I'M THE INCOMING VICE PRESIDENT OF HARFORD COUNTY REGIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STUDENT COUNCILS. AND I'M HERE REPRESENTING OF OUR STUDENT LED ORGANIZATION. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU TODAY, AND I HOPE TO DISCUSS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE THAT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTS OUR ABILITY TO FUNCTION EFFECTIVELY. AND THAT IS THE LACK OF FUNDING FOR OUR ORGANIZATION. THE SERVES AS A VITAL PLATFORM FOR STUDENT LEADERS FROM VARIOUS SCHOOLS TO COLLABORATE, SHARE IDEAS, AND ADVOCATE FOR THE NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF OUR PEERS. HOWEVER, OUR OPERATIONS AND OUR ABILITY TO GATHER AND DISCUSS AS A COUNTY ARE SEVERELY HINDERED BY THE ABSENCE OF FINANCIAL AID AND SUPPORT. THIS IS THE SOLE FOUNDATION OF OUR ORGANIZATION. CURRENTLY, WE OPERATE WITHOUT ANY DEDICATED FUNDING, WHICH PRESENTS NUMEROUS CHALLENGES ORGANIZING MEETINGS, HOSTING EVENTS, AND FACILITATING COMMUNICATION AMONG SCHOOLS REQUIRE RESOURCES THAT WE SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE. THIS LACK OF FUNDING RESTRICTS OUR POTENTIAL AND UNDERMINES OUR MISSION TO SERVE THE STUDENT BODY EFFECTIVELY. THE BENEFITS OF A WELL SUPPORTED AIRCRAFT EXTEND BEYOND OUR MEETINGS AND OUR DISCUSSIONS. WHEN STUDENTS ARE EMPOWERED TO LEAD AND ENGAGE IN MEANINGFUL DIALOG, THEY DEVELOP CRITICAL SKILLS SUCH AS LEADERSHIP, TEAMWORK, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. BY INVESTING IN OUR ASSOCIATION, YOU ARE INVESTING IN THE FUTURE LEADERS OF YOUR COMMUNITY, JUST AS WE HAVE, JUST AS WE HAVE HAD TIME TO ATTEND THIS MEETING TODAY, WE NEED TO HAVE THE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT TO HOST MEETINGS OF OUR VERY OWN . WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE BUDGETS

[01:30:04]

ARE TIGHT AND THAT THERE ARE MANY COMPETING PRIORITIES THAT WE MUST ATTEND TO. HOWEVER, WE FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT SUPPORTING STUDENT LEADERSHIP IN PROVIDING US WITH THE NECESSARY RESOURCES IS EXACTLY WHAT OUR BOARD SHOULD REPRESENT. INVESTMENT IN STUDENT FUTURES THAT WILL YIELD SIGNIFICANT RETURNS WITH PROPER FUNDING, WE CAN FIRSTLY ENHANCE COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION THROUGH HOSTING REGULAR MEETINGS AND FUNDING TRANSPORTATION TO OUR REGULAR MEETINGS. SECONDLY, WE CAN EXPAND OUR OUTREACH AND IMPACT. WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT, WE CAN ORGANIZE MORE COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES THAT ADDRESS THE DIVERSE NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF STUDENTS ACROSS THE COMMUNITY. THIS INCLUDES WORKSHOPS, LEADERSHIP TRAINING, AND COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS. LASTLY, WE HAVE CERTAIN SCHOOLS THAT ARE UNDERREPRESENTED IN OUR HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLING COMMUNITY. AS AN EXAMPLE, MAGNOLIA MIDDLE SCHOOL IS CURRENTLY UNABLE TO ATTEND OUR MEETINGS DUE TO A LACK OF FUNDING. WE AS A CLASS ARE UNABLE TO SUPPORT THEM FINANCIALLY, WHICH CAN RESULT IN THEM BEING UNDERREPRESENTED IN OUR ORGANIZATION. WE ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND COMMITMENT TO THE STUDENTS OF HARFORD COUNTY BY PROVIDING US THE NECESSARY FUNDING FOR EACH CLASS. WITH A BUDGET OF $25,000, WE CAN SOLVE THIS EXTREMELY CONSTRAINING ISSUE OF FUNDING. AS MANY OF MY PEERS HAVE STATED, THIS AMOUNT PALES IN COMPARISON TO INVESTMENTS IN OTHER ACTIVITIES. TOGETHER, WE CAN CREATE A MORE ENGAGED, EMPOWERED, AND UNITED STUDENT COMMUNITY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING TO ALL OF YOU TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. PRESIDENT BOYNTON, THAT'S ALL THE IN-PERSON SPEAKERS. THANK YOU. AND THERE'S STILL NO, VIRTUAL

[Board Member Comments]

SPEAKERS. THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'RE GOING TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, EVERYONE. THIS EVENING, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS, AND WE WILL CHANGE IT UP A LITTLE BIT. WE'RE GOING TO START WITH OUR STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES SINCE IT'S HER LAST TIME HERE. AND WE WILL GO THAT WAY ON THE DAIS. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE, I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S ALREADY OVER, THE YEAR, MY TERM, IT REALLY WRAPPED UP FAST BECAUSE I REMEMBER COMING TO MY FIRST BOARD MEETING, LIKE, OVER A YEAR AGO, AND, YOU KNOW, BEING INTRODUCED TO THIS WORLD, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR FREQUENT, VIEWERS AND, YOU KNOW, AND I LOVED IT EVER SINCE. AND, YOU KNOW, BEING THE STUDENT BOARD MEMBER WAS AN EXPERIENCE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T FIND ANYWHERE ELSE, IT'S TAUGHT ME SO MUCH IN THE NAVIGATING THE WORLD POLITICS, DECISION MAKING PROCESS, BEHIND OUR SCHOOLS, FOSTERING LEADERSHIP SKILLS. AND WHILE ALSO BEING ABLE TO MEET SUCH INCREDIBLE STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS ALONG THE WAY, THIS POSITION IS INCREDIBLY VALUABLE NOT ONLY FOR THE STUDENTS SERVING IT, BUT ALSO FOR OUR BOARDS. I KNOW THERE'S SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE CONVINCED, FOR WHATEVER REASON, PROBABLY IGNORANCE, THAT I DON'T BELONG HERE OR THAT STUDENTS OUR AGE DON'T BELONG HERE. BUT I THINK THIS GROUP OF BOARD MEMBERS SPECIFICALLY CAN STAND AS AN EXCELLENT TESTIMONY THAT INCREDIBLE THINGS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM WHEN OUR LEADERS WORK WITH OUR YOUTH. SO AND AFTER MEETING SOME OF THE OTHER MOBS AROUND THE STATE AND, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING THEIR DYNAMIC WITH THEIR BOARDS, I FOUND THAT I WAS VERY LUCKY BECAUSE MY BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ALWAYS RESPECTED MY OPINIONS AND OFFERED A SEAT AT THE TABLE. SO I THANK YOU GUYS FOR THAT. SO SO I'M VERY PROUD TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT I WAS A PART OF HTTPS HISTORY, AND EVEN IF ALL OF MY EFFORTS THIS YEAR ARE FORGOTTEN, HOPEFULLY NOT. BUT EVEN IF THEY ARE LIKE, I'M GLAD THAT JUST HAVING SOMEONE AMONG A MINORITY LIKE ME REPRESENT ALL OF THE STUDENTS IN HTTPS IS IF I CAN MARK ANY IF I CAN MAKE AN IMPACT ON ANY STUDENT'S LIFE. I JUST HOPE THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO LOOK AT THEIR STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE AND KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO GET THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES I WAS GIVEN. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING SO KIND. I HOPE YOU GUYS ALL ENJOYED, MY COMPANY AS MUCH AS I'VE ENJOYED YOURS. AND IF I COULD THANK EVERYONE, I WOULD, BUT WE'RE ON A TIME LIMIT SO THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU, MR. SOUL. GOOD. I WANT TO FIRST THANK THE STUDENTS AND RECENT GRADUATE THAT CAME BEFORE THIS BOARD AND SO ELOQUENTLY, ELOQUENTLY EXPRESSED YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON FUNDING OF THE HARFORD COUNTY REGIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STUDENT COUNCILS. THANK YOU. COUNTY COUNCIL PRESIDENT PAT VINCENTI, COUNCIL VICE PRESIDENT TONY G. COUNCILMAN BENNETT, COUNCILMAN PENMAN AND THE REST OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL FOR ADVOCATING FOR THE FUNDING OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM NEEDS AND SECURING 6.5 MILLION ADDITIONAL DOLLARS TO FUND OUR OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM FROM THE HARFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT.

CONGRATULATE TO ALL OF THE GRADUATES, I HOPE THAT YOUR TIME WITH HSPS HAS PREPARED YOU WELL AND PROVIDED A STRONG BASE THAT YOU WILL GROW FROM AND LAUNCH YOUR CAREER AND ONGOING

[01:35:05]

EDUCATION. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE STUDENTS FOR COMPLETING ANOTHER YEAR OF EDUCATION ONE MORE DAY. MAKE IT A GREAT ONE. I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE A FANTASTIC SUMMER THAT REJUVENATES YOU FOR NEXT YEARS LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES. AND BEST WISHES TO OUR OUTGOING STUDENT MEMBER OF THE BOARD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM AND BRINGING THE STUDENT VOICE TO THE BOARD. IT HAS BEEN AN HONOR SERVING WITH YOU. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT WORKS AND VOLUNTEERS FOR CPS, STARTING WITH THE CLASSROOM TEACHERS, INCLUDING AND INCLUDING PARAEDUCATORS, OUR STRIVE AND SPECIAL EDUCATION EMPLOYEES, THE CUSTODIANS AND FACILITY MAINTENANCE CREWS, THE BUS DRIVERS, ATTENDANTS AND CONTRACTORS. THE FOOD SERVICE EMPLOYEES, THOSE WHO PROVIDE BEFORE AND AFTER CARE, THE FRONT OFFICE STAFF, SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND PUPIL PERSONNEL WORKERS. OUR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS AND SCHOOL SAFETY LIAISONS. OUR NURSES, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION, PRINCIPALS AND VICE PRINCIPALS, OUR CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF, HUMAN RESOURCES, BUDGET AND FINANCE, TECHNOLOGY, STRATEGIC INITIATIVES. THANK YOU TO THE SUPERINTENDENT. CHIEF OF STAFF. ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENTS, LEGAL COUNSEL. THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT WORK WITHIN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM. I KNOW THAT I HAVEN'T MENTIONED EVERYONE OR EVERY ROLE. JUST KNOW THAT YOU ARE LOVED. THANK YOU FOR A GREAT YEAR AND THANK YOU TO THE PARENTS, GUARDIANS AND GRANDPARENTS. WHETHER YOU WERE ON THE FRONT LINES AT THE PTA EVENTS AND VOLUNTEERING IN THE SCHOOLS OR BEHIND THE SCENES, MAKING SURE YOUR STUDENT WAS PREPARED FOR LEARNING AND TO BE ABLE TO PUT THE BEST FOOT FORWARD IN THE CLASSROOM. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO MAKE OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM THE BEST IT CAN BE. THIS YEAR. HAVE AN OUTSTANDING SUMMER! GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO SUBMITTED APPLICATIONS FOR THE BOOK RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE. WE HAVE RECEIVED AN OVERWHELMING RESPONSE OF 660 APPLICANTS, OF WHICH WE HAVE THE DAUNTING JOB OF NARROWING DOWN TO A GROUP OF 27 TO ENSURE FAIRNESS DURING THE SELECTION PROCESS, NAMES ARE REMOVED AND SANITIZED FROM THE APPLICATION.

WE ARE SELECTING MEMBERS BASED ON THE ROLE THEY APPLIED FOR, GEOGRAPHIC AREA AND ANSWERS TO THE QUESTION. SO MEMBERS CAN EXPECT TO BE NOTIFIED IN LATE JULY. AS A REMINDER, ALL LIBRARY MATERIALS ARE NOW ACCESSIBLE VIA THE LINK ON HTTPS WEBSITE AND THE BOOK RECONSIDER FORM IS ALSO ON THE WEBSITE AND READY FOR USE . MEDINA. IT HAS TRULY BEEN A PLEASURE WORKING ALONGSIDE YOU.

PLEASE KEEP IN TOUCH AND BEST OF LUCK. THANK YOU, MISS ALVAREZ. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. I WANT TO CONGRATULATE ALL THE 2024 GRADUATES, ESPECIALLY OUR STUDENT MEMBER, THEY SHOULD BE PROUD OF THIS MILESTONE BECAUSE IT MARKS THE BEGINNING OF THEIR ADULT LIFE. AND SO I PRAY THAT EACH GRADUATES FUTURE IS HEALTHY, PROSPEROUS, AND FILLED WITH JOY. AND IT WOULD BE REMISS IF I DID NOT ALSO RECOGNIZE ALL THE EDUCATORS THAT SUPPORTED THEM THROUGHOUT THEIR EDUCATION AND WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN THEIR GRADUATION. SO OVER THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS, I'VE BEEN WE'VE HAD A LOT OF MEETINGS AND DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND LEADERSHIP. SO I WANT TO SUMMARIZE A FEW OF THE TAKEAWAYS THAT I HAD FROM THESE DISCUSSIONS. SEVERAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAD RAISED, PRIOR TO OUR LAST MEETING, CONCERNS ABOUT THE PLAY PERFORMANCES AND THE CONTENT, THAT THEY, SAW IN THOSE PERFORMANCES, SO BOARD MEMBERS, A FEW OF THE BOARD MEMBERS REQUESTED TO REVIEW THE VETTING PROCESS, AND THE STAFF, PREPARED A MEETING AND A PRESENTATION TO GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE, INFORMATION ABOUT HOW, THESE PERFORMANCES ARE VETTED, AND WE HAD A SMALL GROUP, SO I REALLY WANT TO THANK THE LEADERSHIP FOR PUTTING THAT TOGETHER AND ALL THE EFFORT THAT WENT INTO IT, THEY DID PROVIDE QUITE A BIT OF INFORMATION, THAT, YOU KNOW, WASN'T FULLY AWARE OF, IN THE MEETING, I STATED THAT I THINK THE PLAYS SHOULD BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AUDIENCES, THEY SHOULD BE VIRTUOUS IN NATURE AND ENCOURAGE MORAL BEHAVIOR WHICH ARE FREE FROM ANY OBSCENE LANGUAGE OR CONTENT, SO WITH THAT, I'M CONFIDENT THAT OUR FUTURE PRODUCTIONS SELECTIONS WILL CONSIDER ALL THE FACTORS THAT WERE RAISED DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR. AND, PLEASE, YOU KNOW, CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, BRINGING ANY CONCERNS THAT YOU HAVE, WITH, WITH PERFORMANCES OR ANY OTHER THINGS THAT YOU SEE IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO THE BOARD AND ALSO THE SCHOOL LEADERSHIP, I

[01:40:04]

KNOW THAT THEY DO TAKE THESE, CONCERNS SERIOUSLY, AND THEY DO RESPOND, SO I JUST WANT YOU GUYS TO BE AWARE OF THAT. SO, AS THE SUMMER BEGINS, CURRICULUM FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR IS DEVELOPED AND APPROVED. THAT'S ONE OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES WE HAVE AS BOARD MEMBERS IS TO APPROVE CURRICULUMS GOING INTO EACH SCHOOL YEAR, FROM THE BEGINNING OF MY TERM IN DECEMBER OF 2022.

AND I KNOW VICE PRESIDENT HAHN ALSO EXPRESSED THAT THE DESIRE TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE CURRICULUM, AND PERFORM OUR DUTIES IN THAT APPROVAL PROCESS, IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO COORDINATE MUTUAL AVAILABILITY WITH STAFF, TO REVIEW IT TAKES UP A LOT OF STAFF TIME. YOU KNOW, THERE'S NINE BOARD MEMBERS, SO I WAS REALLY ENCOURAGED, WHEN I MET WITH DOCTOR DAVIS AND MISS KUSHNER, LAST WEEK AND LEARNED THAT THEY ARE WORKING ON THIS ABILITY AND A PLATFORM WITH THE WITH IT AND THE MEDIA SPECIALISTS, THAT WILL GIVE US, MORE, YOU KNOW, WILL GIVE US ACCESS WHERE WE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE UP STAFF'S TIME. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THAT GO LIVE. AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THAT. AND ALSO, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS THAT THEY HAVE OR ANY WAY THAT I CAN ASSIST THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M AVAILABLE, SO DON'T HESITATE TO CONTACT ME. SO, WE CAN MAKE THAT A REALITY, THIS THIS WEEK, WILL BE APPROVING THE BUDGET, I KNOW THAT THE WE HAD A PUBLIC WORK GROUP SESSION. I THINK IT WAS THE FIRST TIME WE HAD A PUBLIC WORK GROUP SESSION, WHICH PROVIDED A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR KEY LEADERSHIP IN THE STAFF TO COME TOGETHER WITH THE BOARD AND PUBLIC, TO DISCUSS BOARD ELEMENTS. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING OTHER WORK GROUP SESSIONS LIKE THAT AS, IN THE FUTURE, BECAUSE I THINK THEY REALLY PROVIDE A GOOD FORUM WHERE WE CAN COLLABORATE, AS BOARD MEMBERS WITH THE STAFF. AND I KNOW THAT, OUR LEADERSHIP AND DOCTOR BALSAM AND WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN PUTTING THAT TOGETHER. SO I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THAT, I, I ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT AT THE THAT, AT THE BOARD MEMBER, A BOARD MEETING THERE WAS ADVOCATE THE, THE BOARD MEMBERS DID ADVOCATE FOR H. CHRIS H CHRIS FUNDING. SO, SO YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THAT THE BOARD DOES SUPPORT YOUR, YOUR GROUP, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, YOU KNOW, IT. WE RAISE UP LEADERS. I THINK, YOUR GROUP IS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THOSE KEY GROUPS THAT THAT DOES INSTILL LEADERSHIP QUALITIES THAT WE WANT TO SEE IN OUR STUDENTS AND OUR GRADUATES. SO I APPRECIATE ALL THE STUDENTS THAT CAME OUT TO SPEAK FOR THAT, TAKES GREAT COURAGE AND SHOWS GREAT LEADERSHIP SKILLS, SO THAT I ALSO WANT TO THANK, ALL OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, H HC STAFF AND LEADERSHIP, AND THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE ADVOCATED FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING , THIS AS, AS, MR. SEWELL ALREADY MENTIONED, IT'S RESULTED IN AN INCREASE, $6.5 MILLION, TO BE APPROVED AND SECURED BY THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, SO THIS WILL LOWER OUR GAP, AND OUR FUNDING REQUESTS TO ROUGHLY 33 MILLION. SO WE STILL HAVE A GAP, AND WE STILL NEED TO FILL THAT GAP, AND WE HAVE BASICALLY THREE WAYS TO FILL IT, BASICALLY POOL FROM FUND BALANCE, MAKE CUTS OR ACCOMMODATION. SO I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD NOT USE MORE THAN HALF OF THE FUND BALANCE, AND WE SHOULD SO AND WE SHOULD NOT REDUCE ANY TEACHER POSITIONS. SO AND REDUCTION IN TEACHER POSITIONS WOULD LIKELY HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. AND THAT IS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. SO SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT MY, MY PRIORITIES OUT THERE TO, IN TERMS OF FUND BALANCE, I THINK HALF OF THE FUND BALANCE WOULD BE A REASONABLE SEARCH, AND. IN CLOSING, I JUST HOPE THAT EVERYBODY HAS A SAFE AND ENJOYABLE SUMMER. THE BOARD WILL CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER PREPARING FOR THE 2024 2025 SCHOOL YEAR. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MISS BRUCE. YES. FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO SAY, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS EXTENDED PRAYERS AND WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT. I HOPE I'M GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH THIS.

