Sep 08, 2025 Board Meeting

[*Portion of this meeting is without audio/ video*]

[Call to Order: Board President]

[00:00:13]

AT THIS TIME, I ASK THAT EVERYONE PLEASE MUTE YOUR DEVICE TO AVOID INTERRUPTIONS UNTIL CALLED UPON. I CALL TO ORDER THIS BOARD BUSINESS MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF HARFORD COUNTY ON SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2025 AT 6:02 P.M. THIS BUSINESS MEETING WILL BE CONDUCTED IN A HYBRID FASHION. MISS ROLLO, PLEASE TAKE A ROLL CALL. MRS. PERRY.

HERE. MR. SEWELL. HERE. DOCTOR MUELLER. PRESENT. MR. MCVICKER. HERE. MR. KORN. PRESENT. MRS. HAHN. PRESENT. MRS. BRUCE HERE. MISS ALVAREZ. MRS. ALVAREZ, I SEE YOU ONLINE. IF YOU COULD PLEASE UNMUTE. OKAY. I WILL SKIP HER FOR NOW. VICE PRESIDENT PAGE. HERE. DIANE ALVAREZ, PRESENT. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. THANK YOU. YES. PRESIDENT BOYNTON HERE.

SUPERINTENDENT WILSON HERE. THIS COMPLETES THE ROLL CALL. THANK YOU, MADAM VICE PRESIDENT, PLEASE READ THIS EVENING STATEMENT AND PROCESS. THE FOLLOWING PROCESS WILL BE USED THIS EVENING. BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF WILL MUTE THEIR DEVICE UNTIL CALLED UPON. BOARD MEMBERS, PLEASE HOLD ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS UNTIL THE END OF EACH PRESENTATION.

FOLLOWING THE PRESENTATION, DOCTOR BOYNTON WILL CALL ON EACH BOARD MEMBER FOR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS. BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF MEMBERS SHOULD RESTATE THEIR NAME BEFORE SPEAKING. DOCTOR BALSAM WILL RESPOND TO QUESTIONS OR CALL ON THE APPROPRIATE STAFF MEMBER TO DO SO. WHEN A ROLL CALL IS TAKEN FOR A MOTION, I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE REPLY WITH A YES OR NO. THANK YOU BOARD MEMBERS, YOU HAVE THE AGENDA BEFORE YOU. CAN I PLEASE HAVE A MOTION IN A SECOND TO ADOPT THE AGENDA? CAROL. BRUCE. SO MOVED. DENISE PERRY I SECOND THE MOTION.

THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY YES. YES. YES, YES. ANY OPPOSED? PLEASE SAY NO. THANK YOU. THE MOTION. PLEASE LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. OKAY. IF WE COULD PLEASE READ THIS EVENING'S RULES OF ORDER. GOOD EVENING. I'M THE REGIONAL COORDINATOR FOR THE OFFICE OF THE SPIRIT. THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING TONIGHT'S BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING. IN KEEPING WITH THE BUSINESS PURPOSE OF THE MEETING, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE UPDATED PRACTICES THAT WILL BE ENFORCED THIS EVENING. AND FOR ALL FUTURE BOARD MEETINGS. DURING THE BUSINESS MEETING, ALL ATTENDEES ARE REMINDED TO CONDUCT THEMSELVES IN A RESPECTFUL MANNER.

GRANDSTANDING WHICH INCLUDES APPLAUSE, AUDIBLE COMMENTARY, EXCESSIVE GESTURES, STANDING OVATIONS, AND SIMILAR DISTRACTING BEHAVIORS IS NOT PERMITTED. LIKEWISE, THREATENING WORDS, GESTURES, OR BEHAVIORS ARE NOT PERMITTED. THE RULES OF ORDER REQUIRE COMMENTERS TO REFRAIN FROM IDENTIFYING THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, AND DO NOT SIT ON THE BOARD. COMMENTS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE BOARD, AND IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO ADDRESS OR IDENTIFY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC BY NAME. IN THE CONTEXT OF A BOARD BUSINESS MEETING. THE PUBLIC INCLUDES SCHOOL STAFF OTHER THAN THE SUPERINTENDENT.

ADDITIONALLY, DISPARAGING COMMENTS, PERSONAL ATTACKS, AND INFLAMMATORY REMARKS ABOUT SPECIFIC SCHOOLS PERSONNEL, ANY PERSON OR GROUP ARE NOT PERMITTED. WE APPRECIATE YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND ARE COMMITTED TO ENSURING A RESPECTFUL AND CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOG IN OUR MEETINGS. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER CONCERNS OR NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT. SHOULD AN ATTENDEE ENGAGE IN ONE OF THE PROHIBITED BEHAVIORS, THUS DETRACTING FROM THE BUSINESS PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING, THE ATTENDEE WILL RECEIVE A WARNING TO IMMEDIATELY CEASE TO PROHIBIT A BEHAVIOR. IF THE ATTENDEE DOES NOT CEASE TO PROHIBIT A BEHAVIOR, THE ATTENDEE WILL BE ESCORTED FROM THE BUSINESS MEETING BY

[Public Comment]

BUT ONCE AGAIN, WE DO HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF SPEAKERS THAT ARE REGISTERED THIS EVENING.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE INTERESTED IN HEARING YOUR FEEDBACK, BUT WE DO HAVE A MEETING TO RUN AS WELL. SO I INITIALLY ALLOTTED FOR 45 MINUTES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. I'M EXTENDING THAT I THINK JUST PAST 60 MINUTES, BUT TIME WILL NEED TO BE CUT DOWN. I WILL SAY ALSO THAT MANY OF THE ITEMS THAT FOLKS ARE HERE TO SPEAK FOR TONIGHT ARE ACTUALLY NOT ISSUES THAT THE BOARD IS CURRENTLY CONSIDERING OR THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING, BUT YOU'RE STILL WELCOME TO YOUR RIGHT TO SAY WHAT YOU WANT. I WILL SAY THAT THERE ARE BETTER FORUMS IF YOU HAVE ISSUES THAT ARE NOT ON A CURRENT AGENDA. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE BOARD DOES IS LISTENING. SESSIONS WILL HAVE OUR FIRST LISTENING SESSION ON SEPTEMBER 30TH. DO WE HAVE A

[00:05:06]

THAT'S FROM 530 TO 7:30 P.M. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH. WE'LL DO PLENTY OF THESE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THE BOARD AND THE LEADERSHIP WILL BE THERE, AND THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO SPEAK WITHOUT A TIMER AND FOR THE BOARD TO ALSO ENGAGE BACK IN CONVERSATION WITH YOU, BECAUSE DURING YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT HERE THIS EVENING, THE BOARD DOES ENGAGE WITH YOU AT ALL. SO I FIND THAT FORM TO BE FAR MORE CONSTRUCTIVE THAN THESE FEW MINUTES THAT YOU HAVE HERE IN FRONT OF THE BOARD AT THE BUSINESS MEETING. SO WITH THAT IN MIND, IN-PERSON SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLED BY THE BOARD SECRETARY. ALL SPEAKERS WILL RECEIVE A MINUTE AND A HALF UNLESS YOU'RE A GROUP. IF YOU'RE A GROUP, YOU CAN RECEIVE TWO MINUTES THIS EVENING.

SPEAKERS MAY BE INTERRUPTED AND MAY BE GIVEN NOTICE WHEN THEY HAVE 30S LEFT. LET'S BEGIN WITH IN-PERSON SPEAKERS, PLEASE. PRESIDENT APPOINTED THIS EVENING. WE HAVE 41 SPEAKERS.

WE WILL START WITH ELLEN BUSKIN, FOLLOWED BY NEIL THOMPSON AND DARCY THOMPSON. ELLEN BUSKIN I WAS AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING, AND A COUPLE OF COMMENTS REALLY STRUCK ME THAT WERE SAID BY PARENTS OF HARFORD COUNTY STUDENTS. THEY SAID THAT THE BANNED BOOK FLAMER HAD PROVIDED THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THEIR CHILD ABOUT ISSUES FACING EVERYDAY TEENAGERS. THIS BOARD HAS IGNORED THE HARFORD COUNTY LIBRARIANS, THE HARFORD COUNTY THE RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE AND MSD CURRICULUM. HARFORD COUNTY PARENTS HAVE AN OPT OUT PROCESS FOR BOOKS THEY DON'T WANT THEIR CHILD TO READ, AND I OPPOSE THE BANNING OF THE BOOK.

FLAMER. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. I'M NEIL THOMPSON. THE FREEDOM TO READ ACT SPECIFIES THAT EACH LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM IS TO DEVELOP A POLICY AND PROCEDURES TO REVIEW OBJECTIONS TO MATERIALS IN A SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA PROGRAM, FOLLOWING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE FREEDOM TO READ ACT. THE RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE REVIEWED FLAMER, YET THE BOARD FOLLOWED NO PROCESS TO REVIEW FLAMER. OR IF YOU DID, IT'S ONE MORE SECRET SURROUNDING THE CLOSED JUNE 26TH HEARING. THE HEARING SHOULD HAVE CENTERED ON WHETHER THE RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE FOLLOWED PROCEDURES, NOT WHETHER THE BOARD LIKED THE BOOK. FROM NOW ON, WILL THE BOARD, USING OPINIONS, OVERTURN ALL DECISIONS OF THE RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE? RESPECT THE RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE, WHOSE MEMBERS HAVE BEEN TRAINED, RESPECT THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS. RESPECT THE LAW? GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS TRACY THOMPSON. I'M A HARFORD COUNTY RESIDENT, GRANDMOTHER, RETIRED TEACHER. I OPPOSE THE RECENT REMOVAL OF A LIBRARY BOOK, AND I OPPOSE THE WAY THAT IT WAS DONE. IT CAME IN THROUGH EDUCATED AND PROFESSIONAL LIBRARIANS WHEN IT WAS CHALLENGED. THE BOOK WAS THEN SUPPORTED BY VOLUNTEERS WHO WERE TRAINED THROUGH THE FREEDOM TO READ ACT. IT WAS THEN REMOVED, BUT IT WAS ONLY REMOVED BY THE OPINIONS OF ONE PARENT AND FIVE BOARD MEMBERS WHO DIDN'T REVIEW THE BOOK THE WAY THE COMMITTEE DID. HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL HAS PROCEDURES FOR APPEALS AND HEARINGS, AND UNDER A SECTION TITLED DECISION AND ORDER, THE LAST SENTENCE SAYS THIS FINAL ACTION OF THE BOARD SHALL BE TAKEN PUBLICLY AT A BOARD MEETING FOLLOWING THE HEARING.

BUT YOU KEPT IT A SECRET. IT'S NOT IN THE BOARD. MINUTES FOLLOWING THE HEARING. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M UPSET ABOUT. SO THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKERS ARE SUSAN DINI, CHARLENE HAUPT, AND WILLIAM MARTINO. HELLO. MY NAME IS SUSAN DINI. I'M A RETIRED PUBLIC LIBRARIAN, AND I'M HERE TONIGHT TO JUST LET MY FEELINGS BE HEARD ABOUT THE BANNING OF THIS BOOK. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE PAST, AND IT'S IT'S ONE THING IF THE BOOK IS REQUIRED READING. THIS WAS NOT REQUIRED READING. THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE IN THE IN THE SCHOOL LIBRARY, SO THAT PEOPLE WHO NEEDED TO FIND THE BOOK MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIND THE BOOK. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT JUST STANDS UP IN THE FACE OF ANYTHING. THAT'S THAT'S RIGHT.

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ADDITIONALLY, WHEN WE WRITE EMAILS TO YOU AND YOU REPLY BACK SAYING THAT I NEED TO FILE AN MPA REQUEST ASKING OR TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, HAVE YOU READ THE BOOK BEFORE YOU VOTED ON IT? IT'S HARD TO FEEL THAT THERE'S REALLY MUCH OF A CONVERSATION. I DO LOOK FORWARD TO THE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS AND THE FORUMS AS WELL. REGARDING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.

THERE ARE GOING TO BE LOTS OF THINGS THAT CAN'T BE ON THE AGENDA. LIKE I ASK YOU TO INCLUDE FLAMER AGAIN, JUST LIKE I DID LAST MONTH. AS FAR AS ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, CALENDAR WISE, I DID WANT TO POINT OUT THE FACT THAT EDWEEK.ORG SAID THAT WE HAVE 70% OF SCHOOLS MEET BEFORE LABOR DAY, AND I WANTED TO NOTE THAT WE DO NOT AND THAT IS NOT BEING CONSIDERED FOR FUTURE, AND I WOULD LIKE THAT TO BE CONSIDERED. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. I'M HELEN MANN. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE STORYLINE OF MANY BANNED BOOKS, IT IS OFTEN ABOUT THE LIFE EXPERIENCES OF PEOPLE OF COLOR, OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND THOSE IN THE LGBTQIA COMMUNITY. WHY DO CHALLENGES REPEATEDLY COME UP WITH THESE PARTICULAR COMMUNITIES? BANNING

[00:15:04]

HI. GOOD EVENING. I LIKE TO CONGRATULATE MISS HAHN ON THE TIME THAT SHE WAS OUR BOARD VP.

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AND I BELIEVE THAT LAURA AND I DON'T DON'T REALLY KNOW LAURA THAT WELL. BUT I THINK LAUREN GOING TO DO A REALLY GOOD JOB AS OUR NEW VP. SO THANK YOU. I'M ACTUALLY ACTUALLY WHEN YOU MENTIONED THE LISTENING SESSION EARLIER, THIS ACTUALLY MIGHT BE BETTER FOR A LISTENING SESSION AND I MIGHT GO TO ONE OF THOSE. I WAS WONDERING IF SOMEONE COULD REACH OUT TO ME, OR I'LL REACH OUT TO THEM ABOUT WHAT THE PROCESS IS TO. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SUGGESTING LIKE AN ELECTIVE CLASS, LIKE AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL OR HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL, HOW THAT WORKS, WHAT THE PROCESS IS. I KNOW WE'VE HAD A COUPLE NEW COURSES AFTER AMERICAN HISTORY AND A COUPLE OTHER THINGS IN THE RECENT PAST. I WAS WONDERING WHAT THAT PROCESS IS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN, IF IT'S POSSIBLE AT ALL. SO JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANKS.

OUR NEXT SPEAKERS ARE CARRIE FRANSEN, OUR AGENDA PALLOMARI, AND TANYA TEO. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN YEAR, I ACTUALLY WANTED TO KILL MYSELF IN FRONT OF MY CLASSMATES FOR THE SEVERE BULLYING THAT I HAD ENDURED. THE SONG JEREMY BY PEARL JAM, WHICH IS ABOUT THAT EXACT SAME THING, MOST LIKELY SAVED MY LIFE BECAUSE I FELT SEEN. I FELT HEARD GIVEN THAT SOCIETY WAS LOOKING FOR A TALL, SLIM GIRL. FLAMER PROVIDES THAT SAME SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN WHO MAYBE DON'T UNDERSTAND THEIR PLACE IN SOCIETY OR WHERE THEY NEED TO FIT. I WOULD URGE THE BOARD TO VACATE THEIR DECISION BECAUSE AGAIN, AS OTHER PEOPLE STATED, IT WASN'T DONE IN THE PROPER FORMAT. AND YOUR COMMITTEE DID APPROVE THIS BOOK.

THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. WHEN LAST WE MET, A GENTLEMAN ASKED ME IF I THOUGHT STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO A BOOK THAT CONTAINED ALL THIS VULGARITY. I SAID THAT WHILE THOSE LINES HAD BEEN SELECTIVELY PUBLICIZED BY THE BOARD PRESIDENT, THE BOOK ITSELF CONVEYED AN UPLIFTING AFFIRMATIVE MESSAGE. HE SHRUGGED AND SAID, WELL, DO IT WITHOUT THAT. NOT TO BRAG OR ANYTHING, BUT I ACTUALLY NEVER USE VULGAR LANGUAGE. EVEN WHEN I SING ALL TOO WELL. I DON'T SAY THE WORD THAT COMES BEFORE PATRIARCHY, PRESENT COMPANY EXCEPTED. I MEAN, I ACTUALLY SAY THE LETTER, BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO SAY IT HERE IN CASE THE LETTER AFTER SEC WAS LISTENING.

ANYWAY, BACK TO THE GENTLEMAN'S QUESTION WHY, IN A BOOK ABOUT A TEENAGE BOY DEALING WITH BULLYING, SHOULD SHOULD THERE BE EXAMPLES OF THAT BULLYING AND THE HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT, COMPLETE WITH VULGARITY THAT MAKES IT HARDER FOR HIM TO EXPRESS HIMSELF AND EASIER TO QUESTION HIS WORTH, EASIER FOR HIS THOUGHTS TO GO TO DARK PLACES. THIS IS KIND OF ASKING.

THIS IS KIND OF LIKE ASKING WHY WE CAN'T HAVE THE SOUND OF MUSIC WITHOUT THE NAZIS, OR THE MOVIE JAWS, WITHOUT THE SHARK. RESTRICTING ACCESS TO A BOOK LIKE FLAMER DOES NOT PROTECT CHILDREN. NO ONE WHO READS THIS BOOK WILL BE TEMPTED TO BEHAVE LIKE THE BULLIES, RATHER, ACKNOWLEDGING THE KINDS OF DIFFICULTIES THAT KIDS FACE WILL ALLOW THE KIDS TO FEEL SEEN, HEARD, UNDERSTOOD, AND FEEL HOPE THAT THINGS GET BETTER. A SANITIZED PORTRAYAL THAT DENIES THE PROBLEM AND DENIES THEIR SUFFERING WILL NOT DO THAT. PLEASE REINSTATE THE BOOK. DO NOT BAN FLAMER. GOOD EVENING. THIS SUBJECT I KNOW WAS ALL OVER SOCIAL MEDIA THIS WEEKEND AND TODAY THE SUBJECT OF BOYS AND GIRLS BEING ABLE TO USE VICE VERSA. LOCKER ROOMS. THE FACT THAT ALL OF YOU ARE GOING ALONG WITH THE MD MSDE GUIDANCE AND NOT FEDERAL LEVEL OF GUIDANCE, IS ABSOLUTELY APPALLING. WHAT IS GOING WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE FOR ALL OF YOU TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL ORDERS? I GUESS YOU ALL REALLY WANT TO LOSE YOUR FEDERAL FUNDING. I REALLY THOUGHT MOST OF THIS WAS STRAIGHTENED OUT IN THE FALL OF 2022, WHEN BOB CASSILLY CALLED OUT THE PRIOR BOE. AT THAT POINT, MY KIDS WERE DONE WITH GYM CLASS AND ONLY HAD TO REALLY DEAL WITH THE LOCKER ROOMS FOR SPORTS. IT SEEMED LIKE ALL OF THAT AT THAT POINT, AND THE FOLLOWING YEAR EVERYTHING WAS UNDER CONTROL. IT SEEMS LIKE YOU ALL HAVE A PROBLEM OR YOU'RE GOING TO. ALL STUDENTS MUST FEEL SAFE. SO WHATEVER THAT IS, WHATEVER IT TAKES. I'M ASKING FOR MY NIECES AND NEPHEWS SAKE AND AS A TAXPAYER, THAT YOU ALL DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. THIS IS A TOTAL, TOTAL NONSENSE AND VERY DISTURBING.

OUR TEST SCORES ARE STILL LESS THAN MEDIOCRE. WHAT IS GOING WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE TO GET A CURRICULUM THAT ACTUALLY TEACHES OUR CHILDREN TO EXCEL? 60% OF OUR STUDENTS ARE ACTUALLY READING ON GRADE LEVEL, WHILE 40% ARE NOT, AND 28% FOR PROFICIENCY IN MATH. SERIOUSLY, WE ARE CELEBRATING THAT YOU ALL NEED TO TAKE PRIORITIES IN CHECK AND I AM SICK OF THE

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MY NAME IS LAURETTE AND I'M OPPOSED TO THE BANNING OF FLAMER. AS THE MOTHER OF TWO NOW ADULT SONS, I CAN VIVIDLY REMEMBER THEIR TURBULENT TEENAGE YEARS, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF MY OLDER SON WHO WAS ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM. BOTH MY SONS WERE CUB SCOUTS AND BOY SCOUTS, AND BOTH ATTENDED SCOUTING SUMMER SLEEPOVER CAMPS. UNFORTUNATELY, MY OLDER SON WAS SUBJECT TO SO MUCH BULLYING AND TEASING THAT HE ENDED UP DROPPING OUT OF BOY SCOUTS AFTER A PARTICULARLY BRUTAL WEEK OF SUMMER CAMP AT AGE 13. AT AGE 13, I WISH BOOKS LIKE FLAMER HAD BEEN AVAILABLE IN THE SCHOOL LIBRARY AT THAT TIME, AS I BELIEVE IT WOULD HAVE RESONATED WITH MY SON IN HIS STRUGGLE FOR SELF-ACCEPTANCE AND IN LEARNING HOW TO SOCIALLY CONNECT WITH HIS PEERS IN POSITIVE WAYS. PLEASE REINSTATE THE BOOK. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. I'M RONNIE DAVIS. I'M A FORMER TEACHER. I FIND IT UNBELIEVABLE THAT SOME OF YOU VOTED TO BAN THIS BOOK, AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF ANYONE WHO VOTED TO BAN IT ACTUALLY READ THE BOOK, BECAUSE I FINALLY GOT TO READ THE BOOK. FLAMER. THE LAST SEVERAL MEETINGS, THERE WAS A LOT OF PORNOGRAPHY THROWN AROUND, PASSAGES AND ALL FROM PEOPLE THEY WERE READ. AND QUITE HONESTLY, I WAS SURPRISED WHEN READING IT. THERE ARE VERY FEW, AND THEY WERE USED IN THIS STORY TO MAKE A POINT. NOT STRICTLY FOR PORN. LET'S BE CLEAR, THIS BOOK IS NOT PORNOGRAPHY. IT IS THE STORY OF AIDEN, A 14 YEAR OLD OVERWEIGHT BOY WHO DOESN'T HAVE THE HUBRIS TO DEAL WITH THE WORLD. HE IS JUST TRYING TO SURVIVE BULLYING, REJECTION, AND THE PAIN OF NOT FEELING LIKE HE BELONGS EVEN IN HIS OWN FAMILY. HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE NOT FELT BULLIED? MAYBE IF YOU HAVEN'T, MAYBE YOU'VE BEEN THE BULLY. IF YOU ACTUALLY READ IT, YOU'D KNOW THE ANSWERS TO SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS. WHAT CRUEL NICKNAME HIS BROTHER CALLS HIM. WHAT DOES HIS MOTHER SAY WHEN HE TRIES TO SHARE HIS FEELINGS? THIS ISN'T A STORY ABOUT GRAPHIC CONTENT. IT'S A STORY ABOUT A BOY WHO FEELS WORTHLESS, WHO REACHES HIS LOWEST POINT, AND WHO FINDS STILL FINDS THE STRENGTH TO SAY, I AM ENOUGH. I WANT TO LIVE. SOMETHING I WOULD HOPE WE WOULD ALL WANT FOR OUR CHILDREN. IF YOU CAN'T ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS, THEN MAYBE YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK. MAYBE YOU SHOULD, BECAUSE HOW CAN YOU CONDEMN HIS STORY? BUT AS FAR AS BANNING BOOKS, IT'S A PATH TOWARDS NAZIISM. IS THIS TRULY WHERE WE WANT TO TAKE OUR COUNTY? THANK YOU. HELLO, I'M JANET DEVANEY AND MY FIRST JOB WAS IN THE LIBRARY. I'M A MOM AND GRANDMA, AND I'M AGAINST THE BOARD BAN ON THE AWARD WINNING BOOK FLAMER. IT'S RECOMMENDED BY THE AUTHOR FOR AGES 14 AND UP. AND THE BOOK IS ABOUT BULLYING. THE AUTHOR DRAWS ON HIS OWN EXPERIENCE BEING BULLIED AT SCOUT CAMP. THE BULLIES USE CURSE WORDS, SUGGESTIVE LANGUAGE, AND GESTURES TO PUT THE MAIN CHARACTER DOWN. PLEASE REINSTATE THE BOOK. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO CLARIFY THAT BOYS ARE NOT GENERALLY ALLOWED IN SCHOOL BATHROOMS, AS POSTED TODAY ON FACEBOOK BY THE BOARD PRESIDENT, TRANSGENDER GIRLS AND NON-BINARY AND GENDER FLUID YOUTH ARE ALLOWED TO USE THE BATHROOM THEY ARE MOST COMFORTABLE IN, ACCORDING TO WHO THEY ARE. PLEASE BE MORE INCLUSIVE OF ALL OF OUR STUDENTS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANG HOBBS, FOLLOWED BY DYLAN LEWIS AND ANNALISE ALBRECHT. SARAH. MISS HOBBS. HELLO. MY NAME IS HOBBS. I RETIRED FROM JOHNS HOPKINS HOSPITAL AND I WORKED THERE FOR MANY YEARS. I WAS BORN IN GERMANY AND GREW UP IN GERMANY, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, I'M NOT REALLY PREPARED. BUT THAT'S HOW IT ALL STARTED IN GERMANY WITH BANNING BOOKS. AND I READ THE BOOK. IT IS ALL ABOUT BULLYING. IT'S ABOUT GROWING UP AND HAVING DIFFICULTY GROWING UP. BOTH MY CHILDREN WENT TO HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL AND THEY TURNED INTO WONDERFUL YOUNG MEN. AND MY GRANDCHILDREN GO HERE TO PLEASE RECONSIDER THE BAN OF THIS BOOK, PLEASE. THANK YOU, MISS LEWIS. PLEASE STATE THE NAME OF YOUR BOOK, YOUR GROUP, AND YOU'LL RECEIVE TWO MINUTES. HI, MY NAME IS DELAINE LEWIS. I'M HERE WITH.

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CURRENTLY, THERE IS NO POLICY IN PLACE, EVEN THOUGH IT IS MANDATED BY THE MARYLAND FREEDOM TO READ ACT. THERE IS NO POLICY PREVENTING YOU FROM REVISITING YOUR OWN DECISION, BUT TO HELP IN THIS PROCESS, WE WILL BE RESUBMITTING REOFFERING THE BOOK TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO REVISIT THE ISSUE. JUST LIKE THERE WAS NO POLICY IN PLACE PREVENTING YOU FROM MAKING A DECISION TO PERHAPS KEEP THE BOOK IN HIGH SCHOOLS AND OUT OF MIDDLE SCHOOLS. FEAR MONGERING ON THIS BOOK AND BATHROOM ISSUES IS WHAT IS WHAT IS WASTING TIME AND MONEY ON BUSINESS SCHOOLS. GOOD. GOOD AFTERNOON. I AM A FIFTH GRADER IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I CAN CONFIRM THE BOOK FLAMER IS NOT IN MY SCHOOL. THIS BOOK HAS LANGUAGE THAT IS TOO ADULT FOR ME, BUT I. BUT I HEAR IT FROM OTHER OLDER KIDS. BOOKS SHOULD NOT BE BANNED. RESTRICTING BOOKS BASED ON AGE IS THE JOB OF MY SCHOOL LIBRARIANS. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LUCY BUXTON. TIFFANY, WENDY AND ANDY HUTTON. GOOD EVENING, LUCY BUXTON.

THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME. I'M GOING TO BE VERY BRIEF. I'M HERE TO ASK YOU TO REINSTATE FLAMER IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. LIBRARIES. THANK YOU. TIFFANY. WENDY. OH, THERE YOU GO. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS TIFFANY WAND, AND I'M A RESIDENT OF CHURCHVILLE, A STEPMOTHER TO TWO BOYS, AGES TEN AND 12, AND A PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONAL WITH OVER 15 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, INCLUDING RUNNING A CRISIS INTERVENTION AND SUICIDE PREVENTION CENTER. I'M HERE TO SPEAK AGAINST THE BANNING OF FLAMER FROM OUR SCHOOL LIBRARIES. BOOK BANS ARE UN-AMERICAN. THEY UNDERMINE FREE EXPRESSION AND ACCESS TO KNOWLEDGE CORNERSTONES OF A HEALTHY DEMOCRACY. BUT BANNING FLAMER IS ESPECIALLY HARMFUL BECAUSE IT DIRECTLY TARGETS OUR LGBTQ PLUS STUDENTS, A GROUP THAT IS ALREADY DISPROPORTIONATELY AT RISK.