[01:45:02]

I, NEVER EXPECT THIS KIND OF, EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER THAT I'VE BEEN ON, BUT, I TRUST AND BELIEVE THAT GOD WILL WILL CONTINUE TO GIVE ME THE STRENGTH SO THAT, I WILL BE BACK AND WORKING FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, MY LOSS HAS BEEN IS DEEP. AND TO TOP IT OFF, MY HEALTH PROBLEMS WITH, HAVING SURGERY, MAY BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME, I PRIDE MYSELF IN BEING VERY STRONG AND INDEPENDENT, BUT I GUESS GOD SAW FIT TO BRING ME TO MY KNEES TO REALITY. SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE. TO THE BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE CONTINUING TO WORK FOR THE STUDENTS AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING BACK IN THE RACE VERY SOON. AND THANKS EVERYONE FOR ALL YOUR CARDS. THE GIFTS, AND EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE RECEIVED. AND GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU, MISS KOCHER. I HAVE TO SAY, I DO MISS, SEEING THIS LADY THAT USED TO SIT NEXT TO ME HERE. AND I KNOW YOU'LL BE BACK IN THE RACE SOON, CAROL. SO HANG IN THERE, WELCOME AND THANKS, EVERYONE, FOR BEING HERE, LISTENING IN, I DON'T WANT TO REPEAT EVERYTHING THAT EVERYONE ELSE SAID, BUT I ECHO ALL THE THANKS. IT WAS A PLEASURE TO ATTEND A GOOD NUMBER OF THE GRADUATIONS THIS YEAR, SO I WANT TO CONGRATULATE ALL THE GRADUATES AND THANK THOSE WHO ORCHESTRATED, SUPPORTED AND ATTENDED THE GREAT CEREMONIES AT THE ARENA AT HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE, INCLUDING STAFF MEMBERS, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, THE FAMILIES AND SO MANY OTHERS. THOSE EVENTS ARE ALWAYS SO WELL DONE AND VERY INSPIRATIONAL. I DO HAVE TO CONGRATULATE ONE PARTICULAR GARAGE AND MISS MEDINA. ONE MORE TIME, WE KNOW THAT YOU WILL DO EXCEEDINGLY WELL AT WHATEVER YOU ATTEMPT, SO AIM FOR THE STARS FOR ALL YOU GOT IT? IT'LL BE GREAT. WE'LL MISS YOU, THOUGH.

WE WILL MISS YOU, A FEW MAIN, BUDGET NOTES IN KEEPING WITH OUR NEWLY SPECIFIED HIGHEST PRIORITY REQUIREMENT ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND IMPROVING IT, THAT LEADS TO OUR BUDGET PRIORITIES. AND ONE OF THOSE IS NOT TO REDUCE CLASS SIZES. NOW, I UNDERSTAND WE'RE NOT ELIMINATING ANY TEACHERS PER SE, BUT THERE ARE SOME TEACHING POSITIONS, AND I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK CAREFULLY AT THOSE, WE WANT TO PRESERVE OUR CLASS SIZES. WE ARE STILL ONE OF THE HIGHEST IN THE STATE, AND WE WANT TO PRESERVE OUR CLASS SIZES, WE DO WANT ACCESS TO THE CURRICULUM. I HOPE THAT'S IN THE WORKS, THAT'S WHY WE'RE TABLING CURRICULUM DECISIONS, BECAUSE WE NEED TO SEE WHAT'S IN THERE NOW AND THEN KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED TO GO FORWARD, I ALSO SUPPORT THE FUNDING. AND I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY BRINGING THE CONCERNS AND THE STUDENTS WHO SPOKE. AND I THINK THE PUBLIC SPEAKING AND THE BRAVERY AND BRINGING THOSE REQUESTS, CONCERNS AND ALL THE CONCERNS FORWARD IS SOMETHING WE ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO. AND YOU GUYS DID A GREAT JOB, LET'S SEE, I GUESS THAT'S ABOUT IT. I SEND EVERYONE MY BEST WISHES FOR A SAFE AND ENJOYABLE SUMMER FOR ALL OUR FAMILIES WITH PERHAPS SOME CONTINUED FUN READING OVER THE SUMMER AND AS ALWAYS, TREATING EVERYONE WITH RESPECT AND KINDNESS. THANK YOU, DOCTOR MUELLER. SO ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS, I THINK ACCIDENTALLY MISSPOKE BECAUSE WE DO HAVE TEN BOARD MEMBERS, NOT NINE, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE REMEMBER THAT WE HAVE TEN BOARD MEMBERS. MAYBE MEDINA'S GOING OFF RIGHT NOW, BUT WE HAVE A NEW BOARD MEMBER COMING ON.

SO, SASHA, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU. AND I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH HER AT OUR BOARD RETREAT. SO SO, REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS NEXT YEAR. ALSO, AS MUCH AS WE'LL MISS MEDINA, IT'S REALLY NICE TO KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT A GOOD PERSON COMING ON, I DO WANT TO SAY, OF COURSE, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE GRADUATES AND ALL THAT, ALSO THE VERY SAD LOSS OF ONE OF OUR GRADUATES FROM NORTH HARTFORD, COOPER. AND I DO KNOW HIS FAMILY , SO IT WAS QUITE A SHOCK TO HAVE THAT OCCUR THERE, I ALSO AM VERY PROUD OF THE JOB THAT YOU GUYS DID WITH YOUR. BINGO. I'M VERY GLAD THAT I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY NOT ONLY TO CONTRIBUTE, BUT TO BE THERE AND TO BRING SOME EXTRA PEOPLE WITH ME. AND IT WAS A VERY FUN EVENING. SO FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO GO THIS YEAR, PLEASE CONSIDER GOING NEXT YEAR AND DON'T SCHEDULE IT THE SAME NIGHT AS A GRADUATION. OKAY, THAT WAS LIKE A BAD THING. I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND SOME BOARD MEMBERS COULDN'T BE THERE BECAUSE THEY HAD TO DO THE GRADUATION. SO BUT YOU GUYS DID A GREAT JOB. AND FOR THE FIRST TIME OF DOING IT, IT WAS REALLY FANTASTIC. IT WAS THERE WERE JUST A COUPLE LITTLE HICCUPS, BUT IT WENT SO SMOOTHLY AND A LOT OF REALLY COMPETITIVE PEOPLE THERE PLAYING BINGO. DID YOU NOTICE IT GOT A LITTLE KIND OF A LITTLE SCARY THERE ONCE IN A

[01:50:04]

WHILE. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH AND I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING.ENING EVERYONE ANDU ALL FOR COMING, LET ME JUST SAY I WOULD HAVE BEEN A BINGO, BUT I WAS A GRADUATION, SO I COULDN'T BE THERE. BUT I TOTALLY LOVE BINGO, SINCE OUR LAST MEETING, OUR SENIORS HAVE HAVE GRADUATED, AND I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ENTIRE GRADUATING CLASS OF 2024.

I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND NINE OF THE 13 GRADUATIONS. AND CAN I JUST SAY WHAT AN AMAZING HONOR IT IS TO GIVE THE GRADUATES THEIR DIPLOMAS AND TO SHAKE ALL OF THEIR HANDS. I LOVE EVERY SECOND AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR. I HOPE EVERYONE HAS A FANTASTIC LAST DAY OF SCHOOL TOMORROW, AND EVERYONE HAS A SAFE, FUN AND REJUVENATING SUMMER. I ALSO WANT TO WISH OUR FANTASTIC STUDENT MEMBER OF THE BOARD, MISS MEDINA, BEST OF LUCK IN ALL OF HER ENDEAVORS, YOU HAVE BEEN A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH AND TO GET TO KNOW OVER THIS LAST YEAR.

CONGRATULATIONS! WE WILL MISS YOU AND I KNOW THAT YOU WILL DO AMAZING THINGS IN THE FUTURE, NO DOUBT. THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK, THAT BEING SAID, I'M ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH AND GETTING TO KNOW THE NEW STUDENT MEMBER OF THE BOARD THAT IS IN OUR AUDIENCE, MISS PAZUKI.

OVER THE NEXT YEAR, CAN'T WAIT, OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, I'VE ALSO BEEN ABLE TO ATTEND A FEW MORE PATRIOT PROGRAMS. IT'S SO WONDERFUL AND SO MUCH FUN GETTING TO KNOW AND TO SEE ALL OF OUR PATRIOTS SING, RECITE, POETIC, I'M SORRY, PATRIOTIC POEMS, SONGS, AND HISTORIC DOCUMENTS. AND TO SEE ALL THE AWESOME RED, WHITE AND BLUE OUTFITS. IT'S SO NICE TO CELEBRATE AND FOCUS ON OUR HISTORY, OUR COUNTRY, THE PATRIOTS THAT FOUGHT FOR OUR FREEDOMS AND RIGHTS, AND THOSE THAT STILL FIGHT TODAY. THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR STAFF, TEACHERS, PARENTS AND STUDENTS THAT WORK SO HARD TO MAKE THIS AN ENJOYABLE AND THOROUGH PROGRAM. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR PATRIOTS! ALSO, THERE WAS ALSO A BUDGET SESSION WHERE THE BOARD AND INTEGRAL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY DISCUSSED OUR UPCOMING BUDGET, OUR EXPECTATIONS, AND SOME AMENDMENTS WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE BEFORE WE VOTE ON THE BUDGET.

THANK YOU TO THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT, MR. PAT VINCENT, AND ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT SECURED US $6.5 MILLION WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT LEVEL FUNDING, I WAS SWORN IN TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION ON DECEMBER 22ND, AND I BEGAN ASKING FOR ACCESS TO READ THE CURRICULUM. SINCE THEN, NUMEROUS TIMES, MYSELF AND ALSO OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR READ ONLY ACCESS TO THE CURRICULUM THAT IT HAS NOT YET BEEN PROVIDED. THE BOARD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR APPROVING THE CURRICULUM AND COURSES OF STUDY, APPROVING A CURRICULUM WITHOUT HAVING FULL ACCESS TO VIEW. IT IS LIKE SIGNING A CONTRACT WITH ONLY THE FIRST AND LAST PAGE AND NOT HAVING THE MIDDLE PAGES OR READING A FIRST AND LAST PAGE OF A BOOK WITHOUT HAVING FULL READ ACCESS TO THE CURRICULUM. I FEEL, ALONG WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD, THAT WE CANNOT DO THE JOB EFFECTIVELY, THAT THAT WE WERE ELECTED AND OR APPOINTED TO DO. THEREFORE, MYSELF PERSONALLY, I WILL NOT VOTE TO APPROVE ANY CURRICULUM BROUGHT BEFORE THE BOARD WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO HAVE FULL READ ACCESS. I WILL NOT BE DOING MY. I WOULD NOT BE DOING MY DUE DILIGENCE AND THE JOB THAT I WAS ELECTED TO DO IF I DID ANYTHING ELSE. LASTLY WE HAVE LEARNED OF SOME DEVASTATING NEWS TO OUR COMMUNITY. CAN WE PLEASE HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE TO HONOR THE LIFE OF COOPER HOENIG, A 2024 GRADUATE THAT PASSED AWAY THIS WEEK AND ALSO FOR AARON THOMPSON, A TEACHER AT HAVRE DE GRACE HIGH SCHOOL THAT RECENTLY PASSED AWAY. THANK YOU. MY CONDOLENCES. OUR COMMUNITY MOURNS THE LOSS OF THESE TWO INDIVIDUALS. PLEASE, IF YOU NEED HELP PROCESSING THESE DEVASTATING LOSSES AND YOU FEEL THAT YOU NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT, PLEASE REACH OUT TO YOUR SCHOOL STAFF OR TO YOUR COUNSELOR. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. WE'VE ALL BEEN QUITE BUSY. AND JUST TO AVOID DUPLICATION, I JUST HAVE TWO. OH, I'M SORRY. YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE GO OUT OF ORDER. SORRY YEAH. THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO SAY I REALLY APPRECIATE APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU COMING OUT AND HERE AND TALKING TO US ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO. THANK YOU.

THAT WAS IT. DO YOU WANT MORE? OKAY, SO FINALLY, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE BOARD HAS BEEN VERY BUSY. IT'S A VERY ACTIVE BOARD. I HAVE BEEN AS WELL, BUT TO AVOID DUPLICATION, JUST JUST TWO ITEMS FOR TONIGHT. FIRST OF ALL, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE GRADUATES. HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND A COUPLE OF THE GRADUATIONS AND SEE LOTS OF SMILING FACES, YOU KNOW, STUDENTS GOING OFF TO CAREER AND INTO COLLEGE. I ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TODAY TO ATTEND MY OWN DAUGHTER'S GRADUATION FROM FROM FIFTH GRADE. AND IT'S TRULY AMAZING TO SEE HOW MUCH LOVE AND CARE SOME OF THESE EDUCATORS HAVE FOR OUR STUDENTS. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GO TO THESE THINGS, YOU EXPECT THE MOM AND DAD TO BE CRYING IN THE AUDIENCE, BUT NOT THE TEACHERS AND EDUCATORS WHEN THEY'RE HANDING OUT, YOU KNOW, THE DIPLOMAS AND IT REMINDS ME OF THE LAST SCHOOL SEASON, LAST

[01:55:03]

YEAR WHEN MY DAUGHTER GOT OFF OF THE BUS THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL, AND SHE WAS CRYING WHEN SHE GOT OFF THE BUS, AND I SAID, WELL, WHAT'S WRONG? IS EVERYTHING OKAY? AND SHE SAID, NO, I'M GOING TO MISS MY TEACHER. SO THAT'S THE TRUE IMPACT THAT WE HAVE THAT YOU HAVE, SECOND, WE TALK QUITE A BIT ABOUT THE BUDGET, TONIGHT, WE'RE IN A LITTLE BIT OF A STICKY SITUATION BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING THE BUDGET BACK LATE, WE DO HAVE THE BUDGET ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT FOR DISCUSSION, BUT WE WON'T BE VOTING ON IT BECAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN PASSED YET BY THE COUNTY COUNCIL. HOPEFULLY THEY'LL DO THAT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. IT'S MY INTENT TO PUT A SPECIAL SESSION ON THE AGENDA FOR THURSDAY AT 9:30 A.M, A HYBRID 9 A.M. SORRY, A HYBRID SESSION FOR THE BOARD FOR THE SOLE PURPOSES OF VOTING ON AND PASSING A BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR. WHEN WE FINALIZE THAT PUBLIC NOTICE WILL BE GIVEN 24 HOURS BEFORE. BUT THERE WILL BE NO PUBLIC COMMENT BECAUSE THAT'LL BE A SPECIAL SESSION, AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WONDERFUL STUDENT MEMBER.

I'M SURE YOU'RE GOING TO GO OFF AND DO GREAT THINGS AND UMMC IS A GREAT COLLEGE. I KNOW BECAUSE I WENT THERE AS WELL. SO CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN, AND, ENJOY SUMMER. ENJOY YOUR TIME OFF THE BOARD WILL STILL BE WORKING, GETTING READY FOR NEXT YEAR, AND MANY OF YOU, WE WILL SEE YOU NEXT YEAR. AND YOU'RE WELCOME TO JOIN US OVER THE SUMMER AS WELL, IF YOU LIKE. SO THAT'S IT. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO OLD BUSINESS. AND THERE IS NO OLD BUSINESS. SO THEN WE WILL

[B. Consent Agenda]

MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. MISS HAHN, PLEASE READ THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS. NUMBER ONE RESOLUTION ON MISS MEDINA HARFORD TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL 2023 2024. STUDENT MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF HARFORD COUNTY. NUMBER TWO CONTRACT AWARD HERSHEY CREAMERY COMPANY.

NUMBER THREE CONTRACT AWARD, DISCOVERY EDUCATION EXPERIENCE DISTRICT LICENSE RENEWAL. NUMBER FOUR CONTRACT AWARD. ANNUAL NETWORK SWITCH MAINTENANCE SUPPORT AND NUMBER FIVE CONTRACT AWARD. BELLAIRE HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM SUPPORT PROGRAM AT SOUTHAMPTON MIDDLE SCHOOL.

STRIVE PROJECT. THANK YOU. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S A REQUEST FROM A BOARD MEMBER TO PULL OFF ITEM THREE FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA DISCOVERY. IS THAT STILL CORRECT? YES. OKAY.

THANK YOU. SO WE WILL THEN TO BE TABLED. AND UNTIL WE GET TO MORE INFORMATION, JUST ONE SECOND.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SO WE WILL THEN TAKE A, A REQUEST, A MOTION IN A SECOND TO VOTE ON ITEMS ONE, TWO, FOUR AND FIVE. I MOVE TO VOTE ON ITEMS ONE, TWO, FOUR, AND FIVE. MISS TERRY, THIS IS MELISSA, AND I SECOND THE MOTION. SORRY, DIANE. THANK YOU ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY OH, I'M SORRY. FAVOR TO VOTE ON IT OR A FAVOR TO APPROVE IT FOR VOTE, TO APPROVE IT. OKAY. SO THAT WOULD BE A CHANGE IN THE MOTION NOW 124 AND FIVE, ONE TWO, FOUR AND FIVE. BUT SHE SAID A MOTION TO VOTE ON IT, AND IT SHOULD BE A MOTION TO APPROVE. IT SHOULDN'T IT? I THINK WE JUST AMEND THE CONSENT AGENDA. IT'S DONE. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING. WE'RE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING. SO WE'RE GOING TO END IT. I THOUGHT WE'RE GOING TO WHAT WAS YOUR WHAT WAS YOUR MOTION? I MOVE TO REMOVE ITEM THREE FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA. OKAY AND THAT THE CONSENT AGENDA CONSISTS OF ITEMS ONE, TWO, FOUR AND FIVE. AND WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. YOU DIDN'T SAY APPROVE.

YOU SAID VOTE ON. OKAY. DID I GET MELISSA? AND I SECOND THE MOTION. OKAY. SO IS THAT SO? YOU WANT TO. SO WE'RE PULLING THREE OFF. SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. SO ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY YES. YES I HAVE A QUESTION ON READINESS. I I IS ARE WE DOING TWO THINGS RIGHT NOW.

WE'RE APPROVING 124 AND FIVE. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER THREE TO SEE WHAT, MISS COKER'S CONCERNS ARE. AND AT THAT POINT, IF THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND, IT MAY BE TABLED. IF THAT'S THE PREROGATIVE OF A BOARD MEMBER. OKAY. BECAUSE WHAT I HEARD HER SAY WAS THE TABLE THREE AND VOTE ON ONE, TWO, FOUR AND FIVE. SO I'M JUST FOR CLARIFICATION. YEAH. SO WE'RE ON THE WE'RE ON STEP ONE RIGHT OF THAT RIGHT NOW. SO THE MOTION AND THE SECOND WAS TO APPROVE 124 AND FIVE. SO ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY YES YES YES THERE ARE ANY OPPOSED. PLEASE SAY NO THANK YOU. THAT MOTION PASSES AT THIS POINT. WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR

[ B.3. Contract Award: Discovery Education Experience District License Renewal]

DISCUSSION ON ITEM THREE. I WANT TO TABLE IT BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO GET MORE INFORMATION BEFORE WE VOTE ON IT. DO YOU HAVE TO REQUEST THE MOTION? I MOVE TO TABLE ITEM THREE TO A FUTURE MEETING. I SECOND I'M SORRY, CAN YOU SPECIFY WHICH MEETING YOU WOULD PREFER TO MOVE IT TO? TO THE NEXT MEETING? YEAH. WE CAN MOVE TO NEXT MEETING. JUNE 24TH. JUNE 24TH. OKAY IS THERE A

[02:00:06]

SECOND? CAN WE HAVE SOME DISCUSSION WITH DIANA? SHE BROUGHT THE MOTION UP. OKAY.

DISCUSSION AT A SECOND. SECONDED. BEFORE WE VOTE. OKAY SO. BUT YOU WANT TO DISCUSS IT.

YEAH. GO FOR IT. SO IS THIS TIMELY FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT WE NEED. WE NEED THIS, LIKE NOW. THIS IS JEFF HORNER, SUPERVISOR OF PROCUREMENT. THIS IS ACTUALLY CONTINGENT ON THE FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET. SO IT WILL BE OKAY IF WE MOVE IT TO THE NEXT BOARD MEETING IF NECESSARY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. IS THERE A SECOND? THIS IS DIANE. I SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY YES. YES, YES. ANY OPPOSED? PLEASE SAY NO. NO NO. ANY ABSTAINS. PLEASE SAY NO.

PLEASE SAY ABSTAIN I ABSTAIN. THANK YOU. THE MOTION PASSES. I ABSTAINED FOR THE RECORD ALSO.