ACCORDING TO THE TREVOR PROJECT, LGBTQ PLUS YOUTH ARE MORE THAN FOUR TIMES AS LIKELY TO ATTEMPT SUICIDE THAN THEIR PEERS. AIDEN'S STORY, THE MAIN CHARACTER, MIRRORS WHAT SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE FACE SHEER SHAME, FEAR, ISOLATION AND THE DESPERATE NEED FOR BELONGING.

BOOKS LIKE FLAMER LITERALLY BE LIFE SAVING BY SHOWING STUDENTS THEY ARE NOT ALONE. TELLING LGBTQIA+ STUDENTS THAT THEIR STORIES AND SHAME ARE ARE SHAMEFUL AND THAT THEIR STRUGGLES DON'T BELONG IN OUR SCHOOLS, ERODES THEIR MENTAL HEALTH AND INCREASES THEIR ISOLATION AND VULNERABILITY. AS A PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONAL WHO HAS WORKED ON THE FRONT LINES OF SUICIDE PREVENTION, I CAN TELL YOU REPRESENTATION SAVES LIVES. THIS IS NOT THEORY, IT'S EVIDENCE BASED FACT. I URGE THIS BOARD TO REINSTATE FLAMER AND AFFIRM THAT EVERY STUDENT IN HARFORD COUNTY, REGARDLESS OF WHO THEY ARE, DESERVES TO BE SEEN, VALUED AND SAFE IN OUR SCHOOLS. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. I STRONGLY OPPOSE BOOK BANNING IN OUR SCHOOLS.

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LET'S TRUST OUR TEACHERS, RESPECT OUR STUDENTS, AND KEEP SCHOOLS PLACES OF LEARNING, NOT CENSORSHIP. THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE KEVIN SMITH, FOLLOWED BY ANGELA SMITH AND CINDY POPPER.

GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS KEVIN SMITH. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD MY SUPPORT TO NOT BANNING THIS BOOK. I THINK THAT LEADS A SLIPPERY SLOPE. ONCE YOU START BANNING BOOKS, THAT GENERATES A COMMITTEE THAT HAS TO EVALUATE WHICH BOOKS ARE GOING TO BE GOOD, WHICH BOOKS ARE GOING TO BE BAD. ONCE THAT STARTS, THAT LINE CAN BE BLURRED. WHERE DOES IT GO? WHERE DOES IT STOP? IS IT IT'S AN OBJECTIVE THING. IF YOU DON'T LIKE A BOOK, YOU CAN JUST SET IT DOWN. IF YOU'RE A PARENT, YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT YOUR CHILD READS. PICK UP THE BOOK. IF YOU THINK IT'S INAPPROPRIATE, TELL THEM. PUT IT BACK IN THE LIBRARY. IT'S NOT GOING TO CONVERT ANYBODY.

THIS THIS BOOK GIVES INDIVIDUALS SOME TOOLS TO NAVIGATE REAL WORLD CIRCUMSTANCES BULLYING, INSECURITY, LOW SELF-ESTEEM. AND IT PROVIDES TOOLS TO HELP NAVIGATE THROUGH THAT AND PROVIDE A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME. IN THE BOOK, AIDEN, THE MAIN CHARACTER, COMES TO A POINT OF ALMOST SELF-HARM. HE OVERCOMES THAT. THIS BOOK SHOWS THAT IF THIS BOOK COULD SAVE ONE LIFE, DON'T YOU THINK IT'S WORTH IT? THANK YOU. HI, MY NAME IS ANGELA SMITH AND I DID NOT WRITE AN ELOQUENT SPEECH. I ACTUALLY WAS NOT PLANNING ON SPEAKING HERE TONIGHT, BUT I AM A PARENT OF TWO CHILDREN THAT GO TO PATTERSON MILL MIDDLE HIGH SCHOOL. I RECENTLY FOUND OUT ABOUT THE BOOK BANNING, WHICH I REALLY UPSET ME THAT WE ARE BANNING BOOKS. I THEN READ THE NAME OF THE BOOK. I GOT A COPY OF THE BOOK AND I READ IT AND I THOUGHT, NO WONDER THE LIBRARIANS DIDN'T THINK THIS BOOK SHOULD BE BANNED. I READ IT EVERY WORD I HAVE HEARD IN IT. I HAVE HEARD MY CHILDREN USE. UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE HEARD THEM USE WORSE WHEN THEY'RE WITH THEIR FRIENDS AND THEY DON'T KNOW. MOM CAN HEAR.

AND I THOUGHT, THESE ARE THE ISSUES. I REMEMBER HIGH SCHOOL. THESE ARE THE ISSUES THAT WE ALL STRUGGLE WITH. WE'RE TRYING TO FIND OUR IDENTITY. WE'RE BEING BULLIED. WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF THINGS WE'RE DEALING WITH. WE'RE NOT JUST LEARNING FROM BOOKS IN A CLASSROOM. AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ALSO, I KNOW A GENTLEMAN SPOKE WHO SAID PARENTS SHOULD HAVE MORE SAY IN WHAT GOES ON IN OUR CHILDREN'S SCHOOLS. WELL, HOW DO WE DECIDE WHICH PARENTS HAVE MORE SAY? BECAUSE I'M A PARENT AND I WANT MY BOYS TO HAVE ACCESS TO THAT BOOK. SO WHY ARE THE PARENTS THAT DECIDED IT SHOULD BE BANNED? WHY ARE THEY MORE IMPORTANT THAN ME? WORDS MATTER.

OUR CHOICE OF WORDS CAN HELP HEAL AND UPLIFT. THEY CAN HURT, DIVIDE AND DISCRIMINATE. THEY CAN INDICATE OPINIONS AND BIASES. WORDS CAN MAKE PEOPLE FEEL WELCOMED AND INCLUDED, OR MAKE THEM FEEL DISMISSED AND OSTRACIZED. YOU SHOULD BE PARTICULARLY CAREFUL OF THE WORDS YOU USE. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MR. KORN, EVERY ONE OF YOU HAS BEEN ON THIS BOARD FOR THREE YEARS OR MORE. AT THIS POINT, YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE REMINDED ABOUT YOUR CHOICE OF WORDS. YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE REMINDED ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF THE WORDS THAT YOU USE. I AM REFERRING TO THE USE OF THE WORD TEACHER BY A MEMBER OF THE BOARD DURING THEIR PUBLIC REMARKS LAST MEETING, THE MEMBER SAID IT IS THE TEACHER'S LAST WEEK OF SUMMER BREAK. WHILE NOT INCORRECT, THE USE OF THE WORD IN THIS MANNER DEMONSTRATED TO EVERYONE ELSE THAT WORKS AS A 10 OR 11 MONTH EMPLOYEE FOR CPS THAT THEY DON'T MATTER WITH THE USE OF ONE WORD. YOU TOLD SEVERAL THOUSAND PEOPLE THAT THEY AREN'T WORTH YOUR TIME, OR THE EFFORT TO CHOOSE YOUR WORDS MORE CAREFULLY, TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR EXISTENCE, MUCH LESS THEIR NECESSITY TO ENSURING THAT CPS FUNCTIONS ON A DAILY BASIS. DISPLAYS LIKE THIS PLAY OUT IN MANY WAYS. REMARKS LIKE THAT SHOW THEM THAT THEY AREN'T RESPECTED AND VALUED. YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER AND YOU NEED TO DO BETTER. NEXT, WE HAVE KATHY KOWALEWSKI. JANINE CANEDO,

[00:40:07]

NONE OF THIS WORK COMES WITHOUT A PERSONAL PRICE. MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MY COMMENTS WILL BE PARTIALLY TOWARDS THE CIP PLAN, IN WHICH THERE WILL BE A LATER PRESENTATION AND THEN SOME OTHER GENERAL COMMENTS. I LOOKED AT VARIOUS CIP PLANS, AND IT'S ALWAYS A HEAD SCRATCHER TO ME AS TO DO WE REALLY NEED TO RESURFACE THAT TRACK? DO WE REALLY NEED TO DO THIS, THAT OR THE OTHER? AND I THINK THERE IS A LACKING DUE DILIGENCE ON THE PART OF THE BOARD IN TERMS OF OKAYING CERTAIN PROJECTS. PLEASE EXAMINE THE CIP BUDGET CAREFULLY, KEEPING IN MIND WHAT IS WANTED AND WHAT IS NEEDED IN IN TERMS OF THE WHOLE THE FLAMER THING. BOOK BANNING IS A GASLIGHTING TERM, MAKING SURE BOOKS ARE DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE IS NOT CENSORSHIP. IT IS PROTECTION OF OUR KIDS.

INNOCENT. SHOULD WE ALL INFORM OUR LITTLE KIDS THAT SANTA IS NOT REAL? DON'T WE PERPETUATE THAT LIE TO PROTECT OUR KIDS INNOCENCE? COME ON. SORRY. LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT. YOU'RE OUT OF TIME. THANK YOU. IT'S REALLY HARD TO MAKE A POINT IN A MINUTE OR A MINUTE AND A HALF WHILE WE HAVE TWO LISTENING SESSIONS. THE BOARD. MY THANK YOU. HI. MY NAME IS KEELEY. I'M A GRADUATE OF ABERDEEN HIGH SCHOOL. I WANT I'M HERE TO SAY THAT I WOULD LIKE FLAMER TO BE RETURNED TO THE SCHOOL LIBRARIES. I THINK THAT THE BOARD SHOULD FOLLOW THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE COMMITTEE THAT IT APPOINTED. I THINK WE'RE ALL IN AGREEMENT THAT WE WANT STUDENTS TO GRADUATE WITH STRONG CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS, AND I THINK THAT THAT INVOLVES ALLOWING STUDENTS TO CHALLENGE THEMSELVES WITH READING MATERIAL THAT MIGHT BE SURPRISING TO THEM THAT THEY MAY AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH, AND THAT THEY MAY GO AND TALK TO THEIR PARENTS OR SCHOOL STAFF ABOUT. AND I THINK THAT IN ORDER FOR STUDENTS TO GRADUATE WITH GOOD CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS, THEY NEED TO HAVE BOOKS AVAILABLE IN THE LIBRARY THAT WILL CHALLENGE THEM AND WILL BE WILL WILL BE EDUCATIONAL. AND YOU KNOW WHO'S REALLY GOOD AT PICKING OUT EDUCATIONAL LITERATURE AT AN AGE APPROPRIATE LEVEL? IT'S LIBRARIANS. MAYBE YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO THEM. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LISA NICKERSON, FOLLOWED BY TOM PENNINGTON AND SUSIE SCOTT. HI, I'M LISA NICKERSON. THANKS FOR LISTENING TO MY COMMENTS TONIGHT. I WAS AT THE PRIOR BOARD MEETING, AND I EXPRESSED MY DISAPPOINTMENT WITH THE BANNING OF THE BOOK FLAMER. HOWEVER, TONIGHT I KNOW IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA, AND I

[00:45:02]

DO YOU KNOW WITH THE PROTESTS THAT TOOK PLACE LAST, LAST MONTH FOR THIS BOOK, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE NOW, ALL ADORNED IN PURPLE, ALL TO BE ALIKE, ALL TO BE ONE WITH EACH OTHER. AND NOT A SINGLE TEACHER DID I SEE THAT STOOD AGAINST TAKING THE BOOK OUT OR I'M SORRY THAT STOOD FOR TAKING THE BOOK OUT. IT DOESN'T APPEAR AS THOUGH IN SO MANY OF T GROUPS WITHIN THE EDUCATORS, WITHIN, WITHIN THE LIBRARIANS. IT'S ONE THOUGHT. NO DIVERSITY OF OPINION, NO DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT. THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO, AND LET'S MARCH.

AND THEN THEY TURN AROUND AND THEY SAY, TRUST US, WE'RE THE TEACHERS. NO, I CAN'T TRUST THAT YOU'RE NOT TEACHING CRITICAL THOUGHT. YOU'RE TEACHING ONE MIND OF THOUGHT IN A CIRCUMSTANCE LIKE THAT. AND WE CAN'T STAND FOR THAT. I HAVE A LOT MORE TO SAY, JUST LIKE A LOT OF US DO, AND NOT GOING TO GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT. BUT I WILL ALSO TELL YOU THAT I'M A PRODUCT OF HARFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS, CLASS OF 78, ABERDEEN HIGH SCHOOL, AND I'M ALSO A PRODUCT OF BULLYING, MOSTLY RACIALLY ORIENTED. I HAD TO DEAL WITH IT. I RESPECT AND UNDERSTAND HOW BAD IT WAS TO GET THROUGH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MISS SCOTT. PLEASE STATE THE NAME OF YOUR GROUP AND YOU'LL RECEIVE TWO MINUTES. THANK YOU, SUSIE SCOTT, MOMS FOR LIBERTY, HARFORD COUNTY. GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. THANKS FOR THE EXTRA 30S TODAY OUR PRESIDENT SPOKE AT THE MUSEUM OF THE BIBLE WHERE HE DISCUSSED RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN PUBLIC EDUCATION. HE ANNOUNCED NEW GUIDANCE THAT WILL BE COMING FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AIMED AT PROTECTING PRAYER IN SCHOOLS. IN HIS POWERFUL ADDRESS, PRESIDENT TRUMP EMPHASIZED THE ENDURING ROLE OF FAITH IN AMERICA'S IDENTITY, AND HE ANNOUNCED THE LAUNCH OF THE AMERICA PRAYS INITIATIVE, WHICH IS A CALL FOR AMERICANS TO UNITE IN PRAYER FOR THE NATION'S STRENGTH, PEACE, AND PROSPERITY. AS THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE APPROACHES. AT THIS EVENT, THE PRESIDENT INVITED A 12 YEAR OLD PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT FROM CALIFORNIA TO THE PODIUM. THIS YOUNG MAN EXPLAINED THAT HE WAS FORCED TO READ A BOOK TO HIS KINDERGARTEN BUDDY THAT PROMOTED A MESSAGE OF RADICAL GENDER IDEOLOGY THAT IS CONTRARY TO HIS RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. THE BOY, WHOSE NAME IS SHAY, SAID, QUOTE, I'VE BEEN A CHRISTIAN MY WHOLE LIFE AND JESUS MEANS EVERYTHING TO ME.