CAROL BRUCE. OKAY THANK YOU. OKAY, SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO NEW BUSINESS PRESENTATION ON

[C. Presentation on Susquehanna Rail Bridge Project at Havre de Grace Middle/High School (Amtrak), Mr. Cornell Brown, Assistant Superintendent for Operations and Mr. Kevin Poad, Project Representative from Amtrak]

SUSQUEHANNA RAIL BRIDGE PROJECT. THAT HABITAT GRACE MIDDLE HIGH AMTRAK. MR. CORNELL BROWN WELCOME. ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR OPERATIONS AND MR. KEVIN PROD PROD DIRECTOR SORRY PROJECT REPRESENTATIVE FROM AMTRAK. IS HE HERE? YES. OKAY. OH, THERE YOU ARE. THANK YOU. WELL, ACTUALLY, WE HAVE QUITE A FEW. OKAY. JOINING US, IF YOU DON'T MIND INTRODUCING EVERYONE THAT WILL BE JOINING YOU. MOST DEFINITELY. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CORNELL BROWN. I'M THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR OPERATIONS. AND JOINING ME, WE HAVE OUR PARTNERS, REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION, AMTRAK AND, AND PROBABLY ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO ON 2016, I THINK IT WAS ACTUALLY , BEFORE THEN, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, WAS ENGAGED BY REPRESENTATIVES FROM, AMTRAK AND MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND SOME OTHERS, AND THEY, LET US MADE US AWARE OF SOME, ALTERATIONS THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING TO MAKE TO THE RAILROAD TRACK. THAT'S BETWEEN, PERRYVILLE AND HARBOR GRACE ALONG THE 95 CORRIDOR, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM OVER THE YEARS JUST TO COLLABORATE AND COORDINATE, TO GET ON THE SAME PAGE. AND I'D LIKE TO REMIND THE BOARD AND THE PUBLIC THAT, EARLIER THIS YEAR, WE CAME BEFORE THE BOARD AND PRESENTED OUR SCHOOL SPONSORED PROJECT FOR SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO HARRIS FIELD, THAT IS THE RESULT OF THE PLAN, THAT AMTRAK, IS MAKING. SO BEFORE, WITH US TODAY, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, MR, DEXTER FORDYCE, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'M MEETING HIM, IN PERSON AND ACTUALLY QUITE A FEW, FOLKS HERE, WE'VE BEEN MEETING ON AND OFF FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS, VIRTUALLY, SO THEY'RE HERE JUST TO GIVE THE BOARD AND THE PUBLIC A, PRESENTATION, AN UPDATE OF WHAT THEY HAD PLANNED, AND I'D LIKE TO JUST TURN IT OVER, TO MR. FORDYCE, SO YOU CAN INTRODUCE HIS TEAM, AND THEN THEY'LL JUST TAKE US THROUGH TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION, AND THEN AFTERWARDS, WE CAN RESPOND TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.

THANK YOU. FOR NOW. AND GOOD EVENING TO THE BOARD AND ALL THE SUPPORT AND STAFF AND GOOD EVENING TO THE RESIDENT. THANK YOU FOR INVITING US HERE TONIGHT AND TO INTRODUCE MY TEAM MYSELF, MY NAME IS DEXTER PORTIS. AS I MENTIONED, I'M THE SENIOR PROGRAM DIRECTOR AT AMTRAK. I START WITH PETE. HI. MY NAME IS PETER MAZZEO. I'M THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR HNTB. WE'RE THE ENGINEER OF RECORD FOR THE AMTRAK SUSQUEHANNA RIVER BRIDGE PROJECT. AND GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS DENISE MILLER AND I AM THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER SUPPORTING THE PROJECT AND ALSO WITH AMTRAK AND I'M KEVIN CODE. I'M A DEPUTY PROJECT MANAGER FOR HNTB, RESPONSIBLE FOR CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING. THANKS FOR HAVING US AND A FEW MORE MEMBERS THAT IS ALSO HERE TO SUPPORT US FROM OUR FUNDING PARTNERS AND THAT IN JACQUELINE NAZARIAN, WE SHOULD HAVE SOME OF OUR FRA FOLKS THAT IS ALSO FUNDED. SO WITH THAT, WE'D LIKE TO GET INTO THE UPDATE. IT'S KICKING THIS OFF WITH THE AGENDA. SO TONIGHT WE'RE GOING TO GO OVER THE PROJECT OVERVIEW PROJECT STATUS, THE PROPOSED FIELD IMPROVEMENT. THE PUBLIC OUTREACH AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. AND FINALLY WE'RE GOING TO LEAVE SOME TIME FOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. SO THE EXISTING BRIDGE, AS YOU ALL KNOW, IS ABOUT 117 YEARS OLD.

[02:05:10]

IT'S A TWO TRACK BRIDGE BETWEEN THE TOWN OF PERRYVILLE AND HAVRE DE GRACE. IT'S A CRITICAL LINK FOR AMTRAK AND THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR. IT'S AN AGING INFRASTRUCTURE. AS YOU KNOW, IT'S 170 YEARS OLD. IT'S, GETTING CLOSE TO ITS, LIFE. AND BUT IT BASICALLY IT HAS SPEED AND CAPACITY CONSTRAINTS, OPERATIONAL INFLEXIBILITY AND MAINTENANCE DIFFICULTY. SO THE CURRENT OPERATION. SO IT'S A43 REIGNS, AMTRAK, WHICH IS 80 TO 90 TRAINS PER DAY. AND, MAC 12 TO 14 TRAINS PER DAY. AND FINALLY NORFOLK SOUTHERN WHICH IS 8 TO 10 TRAINS PER DAY. SO ALSO HAVE OPERATING RIGHTS BUT DON'T OPERATE CURRENTLY THE PROJECT COMPONENT. SO WE'RE GOING TO REPLACE THE TWO EXISTING, TRACK BRIDGE WITH TWO NEW BRIDGES, TO MODERNIZE AND IMPROVE TRACK AND CATENARY SIGNAL AND WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY ABOUT FIVE MILES OF TRACK IN REALIGNMENT AND RECONSTRUCTION. RIGHT. IN ADDITION TO THREE INTERLOCKING, TWO TRACK DEDICATED FOR AMTRAK HIGH SPEED AND TWO TRACK, PRIMARILY FOR MAC AND NORFOLK SOUTHERN. THE PUBLIC BENEFIT CONTINUES RAIL CONNECTIVITY ALONG THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR AND THE ABILITY TO ACCOMMODATE FUTURE OPERATION, IMPROVE RAIL SERVICE RELIABILITY, OPERATIONAL FLEXIBILITY AND CAPACITY, ALSO DECREASING TRIP TIME. IMPROVE RAIL AND NAVIGATION SAFETY, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE PRESIDENT THAT IS USING THE WATERWAY FOR ACCESS AND ALSO A GREAT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY. OPPORTUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE CONTINUOUS DEVELOPMENT. WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO PETE. OKAY. THANK YOU, DEXTER. AND, THANK YOU, BOARD, FOR HAVING US HERE. I WANTED TO JUST GIVE YOU SOME, SOME, SOME PROJECT STATUS, SOME CONTEXT OF WHERE WE ARE, WE STARTED THIS PROJECT BACK IN 2013 WITH AN IN-DEPTH INSPECTION OF THE EXISTING BRIDGE, FROM THERE, WE MOVED ON TO A FEASIBILITY STUDY LOOKING AT DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES OF WHAT COULD BE DONE. AND THAT RESULTED IN WHAT'S CALLED AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT. THAT WAS DONE IN 2017 AND ENDED UP WITH A FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AT THE END OF 2017 THAT LAUNCHED US INTO A FINAL DESIGN, WHICH TOOK A BIT OF A HIATUS WITH COVID. WE LOST ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS, DURING THAT COVID AND BUDGET RESTRAINTS, FROM THERE, WE RESTARTED, AND HAVE BEEN MOVING FORWARD THROUGH THE FINAL DESIGN PROCESS, AND AS WE'LL GET INTO A COUPLE OF THE SLIDES, WE'VE MADE PROGRESS WITH PROCUREMENT AS WELL AS WRAPPING UP THE FINAL DESIGN AND STARTING TO GET INTO SOME EARLY CONSTRUCTION. SO NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO LIKE I SAID, BACK IN 2017 WE DID AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT. THIS IS A VERY COMPREHENSIVE STUDY, THOSE OF YOU IN THE AREA MIGHT REMEMBER SOME OF THE MEETINGS THAT WERE DONE THERE. THERE WAS A LOT OF PUBLIC OUTREACH. THERE WAS A LOT OF PUBLIC OPINION PROVIDED, THAT ALL WENT INTO A REPORT AND THAT WAS REVIEWED AND APPROVED, WITH A WHAT'S CALLED A FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT. THAT LOOKED AT VARIOUS THINGS, CULTURAL, COMMUNITY COMMITMENTS, VARIOUS DETAILS OF THE PROJECT NEXT SLIDE. SO FOLLOWING THAT, THAT REVIEW, LIKE I SAID, THAT LAUNCHED US INTO FINAL DESIGN. THAT'S WHAT SECURED THE FUNDING, AND THE APPROVAL TO MOVE ON WITH THE ALTERNATIVE THAT WAS SELECTED. FAST FORWARD 2023, WE STARTED SOME OF THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS, AMTRAK'S BROUGHT ON WHAT'S CALLED A CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK, THIS IS ESSENTIALLY A GENERAL CONTRACTOR TO BUILD THE PROJECT, AMTRAK'S ALSO BROUGHT ON A PMCM, A PROJECT MANAGER, CONSTRUCTION MANAGER TO ASSIST WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF BOTH THE REMAINDER OF THE DESIGN AS WELL AS THE CONSTRUCTION AND WE'RE GOING AHEAD WITH PART OF WHAT WAS APPROVED THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS, WHICH IS THE REMOVAL OF THE REMNANT PIERS. THOSE ARE THE OLD 1866 PIERS. SO WHAT YOU'LL YOU'LL SEE HERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, 2425, LIKE I SAID, THERE'LL BE THE REMOVAL OF THE OLD 1866 REMNANT PIERS. THAT WAS A COMMITMENT THAT WAS MADE, AS PART OF THAT ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS, WE'RE ALSO MOVING AHEAD WITH BG, FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE LAST OF LATTICE TOWER THAT FEEDS AMTRAK'S SUBSTATION, THIS IS NEAR ROGER'S TAVERN IN

[02:10:05]

PERRYVILLE. IT'S THE LAST OF THE LINE THAT HAD NEEDS TO BE REPLACED IN ORDER TO MAKE WAY FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ESTHER MENTIONED. SO GOING FORWARD, WE'VE WRAPPED UP THE 90% DESIGN AND FINAL CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS. NEXT SLIDE. AND LIKE I SAID IN 2025, WE'LL BE MOVING AHEAD WITH, SOME OF THE EARLY CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES WITH THE PLAN TO HAVE THE WEST BRIDGE OR THE FIRST OF THE TWO BRIDGES, COMPLETE BY 2031. AND THEN THE SECOND BRIDGE COMPLETE AND SERVICE BY 2036. NEXT SLIDE. SO AS PART OF THIS WORK, LIKE WAS MENTIONED, THERE'LL BE SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO HARRIS FIELD. SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO KEVIN CODE TO WALK US THROUGH THAT. THANKS, PETE, SO AS YOU'VE HEARD, AS DEXTER AND PETE HAVE DESCRIBED, THE PROJECT HAS UNDERGONE COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REVIEW OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, AND I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK CORNELL AND HIS TEAM AT HCP FOR BEING FANTASTIC PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS, ESPECIALLY DURING THE MORE RECENT DESIGN COORDINATION EFFORTS OVER THE LAST YEAR, AS MENTIONED, THE PROJECT INVOLVES CONSTRUCTING TWO NEW RAILROAD ALIGNMENTS, WHICH REQUIRE EXPANSION ONTO BOARD OF ED PROPERTY NEAR THE HAVRE DE GRACE HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL. THE EXTENT OF THAT EXPANSION WILL BE MINIMIZED BY CONSTRUCTING A RETAINING WALL, AND ONE OF THE AREAS IDENTIFIED FOR MITIGATION IS HERE AT THE NORTHERN END OF HARRIS FIELD, AND SOME OF THE TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETIC EVENTS NEAREST TO THE EXISTING RAILROAD CORRIDOR, SPECIFICALLY THE POLE VAULT LONG JUMP STARTING TRUE FOR THE SPRINTS, AS WELL AS A STORAGE SHED IN THE NORTHERN CORNER THAT WILL BE AFFECTED TO MITIGATE THESE IMPACTS, THE PROJECT WILL INCORPORATE THE RELOCATION OF THESE FACILITIES WHILE ALSO IMPLEMENTING IMPROVEMENTS WHERE POSSIBLE, A FEW OF THE HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE, THE FOLLOWING, SPACE IS LIMITED IN THIS AREA. AS YOU CAN SEE, SO THE CURRENT PLAN IS TO UTILIZE WHAT'S CALLED THE D AREA IN THE NORTHERN END OF THE TRACK OVAL, WITHOUT DISTURBING THE TRACK OVAL ITSELF, AND WE'RE ALSO AWARE OF RECENT FUNDS APPROVED TO RESURFACE THE TRACK OVAL, WHICH I THINK REPRESENTS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO COORDINATE ON THESE TWO IMPORTANT PROJECTS FOR THIS FACILITY, INSIDE THAT NEW D AREA, YOU CAN SEE THE HIGH JUMP AND DISCUS WHICH ARE LOCATED IN THERE ALREADY, WILL BE SHIFTED TO MAKE WAY FOR A NEW POLE VAULT. ALL OF THESE WOULD BE MODERNIZED TO MEET CURRENT NATIONAL FEDERATION OF HIGH SCHOOL STANDARDS. THIS THEN ALLOWS FOR THE LONG JUMP AND TRIPLE JUMP TO BE IMPROVED, WITH DUAL RUNWAYS AND DUAL SAND PITS, WHICH WOULD ALLOW FOR MULTIPLE HEATS TO BE RUN SIMULTANEOUSLY AND FACILITATE MORE EFFICIENT TRACK MEETS ON THE SHOTPUT WOULD BE SHIFTED SLIGHTLY TO ACCOMMODATE THIS, AND THEN FINALLY A NEW STORAGE SHED WITH A ROLL UP DOORS WOULD BE, CONSTRUCTED ADJACENT TO THE TRACK OVAL FOR DIRECT AND CONVENIENT ACCESS. HERE YOU CAN SEE A RENDERING, A PRELIMINARY RENDERING OF THE RETAINING WALL, OF WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE FROM THE TRACK FIELD ITSELF, THE OVERALL ESTHETIC OF THE STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS FOR THIS AND OTHER ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT WOULD BE COORDINATED WITH CITY OF GRACE AND, HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN, IN FUTURE COORDINATION MEETINGS. AND WE'RE STILL EARLY IN THE PROCESS, I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH SAFETY AND SECURITY. ARE THE DRIVING FORCES FOR THIS PROJECT FOR AMTRAK AS WELL. YOU CAN SEE THIS WALL WOULD BE DESIGNED TO KEEP OUT UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS, TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE, TO KEEP THE RAILROAD OPERATIONAL, AND JUST PROMOTE SAFETY. AND THEN WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DENISE FOR, A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. SO THE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AMTRAK WAS PUT INTO PLACE, ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO TO SUPPORT PROJECTS LIKE THIS. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A DISRUPTION TO THE COMMUNITY AND SPECIFICALLY TO THE SCHOOL. SO WITH THAT, WHILE WE'RE HERE IN YOUR COMMUNITIES FOR THE FOR THE FOR THE UPCOMING YEARS, WE WANT TO SUPPORT YOU. SO THINGS THAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE, IN HAVRE DE GRACE, WE, SPONSORED THE SLEIGH RIDES AT THE HOLLY JOLLY. WE HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS AND WILL BE AT EVERY FIRST FRIDAY THROUGH THE THROUGH THE ENTIRE SEASON IN OCTOBER, WE PARTICIPATED IN YOUR RIVER SWEEP. WE'RE JUST. WE JUST WANT TO DO THINGS TO BE PART OF YOUR COMMUNITY. BUT WE ALSO WANT AN OPPORTUNITY TO WE BELIEVE WE WANT TO COME INTO YOUR COMMUNITY AND SUPPORT WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE GOING ON. SO WE'RE HERE TO LISTEN. WE'RE HERE TO LEARN.

[02:15:04]

WE'RE VERY TRANSPARENT. WE ARE NOT HIDING FROM THIS. WE'RE NOT HIDING FROM WHAT WE KNOW IS GOING TO BE A BIG HEADACHE. AND WE WANT TO DO THINGS TO SUPPORT YOU IN WAYS THAT ARE MEANINGFUL TO YOUR COMMUNITY. SO AS WE STARTED THE, ENGAGEMENT AND, WORK IN YOUR COMMUNITY SINCE THE BEGINNING OF OUR, THE END OF LAST YEAR, OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE FEEL COULD SUPPORT THE SCHOOL, SPECIFICALLY IN HAVRE DE GRACE, IS STEM. STEM IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ENGINEERING AND TO THE RAILROAD INDUSTRY. SO ANY OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT ANY KIND OF STEM PROGRAMS THAT YOU CURRENTLY HAVE IN HAVRE DE GRACE WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR PARTNERSHIP, IF YOU HAVE CAREER EXPLORATION DAYS, IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AMTRAK EMPLOYEES TO COME IN AND TALK ABOUT WHAT DIFFERENT TYPES OF CAREERS WOULD LOOK LIKE AT THE RAILROAD, THAT WOULD BE A GREAT THING. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, WE HAVE A PROGRAM CALLED OPERATION LIFESAVER. SO ANY OPPORTUNITY TO BE AT YOUR SCHOOL AT A AT A CURRENT EVENT AND TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAIN SAFETY, THAT REALLY DOES IMPACT YOUR COMMUNITY, AND WILL BE A BIG CONCERN FOR US THROUGHOUT THIS PROJECT. IT'S ALL ABOUT COMMUNICATION, WE WANT TO BE WE DON'T WANT ANYONE IN YOUR COMMUNITY TO BE LIKE, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS HAPPENING, OR I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON. WE WANT TO COME TO YOU AND TO YOUR COMMUNITY AND BE PART OF, CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING. AND WE WANT TO LISTEN TO YOU AND FOR YOU TO TELL US WHAT WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT OVER THE NEXT POTENTIAL TEN YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION, WE ALSO HAVE, NEXT SLIDE. WE HAVE INFORMATION IN THE BACK THAT WE HAVE BROUGHT ABOUT SOME UPCOMING, ACTIVITY THAT'S HAPPENING IN CONSTRUCTION. AND WE ALSO HAVE A NEWSLETTER. AND IN THE BACK THERE IS A QR CODE ON THE IN THE INFORMATION THAT WE WERE LEAVING BEHIND. WE ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY WHAT I'VE LEARNED AND WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I LIKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO COME INTO YOUR COMMUNITY. I LOVE YOUR PEOPLE.

LIKE IT'S JUST IT'S A QUAINT SMALL TOWN. IT REMINDS ME WHERE I GREW UP, BUT WHERE I GREW UP, ALSO IN A SMALL TOWN. WE ALSO KNOW THAT MISS INFORMATION GETS SPREAD VERY QUICKLY, SO WE WANT YOUR RESIDENTS AND YOUR COMMUNITY TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. WE DO NOT HAVE A FACEBOOK PAGE, SO, SIGN UP FOR OUR DISTRIBUTION LIST AND GET ACCURATE AND UPDATED INFORMATION. RIGHT NOW IT'S ONLY ONCE A QUARTER, BUT AS CONSTRUCTION RAMPS UP AND THERE WILL BE A CHANGE IN CONSTRUCTION BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW IN CONSTRUCTION THINGS CHANGE. THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO GET OUR INFORMATION WILL BE NOTIFIED AND GET AND BE MADE AWARE. AS SOON AS WE KNOW THAT CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE, AND THAT'S IT, WE ARE, HERE NOW TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL HAVE. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. AND WE LOOK PART WE LOOK FORWARD TO BEING PART OF YOUR COMMUNITY FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS. AND BEFORE WE GET TO QUESTIONS, I WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO MENTION, MR. BRAD'S PRINCIPAL, HEATHER CRAWFORD, THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR IS DEB BOSLER, AND HARRY MILLER AND CHRISTOPHER MORTON, AS A TEAM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, THE AMTRAK TEAM TO REPRESENT ASIA. SO THE SCHOOL HAS BEEN, ACTIVE AND, YOU KNOW, BEING INVOLVED, BE DOING PLANS, LOOKING AT THE, THE PROPOSED MODIFICATIONS TO THE FIELD, FILLING OUT SURVEYS A LOT OF TIME HAS BEEN PUT IN, YOU KNOW, BY, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT MEMBERS OF THE TEAM. SO IT'S BEEN A VERY STRONG COLLABORATIVE EFFORT OVER THE YEARS, AND IT'S JUST NICE TO FINALLY SEE IT, YOU KNOW, COMING TO FRUITION. SO WITH THAT, WE CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. GREAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE UPDATE. SO AS A PARENT OF A CHILD THAT GOES TO HAVRE DE GRACE, WE'RE EXCITED FOR THIS FIELD, UPDATES AND NEW STUFF.

CAN YOU LAY OUT THE TIMELINE OF WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING TO ACTUALLY DO THE RENOVATIONS? I'LL CALL IT TO HARRIS FIELD. AND ARE YOU TARGETING SUMMER AS TO NOT, YOU KNOW, INTERFERE WITH SPORTS? LIKE, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? SURE, LIKE I MENTIONED, WE HAVE THE, THE CONTRACTOR ON BOARD NOW, AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH SOME OF THOSE SCHEDULING QUESTIONS. WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THIS AS AS ONE OF THE EARLY WORK PROJECTS, THAT MEANS THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'D WANT TO HAVE THE CONTRACTOR GET ON AND START WORKING ON, EARLY IN THE PROCESS , THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING TOWARDS 2025, 2026 JUST BECAUSE OF THE VARIOUS, RIGHT OF WAY AND ENVIRONMENTAL APPROVALS THAT WE STILL NEED TO GO THROUGH. THERE'S NO CUTTING CORNERS ON THIS, ON THIS PROJECT. SO THESE THINGS TAKE TIME AND THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH, AND WE'LL CONTINUE COORDINATING WITH CORNELL AND HIS TEAM AS FAR AS THE TIME AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO PHASE THIS, OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE GOING TO MINIMIZE ANY DISRUPTION TO THE SCHOOL ACTIVITIES. AND WE UNDERSTAND THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITIES, A LOT OF DIFFERENT SPORTS USE THESE FACILITIES. ANY

[02:20:03]

IDEA HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE FROM START TO FINISH FOR THE WE'RE WE'RE STILL WORKING WITH THE CONTRACTOR ON THAT, BUT IT'S BETWEEN THE FACILITIES THEMSELVES. HAVE TO BE COORDINATED WITH THE RETAINING WALL AS WELL AS SOME UTILITIES. SO THE OVERALL DISRUPTION WILL PROBABLY PROBABLY BE ABOUT A YEAR. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE FIELD WILL BE OUT OF SERVICE THAT WHOLE TIME. THANK YOU. SO THIS IS A REALLY EXCITING PROJECT, SO I ACTUALLY USED TO TAKE THE TRAIN FROM ABERDEEN TO PHILADELPHIA EVERY DAY FOR ABOUT A YEAR, IN MY EARLY CAREER, AND SO I MUCH APPRECIATE, THE AMTRAK, YOU KNOW, SERVICE THAT'S PROVIDED THERE. QUESTION, IT LOOKS LIKE, SO YOU'RE BASICALLY YOU'RE MOVING THE TRACK. YOU'RE MOVING THE TRACK OVER. IS THAT.

NO WHAT'S HAPPENING? NO. WHAT'S HAPPENING IS THE THIS IS, IT'S A IT'S A BIG IMPROVEMENT TO SERVICE. IT'S GOING TO IT'S WE'RE DESIGNING THAT INSIDE TRACK TO, TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE 160MPH. SO WE'RE DESIGNING FOR, FOR TRAINS THAT AMTRAK DOESN'T EVEN HAVE YET. IT'S IT'S, IT'S FOR THE FUTURE. SO AS, AS WE FLATTEN THAT CURVE, THE, THE RIGHT OF WAY MOVES TOWARDS THE SPORTS FIELDS. AND WE'RE TRYING TO CONTAIN IT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. WE'RE GOING TO BE BUILDING RETAINING WALLS LIKE KEVIN SHOWED TO, TO KEEP IT, YOU KNOW, TO MINIMIZE ANY IMPACT.

BUT, IN THE PROCESS, WE'RE GOING TO BE FLIPPING THE, THE CHUTE ESSENTIALLY, SO THAT THE TRACK ITSELF, OTHER THAN CLIPPING THAT THAT PIECE OF THE CHUTE, WILL HAVE TO BE MOVED. BUT THEN THERE'S OTHER FACILITIES. LIKE THE SHED THAT IS GOING TO BE REPLACED, SOME OF THOSE OTHER FACILITIES ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE REARRANGED A BIT TO MAKE ROOM FOR THAT. THAT RETAINING WALL.

GREAT, AND THEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE NEW BRIDGE DESIGN. IT'S GORGEOUS, IT LOOKS LIKE, THE CURRENT ONE HAS A TURNTABLE. AND THIS, THIS ONE IS JUST GOING TO BE STATIONARY. IT'S GOING TO BE HIGH ENOUGH. SO THAT. EXACTLY. YEAH. I MEAN, WE'VE DONE, STUDIES, NAVIGATIONAL STUDIES.

THEY'VE BEEN REVIEWED BY THE COAST GUARD AND, BASICALLY BY RAISING THE CLEARANCE UNDER THE BRIDGE BY ABOUT TEN FEET, AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO GO BACK WITH A FIXED BRIDGE. AND SO THERE WON'T THERE'LL BE LESS DISRUPTION, BOTH TO MARINE TRAFFIC AS WELL AS THE RAILROAD. THANKS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ANYTHING ELSE? I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. THE RETAINING WALL, IS THAT GOING TO STRETCH THE ENTIRE PROPERTY WHERE AMTRAK IS? YES. AND WHAT'S THE HEIGHT OF THE RETAINING WALL? IT'LL IT'LL VARY IN HEIGHT DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU ARE ALONG THE LINE. BUT I THINK AT ITS HIGHEST WILL PROBABLY BE 25, 30FT. YEAH. IT'S A LOT OF RETAINING WALL. WE'RE GOING THROUGH A LOT OF, WE'LL SAY EXPENSE TO MINIMIZE ANY IMPACT TO THE, THE SCHOOL. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO MELISSA ASKED MY QUESTION, AND YOU SAID WITH THE MAXIMUM WAS, WHAT'S THE MINIMUM FOR THE HEIGHT? I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S SUCH A GOOD ENTRY. EXISTING GRADE. YEAH. SO IT'LL GO TO NOTHING ALMOST. AND SO. SO, IS THERE ANY CONCERN ABOUT, PEOPLE JOINING? WHAT'S A SETBACK BETWEEN THE TRACKS AND THE RETAINING WALL AND A SECURITY FENCE TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM CROSSING THE TRACKS? YEAH, THERE WILL BE A FENCE NOT ONLY ON TOP OF THE WALL, BUT ALSO BEYOND THE WALL, THE ENTIRE RAILROAD CORRIDOR. SECURITY FENCING IS GOING TO BE UPDATED AS PART OF THIS PROJECT. LIKE KEVIN SAID, YOU KNOW, SAFETY AND SECURITY IS PARAMOUNT. SO AMTRAK'S NORMAL PRACTICE IS TO HAVE RIGHT OF WAY FENCE, WHICH IS GOING TO BE, ANYWHERE WHERE THE WALL IS LESS THAN 50FT HIGH. BUT WHERE WE GET CLOSER TO THE FIELDS, IN ORDER NOT TO IMPACT THE SCHOOL ANY MORE, WE'RE GOING TO TIE THE FENCE BACK INTO THE WALL AND THEN HAVE THE FENCING ALONG THE TOP OF THE WALL. SO ESSENTIALLY THAT'S, IT'LL BE ABLE TO IT'LL SECURE THE RIGHT OF WAY TO KEEP FOLKS OUT, EVEN IF THEY TRY AND FIND THE WALL OF THE FENCE AND THAT'LL, THAT'LL BE PUT IN PLACE BEFORE ANY WORK STARTED ON THE TRACK ITSELF. IS THAT WHERE IS THAT IN THE TIMELINE OF CONSTRUCTION? YEAH. SO AS FAR AS THE WHAT THERE'S TEMPORARY CONDITIONS, WHEN CONSTRUCTION STARTS, THE AREA WILL BE FENCED OFF, SO THERE'LL BE TEMPORARY FENCE PUT UP TO KEEP ANYBODY OUT OF THE CONSTRUCTION AREA. AND THEN THAT TEMPORARY FENCE WILL BE TAKEN DOWN ONCE THE WALL AND ALL THE PERMANENT FENCING IS IN PLACE. SO AT NO TIME WILL ANYBODY BE ABLE TO GET ONTO AMTRAK RIGHT AWAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THE HEIGHT OF THE WALL OR THE THICKNESS IS THAT BASED

[02:25:06]

ON WITHSTANDING SO MUCH COLLISION, WHAT'S THE THICKNESS OF THE WALL AND HOW IS THAT DETERMINED. WELL THE WALL IS, IT'S A WALL. IT'S A FILL WALL, MEANING THAT IT'S, WHAT'S BEHIND THE WALL IS HURT. SO THERE IS, THERE'S REALLY NO THICKNESS. NO, NO FRONT AND BACK TO THE WALL.

THERE'S JUST THE FRONT THAT YOU SEE. AND THEN BEHIND IT IS, IS FILL IS, IS SOIL AND IS THE TRAIN GRADE TRACK BELOW THE, THE TRAIN WILL BE THE RAILROAD WILL BE AT THE TOP OF THE WALL. SO THE RAILROAD IS AT THE TOP OF THE STONE. SO THE TRAIN IS ABOVE THAT, WHICH IS WHAT THE FENCE IS FOR. YEAH SO YOU'LL HAVE YOU'LL HAVE THE WALL AND YOU'LL HAVE THE SCHOOL PROPERTY BELOW AND YOU'LL HAVE THE TRAIN STOP. THANKS FOR THE ONE PICTURE OF THE SLIDE WHERE THE STONE IS.

THE TRAIN WILL JUST BE VISIBLE AND GOING ALONG THAT THAT FENCE AT THE TOP. YEAH RIGHT. THAT'S CORRECT. SO THE TRAIN WILL PASS BEHIND THE FENCE. AND WHEN YOU CONSTRUCT THE WEST BRIDGE FIRST ALL THE TRAFFIC WILL BE DIVERTED TO THAT. AND THEN YOU'LL TEAR DOWN THE CURRENT BRIDGE AND THEN YOU'LL BUILD THE EAST BRIDGE. SO DO YOU HAVE TO CURTAIL THE CAPACITY DURING THAT TIME, OR YOU'LL HAVE THAT SAME CAPACITY OVER JUST THE ONE BRIDGE. CAPACITY. YEAH. YEAH, IT'S A TWO TRACK BRIDGE NOW. AND THE WEST BRIDGE WILL BE A TWO TRACK BRIDGE. OKAY. THANK YOU. I'M GOOD. OKAY. THANK YOU. MY QUESTIONS WERE ANSWERED, SO WE'RE GOOD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING. THANK YOU. AND WE'LL BE BACK. SO YOU ALWAYS ARE. WELL, I MEAN, THIS TEAM WILL BRING THEM BACK AS, YOU KNOW, PROGRESS IS MADE SINCE, COMMUNICATION WAS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. OKAY MOVING ON TO ITEM D PRESENTATION ON NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION

[D. Presentation on National Board Certification Recognition, Ms. Rebecca Spencer, Supervisor of Teacher Preparation & Professional Development, Ms. Crystal Rufenacht, Music Teacher at Halls Cross Roads Elementary School, Ms. Kathleen Thompson, Gifted and Talented Teacher at Joppatowne & Ring Factory Elementary Schools, and Ms. Meghan Sweeney-Doyle, RTI Consulting]

RECOGNITION. I'D LIKE TO WELCOME MISS REBECCA SPENCER, SUPERVISOR OF TEACHER PREPARATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. MISS CRYSTAL. HOW DO YOU SAY YOUR NAME? I WAS CLOSE, OKAY, MUSIC TEACHER AT HALLS CROSSROAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. AND KATHLEEN THOMPSON, GIFTED AND TALENTED TEACHER AT JOPPATOWNE AND RING FACTORY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. AND LASTLY, MISS MEGAN SWEENEY DOYLE, RTI CONSULTING. WELCOME. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT DOCTOR OLSON AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DOCTOR BOYNTON SHARED, I'M REBECCA SPENCER, THE SUPERVISOR OF TEACHER PREPARATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. I'M KATHLEEN THOMPSON, GIFTED AND TALENTED EDUCATOR AT JOPPATOWNE ELEMENTARY AND MARINE FACTORY ELEMENTARY. I'M CRYSTAL RUPERT, MUSIC TEACHER AT CROSSROADS. AND CRYSTAL AND KATHLEEN ARE SUPPORT FACILITATORS FOR OUR NATIONAL BOARD PROGRAM. AND MEGAN SWEENEY, DWAYNE DOYLE, WHO IS SUPPOSED TO JOIN US VIRTUALLY, IS WITH RTI CONSULTING, WHO IS ALSO BEEN SUPPORTING OUR WORK THROUGH THE MARYLAND LEADS INITIATIVE, AS WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND AND GROW OUR CANDIDATE SUPPORT PROGRAM.

SO WE'RE HERE TO SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION PROCESS, AS WELL AS CELEBRATE AND RECOGNIZE OUR NEWLY ACHIEVED NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED TEACHERS. AND SO THE PURPOSE OF NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION IS IT'S A PROFESSIONAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS THAT PROVIDES A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PROFESSIONAL TEACHING CREDENTIAL. SO IT'S THE HIGHEST ACHIEVEMENT FOR CERTIFICATION FOR EDUCATORS IN THE IN THE NATION. AND IT'S A RIGOROUS ASSESSMENT PROCESS. SO IT CONSISTS OF FOUR COMPONENTS. THREE ARE WRITTEN PORTFOLIO COMPONENTS THAT REQUIRE ANALYSIS AND REFLECTION ON STUDENT WORK, ON PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF INSTRUCTION ONE, THE ABILITY TO ACCURATELY ASSESS AND USE THAT ASSESSMENT DATA TO INFORM INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES. AND THEN IT ALSO HAS A COMPUTER BASED ASSESSMENT PORTION WHICH ASSESSES A TEACHER'S CONTENT KNOWLEDGE IN THE CERTIFICATE FIELD. SO JUST A BRIEF HISTORY IN 1987, THE NATIONAL BOARD WAS FOUNDED IN RESPONSE TO THE A NATION AT RISK REPORT, AS OF 2023, THERE ARE OVER 137,000 SEATS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THE STATE OF MARYLAND HAS OVER 4000,

[02:30:06]

AND HARFORD COUNTY CURRENTLY HAS 152. SO THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICE OF HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS SUPPORTS CANDIDATES PURSUING CERTIFICATION, OUR GOALS ARE TO ENLIST A DIVERSE GROUP OF TEACHERS TO PURSUE AND ACHIEVE NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION TO IMPROVE, EXPAND AND ELEVATE THE SUPPORT SYSTEM PROVIDED TO CANDIDATES FOR CERTIFICATION AND TO REWARD ELEVATE AND EXPAND THE INFLUENCE OF WNBC-TV'S WITHIN HARFORD COUNTY. TO PROVIDE A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SUPPORT NETWORK HERE IN HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, OUR SUPPORT HAS EVOLVED FROM BEING 100% VOLUNTEER RUN, IT STATES THEY'RE MEETING IN THE BASEMENT OF BELLAIRE HIGH SCHOOL IN ITS FIRST YEARS, WE'VE HAD A DEDICATED POSITIONS, THAT RUN THE SUPPORT NETWORK AND, CURRENTLY WE HAVE, 12 FULL TIME TEACHERS WHO RUN THE SUPPORT NETWORK, WHO SUPPORT MOSTLY OUTSIDE OF TEACHING HOURS. SO, AND OF COURSE, OUR SUPPORT FROM THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICE, VARIOUS POSITIONS WE'VE HAD ANYWHERE FROM 25, INITIAL CANDIDATES IN A GIVEN YEAR TO OVER 200. AND WE HAVE, SUPPORTED RECENTLY WITH DIFFERENTIATED OPTIONS, INCLUDING ADDING WEEKENDS AND, ALTERNATE EVENING TIMES. ALL NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATIONS ARE GROUNDED BY THE FIVE CORE PROPOSITIONS THAT YOU SEE UP ON THE BOARD. THESE PROPOSITIONS WERE DEVELOPED AND REVISED BY PRACTICING EDUCATOR, WAS BASED ON RESEARCH AND PRACTITIONER EXPERTISE AS THE NATIONAL BOARD, FIVE CORE PROPOSITIONS AND STANDARDS DESCRIBE WHAT ACCOMPLISHED TEACHERS SHOULD KNOW AND BE ABLE TO DO TO HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON STUDENT LEARNING. THEN YOU'LL SEE THE ARCHITECTURE OF ACCOMPLISHED TEACHING. THIS PROVIDES A VIEW OF HOW TO USE THE FIVE CORE PROPOSITIONS AND THE STANDARDS THAT ARE DEVELOPED FROM THEM RESULT IN STUDENT LEARNING AS DEPICTED IN THE ARCHITECTURE OF ACCOMPLISHED TEACHING SHOWN. ONE STRAND REPRESENTS TEACHING PRACTICE AS GROUNDED BY THE FIVE CORE PROPOSITIONS, WHILE THE OTHER STRAND REPRESENTS THE TEACHER'S IMPACT ON STUDENTS AND THEIR LEARNING. THE NATIONAL BOARD FIVE CORE PROPOSITIONS EMBEDDED WITH THE ARCHITECTURE OF ACCOMPLISHED TEACHING IS THE FOUNDATION FOR EFFICIENT TEACHING. IT IS ALIGNED WITH OUR TEACHER EVALUATION FRAMEWORK. CURRENTLY IN EFFECT, THESE CYCLES ALLOW OUR TEACHERS TO DEMONSTRATE ANALYTICAL AND REFLECTIVE THINKING ABOUT THEIR PRACTICE AND AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE HELIX, YOU'LL SEE THE FIRST STEP IS GETTING TO KNOW YOUR STUDENTS. SECOND STEP IS SETTING GOALS. THIRD STEP IS YOUR INSTRUCTION. FOURTH IS EVALUATING STUDENT LEARNING.

FIFTH IS THAT REFLECTION PIECE. AND SIXTH IS AGAIN, SETTING NEW HIGH ACHIEVABLE GOALS. AND ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL THINGS ABOUT NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION IS THAT IT'S A PROCESS THAT WAS DESIGNED BY TEACHERS FOR TEACHERS. AND SO MOST TEACHERS THAT GO THROUGH THE NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION PROCESS WILL SAY IT'S THE MOST INTENTIONAL AND POWERFUL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT THEY'VE RECEIVED BECAUSE IT'S DESIGNED FOR THEM AND INVOLVE THEIR TEACHING, THEIR CURRICULUM, THEIR STUDENTS, THEIR CLASSROOM, SO WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A MINUTE JUST TO TALK ABOUT THE RESEARCH SUPPORTING NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION.

STUDENTS OF NBC-TV'S GAIN 1 TO 2 MONTHS OF LEARNING COMPARED TO PEERS IN OTHER CLASSROOMS. STUDENTS OF NBC-TV'S DEMONSTRATE EVIDENCE OF DEEPER LEARNING NEARLY THREE TIMES MORE FREQUENTLY THAN THEIR PEERS, AND BCTS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE EFFECTIVE THAN NON NVC PEERS IN HIGH SCHOOL. END OF COURSE CLASSES AND PRINCIPALS DO REPORT NBCT ARE AMONG THE BEST THEY'VE OBSERVED AND ARE MORE COLLABORATIVE, PROFESSIONAL AND DEDICATED. AND THAT DOES COME FROM THE NBCT WEBSITE. NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR DISTRICT INITIATIVES. FOREMOST, IT'S ALIGNED TO THE BLUEPRINT FOR MARYLAND'S FUTURE PILLAR TWO ELEVATING EDUCATORS, AND IT'S EMBEDDED WITHIN THE CAREER LADDER, WHICH WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR. THE MARYLAND LEADS INITIATIVES. WE DID HAVE GRANT FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE EXPANSION OF OUR SUPPORT PROGRAM IN ORDER TO GROW OUR TEACHER LEADERS AND RETAIN QUALITY TEACHERS, AND THEN, OF COURSE, NORTH STAR DESIRES HIGH QUALITY TEACHERS WHO ARE ABLE TO DELIVER SUCCESS FOR OUR STUDENTS IN COLLEGE AND CAREER. THERE ARE INCENTIVES FOR TEACHERS. HISTORICALLY, THEY'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY FOR A SCHOLARSHIP, WHICH COVERS THE

[02:35:03]

INITIAL CERTIFICATION COSTS AS WELL AS A MAINTENANCE OF CERTIFICATION, WHICH MUST BE COMPLETED EVERY FIVE YEARS. SO MSDE AND HCS SHARE A PORTION OF THAT COST. AND THEN FOR TEACHERS WHO ACHIEVE IF THEY ARE IDENTIFIED AS A TEACHER UNDER MSD DEFINITION, THEY RECEIVE A SALARY INCREASE OF $10,000 ANNUALLY. AND IF THEY WORK IN A BLUEPRINT IDENTIFIED LOW PERFORMING SCHOOL, THEY RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL $7,000 ANNUALLY. AND IN RESPONSE TO THE INCREASED DEMAND OF NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION, WE ARE WORKING TO CONTINUE TO REFINE OUR NATIONAL BOARD CANDIDATE SUPPORT PROGRAM. WE HAVE GOALS TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE THE DIVERSITY OF OUR CANDIDATES. OF COURSE, THE SATISFACTION OF THE SUPPORT SYSTEM THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THEM AND OUR NUMBER OF HCS MEETS BECAUSE HIGH QUALITY TEACHERS LEAD TO HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTION. AND SO FOR THE BEST PART OF THIS EVENING'S PRESENTATION, IT'S TIME TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THOSE WHO NEWLY ACHIEVED. SO THIS IS THE 2223 COHORT WHO RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF WHETHER THEY PASSED IN DECEMBER OF 2023. AND SO WE WILL BE RECOGNIZING THEM THIS EVENING. SOME OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE IN THE AUDIENCE WITH US. SO WE DO ASK THEM TO STAND IF THEIR NAME IS CALLED. AND OF COURSE, WE HAVE SOME TUNING IN FROM HOME AS WELL.