WHEN I WAS IN FIFTH GRADE, MY SCHOOL FORCED ME TO TEACH MY KINDERGARTEN BUDDY ABOUT CHANGING HIS GENDER USING A BOOK CALLED MY SHADOW IS PINK. THE BOOK SAID YOU COULD CHOOSE YOUR GENDER BASED ON FEELINGS INSTEAD OF HOW GOD MADE US. I KNEW THIS WAS NOT RIGHT, BUT I

[00:50:04]

STOP HIDING BEHIND EXCUSES AND LET'S GET BACK TO THE BASICS. OUR MCAT SCORES ARE NOTHING TO BE PROUD OF. OUR NEXT SPEAKERS ARE ANN HARTIG, CHRISTINA. LANCIA, DAVID FABI, AND FELICIA MARTIN. HELLO. MY NAME IS ANN HARTIG. I'M HERE TO URGE YOU TO CELEBRATE BOOKS, STORIES. TODAY IS GRANDPARENTS DAY. I COULDN'T MAKE THE BREAKFAST AT MY GRANDDAUGHTER'S DAYCARE, BUT I CELEBRATED BY REMINISCING ABOUT HOW WE SPENT TIME TOGETHER AT 18 MONTHS. SHE LOVES TO READ, AND EACH TIME WE SPEND TOGETHER, A PORTION OF IT IS SPENT READING. HER FAVORITE STORY RIGHT NOW IS THE LITTLE BLUE TRUCK. SHE PICKS IT FIRST EVERY TIME. DO YOU KNOW THE STORY? A LITTLE BLUE TRUCK GETS BULLIED BY A BIG BLUE TRUCK. IT ENDS WITH A LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND HIS FRIENDS DIGGING THE BIG BLUE TRUCK OUT OF A MUD PUDDLE. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY SHE'S SO ENAMORED WITH THE STORY AND PICKS IT EVERY TIME. MAYBE IT'S THE PICTURES OR MY TONE OF VOICE AS I READ THE CHARACTERS, OR THE STORY OF A LITTLE GUY WINNING OVER A BIG BAD GUY.

WHAT I DO KNOW IS SHE IS READING AND SHE CONNECTS WITH IT IN SOME WAY, AND THAT'S ENOUGH FOR ME. WHEN SHE GETS OLDER AND CONTINUES TO SELECT BOOKS OF HER OWN, I EXPECT STILL BE VERY PRESENT IN HER LIFE AND SHARE HER EXPERIENCES, LITERARY OR OTHERWISE, HOWEVER I CAN. STORIES CONNECT WITH DIFFERENT CHILDREN'S FOR DIFFERENT REASONS. LET'S CELEBRATE THEIR CHOICES AND DO OUR JOBS AS PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS BY BEING AVAILABLE, AVAILABLE FOR SHARED DISCUSSIONS. REINSTATE FLAMER AND ANOTHER BOOK ABOUT BULLYING AND LET THOSE CONVERSATIONS GET STARTED. THANK YOU. YES, WE DO NEED GOD BACK IN OUR SCHOOLS.

MATTHEW 18 SIX BUT WHOEVER CAUSES ONE OF THESE LITTLE ONES WHO BELIEVE IN ME TO STUMBLE, IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR HIM TO HAVE A HEAVY MILLSTONE HUNG ABOUT HIS NECK AND TO BE DROWNED IN THE DEPTH OF THE SEA. THIS IS NOT A THREAT. THIS IS A PROMISE MADE BY JESUS CHRIST.

HE IS JUDGED, NOT ME. CHOICES MUST BE MADE, SALVATION OR NOT, FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS I CALL FOR THE DISMISSAL OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. THE LACK OF OVERSIGHT WHICH HAS BEEN ALLOWING AND CONTINUES TO ALLOW SUCH VULGARITY, VULGARITY AND SEXUALLY EXPLICIT BOOKS IN OUR SCHOOLS AT THE COST OF EVERY TAXPAYER IN THE COUNTY. IS THAT FAIR? THE ALLOWANCE OF GENDER IDEOLOGY IN OUR SCHOOLS, WHILE, OF COURSE, DISALLOWING CHRISTIAN IDEOLOGY, THE ALLOWANCE OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION, WHICH IS JUST ANOTHER NAME FOR DISCRIMINATION, THIS TIME AGAINST WHITES AND THE CONSISTENTLY LOW AND STILL UNACCEPTABLE MATH AND READING PROFICIENCY RATES. THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS BEEN AT THIS JOB SINCE 2018. I BELIEVE THAT SEVEN YEARS IS ENOUGH TIME FOR HIM TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE OUR STUDENT READING AND MATH PROFICIENCY RATES. DOING SO IS THE CORE PART OF HIS JOB. HE HAD A GOAL OF ACADEMIC RIGOR THIS PAST YEAR. I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT GOAL REALIZED. I'M SURE THAT DOCTOR BOLTON DID HIS BEST, BUT LET'S GIVE ANOTHER PERSON A CHANCE AT MAKING THIS ALL RIGHT.

I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT THAT PERSON BE SOMEONE INVESTED IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THEREFORE NOT COMMUTING FROM ANOTHER COUNTY TO DIRECT OUR STUDENTS. MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS AND GUIDE YOU ALL IN YOUR DECISION MAKING. HELLO. GOOD EVENING. THE BLUE SHIRTS. PURPLE SHIRTS. SO HAVE YOU BELIEVE THAT WORDS MATTER AND THEY USE THE WORD BANNING BOOKS OVER 22 TIMES TONIGHT? WE DIDN'T BAN THE BOOK. YOU GUYS MADE A DECISION TO REMOVE THE BOOK. SO WORDS DO MATTER.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORDS. ON JANUARY 20TH, PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNED THE EXECUTIVE ORDER 14168, RESTORING TITLE NINE PROTECTIONS FOR GIRLS, YOUNG WOMEN, FEMALES AND REAFFIRMING THEIR ONLY TWO GENDERS, MALE AND FEMALE. NO MORE BOYS AND GIRLS SPORTS, NO MORE BOYS AND GIRLS BATHROOMS OR SHOWERS FOR ALL THE PARENTS IN HARFORD COUNTY. IF YOU'RE AWARE OF THIS AND SEE THIS ON THE SPORTS FIELDS, FEEL FREE TO REPORT THIS TO THE WEBSITE AND DIE.

IT'S VERY SIMPLE. ONE PAGE FORM THE US NAVAL ACADEMY IN ANNAPOLIS. AFTER EVALUATING

[00:55:01]

WHAT I WAS WRONG ABOUT, AND I'M FREQUENTLY TOLD, WAS UNDERESTIMATING WHAT MY TEENAGE DAUGHTERS COULD HANDLE. I WAS SPEAKING WITH ONE OF THEM YESTERDAY, AND SHE SAID SHE WOULD RATHER LEARN MATERIAL IN A BOOK THAN BE BLINDSIDED BY IT OUT IN THE REAL WORLD. SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO REFLECT ON HOW SURE YOU ARE ABOUT YOUR OPINION THAT YOU WOULD LIMIT OUR STUDENTS ACCESS TO INFORMATION. THANK YOU, PRESIDENT POINT. THAT'S ALL THE IN PERSON SPEAKERS. THANK YOU. ANY VIRTUAL? YES. GOOD EVENING. YOU ARE NOW ON THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING. YOU WILL HAVE 1.5 MINUTES. PLEASE STATE YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME AND YOU MAY BEGIN YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT NOW. HI, MY NAME IS CAITLIN HURLEY AND I AM A LIBRARIAN WITH CPS PRESIDENT. BOYNTON SUGGESTED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MEETING THAT THE BOARD IS, QUOTE, DONE ADDRESSING THINGS SUCH AS THE FLAMER ISSUE. BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, WE SIMPLY AREN'T LETTING THIS GO. TO MY COUNT, SO FAR THERE'S BEEN OVER 20 PEOPLE COMMENTING THAT ARE AGAINST THE BOOK BAN JUST TONIGHT. THAT'S NOT INCLUDED IN THE OTHER NIGHTS. BOARD MEMBER REMARKS MADE AT THE LAST MEETING CONTAINED FACTUAL INACCURACIES AND DISMISSIVE FRAMING THAT UNDERMINED PUBLIC TRUST. AND I WANT TO ADDRESS WANT TO ADDRESS THEM FIRST. AS THE BOARD HAS BEEN TOLD MANY TIMES, LIBRARIANS ALREADY AGREE THAT FLAMER DOESN'T BELONG ON THE SHELF. THE LIBRARIAN PLC REVIEWED THE TITLE AND DECIDED IT BELONGED ONLY IN HIGH SCHOOL COLLECTION, BASED ON PROFESSIONAL REVIEWS AND GRADE LEVEL GUIDELINES. TO SUGGEST OTHERWISE IS MISREPRESENTING MISREPRESENTING OUR WORK.

SECONDLY, THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF REPEATEDLY NOTED THAT THE BOOK IS RECOMMENDED FOR GRADES TEN THROUGH 12. WELL, THAT'S HIGH SCHOOL, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHERE LIBRARIANS PUT IT. SO PLEASE RETURN IT TO HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARIES WHERE IT BELONGS. THIS IS NOT ABOUT PARENT RIGHTS.

AS OTHERS HAVE SAID TONIGHT, PARENTS ALREADY CAN LIMIT WHAT THEIR OWN CHILD CHECKS OUT, AND LIBRARIANS HONOR THOSE REQUESTS EVERY SINGLE DAY. YOU CHOSE TO STRIP AWAY THE RIGHTS OF THE OTHER FAMILIES WHO WOULD LIKE TO ACCESS THIS BOOK IN THEIR SCHOOL, AND HIS COMMENTS. LAST MONTH, PRESIDENT BOYNTON SUGGESTED THAT CONTINUING TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPROPER REMOVAL OF FLAVOR IS DISTRACTING FROM THE REAL STORY OF CPS, WHICH IS STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.

INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM IS NOT A DISTRACTION FROM STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. YOU HAVE REACHED THE 1.5 MINUTE MARK. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. YOU ARE NOW ON THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING.

YOU WILL HAVE 1.5 MINUTES. PLEASE STATE YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME AND YOU MAY BEGIN YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT NOW. PHONE NUMBER ENDING IN 7542. I BELIEVE YOU MAY STILL BE MUTED.

I BELIEVE IT IS STAR STAR SIX OR STAR EIGHT I APOLOGIZE. STAR SIX TO UNMUTE. AGAIN. PHONE NUMBER 7542 PLEASE TRY STAR SIX TO UNMUTE. IS THERE ANOTHER ONE? MAYBE WE CAN JUST COME BACK.

[01:00:02]

THERE WAS A SILLY BIRD CALLED A PHOENIX BACK BEFORE CHRIST. EVERY FEW HUNDRED YEARS HE BUILT A PYRE AND BURNED HIMSELF OUT. HE MUST HAVE BEEN FIRST COUSIN TO MAN. BUT EVERY TIME HE BURNED HIMSELF UP, HE SPRANG OUT OF THE ASHES. HE GOT HIMSELF BORN ALL OVER AGAIN.

AND IT LOOKS FOR DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER. BUT WE'VE GOT ONE THING THE PHOENIX NEVER HAD. WE KNOW THE SILLY THING WE JUST DID. WE KNOW ALL THE SILLY THINGS WE'VE DONE FOR A THOUSAND YEARS. AND AS LONG AS WE KNOW THAT AND ALWAYS HAVE IT AROUND WHERE WE CAN SEE IT, SOMEDAY WE'LL STOP MAKING THE FUNERAL PYRES AND JUMPING IN THE MIDDLE OF THEM. WE PICK UP A FEW MORE PEOPLE THAT REMEMBER EVERY GENERATION. ANOTHER IS MOST OF US CAN'T RUSH AROUND TALKING TO EVERYONE, KNOWING ALL THE CITIES OF THE WORLD. WE HAVEN'T TIME, MONEY OR THAT MANY FRIENDS. THE THINGS YOU'RE LOOKING FOR ARE IN THE WORLD. THE ONLY WAY THE AVERAGE CHAP WILL EVER SEE 99% OF THEM IS IN A BOOK. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. YOU ARE NOW IN THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING. YOU WILL HAVE 1.5 MINUTES. PLEASE STATE YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME AND YOU MAY BEGIN YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT NOW. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YOU SURE CAN. YES. I JUST READ MY PUBLIC COMMENT. AM I GETTING MIXED UP WITH SOMEONE? YES, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND HANG UP. SINCE YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT CONCLUDED. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. ALL RIGHT. PHONE NUMBER ENDING IN 7542. IF YOU CAN STATE YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME AND BEGIN YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT NOW. LESLIE THOMPSON. I HAVE BEEN HERE, YOU KNOW, A FEW TIMES NOW, AND I KNOW I'M SURE IT FEELS LIKE IT'S GETTING OLD TO A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION. BUT I WANT TO ECHO WHAT SOME OF THE OTHER FOLKS HAVE SAID TONIGHT, THAT UNTIL WE HAVE RESOLUTION THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO LET THIS GO. I WANTED TO SPEAK TO SOMETHING MORE SPECIFICALLY, THOUGH. DOCTOR POINTON'S GUEST COMMENTARY IN THE EGIS AND BALTIMORE SUN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. HE, OF COURSE, MADE HIS, YOU KNOW, GENERAL REGULAR ARGUMENTS ABOUT THE NUMBER OF SWEAR WORDS, WHICH YOU ARE VERY WELCOME FOR THAT DATA, SIR. HAPPY TO PROVIDE. BUT HE ALSO TALKED A LOT ABOUT PARENTAL RIGHTS AND IT BEING ABOUT PARENTAL RIGHTS.

I DON'T SEE HOW MY PARENTAL RIGHTS ARE BEING TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN THIS SITUATION, WHICH IS WHY, AND HOWEVER MANY OTHER PARENTS THAT DON'T AGREE WITH THIS DECISION. SO TO ME, IT REALLY AMOUNTS TO THE FACT THAT IF YOU'RE A PARENT WHO'S IDEOLOGIES AGREE WITH YOURS, THOSE ARE THE PARENTAL RIGHTS THAT YOU ARE WISHING TO UPHOLD AND THE REST OF US, IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER. DOES THAT CONCLUDE YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THIS EVENING? YES. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING. YOU ARE NOW IN THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING. PLEASE STATE YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME. YOU WILL HAVE 1.5 MINUTES. PLEASE STATE YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME AND YOU MAY BEGIN YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT. NOW, I DON'T AGREE WITH THIS DECISION, BUT TO ME IT REALLY AMOUNTS TO THE FACT THAT IF YOUR PHONE NUMBER ENDING IN 5317, JULIE PARKER A PROGRAM CALLED LIFEWISE HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN MANY STATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY WITH ASTOUNDING SUCCESS. I AM TALKING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS. IT'S A PRIME EXAMPLE OF DIVERSITY AND CURRICULUM, AS IT WOULD FULFILL THE AGENDA FOR A WELL-ROUNDED STUDENT AND ENHANCE THEIR CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS AND BUILD CHARACTER AND MORALS.

IT'S FILLED WITH TIMELESS, ANCIENT WISDOM, BEAUTIFUL POETRY, HISTORY, AND TRUTH.

IMAGINE THAT. YES, I'M TALKING ABOUT BIBLE CURRICULUM APPROVED BY THE SUPREME COURT 70 YEARS

[01:05:01]

PROVERBS ONE TWO SAYS, TO KNOW WISDOM AND INSTRUCTION IS TO PERCEIVE WORDS OF UNDERSTANDING.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DOCTOR BOYNTON. THAT CONCLUDES OUR VIRTUAL PUBLIC SPEAKERS FOR

[Board Member Comments]

THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF. I AGREE THE STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO BOOKS THAT ARE IN LINE WITH OUR POLICIES. WE HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE THAT DETERMINES IF BOOKS ARE APPROPRIATE TO THE GRADE LEVEL. IN MY OPINION, BANNING BOOKS IS NOT THE SOLUTION. AND THIS IS SOMETHING PERSONAL ABOUT ME. AS AN ARMY VETERAN WHO HAS SERVED OVERSEAS IN SOUTH KOREA DURING A CONFLICT WHEN WE WERE PUT ON ALERT DUE TO THE NORTH KOREANS COMING ACROSS THE DMZ TO ATTACK SOUTH KOREA, THE OATH I TOOK TO OUR COUNTRY, I ALSO TOOK THE OATH TO DO THE BEST I CAN HERE ON THE BOARD. THANK YOU, MR. SEWELL. I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE THAT CAME OUT TONIGHT AND SHARED THEIR THOUGHTS WITH THE BOARD. I'M VERY PROUD OF YOU AND THANKFUL THAT YOU ARE PART OF OUR COMMUNITY HERE IN HARFORD COUNTY. I WANT TO WELCOME EVERYONE TO THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR. I HOPE STUDENTS HAVE HAD A GREAT FIRST WEEK AND START TO THIS SECOND WEEK ADJUSTING TO THEIR SCHOOL SCHEDULE, GETTING TO KNOW THEIR EDUCATORS, AND DIGGING INTO THEIR NEW COURSES. WELCOME TO ALL THE NEW EDUCATORS AND STAFF WE HAVE THIS YEAR. I HOPE EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTS THE OPERATION OF OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM AND ULTIMATELY SUPPORTS OUR STUDENTS HAS HAD A SMOOTH START TO THE YEAR. I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO SUPPORT AND ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF OUR STUDENTS, OUR FAMILIES, AND OUR EDUCATORS THIS SCHOOL YEAR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DOCTOR MUELLER. SO I WANT TO TAKE JUST A MINUTE AND THANK EVERYBODY WHO CAME OUT TONIGHT AND FOR THEIR WORDS. IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT A BOOK, BUT A BOOK IS JUST WORDS. AND EVERYBODY HAS SPOKEN HERE.

AND I APPRECIATE YOUR THOUGHTS AND YOUR COMMENTS, EVEN THOSE WHO DON'T AGREE WITH ME. I'M OKAY WITH THAT. I'M OKAY HEARING BOTH SIDES. I WANT TO TAKE A MINUTE AND REALLY THANK THE CUSTODIANS IN OUR SCHOOLS. YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE THEY ARE THE TOTALLY UNDER-SUNG HEROES BECAUSE AS SCHOOL CAME TO A START, I WAS OVER AT JOPPATOWNE ELEMENTARY HELPING GET SOME CLASSROOMS READY, AND KYLE AND BILLY WERE THERE. NOW KYLE AND BILLY WOULD COME IN THE ROOM. THEY'D HELP MOVE A BOOKCASE. THEY'D MOVE A RUG. THEY EMPTIED THE TRASH CANS LIKE 80 TIMES A DAY. BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE GETTING BULLETIN BOARDS READY IN THAT YOU HAVE THAT MUCH TRASH TO TO THROW OUT. AND IT IS AMAZING HOW THEY CAN MAKE YOUR DAY GO SO SMOOTHLY AND HOW MUCH THEY ACTUALLY HELP YOU. AND I ALWAYS TRY TO REMEMBER THAT AS I WALK THROUGH THE SCHOOLS, AND I HOPE YOU ALL DO TOO, TO THANK THE CUSTODIANS AS YOU GO BY. YOU KNOW, ONE GUY WAS SITTING THERE WITH A MOP DUSTING OFF THE WALLS, AND I WAS LIKE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING THAT. AND HE KIND OF GAVE ME THIS LOOK LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? BUT IT REALLY IS A LOT AND IT MEANS A LOT. KIDS ARE PROUD OF A SCHOOL THAT'S CLEAN AND COMFORTABLE, AND THAT THEY FEEL BELONGING IN. AND HAVING THAT ROOM BE NICE FOR THEM IS SO VERY IMPORTANT. I WENT BACK TO MY HIGH SCHOOL 50 YEARS AFTER I GRADUATED FROM IT, AND I WAS LIKE, DANG, THIS WAS A PRETTY NICE PLACE, YOU KNOW? NOT THAT I EVER SPENT MUCH TIME THERE, BUT I DO WANT YOU TO REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT THEY HAVE A PLACE TO BE PROUD OF. SO I WANTED TO MENTION THAT. AND JUST THANKS TO ALL OF OUR EDUCATORS AS THEY GOT READY FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR, AND FOR THE AMOUNT OF TIME THEY PUT IN WITH OUR STUDENTS, BECAUSE IT'S AMAZING EVERYTHING THAT THEY DO EVERY DAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MCVICKER. THE THIRD. THANK YOU. FIRST, I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT AND SPEAKING TONIGHT. I PERSONALLY, YOU KNOW, LISTEN TO EVERY SINGLE COMMENT THAT'S GIVEN AND TAKE IT VERY SERIOUSLY. THANK YOU. ALSO TO THE STUDENT WHO SPOKE. I FIND THAT THIS IS SOMETIMES VERY DIFFICULT. SO I PRIDE YOU FOR COMING OUT HERE. AND I DON'T THINK YOU'RE HERE ANYMORE, BUT FOR COMING OUT HERE AND

[01:10:01]

I'M NOT YET GOING TO SHARE MY OPINION ON WHETHER OR NOT I THINK IT SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT BE IN OUR SCHOOLS. THIS IS MORE OF JUST A PERSONAL THING, BUT I DO WANT TO SAY, AND I DO WANT TO CLARIFY SOME SOME COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS THAT I'VE HEARD THROUGH OUR COMMENTS. I CURRENTLY AM IN SCHOOL. I'VE BEEN IN SCHOOL FOR THE LAST HOWEVER MANY YEARS AND I STILL OBVIOUSLY AM IN SCHOOL. I'M IN HIGH SCHOOL, AND SOME OF THE WORDS THAT YOU GUYS OR THAT EVERYBODY HAS MENTIONED THAT ARE IN THE BOOK THAT YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT HEARING OR YOUR STUDENTS HEARING, I WILL SAY THAT ALL OF THOSE BOOKS ARE ALL OF THOSE WORDS ARE HEARD ON A DAILY BASIS, NUMEROUS TIMES THROUGHOUT THE DAY, WHETHER THEY'RE BETTER OR WORSE OR IN DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES. SO IF I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT IF THAT'S THE CONCERN, I JUST WANT TO MAKE YOU ALL AWARE THAT THAT IF I DO END UP COMMENTING, COMMENTING ON IT IN THE FUTURE, THAT IS MY BASIS IS THAT I WALK THROUGH THE HALLS AND I HEAR WAY WORSE WORDS THAN THAT ARE IN THE BOOK. SO JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE. I ALSO WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THE CALENDAR THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING CONSIDERED, AND I WANT TO JUST START IT OFF NOW, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE COMING UP IN THE NEXT FEW MEETINGS. SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF SET THIS. I BELIEVE THAT THE CALENDAR SHOULD BE PLACED IN THE YEAR TO. I THINK THAT OUR FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL SHOULD BE BEFORE LABOR DAY. I KNOW THIS MIGHT BE A BIT CONTROVERSIAL, BUT FOR SOMEBODY WHO HAS TAKEN MANY AP CLASSES AND MANY AP EXAMS, SIX TO BE EXACT, I'VE TAKEN SIX THROUGHOUT MY HIGH SCHOOL CAREER AND AFTER LABOR DAY START OR LATER IN THE SCHOOL YEAR START IS. IT MAKES IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT ON STUDENTS WHO ARE TAKING AP TESTS OR TAKING AP CLASSES TO GET ALL OF THEIR COURSEWORK IN IN TIME FOR THEIR EXAMS TO HOPEFULLY PASS AND RECEIVE COLLEGE CREDIT, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S ACCEPTED AT THEIR UNIVERSITY OR, YOU KNOW, FOR THEIR FUTURE. THE FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, AP TESTS ARE TAKEN ON THE SAME DAY ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL AND EVERY SINGLE STUDENT. SO WHAT YOU SEE IS, IS OTHER SCHOOLS AND OTHER DISTRICTS THAT START AFTER OR BEFORE LABOR DAY. SORRY, THE SCHOOLS THAT START BEFORE LABOR DAY, THEIR AP TEST SCORES ARE SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER. THAT IS A STATISTIC. YOU CAN LOOK IT UP, AND THAT IS BECAUSE TEACHERS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TEACH AND GET ALL OF THAT MATERIAL IN BEFORE THE TEST, WHICH IS ADMINISTERED ON THE SAME DAY. SO THAT IS MY REASONING BEHIND WHY I THINK THAT SCHOOLS SHOULD START BEFORE LABOR DAY, BECAUSE I JUST KNOW SITTING THROUGH MY AP TESTS OR MY AP CLASSES AND THEM SAYING, WELL, THE TEST IS, YOU KNOW, MID SEPTEMBER OR SORRY, NOT MID SEPTEMBER, MID MAY AND WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO GET EVERYTHING IN. SO WE'RE, WE'RE RUSHING THROUGH STUFF AND, AND IT'S QUITE HARD TO, TO RECEIVE ALL THE MATERIAL THAT QUICKLY. SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU MR. CORN. I DON'T HAVE ANY COMMENTS OTHER THAN WELL I DO HAVE ONE. I DIDN'T VOTE ON THE BOOK FLAMER. THIS IS A PERSISTENT ISSUE. IN THE LAST FEW MEETINGS I THINK EVERYBODY KEEPS TALKING ABOUT, WELL, I HEAR EVERYBODY SPEAKING ABOUT BOOK BANNING. I'VE HEARD THE WORD BAN MORE TIMES THAN I CAN COUNT, AND I DON'T THINK THIS IS REALLY AN ISSUE ABOUT BOOK BANNING. IT'S ABOUT AGE APPROPRIATE BOOKS. NO ONE'S BANNING BOOKS IN YOUR HOUSE. NO ONE'S BANNING YOU FROM BUYING A BOOK OR GETTING IT ON KINDLE OR KINDLE UNLIMITED FOR FREE. I'VE READ THE BOOK, THE PROBLEM THAT I HAVE WITH THE BOOK, AND IF I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE ON IT, I WOULD CERTAINLY REMOVE THE BOOK FROM BEING ACCESSIBLE TO ANY CHILD PREPUBESCENT CHILD.

AT THE THOUGHT OF MY TEN YEAR OLD LOOKING AT A ROADMAP OF HOW SOMEBODY WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO CUT THEIR VEINS WITH WITH PICTURES IN THE BOOK IS JUST SO ABHORRENT TO ME. IF YOU HAVE

[01:15:04]

IT'S NOT ABOUT BANNING ANYTHING. YOU'RE NOT BANNED FROM SEEING THE BOOK. NO ONE'S BANNING YOU.

BUT IT SHOULDN'T BE AVAILABLE FOR FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE OF TENDER YEARS. AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT. IT'S ABOUT AGE APPROPRIATENESS, NOT ABOUT BANNING. THAT'S THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO ADD. THANK YOU, MISS HAHN. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING. I JUST WANTED TO SAY WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL. I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A WONDERFUL FIRST DAY AND WEEK.

I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL CELEBRATION AND 50TH ANNIVERSARY AT NORTH HARTFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL. IT WAS GREAT TO SEE ALL THE SMILING FACES OF OUR STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND STAFF AS THEY ENTERED THE BUILDING. WHAT A GREAT WAY TO START THE YEAR! THANK YOU TO THE PRINCIPAL, MANZO AND ALL THE STAFF THAT HOSTED. IT WAS A GREAT JOB EVERYONE. THANK YOU.