ASHLEY ANDREWS AT SWAN CREEK, EMILY BATCHELOR AT GEORGE D LISBY LORI BOWMAN AT RED PUMP ELEMENTARY, SARAH BROWN AT PATTERSON MILL MIDDLE, STEPHANIE CARLOCK, HOW MANY GRADE MIDDLE SCHOOL CARLY PATTERSON, FALLSTON, HIGH PATRICK CLARK, BALLSTON HIGH RHONDA CONNOLLY, BALLSTON HIGH JAMIE CONNOR, ABERDEEN HIGH MICHAELA CORDAY, NORTH. HARFORD, HIGH EMILY CROCKER, HICKORY ELEMENTARY, CLAIRE DOVER, RED PUMP ELEMENTARY LAUREN DONNELLY AT RIVERSIDE ELEMENTARY, CAITLIN DWYER, AT EDGEWOOD HIGH, DANNY FLACK AT HARFORD TECHNICAL HIGH, AND MICHAEL FRISKY AT BELLAIRE HIGH AMY HAMILTON, SWAN CREEK, ASHLEY HEINEMANN, HOMESTEAD, WAKEFIELD ELEMENTARY, KELLY HENNIG, RED PUMP ELEMENTARY, KIMBERLY HENRY PATTERSON MILL MIDDLE, CATHERINE HUMPHREY, BELLAIRE HIGH, GEORGE RESNICK AT EDGEWOOD MIDDLE JESSICA KEARNEY AT FALLSTON, MIDDLE JESSICA KELLER, NORRIS, VILLE ELEMENTARY , TARYN MARTIN AT ABERDEEN MIDDLE KIM MAYFORTH AT HARFORD ACADEMY ALLISON MCMENAMIN AT ABERDEEN MIDDLE, AND GRETCHEN MILCH AT SOUTHAMPTON MIDDLE JAMIE PRITCHARD, ROY WILLIAMS ELEMENTARY, TARA RICKER, PROSPECT MILL ELEMENTARY, LAUREN REEVES, PATTERSON MILL HIGH, SHELLY REYNOLDS, MAGNOLIA MIDDLE, KATIE RISER, FALLSTON HIGH, EDWARD RACZKOWSKI, HALSTON HIGH AND WE DO HAVE A MOTHER DAUGHTER DUO TEAM. WE HAVE HANNAH EXAMPLE FROM MEADOWVALE ELEMENTARY AND TINA SAMPLE FROM RAIN FACTORY ELEMENTARY. JORDAN SHIELDS AT ABERDEEN MIDDLE, ELIZABETH SIEBOLD AT EDGEWOOD HIGH G. SOHN AT SOUTHAMPTON MIDDLE DANNY STOD AT EDGEWOOD HIGH, ALONG WITH JENNIFER STAUB AT EDGEWOOD HIGH. WE HAVE A MARRIED COUPLE AS WELL, BRENDA TALBOT, RED PUMP ELEMENTARY, EMMA THOMAS, ABERDEEN HIGH, KIMBERLY WEBSTER, PATTERSON MILL, MIDDLE, SANDRA WELTY, JOPPATOWNE HIGH, JESSICA WILLIAMS, FALLSTON HIGH, ALLISON WINKER, RED PUMP ELEMENTARY SUSAN WERFUL, JOPPATOWNE ELEMENTARY. OH, KELLY YOUNCE FROM SEA, MILTON WRIGHT HIGH. SO WE'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE AND CONGRATULATE OUR. IT'S SUCH A DISTINGUISHED HONOR TO EARN THAT CERTIFICATION. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A LIST OF INDIVIDUALS WHO RECEIVED THEIR MAINTENANCE, A CERTIFICATION THIS PAST SCHOOL YEAR, AND AGAIN, THAT HAS TO BE DONE EVERY FIVE YEARS. SO CHRISTINE BARD AT RED PUMP ELEMENTARY, AMY BLIZZARD AT EDGEWOOD HIGH, VIRGINIA BAYLISS AT SEA, MILTON WRIGHT HIGH, WENDY BUTZ AT SEA, MILTON WRIGHT HIGH, WHO IS ALSO ONE OF OUR SUPPORT FACILITATORS WAS JAMIE CHILDS AT EDGEWOOD HIGH. RACHEL COOTS HAVERTY, GRACE MIDDLE, ANNE COX, SEA MILTON WRIGHT HIGH SCHOOL, JOSEPH DAVIS, SEA MILTON, JEAN DOMINIC HARFORD TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL, SARAH DOYLE, HARFORD COUNTY, GRACE HIGH, RACHEL DYER, NORTH HARFORD, MIDDLE LORI EVANS, MEADOWVALE ELEMENTARY YVONNE GABRIEL, ABERDEEN HIGH

[02:40:06]

ELIZABETH LEWIS, PATTERSON, MILL, MIDDLE, JUST ANNE MARKLE, ABINGDON ELEMENTARY JUDITH MARQUART, AT PATTERSON MILL, MIDDLE TIFFANY MCFADDEN, AT FALLSTON HIGH DANA MORTON, AT NORTH HARFORD HIGH ELIZABETH NEWBY AT HAVRE DE GRACE MIDDLE, WHO IS ALSO ONE OF OUR SUPPORT FACILITATORS. VICKY RAYMOND AT WILLIAMS JAMES ELEMENTARY, KATE SANTOVENIA AT HARTFORD TECHNICAL HIGH, AND JENNIFER SEXTON AT NORTHVILLE ELEMENTARY. SO IF WE CAN CONGRATULATE THOSE INDIVIDUALS. AND SO YOU CAN SEE WITH THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO ACHIEVED AND OUR NUMBERS ARE CONTINUING TO INCREASE THE IMPORTANCE OF A STRONG CANDIDATE SUPPORT SYSTEM HERE IN HARFORD COUNTY FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS. AND I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DID NOT SHARE APPRECIATION FOR OUR LEAD SUPPORT FACILITATORS, CRYSTAL AND KATHY, WHO ARE HERE THIS EVENING, BETTY JO MARZEC, WHO'S IN MY OFFICE AS A TEACHER SPECIALIST, AND OUR TEAM OF NATIONAL BOARD SUPPORT FACILITATORS AND READERS. AND THEN, OF COURSE, LORI GOLDENHERSH, WHO'S MY ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, WHO DOES ALL OF THE BACK WORK, AND SO WE APPRECIATE EVERYBODY WHO PROVIDES SUPPORT, INCLUDING OUR BOARD MEMBERS. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION THIS EVENING. GREAT THANK YOU. THERE'S ANY BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? NO, I JUST WANT TO SAY I'M VERY IMPRESSED WITH, THE TEACHERS THAT ARE GETTING ON BOARD WITH THE CERTIFICATION. IT SOUNDS LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB. YEAH. GREAT PRESENTATION. COUPLE QUESTIONS, YOU SAID WE DID HAVE THE MARYLAND LEADS GRANT, BUT THAT HAS EXPIRED NOW, RIGHT? IT WILL EXPIRE IN SEPTEMBER. YES. OKAY. AND IN THE FIVE CORE PROPOSITIONS, DO YOU SEE CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND HANDLING DISCIPLINE PROBLEMS, BEHAVIOR ISSUES. IS THAT CONSIDERED IN THERE AT ALL? WELL, IT DOES SAY TEACHERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING AND MONITORING STUDENT LEARNING. SO I THINK THAT MANAGEMENT IS TIME MANAGEMENT. CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND INSTRUCTIONAL MANAGEMENT OKAY. THANK YOU. SO THAT WOULD BE YES OKAY. ANYONE ELSE MR. SOUL HOW DOES THE COURT LOOK THIS YEAR. SO THIS YEAR, WE HAVE 102 INITIAL CANDIDATES AS WELL AS 36 TEACHER SPECIALISTS WHO WILL ALSO BE PURSUING THIS YEAR AND THEN 46 THAT ARE CONTINUING. SO A TOTAL OF 100, ABOUT 170, COMPARED TO LAST YEAR, IT WAS 92 THAT WERE INITIAL AND CONTINUING . ANYBODY ELSE? OKAY. IT'S A DIFFICULT CERTIFICATION.

CONGRATULATIONS. VERY MUCH TO EVERYONE AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HAVE A WONDERFUL EVENING. OKAY. SO OKAY. WELCOME BACK EVERYONE.

[E. Presentation of Board of Education's Proposed FY2025 Budget Overview, Dr. Aaron Poynton, Board President and Ms. Deborah Judd, Assistant Superintendent for Business Services]

WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM E , PRESENTATION OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION'S PROPOSED 2025 BUDGET. OVERVIEW. I'D LIKE TO WELCOME MISS DEBORAH JUDD, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR BUSINESS SERVICES. WELCOME. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING, DOCTOR BOYNTON, VICE PRESIDENT. HAHN.

BOARD MEMBERS AND DOCTOR GOLSON, THIS EVENING WE'RE GOING TO DO A VERY HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE BUDGET. SO WE DO HAVE PRIORITIES THAT HAVE BEEN SET FOR THE BOARD. THE BOARD DID APPROVE THE BUDGET IN FEBRUARY AND THAT IS WHAT WAS SENT TO THE COUNTY. SO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE PROPOSED LOCAL FUNDING THAT WAS FLAT FROM LAST YEAR. THERE IS A PROPOSAL RIGHT NOW THAT HAS YET TO BE VOTED ON BY THE COUNTY COUNCIL TO INCREASE THAT FUNDING, BUT WE DO NOT HAVE THAT YET. BUT THIS PRESENTATION WILL SHOW WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE IF WE DO RECEIVE THAT $6.5 MILLION. SO AS WE DISCUSSED A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, THE BOARD'S PRIORITIES FOR FY 25 ARE AS FOLLOWS. ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT WITH A FOCUS ON MATH AND RELA IMPROVE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT WITH AN EMPHASIS ON ATTENDANCE AND SAFETY, AND INCREASED COMMUNITY AND PARENT GUARDIAN TRUST THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS AND TRANSPARENCY. THE REVISED PROPOSAL THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT REDUCES THE BUDGET INCREASE FROM 47.3 MILLION, WHICH WAS THE INCREASE THAT WE SUBMITTED INITIALLY TO 39.7 MILLION, WHICH IS A REDUCTION OF $7.6 MILLION. THAT IS MADE UP OF AN ADDITIONAL 3 MILLION IN PROPOSED NEEDS TO ADDRESS SPECIFIC AREAS. AND 10.6 MILLION IS PROPOSED AS STRUCTURAL OR OPERATIONAL REDUCTIONS. THE ADDITIONS TO THE BUDGET INCLUDE CERTAIN BUDGET LINES,

[02:45:04]

SUFFICIENTLY FUNDING SALARY BUDGETS FOR SUBSTITUTE SALARIES, MAINLY INCREASING PROPERTY AND GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE BASED ON FINAL ESTIMATES FOR FY 25, AND INCREASING THE ATHLETIC TRAINER BUDGET TO FULLY COVER THE ANTICIPATED COST OF THE CONTRACT THAT WE ENTERED INTO.

THE PROPOSED REDUCTIONS TO THE BUDGET INCLUDE. ADJUSTMENT TO THE COST OF THE WAGE PACKAGE BASED ON RATIFIED CONTRACTS, TRANSFER OF CERTAIN POSITIONS TO APPROPRIATE GRANTS, ELIMINATION OF CERTAIN POSITIONS, REDUCTION IN SERVICES RELATED TO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND INTERVENTION COSTS, REMOVAL OF SUMMER PROGRAMS UNRELATED TO HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT RECOVERY.

REMOVAL OF ANTICIPATED SURPLUS IN THE DENTAL INSURANCE BUDGET. REMOVAL OF BUDGETED OPEB FUNDING AND REMOVAL OF FACILITIES AND TECHNOLOGY RELATED COST INCREASES. THAT'S NOT TO MEAN THAT THERE WON'T BE COST INCREASES. WE HAVE JUST REMOVED ANY INCREASE TO COVER THE COST INCREASES. SO THIS RECONCILIATION, IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO READ, BUT I WANTED IT ON THE SAME PAGE. SO YOU CAN SEE AT THE TOP ON THE RIGHT CHART, THE FY 24 REVISED UNRESTRICTED BUDGET. THAT'S THE CURRENT YEAR BUDGET $613.5 MILLION. THE BUDGET INCREASE REQUESTS LISTED BY MAIN AREA TOTAL $39.7 MILLION, WHICH BRINGS US DOWN TO $653.3 MILLION. AT THE BOTTOM, THE CHART TO THE LEFT. THE SMALLER CHART SHOWS LOCAL FUNDING, WITH THE PROPOSED $6.5 MILLION INCREASE IN REVENUE THAT WOULD TAKE OUR LOCAL CONTRIBUTION TO 321.4 MILLION.

OUR STATE IS THE SAME ADJUSTMENT THAT WE'VE HAD PREVIOUSLY. IT'S $17 MILLION INCREASE THAT TAKES US TO THE $296.1 MILLION NO CHANGE IN FEDERAL FUNDS, A CHANGE IN OTHER REVENUE TO $5.2 MILLION, AND AN INCREASE IN FUND BALANCE TO $30.2 MILLION, SO THAT THE CURRENT YEAR WE HAVE $15 MILLION THAT WE'VE PROPOSED IN THE BUDGET FOR OUR ASSIGNING FUND BALANCE, AND WE'RE INCREASING THAT BY 15.2. SO IF THIS BUDGET WAS SUBMITTED, AS IT'S REFLECTED HERE, WE WOULD BE USING $30.2 MILLION IN FUND BALANCE FOR FY 25. SO THAT'S A VERY BROAD OVERVIEW OF THE RESULTS OF OUR PUBLIC INPUT SESSION OR THE I'M SORRY, THE BOARD WORK SESSION THAT WE HAD RELATED TO THE BUDGET AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN CERTAINLY HAVE DISCUSSION RELATED TO THAT. NOW SO GREAT. THANK YOU ALL. HAVE A BOARD MEMBER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. I'LL START. HOW MUCH IS THE TOTAL FUND BALANCE RIGHT NOW? AS OF MARCH 31ST, THE PROJECTED FUND BALANCE WAS A LITTLE OVER $49 MILLION, THAT INCLUDED THE 5 MILLION THAT THE BOARD PROPOSED. SO ADDING THAT BACK IN WOULD BE ABOUT 54 MILLION. SO THE FINAL FUND BALANCE FOR JUNE 30TH WILL NOT BE FINAL UNTIL THE FALL. THAT WAS, MINUS THE FIVE FROM THE LAST BOARD MEETING ON THE HEALTH CARE. DIVIDE THAT INCLUDED. YES, THAT INCLUDED EVERYTHING. YES. YES IT DOES INCLUDE THE 6.5 MILLION. NO, IT DOES NOT GO UP TO 60. NO, THE 6.5 MILLION WOULD BE FUNDING FOR NEXT YEAR. IT DOES NOT AFFECT FUND BALANCE UNLESS WE DIDN'T USE IT, WHICH I FULLY EXPECT THAT WE WOULD. SO WE'RE LEAVING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 54 AND 30.2. SO SO THAT WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY THE BALANCE. YES. YEAH ABOUT $24 MILLION. BECAUSE WHEN WE DID THAT BUDGET SESSION, HE ASKED US TO INCREASE BASED ON WHAT WE HAD DISCUSSED WAS I THINK 17 OR 18. AND THEN THERE WERE SOME ASSUMPTIONS IN THERE. RIGHT. SO THEN YOU PUT THE 6.5 ON TOP. THAT WAS 2425, RIGHT. NOW THE 6.5 DOES NOT AFFECT THE FUND BALANCE NUMBER WENT INTO THE FUND BALANCE BECAUSE WE HAD SAID THAT IF WE RECEIVED ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDS, CORRECT. PUT IT INTO THE YES. YES OKAY. SO THE QUESTION ON FUND BALANCE, YOU YOU SAID THAT THE PRESENT FUND BALANCE AS OF TODAY IS 54 MILLION. THAT FUND BALANCE WAS AS OF MARCH 31ST. THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES THROUGH THE FOURTH QUARTER THAT WE DON'T FUND. BALANCE IS NEVER PRECISE. IT'S AN ESTIMATE AT ANY TIME. AND WE DON'T UPDATE IT EXCEPT QUARTERLY. SO THE FINAL FUND BALANCE, ACTUAL FUND BALANCE FOR FY 24 WILL BE AS OF JUNE 30TH. THOSE JUNE 30TH NUMBERS ARE NOT FINAL UNTIL SEPTEMBER. SIR ANY POSSIBILITY OF DOING A EARLY, FUND BALANCE, DETERMINATION BEFORE THE BUDGET IS PASSED?

[02:50:06]

UNFORTUNATELY, THIS TIME OF YEAR. NO, BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING TO DO A BUDGET VOTE THIS WEEK. I BELIEVE, AND WE HAVE NOT EVEN COMPLETELY CLOSED MAY YET BECAUSE WE'RE SO INVOLVED IN THE ORACLE PROJECT THAT CLOSING OF THE MONTH. SO THERE HASN'T BEEN ANYTHING SIGNIFICANT TO OCCUR TO GREATLY ALTER THAT NUMBER. BUT IT SHOULD APPROXIMATE THAT IT WILL NOT BE EXACT AT JUNE 30TH, AND HALF OF THAT WOULD BE 27 MILLION. CORRECT IT'S EXPECTED TO GO DOWN AT ALL. OR IS IT JUST KIND OF CREEPS UP BECAUSE OF INTEREST OR IT COULD GO BOTH. WE HAVE HAD SOME UNEXPECTED, EXPENDITURES THAT HAVE COME UP THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ADDRESS BY THE END OF THE YEAR, AND THEN CERTAINLY IF INTEREST REVENUE IS HIGHER THAN WHAT WE EXPECTED, THAT WOULD ADD TO THAT NUMBER. SO IT IT WILL BE APPROXIMATE. IT JUST WON'T BE EXACT. I DON'T WANT ANYBODY COMING BACK AND SAYING, OH, YOU KNOW, WE WERE 2 MILLION LESS OR WE WERE 2 MILLION MORE BECAUSE THAT CAN HAPPEN. AND DID WE ADD ANY MONEY FOR HHS IN THE BUDGET, THE 25 K. NO, THERE'S BEEN NO BUDGET AMENDMENTS, SUGGESTED. SO THAT HAPPENS AFTER THE COUNCIL VOTES. SO ONCE THE COUNCIL VOTES AND WE KNOW OUR BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR, THEN WE CAN ENTERTAIN MOTIONS TO CHANGE THE BUDGET.

HOW MANY GRANT POSITIONS ARE WE PROPOSING MOVING INTO NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. SO THAT IS INCLUDED. I DON'T HAVE THE DOCUMENTS, THE DETAILS OF THAT RIGHT NOW. SO THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET DOCUMENT THAT YOU RECEIVED. THAT WAS PART OF THE BOARD'S PROPOSED BUDGET. OKAY.

SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, NO AMENDMENTS TONIGHT. YOU WILL NOT MAKE THOSE UNTIL THURSDAY. AND YOU CAN DISCUSS ANY POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO BRING. BUT WE WOULD DO ANY IF THERE WERE ANY AMENDMENTS, WE WOULD DO THEM. AT THE TIME WE WERE VOTING ON THE BUDGET.