I HAVE READ FLAMER FROM COVER TO COVER. I'VE SPOKE LAST MEETING ABOUT THE BOOK AND WHY I VOTED THE WAY THAT I DID AND I STILL STAND BY THAT DECISION AND THAT COMMENT. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MISS BRUCE. YES. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I WANTED TO ANNOUNCE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PATRIOT CONSTITUTION DAY IS COMING AND WE WILL NOT BE MEETING BEFORE THAT AGAIN. AND EVERY MEMBER OF THE BOARD, I HAVE PASSED OUT TO YOU A COPY OF THE CONSTITUTION. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S A GOOD REFERENCE BECAUSE IT'S SMALL. IT'S NOT A BIG BOOK, BUT WHAT IT WHAT ONE THING THAT STRUCK MY MIND WAS, IT SAYS AS A MUSEUM OF WE THE PEOPLE, AND THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN GET IT, THE NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER, THE CENTER BRINGS THE CONSTITUTION TO LIFE FOR VISITORS OF ALL AGES THROUGH INTERACTIVE PROGRAMS AND EXHIBITS. AS AMERICAN TOWN HALL, THE CENTER BRINGS A LEADING CONSERVATIVE AND LIBERAL THOUGHT LEADERS TOGETHER TO DEBATE THE CONSTITUTION ON ALL MEDIA PLATFORMS. SO, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, THIS IS THE TIME FOR US TO EDUCATE OURSELVES, GET INVOLVED IN THE CIVIC PROCESS PROCESSES THAT ARE GOING ON, AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT THIS DOCUMENT REALLY MEANS. NOW, HARTFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND THE HAYES HOUSE WILL HAVE A CONSTITUTION DAY, AND YOU CAN GO ON THEIR WEBSITE AND IT'S WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER THE 17TH. IF YOU DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHER ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES AROUND CONSTITUTION DAY, PLEASE DO THAT. BUT OUR SCHOOLS HAVE ACTIVITIES ABOUT CONSTITUTION. AND LAST YEAR I PARTICIPATED WITH THE HEAVY GRADES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND IT WAS EXCITING TO SEE THE STUDENTS GETTING INVOLVED AND BEING PATRIOTIC. SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU IF YOU'VE GOT A SCHOOL IN YOUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBER WHO USED TO BE HERE WITH US, SHE WENT OUT AND PURCHASED THESE LITTLE ARMBANDS AND THE KIDS WERE JUST SO EXCITED TO GET ONE. I'VE GONE TO GET SOME FLAGS THAT I'M GOING TO TURN OVER TO. OH, GOD, YEAH, AND I'LL MAKE A LEAVE. AND SHE'S LOOKING RIGHT AT ME, DOCTOR MACK, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE CAN MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO SCHOOLS AS THEY PREPARE FOR ACKNOWLEDGING AND BEING VERY GOOD PATRIOTS. AND I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU VISIT A SCHOOL, SEE THE LITTLE ONES, AND HELP THEM TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS COUNTRY IS ALL ABOUT. SO THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR NEXT MEETING. THANK YOU, MISS ALVAREZ. HI. I JUST WANT TO SAY I'M SORRY I'M NOT ABLE TO BE THERE TONIGHT. I WANT TO WELCOME EVERYBODY TO THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR. I KNOW THAT THIS, THAT THE STAFF HAS WORKED VERY HARD TO PREPARE FOR THIS YEAR.

SO I HOPE THAT WE CAN HAVE A VERY SUCCESSFUL YEAR. AND I DID WANT TO JUST SAY ONE COMMENT ABOUT SOME OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT AND ALSO THE COMMENT THAT OUR STUDENT MEMBER MADE ABOUT THE LANGUAGE THAT IS HEARD ON THE SCHOOL GROUNDS. I KNOW THAT WE HAVE TRIED TO TAKE A LOOK AT DISCIPLINE, AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, NOT ENCOURAGE. I'M SURE WE

[01:20:02]

FIRST OF ALL, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOME SCHOOL VISITS THIS WEEK. IT WAS AMAZING TO SEE THE ENERGY OF THE STUDENTS, THE EDUCATORS, AND I THINK OUR EDUCATORS ARE DOING AN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING JOB WITH THE CLASSROOMS. THEY ALL LOOK SO BRIGHT AND COLORFUL AND FUN. IT WAS REALLY, REALLY A FUN AND INSPIRING PLACE TO TO LEARN. THIS YEAR WE KICKED OFF AT NORTH HARFORD. I WANT TO THANK MARK MANZO AND HIS STAFF FOR AN AMAZING JOB THAT THEY DID THERE, AS WELL AS ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS AND THE COMMUNITY LEADERS THAT WERE THERE.

UNFORTUNATELY, I COULDN'T MAKE THAT ONE, BUT IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING AND I REGRET NOT BEING THERE, BUT I HAD TO PUT MY OWN KIDS ON THE BUS THAT DAY. I HAD SOME OF THEM GOING OFF TO SCHOOL, NEW SCHOOL THEIR FIRST DAY. IT WAS ALSO THE SCHOOL'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY, WHICH IS AMAZING AND A GREAT NEW STORY. BUT THE SCHOOL IS ALSO 50 YEARS OLD, I BELIEVE, RIGHT? ISN'T THAT? THAT'S LIKE THE SAD PART OF IT. SO ONE OF THE THINGS I'M GOING TO ASK THE BOARD TO DO THIS YEAR AND TO WORK WITH THE COUNTY IS TAKING A GOOD LOOK AT BUILDING SOME NEW SCHOOLS IN THIS COUNTY, SOME NEW MODERN SCHOOLS. JUST A COUPLE OTHER RESPONSES TO SOME COMMENTS THIS EVENING FROM BOTH BOARD MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC. FIRST OF ALL, I WASN'T GOING TO SAY ANY ANYTHING ON THE BOOK, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT SAID, YOU WALK THROUGH THE HALLWAYS AND YOU HEAR THIS LANGUAGE. ANYWAY, LOOK, I WAS IN THE MILITARY, OKAY? I PLAYED SPORTS, I GET IT. BUT MY SON, WHO HAS AN EARLY BIRTHDAY, STARTED MIDDLE SCHOOL THIS YEAR AND HE WAS TEN YEARS OLD. THIS BOOK WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARIES. OKAY. IF YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER WANTS TO COME HOME AND SPEAK THAT WAY AND IT'S ACCEPTABLE FOR YOU, WELL, THAT'S ON YOU. BUT IF MY SON CAME HOME AND CALLED ME SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE IN THE BOOK AND SAID THOSE WORDS WHICH I'VE NEVER SAID TO HIM OR SPOKEN TO HIM, HE'S NEVER UTTERED THOSE WORDS. AND HE LEARNED IT AT SCHOOL SYSTEM, LET ME TELL YOU, HE WOULD BE IN BIG TROUBLE. AND SO WOULD THIS, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE RIGHT UP THERE MAKING COMMENTS. SO THAT WAS MY PERSPECTIVE REGARDING THE CALENDAR. THIS IS YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO START TO TALK ABOUT THE CALENDAR OF THIS EVENING. FOR SOME REASON, THIS IS ALWAYS A VERY TOUCHY SUBJECT. I WILL SAY THAT NEXT YEAR WE ARE ACTUALLY LOOKING TO START OR RECOMMEND TO THE COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT STARTING BEFORE LABOR DAY. THERE'S PROS AND CONS TO BOTH SIDES. WE'LL NEVER MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY. BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT SOME YEARS LABOR DAY IS EARLY AND SOME YEARS IT'S LATE. IT WAS VERY EARLY THIS YEAR, AND NEXT YEAR IT'S LATE, SO IT MAKES SENSE TO START NEXT YEAR.

OTHERWISE WE'RE NOT STARTING SCHOOL I THINK UNTIL LIKE SEPTEMBER 8TH OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO NEXT YEAR, THE WAY THE CALENDAR FALLS, IT MAKES SENSE TO START EARLY. AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD COMPROMISE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE. I AGREE WITH MISS BRUCE. WITH CONSTITUTION DAY COMING UP, I'M GLAD THAT WE WILL CELEBRATE THAT IN OUR SCHOOLS. I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE BRINGING BACK A STRONGER PATRIOT PROGRAM. I THINK THAT THIS COMMUNITY, HARFORD COUNTY IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE OUR LARGEST EMPLOYER IS ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND AND WE HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF VETS HERE, INCLUDING VETS WHO I LEARNED TONIGHT. YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE IN KOREA. AND I THINK AT SOME POINT ABOUT HALF THE BOARD HERE HAS DONE SOME SORT OF MILITARY SERVICE. I DO THINK WE ARE A COMMUNITY THAT VALUES SERVICE AND VALUES PATRIOTISM. SO I WOULD ASK YOU TO PLEASE, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGE THOSE CELEBRATIONS TO HAPPEN AT THE SCHOOL LIKE THE BOARD DOES. LASTLY, I WILL SAY THERE WAS AN ISSUE THAT OVER THE WEEKEND SURPRISINGLY GAINED SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC ATTENTION ON FACEBOOK OF ALL PLACES. PLACES WHERE OF COURSE EVERYTHING IS TRUE. THIS WAS POSTED ON A PLACE CALLED HARFORD HAPPENINGS. IT DID NOTHING BUT RESURFACED AN OLD MATTER. THAT'S NOT REALLY AN ISSUE RIGHT NOW. AND THAT IS REGARDING STUDENT BATHROOM USE. THE. THE POST FALSELY CLAIMED THAT I APPROVED A PRACTICE ALLOWING BOYS AND THE GIRLS BATHROOM AND GIRLS IN THE BOYS BATHROOM. THAT'S NOT TRUE. THE LETTER THAT'S BEING CIRCULATED PREDATES MY TIME ON THE BOARD, AND DOESN'T REFLECT ANY ACTION THAT I'VE TAKEN. THE FACTS ARE THAT MARYLAND FALLS UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE FOURTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS, AND THOSE RULINGS LEGALLY BIND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. IN 2020, THE FOURTH CIRCUIT COURT HELD THAT SCHOOLS MUST PERMIT STUDENTS TO USE RESTROOMS CONSISTENT WITH THEIR GENDER IDENTITY. THE FOLLOWING YEAR, THE SUPREME COURT WAS ASKED TO REVIEW THE

[01:25:02]

I RECOGNIZE THAT SOME STUDENTS MAY FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE AS A MATTER, AND AS WITH ANY MATTER THAT WE DEAL WITH IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT CAUSES A STUDENT OR A STAFF MEMBER DISCOMFORT, WHETHER IT'S THIS OR BULLYING OR HARASSMENT, WE TAKE IT VERY SERIOUSLY AS STUDENTS SHOULD BRING IT TO THE ATTENTION OF THEIR TEACHER OR THE ADMINISTRATOR SO THAT APPROPRIATE ACCOMMODATIONS CAN BE MADE AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM LISTENS AND WE MAKE ACCOMMODATIONS. WHILE THIS CERTAINLY AFFECTS US LOCALLY, IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD CURRENTLY HAS DISCRETION OVER. ANY CHANGE TO THE GOVERNING STANDARD WOULD HAVE TO COME AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. SO THOSE ARE THE FACTS. PLEASE BE INFORMED. LOOK UP THE CASE

[A. Consent Agenda]

TRANSFER BETWEEN STATE CATEGORIES HAS BEEN REMOVED. IS THERE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR ITEMS TWO AND THREE? MISS MELISSA AND I MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR ITEMS TWO AND THREE. THANK YOU. IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND IT.

[1. Transfers between State Categories for the FY2025 Budget]

[01:30:01]

IT IS SHIFTING MONEY BETWEEN THOSE STATE CATEGORIES. SO. WE CAN'T MOVE FORWARD. WE NEED THE COUNTY COUNCIL TO APPROVE THIS TOMORROW NIGHT, AND WE CAN'T MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR BUDGET AND FINALIZING THE AUDIT WITHOUT THIS APPROVAL DONE. THE STATE DOES NOT ALLOW US TO OVERSPEND. SO WE ARE ASKING FOR. WE'VE WE'VE MET IN SMALL GROUP. WE ALWAYS HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS. I DIDN'T RECEIVE YOUR REQUEST I THINK UNTIL FRIDAY. SO I SENT ONE AS AN EXAMPLE BECAUSE IT WAS 2800 LINES. AND I'M NOT SURE THAT LINE BY LINE, YOU YOU SAID YOU JUST SAID THE BUDGET, BUT WHAT YOU ASKED FOR WAS A LINE BY LINE ACCOUNTING. SO I SENT YOU ACTUAL EXPENDITURES. SO. I DON'T KNOW. I MEAN, IT'S 60,000 LINES TOTAL THAT I SENT YOU. SO EVEN DOING THAT TWO WEEKS FROM NOW, I'M NOT SURE YOU CAN GET THROUGH ALL 60. I DON'T KNOW THAT I COULD GET THROUGH 60,000 LINES IN TWO WEEKS, SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AT ANY TIME. BUT THERE IS SOME URGENCY TO HAVING THIS APPROVED THIS EVENING SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE OUR PROCESS. OKAY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I MOVE TO APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA. CONSENT AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE I SECOND. OKAY, I SENSED THAT THERE WAS A MOTION COMING OVER HERE BUT WASN'T MADE. SO I DIDN'T MAKE A MOTION. I DON'T THINK SO. OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION ON THE TABLE.

BRAVO. MRS. PERRY. MOTION. CAN YOU CAN YOU RESTATE THE MOTION TO APPROVE TO APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA, ITEM NUMBER ONE. YES. THEY'RE GOING TO MOVE THE MONEY AROUND, MR. SEWELL. YES, DOCTOR.

MUELLER. YES. MR. MCVICKER. YES. MR. CORN, ABSTAIN. MRS. HAHN. NO. MISS. SPURS. YES. MISS.

ALVAREZ. YES. VICE PRESIDENT PAIGE. YES. PRESIDENT CLINTON. YES. MOTION PASSES. OKAY. THANK YOU. MR. OKAY. THERE'S NOT A BREAK ON THE AGENDA. DOES THE BOARD NEED A BREAK? ALL RIGHT.