QUIET CREW. I GUESS I'M TRYING. I'M TRYING TO FIND THE GRANT, TRANSFER POSITIONS. YOU DON'T HAPPEN TO KNOW WHAT SECTION IT'S IN? IT'S IN THE EXPENDITURE SECTION. EXPENDITURE SECTION? AND IT'S LISTED. THERE'S LINE NUMBERS FOR EACH SUGGESTED INCREASE TO THE BUDGET, AND EACH DESCRIPTION INDICATES THAT IT WAS A TRANSFER FROM A GRANT. PAGE 38. YEAH. IF YOU LOOK IN THE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES SECTION , YOU'LL SEE ALL OF THE TEACHING POSITIONS THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED TO MOVE INTO THE OPERATING BUDGET FROM THE FEDERAL FUNDS. THERE'S THE NUMBER YOU SHOWED EARLIER ON WHAT WAS THE STRUCTURAL AND OPERATING REDUCTIONS? 10.6 OKAY.

THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRACKING AS WELL. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE, BECAUSE I HAD HEARD A LOWER NUMBER FROM SOMEBODY ELSE TODAY, BUT IT WAS 10.6. OKAY I KNOW IN OUR IN OUR WORKING SESSION THERE WERE A FEW GRANT POSITIONS THAT WERE NOT I GUESS, FILLED THAT WE WERE GOING TO TAKE OUT OF THE BUDGET AND NOT IF I IF I RECALL CORRECTLY. YES, I'M LOOKING AT THE SLIDES FROM THE WORK SESSION AND THERE ARE A FEW IN THERE THAT WE DID REMOVE. YEAH, THERE WAS, THERE WAS ONE POSITION FOR SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT. CORRECT, OKAY. SO THERE WERE TWO POSITIONS AND, AND IN ON PAGE 38. WE HAVE. 171 OVER 171 POSITIONS. ARE THEY ALL GRANT, I DON'T KNOW IF I'M READING THIS CORRECTLY. YEAH. BECAUSE SOME SAY GRANT FUNDING.

SO THEY'RE NOT ALL OF THE FTES ARE GRANT FUNDED, GRANT FUNDED POSITIONS. SOME OF THE NEW SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND THE, TRANSPORTATION POSITIONS THAT RELATE TO THE SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS, THOSE ARE NEW POSITIONS IN THE BUDGET. THOSE ARE THE ONLY NEW POSITIONS. AND THE NEW POSITIONS RELATE SPECIFICALLY TO THE SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS. AND TO BE CLEAR, THE ADJUSTMENTS YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT WITH THE COORDINATOR OF SUPPLEMENTAL

[02:55:07]

INSTRUCTION, THOSE WOULD BE AMENDMENTS PROPOSED. AGAIN, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TO BALANCE THE BUDGET. BUT THOSE WOULD BE AMENDMENTS THAT WOULD BE PROPOSED WHEN WE VOTE ON THE BUDGET. SO NONE OF THIS IS FINALIZED BECAUSE THE BOARD HASN'T VOTED ON ANYTHING IN HERE. BUT IF WE WANTED SOME ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS, HOW WOULD THAT BE APPROACHED? WOULD THAT IS THAT, ARE WE TO PROPOSE THAT NOW THROUGHOUT THE WEEK? LIKE, HOW DO WE I MEAN, YOU CAN DISCUSS ANY POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS THAT YOU MIGHT BE THINKING ABOUT NOW. THAT'S FINE, BUT WE WOULDN'T VOTE ON IT UNTIL WE VOTED ON THE BUDGET, WHICH RIGHT NOW IS TENTATIVELY ON THURSDAY AT 9 A.M. I MEAN, THAT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE COUNTY COUNCIL DOES, HOWEVER. SO I MEAN, IF THERE'S SOMETHING YOU'D LIKE TO THINK ABOUT, IT'S FINE. YOU HAVE A COUPLE OF DAYS, BUT THIS IS A FORUM FOR DISCUSSING IT WITH THE REST OF THE BOARD. OKAY. JUST TRYING TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF THIS GRANT POSITIONS THAT ARE COMING OVER AS OPPOSED TO NEW POSITIONS AND KIND OF WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT, GREAT. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. ANYBODY ELSE? YES PRESIDENT BOYNTON? YES, MA'AM. YEAH. CALPERS. NOW, I UNDERSTOOD THAT THE CRAFTS, FUNDING WAS WOULD HAVE TO BE AN AMENDMENT. AND NOW YOU'RE SAYING YOU CAN INCLUDE AMENDMENTS? WELL, THERE'S ALWAYS THE OPTION OF INCLUDING AMENDMENTS, I YOU KNOW, HE DIDN'T SAY IT, BUT I BELIEVE AN AMENDMENT REQUEST, YOU KNOW, COMING FROM, MR. SEWELL WOULD BE TO ADD THAT SINCE YOU SORT OF INFORMALLY REQUESTED IT ALREADY. RIGHT IT COULD COME FROM ME, OR IT COULD COME FROM, SAY, ANOTHER BOARD MEMBER. I UNDERSTAND. YEAH. YEAH. OKAY. SO THAT WOULD BE ONE FOR CERTAIN. I THINK THAT IS A POTENTIAL AND I THINK WE'RE ALL AWARE OF THAT. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THERE WAS AN EMAIL CIRCULATING WHERE PEOPLE WERE PROPOSING AMENDMENTS, AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THAT. WELL IT JUST CAME TO ME TODAY, SO I'M PROBABLY NOT THE ONE SOMEBODY WHO WROTE THAT. SO THEN THE OTHER PEOPLE ON THE BOARD THAT HAD BEEN DISCUSSING THIS PRIVATELY MIGHT WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT. AND I'D LIKE TO CRACK OPEN A LITTLE BIT OF, THE CRAFTS, ADVOCATION FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING. SO, I MEAN, THAT KIND OF GETS DOWN BELOW OUR APPROVAL LEVEL, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE ONLY APPROVE UP, YOU KNOW, ABOVE 100. OKAY, SO WHEN YOU GET INTO, LIKE, SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES AND STUFF, LIKE, HOW DOES THAT HOW DOES THAT FUNDING HAPPEN? DOES THE EACH SCHOOL GET A CERTAIN ALLOTTED MONEY? I MEAN, WE DON'T APPROVE. OKAY.

YOU KNOW, SO MUCH MONEY FOR EACH SPORT. CORRECT. YEAH. SO I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IT.

YEAH. YEAH. SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT APPROVALS OVER 100 KS, I'M A CONTRACTS AND THAT DOLLAR FIGURE I MEAN, YOU APPROVED THE ENTIRE BUDGET, RIGHT? RIGHT, SO YOU DON'T GO LINE BY LINE DOWN TO. YOU'RE RIGHT, EACH SPORT AND EACH SCHOOL, BUT RIGHT, THE FOR EVERY LINE IN THE BUDGET, YOU APPROVE THE WHOLE BUDGET. AND THAT'S WHY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CONTRACTS, BECAUSE I'VE SAID THIS A FEW TIMES, YOU'RE YOU'RE NOT APPROVING A DOLLAR AMOUNT IN THOSE CONTRACTS. YOU'RE YOU'RE YOU'RE APPROVING USING THAT PARTICULAR ENTITY FOR THAT CONTRACT, IT'S LESS ABOUT THE DOLLAR AMOUNT. BUT BUT BECAUSE OF THE AWARDING CONTRACTS TO CERTAIN GROUPS, THERE NEEDS TO BE A CHECK AND BALANCE TO ENSURE THAT THOSE GROUPS, PARTICULARLY IF THEY'RE HAVING REALLY BIG CONTRACTS. SO AGAIN, YOU'RE BUT YOUR APPROVAL IN THE BUDGET. SO THE 60,000 AND THAT IS SOMETHING, YOU DO THE WHOLE BUDGET. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, CAN PUT FORWARD AS AN AMENDMENT IF YOU WANT TO BE THAT NUMBER OR, OR ANOTHER NUMBER, BUT IT'S WITHIN, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT BUDGET LINES. THAT'S A PARTICULAR AS THE GROUP HAS INDICATED, THAT'S A GROUP THAT DOESN'T HAVE A BUDGET LINE AT THE MOMENT. SO IT HAS TO BE ESTABLISHED AS ONE OR IT COULD BE PUT INTO ANOTHER AREA. BUT JUST JUST TO BE CLEAR, KIND OF ON THE DETAILS OF HOW THIS COMES TOGETHER. SO YOU THAT IS WORTH SOMETHING THAT IF YOU GUYS WANT TO DISCUSS THIS GROUP, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S UP TO YOU. YEAH. I'LL JUST SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE WORKED ON THE BUDGET ALL YEAR, RIGHT? AND IT'S TAKEN A COUPLE DIFFERENT TERMS HERE AND THERE, WE'RE IN THE 11TH HOUR NOW. THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS NEVER RECEIVED A BUDGET THIS LATE. THIS ISN'T REALLY OUR FAULT. THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN ONCE THE BUDGET IS PASSED FOR IT TO GO LIVE ON THE 1ST OF JULY, WHICH IS ONLY A FEW WEEKS FROM NOW. IN THE MEETING THAT WE HAD, WHICH I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S EVER BEEN DONE BEFORE, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE

[03:00:03]

HAD A MEETING HERE, WHICH I FELT THAT WAS A VERY COLLABORATIVE MEETING WHERE WE GOT LOTS OF DIFFERENT INPUT FROM LOTS OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE. AND THE GOAL OF THAT MEETING WAS TO TRY TO FIND A SWEET SPOT TO ACCOMMODATE ALL THE DIFFERENT INTERESTS THAT THERE WERE. WE ENDED UP ON A DISCUSSION THAT LEFT US PARTIAL FUND BALANCE, USE PARTIAL CUTS, OPERATION, STRUCTURAL REDUCTIONS OF 10.6 MILLION, WHICH WOULD HAVE LEFT US WITH A HEFTY USE OF THE FUND BALANCE, BUT STILL, I THINK AROUND 18 MILLION IN FUND BALANCE APPROXIMATELY LEFT OVER WHAT REMAINING, WHICH WAS A CONCERN FROM SOME BOARD MEMBERS. BUT I FEEL MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE IN OUR CONVERSATIONS NOW THAT WE RECEIVED AN EXTRA 6.5 MILLION, WHICH WOULD GO BACK INTO THE FUND BALANCE. YES, IT WOULD, IT DOESN'T. IT WOULD INCREASE THE FUND BALANCE. IT WOULD INCREASE THE FUND BALANCE BECAUSE WE WOULDN'T BE USING IT. SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, SO THE SIX AND A HALF WHERE THE CONFUSION WAS REVENUE, IT DOESN'T COME IN AS AN INCREASE IN FUND BALANCE, BUT THE FUND BALANCE. IF THE FULL 6.5 MILLION IS USED TO REDUCE THE RELIANCE ON FUND BALANCE AS AN ASSIGNMENT IN FY 25, THE FUND BALANCE THAT'S LEFT UNASSIGNED WILL GO UP BECAUSE WE'VE USED LESS OF IT BECAUSE OF THE INFLOW OF THE REVENUE FROM THE COUNTY. DOES THAT HELP? DOES. AND THEN I THINK THAT OUR DECISION WOULD BE TO USE LESS FUND BALANCE, LESS 6.5 MILLION. AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS PROPOSING OKAY. THAT'S RIGHT. SO THE ESSENTIALLY THIS IS PROPOSING THE USE OF THE 30,000,030. RIGHT. AND AFTER THE WORK SESSION WE WERE ABOUT 36 SOMETHING. SO WE HAD A HIGHER NUMBER THAT WAS NOT, IT WASN'T ASSIGNED ANYWHERE BECAUSE AGAIN, THERE'D BEEN NO MOTION TO, TO USE THE NUMBER. BUT THAT WAS THE DELTA. YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO JUST MAYBE TO CLARIFY A STEP FURTHER, THE CONVERSATION IN THE WORK SESSION WAS IF WE RECEIVE MORE MONEY, I THINK AARON'S ALREADY SAID THIS. THEN WE WOULD PUT THAT BACK TO REDUCE THE RELIANCE ON FUND BALANCE. AND IN MY MIND, WHAT THAT MEANS IS WE DON'T NOW HAVE A NEW LIST OF THINGS WE'D LIKE TO SPEND MONEY ON BECAUSE WE HAVE $6.5 MILLION MORE, I THINK THE ONE THING THAT IT SEEMS MUCH OF THE BOARD IS IN SUPPORT OF, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE DECIDED ON A NUMBER IS FINDING SOME SUPPORT FOR KRAFT, BUT BEYOND THAT, FINDING OTHER THINGS TO SPEND MONEY ON. I THINK WOULD NOT BE A GOOD STRATEGY AT THIS POINT. WE NEED TO CONTINUE FINDING WAYS TO REDUCE RELIANCE ON FUND BALANCE AND FRANKLY, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, THE SECOND WE GET THIS BUDGET PASSED, WE'RE GOING TO START LOOKING AT OTHER WAYS TO REDUCE EXPENSES AND COSTS THROUGH NEXT YEAR SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME RELIANCE AND FUND BALANCE GOING FORWARD. CORRECT. BECAUSE IF WE ADD NEW THINGS INTO THE BUDGET AT THIS POINT, YOU ARE REALLY USING, ONE TIME FUNDS FOR RECURRING EXPENSES, MOST LIKELY, UNLESS THERE IS A PROPOSAL FOR ONE TIME FUNDS. SO EVEN ADDING IN, WE'RE USING FUND BALANCE.

REALLY TO FUND THAT INCREASE UNLESS WE TOOK IT, SOMEONE MENTIONED TAKING IT FROM THE BOARD'S BUDGET. IF YOU MOVED IT FROM A BOARD LINE ITEM BUDGET TO H CROSS, THEN THAT WOULD BE A WASH. BUT IF YOU'RE USING FUND BALANCE TO FUND THAT, YOU'RE USING THAT AS AN ONGOING, LINE ITEM THAT IS BEING USED OR FUNDED WITH ONE TIME SAVINGS. SO THAT GOES INTO THE REQUESTS NEXT YEAR, BASICALLY. AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO, TO DO I SEE TO DO THIS. NOTHING'S PASSED OF COURSE, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO FIND A CONSENSUS. I BELIEVE, OF PROVIDING SOME CUTS OVER 10 MILLION BECAUSE SOME OF THE BOARD MEMBERS WANTED OPERATIONAL REDUCTIONS AND EFFICIENCIES, USING PART OF THE FUND BALANCE. BUT NOT ALL OF IT STILL HAVING A HEALTHY RESERVE. $25 MILLION FUND BALANCE. HISTORICALLY IS A HEALTHY RESERVE. I KNOW IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS IT'S BEEN INFLATED, BUT IT STILL LEAVES US WITH A HEALTHY RESERVE. WE WERE ABLE TO DO THIS WITH THE PRIORITIES THAT WE HAD IN MIND, NAMELY, WE, NOT REDUCING ANY CLASSROOM EDUCATORS RIGHT, AND SO I DO THESE SEE THIS CURRENTLY AS A GOOD BUDGET, IN MY OPINION, AND LIKELY A BUDGET THAT CAN PASS WITHOUT ANY AMENDMENTS. IF ANYONE WANTS TO PROPOSE ANY AMENDMENTS, YOU KNOW, I'D ASK, KIND OF SPEAK NOW OR FOREVER, YOU KNOW, FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME. I WOULD LIKE TO RELOOK AT SOME OF THE GRANT POSITIONS. I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE I'M LOOKING AT THE PAGE 39 AND THERE ARE SEVERAL GRANT POSITIONS THAT ARE NOT ON THE

[03:05:03]

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS. I THINK THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS, WE ONLY HAD TWO, GRANT POSITIONS THAT WE WERE CONSIDERING. OH, WAIT A SECOND. THERE WERE MORE. YEAH, PROBABLY NEED TO LOOK AT THIS MORE, BUT, BUT I DON'T THINK SPENDING MORE THAN HALF OF OUR FUND BALANCE WOULD BE WISE. I MEAN, I KNOW YOU WANT TO KEEP DEBORAH. YOU'RE YOU WANT TO KEEP AS MUCH FUND BALANCE. WE WANT TO KEEP AS MUCH FUND BALANCE AS POSSIBLE. BUT IF WE GO OVER HALF, THEN WE WON'T BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, LIKE, DO THIS AGAIN NEXT YEAR, SO I, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE HAVING TO APPLY A FUND BALANCE THIS YEAR AT X AMOUNT, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT AGAIN NEXT YEAR, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SITUATION WILL BE THEN. AND WE WILL PUT OURSELVES IN A WORSE, YOU KNOW, POSITION. SO SPENDING MORE THAN HALF, I THINK, PUTS US IN THE, IN A AREA THAT, I DON'T FEEL REAL COMFORTABLE WITH. SO I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT, THE GRANT POSITIONS THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED AND WHETHER OR NOT ANY IF THERE, THERE COULD BE SOME ADDITIONAL REDUCTIONS IN THAT AREA, FOR THE NON TEACHER POSITIONS. OKAY. WELL I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO, YOU KNOW, DO YOUR HOMEWORK ON THAT. AND IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS BRING THEM AS A MOTION OR A AMENDMENT OKAY. OKAY THE RECENT, YOU KNOW, I'VE TALKED ABOUT CLASS SIZE BEFORE AND I THINK I MISSPOKE AND I SAID WE DON'T WANT TO DECREASE CLASS SIZE. AND WHAT I MEANT WE DON'T WANT TO INCREASE CLASS SIZES. SO THE RECENT MOVES WHEN SOME SCHOOLS, ESPECIALLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, WERE LOSING SOME POSITIONS, I UNDERSTAND, AND NO TEACHERS WERE BEING LOST, BUT THEIR POSITIONS. AND SO I THINK I SENT AN EMAIL ASKING HOW MANY VACANCIES IN TEACHERS ARE WE NOT FILLING. RIGHT. AND THAT'S ZERO. SO WE'VE EXPLAINED THAT IN THE WORKSHOP. THE POSITION IS WERE TRANSFERRED TO OTHER SCHOOLS WHERE CLASS SIZES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER. SO THIS IS AN EXERCISE WE GO THROUGH EVERY YEAR. WE LOOK AT THE ENROLLMENT AT ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS, AND IF ENROLLMENT IS DECLINING AND THOSE CLASS SIZES ARE SMALLER, I'M NOT SAYING THEY'RE SMALL BY ANY MEANS, BUT THEY'RE FALLING BELOW WHERE OTHER SCHOOLS ARE STRETCHED WELL BEYOND THOSE CAPS. WE'RE MOVING THOSE SO THAT WE CAN BRING THOSE CLASS SIZES DOWN. AND THE REMAINING CLASSES FROM THE SCHOOLS THAT THEY WERE TAKEN FROM ARE MORE EVEN WITH OTHER SCHOOLS IN OUR DISTRICT, THERE ARE MANY SCHOOLS THAT HAVE CLASS SIZES THAT WELL EXCEED THE CAPS, BUT THERE ISN'T A WAY TO ADJUST FOR THAT. SO WE ARE NOT ELIMINATING ANY FTE TEACHING POSITIONS IN THIS BUDGET. THEY ARE ALL. IF WE HAD 3000 LAST YEAR, WE HAVE 3000 FOR FY 25.

OKAY. WELL THEY'RE JUST IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS POSSIBLY, BUT IN SOME PARTICULAR CLASSES THE CLASS SIZES ARE GOING UP. BUT YOU'RE SAYING IT'S A LEVEL BECAUSE OTHER CLASS SIZES THAT WERE EVEN HIGHER ARE GOING TO COME DOWN A LITTLE BIT. YES, YES . OKAY. BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING AT THE MCAT SCORES. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE THIRD GRADE VERSUS FIFTH GRADE, THE LARGER THE SCHOOL THERE'S DEFINITELY A TREND. YOU'D THINK MORE CAPS WOULD BE COMING UP. THEY GO DOWN FIFTH GRADE. SO AGAIN WHEN THE KIDS WHEN THE TESTS ARE GETTING HARDER AND SO FORTH. SO IT'S THAT FIFTH, FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE CLASS SIZES THAT ARE REALLY KEY I THINK. AND THAT'S OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. SO I DO KNOW A COUPLE EXAMPLES WHERE SOME CLASS SIZES ARE GOING UP IN THAT AREA. CAN I GET A LIST OF THE CLASS SIZES YOU CAME. BUT THEY CHANGE EVERY DAY, RIGHT? I MEAN I MEAN, SO I MEAN THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, WE CAN GIVE YOU A SNAPSHOT SO WE KNOW KIND OF WHAT MISS EDMONDS I BELIEVE PROVIDED THAT. YEAH, WE I THINK WE'VE ALREADY GIVEN THAT ONCE. YES. THAT WOULD BE CURRENT THOUGH. I MEAN, BUT FOR NEXT YEAR WE DON'T KNOW THAT BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW. WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE KINDERGARTEN ENROLLMENT IS. THAT'S THE BIGGEST ONE YOU CAN YOU CAN SORT OF EXTRACT WHATEVER THE RIGHT WORD IS. YOU CAN HAVE AN EDUCATED GUESS AS TO WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE BASED ON WHO'S MOVING UP, BUT BUT KINDERGARTEN IS ALWAYS THE BIGGEST QUESTION. SO FOR EXAMPLE, SOME OF THE POSITIONS, SOME OF THE FTES, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WE PULLED OUT OF SCHOOL A MONTH AGO WAS IN ANTICIPATION OF KINDERGARTNERS COMING IN BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO ENROLL. SO WHERE WE CAN WE PULL A TEACHER SO THAT WE HAVE ONE TO GIVE IN KINDERGARTEN, IF ENROLLMENT GROWS IN ONE PLACE MORE THAN SOMEPLACE ELSE. SO IT'S ALWAYS PART OF, AGAIN, IT'S DIFFICULT WHEN YOU'RE NOT ADDING

[03:10:03]

POSITIONS BECAUSE YOU DO HAVE TO PULL AND MAKE THINGS TIGHTER IN SOME PLACES, ANOTHER THING THAT WE'VE HAD TO ADDRESS, AGAIN, THIS IS SORT OF BUDGET NEUTRAL IN A WAY, IS SUPPORTING OUR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE HEARD THAT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, OUR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER POPULATION HAS BEEN GROWING. WE HAVE NOT GROWN OUR TEACHERS ONE OF THE. SO WHILE WE DIDN'T ADD TEACHERS TO THE BUDGET THIS YEAR, WE NEEDED TO CONVERT SOME OF OUR CLASSROOM TEACHERS INTO ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER TEACHERS, SO WE ADDED, I THINK AT THIS POINT, JUST FIVE MORE, WE PROBABLY NEED TO ADD ABOUT 30 MORE, BUT WE STARTED BY CREATING SOME POSITIONS. BUT AGAIN, THOSE ARE COMING OUT OF OTHER PLACES. SO YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE SAME NUMBER OF TEACHERS, YOU KNOW, OUR ENROLLMENT, MISSY CAN PROBABLY ANSWER THIS BETTER THAN ANYBODY.

I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GOING TO GO UP A LITTLE OR GO DOWN A LITTLE. I EXPECT TO GO UP A TINY BIT THIS YEAR. IT'S PROJECTED TO GO UP A TINY BIT, SO, YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY WE GO UP 500 STUDENTS IN THE DISTRICT. WE HAVEN'T ADDED 500 STUDENTS WORTH OF TEACHERS, SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN BUT WHEN? FUNDING IS FLAT DURING AN INFLATIONARY PERIOD. YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING, GETS STRETCHED DIFFERENTLY. AND SO. YOU KNOW, WE DO NEED TO GET TO A PLACE WHERE WE CAN BE LOOKING AT THE GROWTH OF THOSE POSITIONS. I AGREE, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO SEE CLASS SIZES GET LARGER, BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE WORKING WITH, YOU KNOW, THE SAME NUMBER OF TEACHERS AND TRYING TO PRESERVE THAT. AND I KNOW THAT AT THE BEGINNING, THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THE BOARD WAS VERY CLEAR THAT THEY WANTED US NOT TO CUT TEACHERS, BECAUSE IF WE'RE GOING TO ELIMINATE OUR USE OF FUND BALANCE, THERE ARE A FEW PLACES WHERE WE CAN FIND $30 MILLION IN OUR BUDGET. OTHER THAN LOOKING AT TEACHERS. SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO WORK ON THROUGH THE NEXT YEAR. SO WITH ALL THE APARTMENTS GOING IN AND SO FORTH, WE'RE REALLY NOT PREPARED FOR AN INFLUX OF STUDENTS IN THE NEXT YEAR IN TERMS OF PRESERVING CLASS SIZES. NO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T ADDED WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO ADD TO A BUDGET. WE HAVEN'T ADDED THOSE POSITIONS. AND SO, THAT'S WHERE YOU WOULD JUST NEED TO RE-OPTIMIZE THE ORGANIZATION, YOU KNOW, THE BEST YOU COULD MIDYEAR. BUT THIS IS THE BUDGET FOR THE YEAR. WE MIGHT HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, IF ALL OF A SUDDEN AN APARTMENT COMPLEX GETS BUILT AND IT WASN'T ON OUR RADAR, WE STILL GOT TO PUT THOSE STUDENTS IN A CLASSROOM SOMEWHERE AND PROVIDE EDUCATORS. SO WE WOULD WE WOULD NEED TO JUST, YOU KNOW, GO ON THE FLY.

HOPEFULLY THAT WON'T HAPPEN. WE'RE HAVING A BETTER AND, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSIONS WITH EVERYBODY THAT'S INVOLVED IN THAT ASPECT OF GOVERNMENT. BUT I WOULD I WOULD JUST, YOU KNOW, AT THIS 11TH HOUR, I WOULD CAUTION ANY BOARD MEMBER FROM, LOOKING AT SPECIFIC POSITIONS. I THINK THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE PART OF A MORE, SYSTEMATIC OVERHAUL, ZERO BASED BUDGETING OR OTHER BUDGETING, OTHER, OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT, THAT WE'VE WANTED TO CONSIDER AND THAT WE MAY CONSIDER IN FUTURE YEARS. I THINK IT'S BETTER FOR THE BOARD TO FOCUS ON THE HIGH LEVEL BUDGET AND THEN HAVE THE ADMINISTRATION OPTIMIZE THE RESOURCES TO ACHIEVE THE BOARD'S OBJECTIVES WITHIN THE BUDGET THAT THE BOARD HAS PASSED. I WOULD ALSO, YOU KNOW, IT'S EASY TO LOOK AT A SPREADSHEET AND SAY, WHAT DOES THAT PERSON DO? BUT, YOU KNOW, NEXT YEAR, IF WE'RE DOING THIS EXERCISE, WHEN I ASK YOU TO GO SIT DOWN WITH THAT PERSON AND DO THEIR JOB FOR A DAY, AND THEN ASK YOURSELF IF YOU GET RID OF THAT PERSON WHO'S GOING TO DO THAT WORK. I JUST THINK THAT I'M CAUTIONING AGAINST MAKING UNINFORMED DECISIONS, AND THAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE A HASTY DECISION. SOMETIMES. I GUESS THE REASON WHY I BRING UP THE GRANT POSITIONS IS THE GRANTS ARE IN PLACE FOR A SPECIFIC REASON, AND IF THEY'RE NOT FUNDED, DOES, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THEN THEY'RE ONLY THEY'RE THEY'RE ONLY HIRED TO FULFILL THAT PURPOSE, SO, YOU KNOW, AND WITH THAT AND YOU'RE RIGHT, AND WITHOUT HAVING ALL OF THE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THAT GRANT'S INTENTION WAS, BECAUSE SOME OF THE GRANTS ARE PUT IN PLACE FOR A, A SPECIFIC TASK, AND THE TASK IS FINITE, IT'S NOT MEANT TO BE CONTINUOUS, SO I, YOU KNOW, WHEN I SEE GRANT FUNDING, I HAVE TO QUESTION WAS THAT GRANT A FINITE TASK FOR THAT POSITION, OR WAS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE WERE EXPECTED TO PICK UP AND TAKE OVER INTO

[03:15:02]

OUR OPERATING BUDGET AND IF, YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK SOME HARD DECISIONS NEED TO BE MADE. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE BUDGET, THERE'S ONLY A COUPLE POSITIONS THAT ARE NOT STUDENT FACING POSITIONS FROM THE GRANT. SO WE ADDED ALL OF THOSE TEACHING POSITIONS BETWEEN SWAN CREEK AND THE CLASSROOMS AND OUR TRADITIONAL ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL POSITIONS . MOST OF THE GRANT TRANSFERRED POSITIONS IN THIS BUDGET ARE TEACHING POSITIONS, SO THEY WERE ADDED AS A RESULT OF THE FEDERAL FUNDS AND THE NEED TO ADDRESS LEARNING LOSS AND SO FORTH DURING THE PANDEMIC. SO, YOU KNOW, ARE WE SAYING THAT THAT NEED IS GONE AND WE DON'T NEED THOSE POSITIONS ANYMORE BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE WE WOULD RECOUP THE MAJORITY OF THIS BUDGET INCREASE IF WE REMOVE THOSE TEACHING POSITIONS. AND I DON'T THINK ANYONE IS RECOMMENDING DOING THAT BECAUSE WE NEED THOSE POSITIONS. THAT NEED HAS NOT CHANGED. SO THE CLASS SIZES WE HAVE AND THE STRIDES WE'VE MADE IS WITH THE STAFFING THAT WE HAVE IN WITH THE TEACHING POSITIONS. SO IF WE ARE TALKING ABOUT REMOVING POSITIONS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN IN BALANCING THIS BUDGET, YOU'RE LOOKING AT TEACHING POSITIONS, WHICH IS NOT THE IDEAL AND NOT A NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. AND I KNOW WE'VE WE'VE LOOKED AT SOME OF THE GRANT POSITIONS ALREADY IN THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS, BUT I DO SEE A FEW ON THE PAGE 38 AND 39 THAT ARE NOT TEACHING POSITIONS, THAT WERE POSITIONS THAT ARE BEING MOVED OVER TO GRANTS, ESPECIALLY LIKE THE STUDENT SERVICES IS, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, ALMOST FIVE POSITIONS, THAT WERE ALL FROM GRANT FUNDING THAT ARE PROPOSED TO BE, MOVED INTO THE OPERATING BUDGET. SO DO YOU ALSO HAVE WE FORWARDED THE SLIDES FROM THE WORK SESSION? SO MANY OF THE SLIDES FROM THE WORK? OKAY, SO MANY OF THOSE ARE PROPOSED IN HERE TO BE MOVED OUT OF THE OPERATING BUDGET. SO I THINK KIND OF COMPARING THOSE TWO. SO THE THINGS THAT ARE IN THE BOARD'S PROPOSED BUDGET, THE DRAFT OF THIS OVERVIEW INCLUDES SOME REDUCTIONS THAT WE WOULD BRING FORWARD AS AMENDMENTS. SO WHEN WE PRESENT THE BUDGET, WE'LL PRESENT IT WITH THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE KNOW OF RIGHT NOW. AND THEN YOU ALL CAN CERTAINLY ADD IN THE OTHER AMENDMENTS, AND WE'LL ASK YOU TO VOTE ON THOSE AMENDMENTS. INDIVIDUAL AS WE GO THROUGH AND, AND, OBTAIN THE VOTE TO SWEEP.

THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. IF YOU HAVE A POTENTIAL AMENDMENT, YOU KNOW, BRING IT UP. YEAH. YEAH I SEE THAT THEY'RE REMOVED. SO YEAH. LET ME LOOK AT THIS. AND IF I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL, I'LL GET WITH YOU. OKAY. TOMORROW. YEAH BUT JUST TO KIND OF, SUPPORT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, THE STRATEGY IN PREVIOUS YEARS WAS TO MOVE A LOT OF THE POSITIONS THAT WERE HIRED DURING A TERM POSITION DURING A GRANT EFFORT, YOU KNOW, HAVE ALREADY BEEN MOVED OVER INTO THE OPERATING BUDGET. AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING. SO WE LOOKED AT ALL OF THOSE POSITIONS. WE DON'T JUST AUTOMATICALLY MOVE POSITIONS OVER. SO WE LOOK AT EACH POSITION THAT NEEDS TO BE MOVED. IF WE BELIEVE IT NEEDS TO BE MOVED AND WE HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS. AND FOR VARIOUS REASONS, ALL OF THOSE POSITIONS WERE DETERMINED TO BE CRITICAL AND NEEDING TO BE FUNDED GOING FORWARD. BECAUSE THE WORK DID NOT GO AWAY RIGHT. SO ASSUMING THAT WE WILL PROCEED WITH THURSDAY AT 9 A.M, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION. I'M SORRY. OH, I'M SORRY, ON IN THE BEGINNING OF APRIL, WHEN WE FIRST HAD SMALL GROUPS, ABOUT THE BUDGET AND YOU, YOU KIND OF CAME IN WITH SOME SUGGESTED REDUCTIONS AT THAT TIME. ONE OF THE REDUCTION WAS, I THINK IF I'M REMEMBERING CORRECTLY, 776,000 FOR DUAL ENROLLMENT. DID THAT GO AWAY OR IS THAT STILL IN YOUR, AMENDMENT? SO WHEN WE THOSE WERE NOT PROPOSED AMENDMENTS, THOSE WERE THIS IS HOW WE COULD BALANCE THIS BUDGET. THE DUAL ENROLLMENT CHANGE IS NOT PROPOSED. WE ARE NOT PROPOSING THAT AS AN AMENDMENT TO THE BUDGET. I WOULD AND HAVE WE LOOKED AT, FOR EXAMPLE, CONFERENCE AND CONSULTANTS FEES LIKE THAT SCRUBBING ANY OF THAT. WE HAVE LOOKED AT YOU, DIFFERENT BOARD MEMBERS HAVE SUBMITTED QUESTIONS WITH THAT. BUT WE NEED MORE SPECIFICS ON WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, WHICH SPECIFIC CONTRACTS THE TRAVEL IN OUR BUDGET IS VERY, VERY SMALL. A LOT OF THE TRAVEL THAT WE DO IS PAID FOR WITH GRANT FUNDING. SO THE OPERATING BUDGET TRAVEL THAT WE HAVE IS VERY MINIMAL. SO WE WOULD NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT YOU WANT US TO CONSIDER. AND THEN AS FAR AS THE CONSULTANTS, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE GETTING CONSULTANTS CONFUSED WITH CONTRACTED SERVICES, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CONSULTANTS.

[03:20:06]

WE HAVE CONTRACTS WHERE WE, YOU KNOW, OUR AUDIT CONTRACT, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE A CONSULTANT, BUT THEY'RE PERFORMING A SERVICE FORCE AND WE'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE EXTERNAL AUDITORS. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, OUTSIDE ATTORNEYS AT TIMES THAT WE USE FOR DIFFERENT THINGS . THEY THEY'RE CONSULTANTS, BUT IT'S A CONTRACTED SERVICE. WE HAVE TO PERFORM THAT LEGAL SERVICE, AND WE NEED THAT EXPERTISE OR WE NEED, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING ELSE WITH THAT. SO THE, ATHLETIC TRAINERS, THAT'S ANOTHER CONTRACT. WE HAVE. THEY'RE NOT CONSULTING. THEY'RE BEING PAID TO PERFORM SERVICE, A SERVICE. RIGHT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE IN OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION, WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF SERVICE PROVIDERS THAT IF WE AREN'T ABLE TO STAFF OR A STUDENT COMES IN WITH A SPECIFIC NEED THAT WE HAVE TO SATISFY THE IEP, WE HAVE A LIST OF CONTRACTS THAT WE CAN GO TO AND BRING SOMEONE IN TO FULFILL THOSE DUTIES WHERE THEY'RE NOT AN EMPLOYEE, THEY'RE BEING PAID AS A CONSULTANT, BUT IT'S A CONTRACTED SERVICE FOR THE ORGANIZATION. SO IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT SPECIFIC CONSULTING CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE, WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT THAT IS BECAUSE THERE ISN'T. I THINK WHEN I PROVIDED THAT LISTING OF THE CONTRACTS THERE, THERE WASN'T A LOT THAT WE COULD REMOVE. A LOT, REALLY. I WAS JUST ASKING IF YOU EVER LOOKED AT IT BECAUSE I NEVER REALLY LOOKED AT IT. WE LOOK AT THESE THINGS ALL THE TIME WHEN WE'RE BALANCING OUR BUDGET, WE'RE LOOKING LINE ITEM WITHIN OUR BUDGETS, AND WE'RE CHALLENGING EVERY DEPARTMENT TO GO BACK AND DO THE SAME. SO WE ARE LOOKING, BUT THERE'S NOT A LOT. I MEAN, COULD WE CUT $5,000 SOMEPLACE? MAYBE. BUT WHAT IS THAT GOING TO DO. AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR $40 MILLION. SO THOSE ARE THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE NOT STILL LOOKING FOR 4 MILLION THOUGH.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR A I UNDERSTAND, BUT IT'S STILL MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. KEEP THE FUND BALANCE AT HALF AND PRESERVE FUND BALANCE FOR WHAT WE THINK IS GOING TO BE ANOTHER TOUGH YEAR AND FY 26. SO CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. WHAT I'M HEARING YOU SAY IS YOU EXPECT THAT THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT WILL NOT FUND US AGAIN NEXT YEAR, AND THAT YOU'RE KEEPING HALF THE FUND BALANCE SO THAT WE CAN USE IT ALL NEXT YEAR. AND WE HAVE NO FUND BALANCE. I HAVE NO IDEA OF WHAT BUDGETING WE'RE GOING TO BE NEXT YEAR. I'M JUST SAYING IT'S KIND OF PRUDENT NOT TO USE MOST OF YOUR FUND BALANCE. NO, WE DIDN'T HAVE TO USE ANY OF IT. I WISH WE DID. AND THAT'S WHY I'M JUST ASKING QUESTIONS. DID WE SCRUB THIS? DID WE SCRUB THAT LIKE THE DUAL ENROLLMENT? WE ARE DOING SOME EXTRA ABOVE BLUEPRINT. THERE ARE THINGS IN BLUEPRINT THAT WERE ON A RAMP UP, BUT THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED TO BE COMPLETED UNTIL FY 32. SO THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE NICE TO HAVES. THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE EXPANDING IN GREAT AREAS. EVERYBODY'S DOING GREAT WORK, BUT CAN WE AFFORD ALL THAT? WE HIRED A LOT OF PEOPLE TO EXPAND IN CERTAIN AREAS. AND AGAIN, THAT'S ALL GREAT. BUT YOU KNOW, CAN WE AFFORD IT ALL? AND SO I'LL COME AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TOMORROW TO LOOK AT SOME SPECIFICS. OKAY. IF THEY'RE, PRESUMING THAT THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT DOES WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, AND IF WE HAVE A 9 A.M. ON THURSDAY TO VOTE AND DO AMENDMENTS OR WHATEVER, WHEN SHOULD WE HAVE ANY AMENDMENTS TO YOU BY TO SORT OF, YOU KNOW, PREVIEW THEM, TO BE ABLE TO BE PREPARED TO COME IN TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IMPLICATIONS ARE OF THOSE AMENDMENTS TOMORROW MORNING, BECAUSE IF WE HAVE TO COST ANYTHING OUT, IT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME. WE ALSO HAVE TO CREATE THE BOARD REPORT AND THE PRESENTATION AND MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TAKEN AMENDMENTS HERE, YOU KNOW, AT AT THE TABLE.

BUT IT NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO ADD 5000. YOU KNOW, THERE'S A SPECIFIC NUMBER BECAUSE IF WE HAVE TO COST SOMETHING OUT, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO PAUSE THE MEETING, LEAVE, GO COST EVERYTHING OUT, MAKE SURE IT'S ACCURATE AND BRING IT BACK. SO IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE COSTED OUT, WE NEED WE NEEDED IT A WHILE AGO, BUT WE'VE GOT TO HAVE IT BY TOMORROW SO THAT WE CAN DO OUR BEST TO BE ABLE TO ASK THE NEXT QUESTION. WHAT TIME TOMORROW, 9 A.M. I IF YOU GET IT LATER THAN THAT, IT'S GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO DO ANYTHING. WE'LL DO OUR BEST, BUT I CAN'T PROMISE THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO NEED TOMORROW AND WEDNESDAY TO PULL ALL THIS TOGETHER. AND THEN WE'LL HAVE WHAT WE WERE GOING.

BASED ON THE WORK SESSION, WE'RE GOING TO ASSUME EVERYTHING THAT WAS PROPOSED IN THERE WAS AN AMENDMENT YOU WANTED TO ENTERTAIN. SO WE WILL BRING THAT BACK LISTING THOSE, AND THEN WE NUMBER THEM. SO WE'LL LIST THOSE. AND THEN ANY NEW AMENDMENTS THAT YOU MAKE, IDEALLY WE WILL HAVE COSTED THEM OUT. YOU CAN MAKE THOSE AMENDMENTS AND WE WOULD ADD THEM HERE AND DISPLAY THEM ON THE SCREEN. OKAY IS THAT NOT THE QUESTION. YEAH OKAY. SO I JUST

[03:25:06]

WANT TO THANK MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS, FOR YOUR VOCAL SUPPORT OF KRASKE. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE ADD A, MINIMUM, WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER BASICALLY THE MINIMUM FUNDING, FOR THE ORGANIZATION IN THIS BUDGET, THAT WOULD SIMPLY FUND THEIR TRANSPORTATION. AND REGISTRATION FEES AND, AND SMALL AMOUNT OF PROGRAMMATIC CHARGES, THAT TYPE OF THING. MUCH DO YOU WANT TO PROPOSE IN YOUR AMENDMENT? AMENDMENT? I APPROVE, I, I PROPOSE 25,300, 300. IT'S PRETTY SPECIFIC. 25,300. IT'S A CALCULATION OF SPECIFIC JUST THOSE SPECIFIC. NOW THIS IS ONLY LESS THAN A QUARTER OF WHAT IT ACTUALLY COSTS THEM, IN THEIR ANNUAL BUDGET I THINK IS 60,000 OR SOMETHING. WELL, ACTUALLY IT COSTS THEM WELL OVER 100,000 TO GO TO THEIR NATIONAL, REGIONAL CONVENTION. I GUESS IT IS.