SO LET'S SEE HOW HOW THIS GOES. WHAT THE NEXT ONE. OH, YEAH. LE

[B. Decision on Proposed Revisions to Board Policy: School Calendar, Ms. Katie Ridgway, Chief of Staff]

AS DOCTOR BOYNTON SAID, THIS IS VERY SPECIFICALLY ABOUT CHANGES TO THE CALENDAR POLICY. THE VOTE TONIGHT IS NOT A VOTE FOR VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION. IT IS NOT A VOTE FOR PRE OR POST LABOR DAY START. IT IS IT IS NONE OF THOSE ASPECTS OF THE CALENDAR. IT IS SPECIFIC TO TWO MAIN THINGS. THE ONE THING IS TO MOVE THE NUMBER OF EMBEDDED DAYS FOR INCLEMENT WEATHER. NOW IT MOVES IT FROM 6 TO 3. WHAT THIS DOES IS ONCE WE'VE EXHAUSTED OUR THREE EMBEDDED DAYS, WE ARE NOW ABLE TO ASK FOR A WAIVER FROM THE STATE FOR ADDITIONAL DAYS IF THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT ALLOWS. IT ALSO COULD OFFER US THE ABILITY TO THEN DO VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION, BUT THAT IS A SEPARATE CONVERSATION. SO THE REASON WHY THEY GET TIED TOGETHER IS PART OF THIS CONVERSATION IS THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE THOSE THREE DAYS IN ORDER TO DO THAT OTHER THING THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DECIDE ON AT A DIFFERENT MEETING, BUT IT ALSO GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY FOR A WAIVER FROM THE STATE AFTER THOSE THREE DAYS. WE ARE, IF WE NEED TO TAKE FOUR

[01:35:05]

MAYBE WE COULD CHANGE THAT, BUT FIVE OUT OF NINE SUPERMAJORITY WOULD BE SIX. BUT THIS WOULD ONLY BE FOR SORT OF EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE SOMETHING LIKE THE LAW CHANGED AND IT REQUIRED US. SO THEREFORE, I GUESS IT WAS FELT THAT THERE WOULD BE A HIGHER THRESHOLD, BUT CURRENTLY THERE'S NO PROVISIONS IN THERE FOR ANY CHANGES. SO IF WE MADE A MISTAKE OR THE LAW CHANGES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, OR OUR HANDS ARE SORT OF TIED, RIGHT? YEAH. WE WOULD THE PRESIDENT WOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT AS WE WOULD, WOULD MANAGE IT. NO PROBLEM. SO THIS JUST GIVES US MORE FLEXIBILITY SORT OF ALL THE WAY AROUND. YES. AND THAT ASPECT WAS PUT IN BECAUSE OF THAT HEIGHTENED IDEA OF WHAT AN EXTRAORDINARY OR AN EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCE IS, TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT IT IS A WELL UNDERSTOOD REASON THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE THE CALENDAR, AND THAT THERE'S NO ABILITY FOR BOARD CHANGE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, TO CHANGE THE CALENDAR WHEN FAMILIES HAVE BEEN COUNTING ON IT. SO IT'S TO RESPECT THE PLAN, AS OUR FEEDBACK INDICATED. AND WE ARE SEEKING A VOTE TONIGHT TO APPROVE THIS POLICY CHANGE, JUST TO BE CLEAR. SO RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, ENUMERATING 300 THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, WAR, TORNADO, WHATEVER YOU JUST SAID, WE'LL LEAVE IT TO THE DISCRETION OF THE BOARD, BUT DO A SUPERMAJORITY VOTE AS TO WHAT'S EXTRAORDINARY. THAT'S GREAT. NOW, WE DON'T HAVE A WAY TO CHANGE IT AFTER THE FACT.

RIGHT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO WE'LL OPEN IT UP. THANK YOU. YEAH. WE'LL OPEN UP FOR QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, MR. KORN. YEAH, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. SO WHAT HAPPENS IF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS OR YOU SAID IF IT'S NOT, IF WE DO THE IF, LET'S SAY WE DO AGREE TO THIS CHANGE AND THERE'S THREE DAYS AND LET'S SAY YOU NEED FOUR DAYS OR FIVE DAYS. SO AND YOU SAID WE NEED APPROVAL. IS THAT CORRECT. SO WE CAN SEEK A WAIVER FROM THE STATE. AND THE MINIMUM DAYS THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE BUILT IN IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR A WAIVER IS THREE.

AND WHAT AND WHAT IS WHAT HAPPENS IF THAT WAIVER IS NOT GIVEN? IF THAT WAIVER IS NOT GIVEN, THEN WE HAVE TO MEET THE 180 DAY REQUIREMENT OF SCHOOLS. SO WHAT HAPPENS? SCHOOLS EXTENDED AND YOU JUST CONTINUED SCHOOL. WE WOULD HAVE TO CONTINUE SCHOOL FOR 180 DAYS.

SO LAST YEAR. SO FOR EXAMPLE, LAST YEAR WE HAD ONE SCHOOL THAT WE WERE DENIED A WAIVER ON FOR 180 DAYS AND THEY HAD TO GO TO SCHOOL ONE MORE DAY. THE SUPERINTENDENT, THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT, PROVIDED US A WAIVER BECAUSE EVEN EVEN THOUGH WE HADN'T MET ALL OF THEIR REQUIREMENTS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT TO END AFTER JUNETEENTH, BUT IT WAS WITH THE CAVEAT THAT THIS WON'T HAPPEN NEXT YEAR UNLESS YOU'RE FOLLOWING OUR PROCEDURES AND YOU HAVE THE YOU'VE USED ALL YOUR BUILT IN DAYS AND YOU'VE DONE ALL OF THOSE THINGS. SO IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR A WAIVER, REGARDLESS OF YOUR DISTRICT OR IT HAS TO HAVE THAT MINIMUM OF THREE DAYS. AND THAT'S WHAT'S WRITTEN IN THE WAIVER POLICY. AND THAT WAS A CHANGE THAT WAS MADE TO TAKE IT OUT SIX AND MAKE IT THREE. SO THAT'S THE SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE THAT WE'RE DOING. THAT'S RIGHT. AND I'M SORRY. WHAT. AND THE SUPERMAJORITY, ONCE YOU HAVE A

[01:40:04]

I ALSO, IT'S NOT A POLICY CHANGE. IT'S NOT A POLICY. OH, HE SAID SNOW. OH, I THOUGHT, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION WHETHER OR NOT WELL INCLEMENT WEATHER INCLUDES SNOW PLUS OTHER THINGS. RIGHT. BUT SNOW IS ONE EXAMPLE, RIGHT? RIGHT. WHAT SNOW IS PART OF INCLEMENT WEATHER DAYS, RIGHT? SNOW. BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION, BUT ACTUALLY IT'S FOR ANY REASON THE SCHOOL REALLY NEEDS TO BE SCHOOL SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE CLOSED. RIGHT. YEAH. BUT BUT THE BUT CHANGING. YEAH. BUT INCLEMENT INCLEMENT WEATHER ALONE YOU WOULD USE THE SORT OF PLANNED OUT DAYS OR YOU WOULD EXTEND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM OR YOU WOULD GO TO THE STATE, IT WOULDN'T COME BACK TO THE BOARD. THE SUPERMAJORITY, I THINK, WHICH IS KIND OF WHAT I THINK WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE WOULD ONLY BE USED IF THE IF THE BOARD PASSED A CALENDAR AND THEN LATER AT SOME OTHER POINT, PRESUMABLY DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, NEEDED TO CHANGE THE CALENDAR SOMEHOW. THAT'S CORRECT. SO IT'S NOT THE SUPERMAJORITY VOTE ISN'T ABOUT THE ACTUAL SNOW DAYS. THAT'S ABOUT THE ACTUAL CALENDAR. SO LET'S LET'S GIVE A TERRIBLE HYPOTHETICAL. WE DECIDE THAT WE HAVE TO CLOSE ON SOME RANDOM DAY IN DECEMBER ON ON DOCTOR BOYNTON'S BIRTHDAY. IN ORDER TO DO THAT, THE BOARD WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A SUPERMAJORITY VOTE TO DO THAT. BUT THAT'S NOT THE TYPE OF THING THAT WOULD LIKELY COME BEFORE THE BOARD. A SNOW DAY DOES NOT HAVE TO COME BEFORE THE BOARD TO TO BE CALLED. I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S A SEPARATE ISSUE WITH RESPECT TO THE SYNCHRONOUS LEARNING THAT YOU BROUGHT UP LAST TIME WITH THE HOTSPOT DEVICES THAT THAT'LL BE AT THE NEXT MEETING. NO, I UNDERSTAND, BUT I'M TRYING TO GET THE CONNECTION BECAUSE THERE IS A CONNECTION. RIGHT. SO IF EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT BEING VOTED ON TODAY, YOU'RE SAYING THAT WE COULD USE THIS $200,000. FOR WI-FI FOR PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT HAVE WI-FI RIGHT FOR YOU PAY FOR THE WHOLE YEAR, BUT THAT THAT, THAT WHOLE THING, THAT $200,000 TICKET ITEM WOULD BE USED FOR WHAT? FOR THE THREE DAYS THAT YOU HAVE OR FOR ANY ADDITIONAL DAYS, ONLY USE THEM AFTER YOUR BUILT IN DAYS. OKAY, SO HISTORICALLY SPEAKING, I MEAN, IS THERE ANY HISTORICAL DATA ON HOW MANY DAYS YOU'VE USED OVER THE SCHOOL DISTRICT? IT'S USED VERY WIDELY. LAST YEAR WE USED FIVE DAYS. LAST YEAR WE USED FIVE DAYS. I MEAN, SO OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS, I MEAN, ON AVERAGE, I DON'T HAVE THAT. LAST YEAR WAS HIGHER. I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY TRENDED LOWER. ERIC ERIC MAKES THOSE CALLS, TRENDED LOWER. TO THAT POINT. IT WAS FIVE DAYS LAST YEAR AND THAT WAS CONSIDERED HIGH. YES. THE HIGHEST I THINK, SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE. BUT IN THIS SCENARIO THEN OBVIOUSLY UNDER OUR CURRENT BOARD POLICY, WE HAVE TO USE SIX DAYS BEFORE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CONSIDERING ANYTHING ELSE OR BEFORE WE'RE ELIGIBLE FOR A STATE WAIVER. BUT THE STATE DID US A FAVOR ON THIS ONE BECAUSE IT WAS GETTING LATE IN THE YEAR. BUT IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, LIKE IF WE HAD HAD THIS IN PLACE LAST YEAR AND WE HAD APPROVED THE VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION, THE LAST TWO DAYS WOULD HAVE BEEN IN VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION DAYS. WE COULD HAVE DONE THREE TO MEET THE STATE REQUIREMENT, AND THEN TWO DAYS COULD HAVE BEEN THE VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION IF WE SO CHOSE TO DO THAT. BUT AGAIN, I STILL THINK THERE'S A LOT OF CONVERSATION TO BE HAD THERE ABOUT WHAT THAT IS. YEAH, THAT IS IF WE ARE DOING THOSE TWO DAYS, MR. KORN, THAT IS WHERE THE THE NECESSITY FOR HOTSPOTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT COMES INTO PLAY. SO I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THING TO DISCUSS. WHEN WE HIT AND WE DECIDE WHETHER TONIGHT BY SAYING YES TO THIS DOES NOT MEAN A YES FOR INCLEMENT WEATHER OR FOR I MEAN THIS IS JUST FOR IT DOES NOT MEAN A YES FOR VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION. THAT IS A SEPARATE VOTE AND A SEPARATE CONVERSATION. THIS IS A PREREQUISITE FOR THAT. IT IS A FACTOR THAT WOULD HELP THAT WOULD MAKE THAT HAPPEN. BUT IT'S NOT TECHNICALLY NO. WHAT IT TECHNICALLY NOT. YOU COULD STILL KEEP THE OH, YOU CAN STILL DO VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION AFTER YOUR SIX DAYS. RIGHT. BUT THANK YOU SO AND SO DO WE HAVE ANY DATA JUST ON AVERAGE I MEAN DO WE USE DO WE USE MORE THAN THREE DAYS ON AVERAGE. LESS THAN THREE DAYS IS RIGHT ABOUT THREE. LAST TIME I LOOKED. IT'S RIGHT. I CAN'T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME WE WENT OVER THREE. YEAH, I CAN'T EITHER. OKAY. NOT

[01:45:01]

SO BUT TYPICALLY I WOULD SAY WE'RE RIGHT AROUND THREE I SAY THAT AND WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE AN EXTREME WINTER. SO SO SO WHY WHY DID WE CHOOSE WHY. WHY IS THE PROPOSED CHANGE THREE. AND LET'S SAY NOT 4 OR 5. THAT IS THE MINIMUM REQUIRED FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SEEK A WAIVER. I THINK MOST COUNTIES ARE THREE. YEAH. IN THE PREVIOUS POLICY HAD SIX. SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO CHANGE IT TO THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT OF THREE. AND HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN? SIX IN HARFORD COUNTY, AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN HERE WAS 17.5 YEARS. IS THAT TRUE? HE KNOWS. RANDOM. IT SEEMS LIKE A GOOD TIME TO CHANGE FOR FOR, FOR. I'M SORRY, WOULD YOU SAY NO? NO, I DIDN'T KNOW, I DIDN'T KNOW, I THOUGHT WE, I THOUGHT YOU ROUND UP. BUT WHEN YOU GET TO A POINT FIVE.

ALL RIGHT. ANY ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. THIS IS RIGHT FOR A VOTE. I'LL TAKE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE. I MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT THE PROPOSED REVISED BOARD POLICY.

200002000 SCHOOL CALENDAR. SECOND, PLEASE. I SECOND THAT MOTION. MR. CARLOS, DO A ROLL CALL. VOTE. OH POLICY, NOT CALENDAR. NO. HE'S OKAY. HE CAN VOTE ON POLICY. YEAH. SORRY FOR A SECOND. NO. YOU'RE GOOD. I'M SURE YOU GOT THAT I DID. ARE YOU READY? YEAH. OKAY. MRS. PERRY. YES, MR. SEWELL? YES, DOCTOR. MUELLER. YES. MR. MCVICKER. YES. MR. CORN. NO.