THERE'S A THERE'S A CONVENTION, I GUESS IT'S IN MARYLAND. IT'S A MARYLAND CONVENTION, I SHOULD SAY, SO THAT THAT WOULD BE ALL SELF FUNDED THROUGH FUNDRAISING, THROUGH PARENTS, STUDENTS, IF THEY WORK, THAT TYPE OF THING. I'M NOT PROPOSING US TO FUND ANY OF THAT, I'M JUST SIMPLY PROPOSING FOR THEIR TRANSPORTATION, THE REGISTRATION FEES, AND THEN A SMALL ADMINISTRATIVE, RUNNING THE PROGRAM. SO IS THAT TRANSPORTATION TO THE CONFERENCE? NO. WHAT'S THE TRANSPORTATION INCLUDE THAT IS, SPECIFICALLY TRANSPORTATION AND COUNTY FOR EACH GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING TO THE MEETINGS? YES. OKAY. CAN WE TAKE THAT OUT OF THE BOARD? DISCRETIONARY BUDGET. WE DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH. OKAY, WELL, WE HAVE THE BOARD HAS A BUDGET. WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A DISCRETIONARY BUDGET. EVERYTHING HAS SOMETHING TIED TO IT. BUT NO, WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING, RIGHT. SO THERE'S ONE AMENDMENT. SO ANYONE ELSE I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO CUT THE DUAL ENROLLMENT TO JUST WHAT WE NEED TO DO FOR SENIORS. YOU MEAN THE MINIMUM STATE GUIDANCE REQUIREMENT, WHICH WAS TWO CLASSES JUST FOR SENIORS? IT'S FOR ALL OF US, NOT ALLOW JUST FOR SENIORS THAT THE MINIMUM IS ANYONE WHO IS CCR IS ELIGIBLE FOR THEY'RE ELIGIBLE AND DUAL ENROLLMENT. CORRECT. BUT DOES IT HAVE ANYBODY CAN DO DUAL ENROLLMENT BUT FREE DUAL ENROLLMENT. THAT'S WHAT THE BLUEPRINT ALLOWS FOR. IT'S SPECIFIC SPECIFICALLY SAYS FREE.

IT NEEDS THAT. IT'S PAID FOR BY THE BLUEPRINT INFESTED BY THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. SO WE WENT THROUGH THIS, AND THAT, THAT BUDGET MEETING THAT THERE'S IT'S JUST VERY FEW STUDENTS THAT ACTUALLY TAKE FIVE, A YEAR, AND IF WE CUT IT TO FOUR, THEN THAT WOULD MEAN THAT SOME OF OUR STUDENTS, OVER THE COURSE OF THEIR. THEIR CAREER HERE WITH US WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE WHAT THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO. SOME MAY BE TRYING FOR AN ASSOCIATE'S RIGHT. AND IF THEY CAN'T TAKE FIVE PER YEAR, IS THAT RIGHT? THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THAT. IS THAT RIGHT? THE IDEA OF FIVE PER YEAR WAS THAT OVER THE TWO YEARS, JUNIOR AND SENIOR YEAR, WHEN WE PAY FOR DUAL ENROLLMENT, THEY'D BE ABLE TO EARN UP TO A YEAR'S WORTH OF COLLEGE COURSES WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOL. YEAH, THAT'S SEPARATE FROM THE STUDENTS WHO ARE IN THE EARLY COLLEGE PROGRAMS AT P-TECH AND TAM TAM PLUS, WHERE THEY CAN START THEIR COLLEGE COURSES, ESSENTIALLY AT THE END OF THEIR FRESHMAN YEAR AND EARN AN ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOL. BUT THOSE ARE DIFFERENT THAN THE EARLY COLLEGES ARE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT. OKAY. YEAH. AND THAT'S IT FROM BLUEPRINT A LITTLE BIT, YEAH. BUT THERE WAS ONLY A COUPLE. THERE WAS LIKE ONLY A COUPLE STUDENTS THAT ACTUALLY TOOK FIVE. RIGHT. IT WAS ONLY A COUPLE TAKES THAT WE HAD. THIS QUESTION CAME UP AT THE WORKING SESSION AND WE KIND OF DISMISSED IT BECAUSE IF WE DID IT, MY RECOLLECTION WAS A NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT WERE ACTUALLY DOING IT WAS SO SMALL THAT THE SAVINGS WAS NEGLIGIBLE. IS THAT MEMORY CORRECT? YES. I MEAN, THEY CAN STILL TAKE THE FIVE IF THEY'RE THEY HAVE SOME SKIN IN THE GAME. PEOPLE HAVE MORE APPRECIATION WHEN THEY HAVE TO PAY A LITTLE THEMSELVES. I JUST DON'T I THINK GIVING FOLKS A WHOLE FREE FIRST YEAR OF COLLEGE IS NICE TO HAVE, AS OPPOSED TO, MAKING SURE WE FOCUS ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL . BUT WOULDN'T WE STILL HAVE TO MOVE THAT STUDENT BACK TO A CLASSROOM AND THEN PAY FOR AN EDUCATOR THERE? IS IT A KIND OF LIKE NEUTRAL? YEAH, THEY CAN TAKE THE FIVE COURSES, BUT WHY SHOULD THEY ALL BE FREE? I MEAN, IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM. IF WE COULD AFFORD ALL OF THAT, IT'D BE GREAT. BUT I THINK. BUT IS IT THE STAFF PROVIDED THE NUMBERS AND I FEEL LIKE IT WAS 2 OR 3

[03:30:03]

PEOPLE. IT WAS IT WAS VERY, VERY SMALL. AND IN THE IT'S STILL NOT REALLY LIKE FREE. LIKE WE PAY TO SEND THEM THERE OR WE PAY TO EDUCATE THEM IN OUR CLASSROOM. ABSOLUTELY YEAH. SO YES, I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A HUGE COST SAVINGS. BUT LET'S GET THE NUMBERS, CAN PLEASE CONSIDER THAT AS A MOTION. YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE TAKING FIVE AND THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THE SPRING? WELL WE MAY BY NOW. I MEAN, YOU JUST GO OFF HISTORICS. YEP. SPECIFICALLY FIVE THE WERE WERE AT FIVE IN THE STATE GUIDANCE IS FOUR RIGHT. SO WE'RE PROVIDING ONE.

IS THAT WHAT IT IS. WE'RE PROVIDING ONE EXTRA CREDIT. STATE MINIMUM THAT WE HAVE TO PAY FOR. AS CCR STUDENTS TO FOR CLASSES. WE TAKE UP TO FOUR PER YEAR. OKAY. SO WE'LL COST IT OUT AND CONSIDER IT AS A POTENTIAL MOTION. SO IF YOU COULD OR AMENDMENT AND I KNOW THIS, THIS CAME UP IN OUR DISCUSSION IN THE WORKGROUP AND IT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP BEFORE WITH THE PRE-K EXPANSION. IS THERE. AND I KNOW THAT'S PART OF BLUEPRINT THAT WE HAVE TO DO THE PRE-K, BUT WE'VE, YOU KNOW, SUGGESTED THAT MAYBE WITH GIVEN THE BUDGET SITUATION THAT MAYBE WE COULD LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, DEFERRING THAT UNTIL NEXT YEAR, I CAN'T REMEMBER, WERE YOU AT THE BUDGET SESSION THAT WE DID HERE? OKAY. BECAUSE THAT WAS ADDRESSED BY KATIE RIDGEWAY. AND I DON'T REMEMBER THE RESPONSE OTHER THAN THERE WASN'T MUCH WE COULD DO. I MEAN, IT'S A VERY NUANCED RESPONSE. I DON'T WANT TO TRY TO REPEAT IT BECAUSE I'LL GET IT WRONG. BUT WE HAD NOT WE HAD REMOVED THAT FROM CONSIDERATION FOR WHATEVER REASON SHE GAVE. SO THE PRE-K EXPANSION GRANTS THAT WE HAD CURRENTLY ARE PART OF THE REQUIREMENT IS THOSE STAFF MOVE INTO THE OPERATING BUDGET THE FOLLOWING YEAR. SO THERE ISN'T A CHOICE. WITH THAT, I WE WOULD NEED KATIE OR HEATHER TO EXPLAIN. I DON'T KNOW IF THE CHOICE IS SIMPLY OF WHAT WE APPLY FOR THE EXPANSION GRANTS, BUT AGAIN, IT ALL GOES WITH THE BLUEPRINT AND WHAT'S REQUIRED TO BE IN PLACE FOR PRE-K SO WE CAN GET, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY HAVE KATIE EXPLAIN THAT ON THURSDAY. SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS YOU THINK THAT THE GRANT WAS CONTINGENT ON US PULLING IT INTO OUR REQUIREMENT AS A REQUIREMENT , RIGHT? YEAH, IT ACTUALLY WAS RIGHT. YOU GET THE YOU GET THE ENROLLMENT COUNT FOR THOSE PRE-K KIDS THAT ARE IN THE EXPANSION GRANT. AND THE CURRENT YEAR, THEY COUNT AS YOUR SEPTEMBER 30TH, WHICH THEN FEEDS YOUR STATE FUNDING TWO YEARS LATER. SO IF WE HAVE AN EXPANSION GRANT, WE BRING ON 100 KIDS FOR THE EXPANSION GRANT, WE GET REVENUE FOR THOSE KIDS. THE FOLLOWING YEAR THROUGH STATE AND LOCAL FUNDING. IT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE THINGS IN THE BLUEPRINT THAT ACTUALLY FUNDS THE INITIAL START UP COSTS FOR A NEW PRE-K PROGRAM, AND THEN YOU GET THE FUNDING THE FOLLOWING YEAR FOR THOSE STUDENTS THAT COULD FREE ME UP ON A WHOLE NOTHER TANGENT, BUT I'LL TAKE THAT OUT OF THIS CONVERSATION. OKAY. ARE THERE ANY FINAL COMMENTS? OKAY. SO WE WILL, I'LL STAY IN TOUCH REGARDING WHAT THE COUNTY COUNCIL DOES. SO I WOULD SAY BE PREPARED, EVERYONE WHAT WE AGREED EARLIER, WHICH WAS 9 A.M. ON THURSDAY, AND WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. SO THANK YOU. YES. AND DECLARE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO US. YES. YEAH. IF THERE'S ANY OTHER PROPOSED AMENDMENTS, PLEASE SEND THEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. ALL RIGHT. SO, ITEM F,

[F. Presentation of the 2024 Educational Facilities Master Plan and Comprehensive Maintenance Plan, Dr. Sean Bulson, Superintendent of Schools, Mr. Cornell Brown, Assistant Superintendent for Operations, Ms. Patti Jo Beard, Executive Director of Facilities Management, Mr. Chris Morton, Supervisor of Planning and Construction, and Ms. Missy Valentino, Facilities Planner]

I'VE SPOKEN TO DOCTOR BOLSON. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO NOT NEED TO DISCUSS IN DEPTH TONIGHT, BECAUSE IT'S ALSO PART OF A CONTINUING PRESENTATION FOR THE NEXT BOARD MEETING. BUT IF YOU WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY A FEW THINGS ABOUT THIS, TO TEE IT UP FOR THE NEXT MEETING AND THEN WE CAN MOVE ON TO YOUR REPORT. SO MY COMMENTS FOR TONIGHT WERE REALLY TO TALK BIG PICTURE ABOUT CAPITAL AND WHAT WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT. AGAIN, BIG PICTURE GOING FORWARD, THE IDEA WAS TO PRESENT THAT INTRODUCTION TONIGHT AND THEN LET THE TEAM GO INTO THE DETAILS OF THE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES MASTER PLAN IN THE NEXT MEETING. SO I CAN PROVIDE THE COMMENTS RELATED TO THE SLIDES WE HAD TEED UP FOR TONIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PRESENTATION. NEXT TIME, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A SHORTER AGENDA ON TAP FOR JUNE 24. AND, AND THEN WE CAN ALL DO THAT PRESENTATION.

SO I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN SITTING HERE THE WHOLE NIGHT. I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE BOARD MEETING. I'M SORRY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE LOVE HAVING ANY AUDIENCE. WE RAN A LITTLE LATE.

AND SO LIKE I SAID, WE DO HAVE A SHORTER MEETING SCHEDULED. WILL I SAY SHORTER? WE HAVE FEWER AGENDA ITEMS PLANNED FOR NEXT TIME, SO I WILL, TALK. I'LL EXPLAIN THESE SLIDES. THE GENERAL IDEA IS TO LOOK AT WHAT IT MIGHT TAKE TO MAKE OUR CAPITAL PLAN SUSTAINABLE. AND SO THAT'S OUR PREVIEW FOR THE MEETING. IN TWO WEEKS. OKAY, SO MOVING ON TO THE

[G. Superintendent's Report]

SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT. THAT SHORT TWO. YES. GET EIGHT PAGES. I HAVE A COUPLE THINGS HERE,

[03:35:05]

TAKE YOUR TIME. WHATEVER YOU NEED. FIRST OF ALL, CONGRATULATIONS, MS. MEDINA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE. AND GOOD LUCK. WHEN YOU GET TO UMBC, I AM GOING TO USE THIS OPPORTUNITY THANKING YOU TO UNDERSCORE SOMETHING. AND, AND, I APPRECIATE YOU WITH YOUR PRESENTATION TONIGHT. YOU KNOW, ADVANCING THE WORK THAT CHRISTIAN AND PHEBE STARTED BACK IN 2020, BECAUSE WHAT'S INTERESTING, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DATA, YOU CAN SEE THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE. YOU CAN SEE THAT IN ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL. AND NEARLY ALL CASES, WE HAVE FEWER, FEWER STUDENTS REPORTING THE CONCERNS THAT WE SAW FOUR YEARS AGO. AND THAT MATTERS. THE WORK IS NOWHERE NEAR COMPLETE. WE HEARD DOCTOR STANTON SAY THAT TONIGHT WE HAVE SO MUCH MORE TO DO TO MAKE SURE OUR STUDENTS FEEL THAT PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY WHEN THEY'RE SCHOOL, THAT THEY'RE NOT AT THREAT OF BULLYING AND HARASSMENT AND BIAS, SO WE STILL HAVE WORK TO DO, BUT WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS, AND THAT'S GOOD, THE WORK REALLY IS ABOUT ADVANCING AN AGENDA, BUT IT'S AN AGENDA OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. THERE IS NO WAY STUDENTS CAN BE SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR CLASSES, IN THEIR ACADEMICS, IF THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE AT SCHOOL. AND THAT'S WHAT THIS WORK IS ABOUT. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU. THANK THE OTHER STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, THE SUPERINTENDENT STUDENT ADVISORY, YOU KNOW, DOES GREAT WORK AROUND THIS. AND I JUST I REALLY APPRECIATE THE AMAZING VOICES OF OUR STUDENTS. SOME OF THE COMMENTS WE HEARD FROM STUDENTS TONIGHT WERE REALLY AMAZING. I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO GO BACK AND LISTEN TO THOSE, BECAUSE A COUPLE OF THINGS I'D LIKE TO PULL OUT AND REALLY TAP INTO, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S GREAT INSIGHTS THERE, WHICH IS ANOTHER REASON I SUPPORT ONE OF YOUR OTHER COMMENTS TONIGHT, OUR STUDENT BOARD MEMBER IS A CRITICAL PART OF THE WORKINGS OF THIS ENTITY RIGHT HERE. AND YOU'VE BEEN AN AMAZING EXAMPLE OF THAT. SO THANK YOU. NOW, GRADUATIONS ARE BEHIND US.

MEDINA WELL KNOWS, I THOUGHT OUR SCHOOLS DID A GREAT JOB THIS YEAR, I DO HAVE TO GIVE A LITTLE SHOUT OUT TO MISS HAHN FOR ATTENDING NINE OF THEM. SHE DID KIND OF BECOME OUR GRADUATION CHEERLEADER THIS YEAR. SHE'S AN EXPERT NOW. LAST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS THIS TOMORROW OR, AS MR. SEWELL POINTED OUT, TONIGHT IS OUR LAST SCHOOL NIGHT OF THE YEAR. I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD OBSERVATION, CONGRATULATE ALL THE STUDENTS COMPLETING THIS YEAR. WE CHALLENGE YOU TO LOOK BACK AT WHAT YOU KNEW BEFORE. NOW, WHAT YOU'RE CAPABLE OF DOING. HOW MUCH HAVE YOU GROWN THIS YEAR, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO TO OUR STAFF. EVERYONE WHO MADE IT HAPPEN. YOU KNOW. HOW MUCH GROWTH HAVE YOU SEEN IN OUR STUDENTS, WE DO ENCOURAGE OUR STUDENTS TO SIGN UP FOR THE SUMMER READING PROGRAM, WE WANT TO KEEP BOOKS IN FRONT OF YOU OVER THE SUMMER, THE HARFORD COUNTY LIBRARY, YOU CAN OBVIOUSLY GO THERE. I MEAN, THERE'S SUCH A GREAT PARTNER IN TOWN FOR EDUCATION. SO, JUST TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT'S OUT THERE LOOKING AHEAD, AUGUST 15TH ISR K YOUR CALENDARS AND GET YOUR TICKETS TO SEE THE IRONBIRDS AND JOIN US IN ON THE FUN, LOTS OF HCPS, COMMUNITY PARTNERS. THE STUDENT SERVICES WAS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THIS SEMESTER'S STAR STUDENT SERVICE, STANDOUT AWARD, IS MISS ANGELA GOTTESFELD . MISS GOTTESFELD HAS BEEN THE SCHOOL NURSE AT HICKORY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR SIX YEARS, AND IS AN EXCELLENT ROLE MODEL FOR PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL NURSING. MISS GOTTESFELD POSITIVELY IMPACTS THE ENTIRE SCHOOL COMMUNITY AND IS A LEADER WHO UNDERSTANDS THE HOLISTIC NEEDS OF STUDENTS AND STAFF ALIKE. AND SO, ONE LAST THING I WANT TO EXTEND. THANKS TO THE COOK CENTER FOR HUMAN CONNECTION, YOU GUYS MAY NOT HAVE HEARD MUCH ABOUT THEM, BUT THEY'VE BECOME A PARTNER, THEY ARE AN EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION. THE WORK THEY DO WITH US IS AT THEIR EXPENSE. AND LAST WEEK WE WERE HONORED TO HAVE A GENTLEMAN NAMED ALEX BOYER PRESENT HIS INSPIRATIONAL STORY TO SEVERAL SCHOOLS. HE WAS MEETING WITH STUDENTS, LEADING UP TO THE YOUR MIND MATTERS EVENT, WHICH WILL BE HELD AT RIPKEN STADIUM. OVER 5000 FAMILIES REGISTERED FOR THE EVENT. SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS PARTICIPATED. OFFICE OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS, HEALTH SERVICES, EARLY CHILDHOOD TITLE ONE PARENT ACADEMY. INFANTS AND TODDLERS, PHYSICAL EDUCATION, SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION, AND THE SPECIAL EDUCATION CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ALL PARTICIPATED WITH THE MANY COMMUNITY AGENCIES AND SERVICE PROVIDERS WHO WERE ALSO THERE, SO MR. BOYER IS A HE'S AN ARTIST. HE'S A MUSICIAN. HE PRESENTS, REALLY A MESSAGE OF EMPOWERMENT FOR OUR STUDENTS.

AND I MEAN, GREAT WORK. I HAD THE CHANCE TO SEE HIM AT A CONFERENCE ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, AND SO WE APPRECIATE THE COOK CENTER FOR SUPPORTING THAT WORK. AND GIVING OUR STUDENTS ACCESS TO HIS TALENTS. SO WITH THAT, I WILL PLAN TO SEE EVERYBODY ON JUNE 24TH. OKAY.

[Future Meetings Review]

THANK YOU, NEXT SCHEDULED BOARD MEETING IS MONDAY, JUNE 24TH A

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.

Jun 10, 2024 Board Meeting

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