MRS. HAHN. YES, MISS. SPRUCE. YES. MRS. ALVAREZ. MRS. ALVAREZ. I WILL COME BACK TO HER VICE PRESIDENT PAGE. YES. PRESIDENT. BOYNTON. YES. AND ONE MORE TIME FOR MRS. ALVAREZ. OKAY. WE HAVE

[C. Presentation of FY 2027 Capital Improvement Program, Ms. Cathy Bendis, Assistant Superintendent for Operations and Ms. Missy Valentino, Facilities Planner e FY 2027 State CIP Presentation]

ARE YOU READY? OKAY. GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT BOYNTON, VICE PRESIDENT PAGE, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT BOLSON. I'M KATHY BENDIS, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR OPERATIONS. WITH ME THIS EVENING IS MR. CHRISTOPHER MORTON, SUPERVISOR OF PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION. MISS MISSY VALENTINO, OUR FACILITIES PLANNER. THIS EVENING, WE'RE GOING TO BE REVIEWING THE FY 27 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FOR STATE ELIGIBLE PROJECTS ONLY. I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THAT AGAIN THIS EVENING. WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT STATE ELIGIBLE PROJECTS ONLY. WE WILL BE COMING BACK TO YOU AT A LATER DATE TO TALK ABOUT OUR LOCAL FUNDING NEEDS. BUT AGAIN, THIS IS ONLY OUR STATE ELIGIBLE PROJECTS. WE WILL NOT BE NEEDING A VOTE THIS EVENING. WE WANT TO GIVE YOU SOME TIME TO DIGEST THE INFORMATION. YOU'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS AND THEN OBVIOUSLY OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, IF ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ARISE, YOU CAN REACH OUT TO US. IT WILL BE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AT THE NEXT MEETING FOR A VOTE. AND AGAIN, WE'RE JUST GOING TO REVIEW WHAT IS ELIGIBLE FOR OUR STATE PROJECTS FOR THE UPCOMING FY 27 YEAR. AND WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MISS VALENTINO, WHO WILL GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION FOR US. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. I ALWAYS START BY TALKING ABOUT OUR FUNDING SOURCES. WE HAVE TWO MAIN FUNDING SOURCES. WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR CAPITAL, WE HAVE OUR STATE FUNDING AND OUR LOCAL FUNDING. TONIGHT, AS KATHY SAID, WE'LL BE FOCUSED ON THOSE PROJECTS THAT QUALIFY FOR STATE FUNDING, BUT THEY ALSO REQUIRE A LOCAL MATCH FOR THAT. THESE ARE THE LARGER PROJECTS, REPLACEMENT PROJECTS, SYSTEMIC PROJECTS, THINGS LIKE THAT. WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR FUNDING OUTLOOK FOR OUR STATE PROJECTS, WE HAVE, WE DID QUALIFY AGAIN THIS YEAR FOR THE ENROLLMENT GROWTH AND RELOCATABLE CLASSROOM. ADDITIONAL FUNDING IN THAT WILL BE ADDED TO OUR TOTAL STATE CIP FUNDING. AND THAT'S ADDITION TO WHAT WE WOULD TYPICALLY RECEIVE. AND THAT'S JUST BECAUSE WE'RE GROWING A LITTLE BIT FASTER THAN SOME OF THE OTHER LEAS IN THE STATE. AND THEN WE HAVE OUR TYPICAL CIP THIS YEAR. THEY DID CHANGE THE WAY THEY CALCULATED THE TARGETED ALLOCATION, AND

[01:50:07]

AND THEN WE HAVE OUR AGING SCHOOLS. THAT'S KIND OF A SMALLER PROJECT TYPE FUNDING SOURCE, WHERE WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ADDRESS EMERGING ISSUES. SOMETIMES GYM FLOORING MAY COME UP AS A SAFETY RISK, THINGS LIKE THAT. WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE PROJECTS, WITH THAT FUNDING THAT DID NOT REQUIRE ANY TYPE OF LOCAL MATCH. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT WILL SUNSET AS WELL, IF I COULD JUST SAY, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S POSITIVE AND GOOD. WITH THIS LAST YEAR HEALTHY SCHOOL, THERE WERE ONLY THREE HIGH SCHOOLS THAT WERE APPROVED. THEY THEY RECEIVED AN UNPRECEDENTED AMOUNT OF REQUESTS BECAUSE IT'S OPEN TO ALL IDEAS AROUND THE STATE. A LOT OF AREAS ARE SUBMITTING ROOF PROJECTS. WE WERE ONE OF THREE THAT GOT APPROVAL FOR THE ROOF. IT WAS VERY LARGE. SO THAT IS SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE. AND THE AGING SCHOOL PROJECT, THE BEST EXAMPLE IS WE'RE HAVING ISSUES AT DUBLIN, AND IF THAT'S WHERE THAT MONEY'S GOING TO COME FROM, I WILL WAIT FOR STATE APPROVAL. WE WILL RECEIVE IT. IT'S JUST PROCESS. BUT THAT'S JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLE, THAT'S ALL. YEAH. SO THIS YEAR, AS I SAID THE THE HEALTHY SCHOOLS IS GOING AWAY. SO WE MOVED THE ROOF REQUEST BACK INTO OUR CAPITAL REQUEST.

LUCKILY THE NORTH HARFORD HIGH SCHOOL ROOF WAS A BIG ROOF. SO THAT WAS COVERED UNDER A HEALTHY SCHOOL'S HALLS. CROSSROADS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ROOF IS THE NEXT ROOF IN OUR PRIORITY ORDER. THIS WOULD BE THE REQUEST FOR STATE, THE LOCAL MATCH REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THAT PROJECT. WE ALSO HAVE HARTFORD ACADEMY AND THE NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROJECT.

WE ARE STILL WORKING THROUGH THAT, BUT I TALKED ABOUT THAT CASH FLOW NEED. BASICALLY THAT 55 MILLION WILL GET US THROUGH THAT NEXT YEAR OF FUNDING, GIVEN THE STATE TARGET ALLOCATION, IF WE RECEIVE WHAT THE STATE HAS TARGETED AS THEIR THRESHOLD FOR OUR FUNDING, WE WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE WITH THE PROJECT. BUT YOU'LL NOTICE MY STATE REQUESTS THERE IS A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN WHAT WE ARE TARGETED. THEY TARGETED ALLOCATION. THAT'S FOR MULTIPLE REASONS. ONE OF THOSE REASONS IS THAT HEALTHY SCHOOLS FUNDING THAT YOU SEE COMING THROUGH THAT FUNDING WON'T TOTALLY GO AWAY. THEY ARE WILL BE REWORKING HOW THEY GIVE THAT FUNDING OUT. AND IF WE CAN PUT OURSELVES INTO A BETTER POSITION TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT STATE MONEY, WE'RE GOING TO PUT OURSELVES IN THAT ADVANTAGE. WE DID DISCUSS THIS WITH THE STATE, AND THEY SAID IT'S BETTER TO KEEP IT IN YOUR CAPITAL RIGHT NOW UNTIL WE KNOW THE NEXT STEPS FOR THAT. BUT IF THAT OTHER SOURCE OF FUNDING DOES COME THROUGH, THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO WORK WITH THEM TO REALLOCATE THAT MONEY TO OUR OTHER PRIORITY. AND THEN YOU HAVE THE HARTFORD ACADEMY AND NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND YOU'RE THINKING THAT REQUEST IS ALSO OVER THAT STATE ALLOCATION. WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO MAXIMIZE THE AMOUNT OF STATE FUNDING WE GET. THE GOVERNOR HAS NOT APPROVED A BUDGET. WE DON'T HAVE A TOTAL AMOUNT THAT'S

[01:55:03]

SO IF THERE IS ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT COMES AVAILABLE, WE'RE BASICALLY LINING OURSELVES UP FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO PUT IT TOWARDS OUR PROJECT. OTHERWISE THEY'LL GIVE US WHAT THEY CAN ALLOCATE TO THE PROJECT. SO IT'S NOT HURTING US IN ANY WAY. IT'S JUST ALLOWING US TO TAKE ADVANTAGE WITH OUR SUBMISSION. WITH THAT, FOR OUR STATE TIMELINE, WE HAVE THE NEXT BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING. WE IT WILL BE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AGAIN. WE WILL BE ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS. WE'RE HERE TONIGHT AND THEN THROUGHOUT THE NEXT TWO WEEKS AS WELL. WE DO. WE WILL HAVE TO TAKE WHATEVER THE BOARD APPROVES. WE WILL HAVE TO GET LOCAL COMMITMENT LETTER FROM OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE SAYING THAT HE AGREES TO FUND THE LOCAL PORTION OF THAT, AND THEN WE WILL MAKE OUR STATE SUBMISSION ON OCTOBER 3RD. THEN WE'LL MOVE INTO THE LOCAL DISCUSSION. WE'RE STILL MEETING AND DEVELOPING SCOPES AND BUDGETS. FOR THAT. WE WILL HAVE OUR WORK GROUP CONVENING FOR THE PRIORITY SCORING IN OCTOBER, AND WE WILL BRING THAT TO THE BOARD IN NOVEMBER FOR APPROVAL IN DECEMBER, AND THEN THAT WILL BE SUBMITTED WITH THE OPERATING BUDGET. AND THAT'S IT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. WE'LL OPEN UP FOR QUESTIONS. YES. COULD COULD YOU PROVIDE ME WITH A LIST OF THE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE RELOCATED? I COULD WE HAVE. YEAH OKAY. THANK YOU. I'M INTERESTED IN THAT BECAUSE OF BAKERSFIELD. AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT A NEW SUPERINTENDENT. SO COULD YOU DO PROVIDE. SURE. YEAH, THAT'S NO PROBLEM. WE'RE SENDING IT TO YVONNE AND THEN SHE CAN DISTRIBUTE IT. OKAY. THANKS. A LOT TO TAKE IN. WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION AT THE NEXT MEETING. SO IT LOOKS LIKE THE TIMELINE IS PRETTY TIGHT. SO YOU WOULD NEED IT APPROVED ON THE 22ND FOR SURE.

OKAY. NOW WOULD ENCOURAGE BOARD MEMBERS TO USE THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS TO GET ANY QUESTIONS ANSWERED. AND I'M SURE YOU'LL MAKE YOURSELF AVAILABLE. YES. ABSOLUTELY. YES. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WELL, I ALREADY SKIPPED OVER OUR VICE PRESIDENT, SO MAYBE. SHOULD I SKIP OVER THE SUPERINTENDENT, TOO? OR DO YOU WANT TO MOVE ON

[D. Superintendent's Report]

ITEM D SUPERINTENDENT REPORT. ALRIGHT, JUST A COUPLE THINGS TONIGHT. I FEEL LIKE WE HAD A REALLY FANTASTIC OPENING AND YOU NEVER WANT TO JINX THAT BECAUSE OF THE OPENING. SEEMS LIKE IT GOES ON FOR A BIT, BUT GREAT ENERGY OUT OF THE SCHOOLS. I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF FUN THE FIRST DAY FOR PEOPLE. WE. I THINK OUR SCHOOLS WORK REALLY HARD TO MAKE THE STUDENTS FEEL WELCOMED. THERE WERE A LOT OF FUN THINGS HAPPENING IN THE SCHOOLS, AND SO IT WAS KIND OF NICE TO SEE. I THINK THEY DO COMPETE WITH EACH OTHER A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHO CAN BE THE MOST CREATIVE, WHICH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S FANTASTIC IF THEY'RE HAVING FUN. AND SO, I MEAN, THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE I, I'VE BEEN TO JUST UNDER 40 SCHOOLS SO FAR. I WILL FINISH I THINK IT'S GOING TO TAKE ME A LITTLE BIT INTO NEXT WEEK TO, TO MAKE SURE I GET TO EVERY SCHOOL, BUT IT REALLY IS EXCITING TO HAVE THAT CHANCE TO GET THROUGH. I TRY TO DO THAT AT BEGINNING OF EVERY YEAR, TO STOP IN QUICKLY AND THEN SORT OF CIRCLE BACK THROUGH THE YEAR FOR MORE SUBSTANTIVE VISITS. BUT SEEING GREAT STUFF. COUPLE QUICK ANNOUNCEMENTS. MAYBE I'LL START WITH THIS ONE HERE IN THE BOTTOM. FIRST. ONE THING I GOT TO DO FRIDAY BEFORE SCHOOL OPENED. SO THE FRIDAY BEFORE THE HOLIDAY, I HAD A CHANCE TO TOUR HOMESTEAD WAKEFIELD ELEMENTARY, OUR NEWEST BUILDING. AND I'VE KIND OF JOKED WHEN I'VE BEEN TO VISIT OTHER PRINCIPALS TO SAY, I REALLY DON'T WANT YOU TO COME AND SEE IT JUST BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING. AND IT WAS I MEAN, IT WAS A TON OF WORK. THERE WAS KIND OF A LONG POLITICAL STUFF THAT HAPPENED RELATED TO GETTING TO SCHOOL BUILT. BUT, YOU KNOW, WITH A LOT OF HELP, WE WERE ABLE TO PERSEVERE THROUGH THAT. I KNOW OUR PRINCIPAL, MR. COOK, SAID HE NEVER WANTS TO BE ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT WHICH TYPE OF FURNITURE TO HIRE AGAIN IN HIS LIFE. FURNITURE IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS. IF YOU OPEN A NEW SCHOOL, YOU YOU REALIZE THAT

[02:00:01]

AND WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN OUR BUILDINGS WHO HELP MAKE THOSE SUCCESSFUL. I CAN SAY JUST ANECDOTALLY. WHILE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS WERE A PRODUCT OF THE BLUEPRINT, SOME OF THE WORK GOING ON THERE, IT'S REALLY LED TO A LOT OF ADDITIONAL SUPPORT IN THOSE SCHOOLS AND A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR THE FAMILIES IN THOSE SCHOOLS. AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS YOU CAN'T DENY THE LINK BETWEEN THAT ADDITIONAL SUPPORT AND THE FACT THAT SOME OF THESE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE SUFFERED FOR YEARS, YOU KNOW, WITH, YOU KNOW, VERY NEEDY POPULATIONS, WE'RE SEEING THEIR GROWTH ACCELERATE AT A RATE GREATER THAN WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN MANY OF OUR OTHER SCHOOLS. AND SO I THINK THAT THE ADDITION OF THE SUPPORTS FOR FAMILIES WRAPPED AROUND THESE STUDENTS, ALONG WITH THE EXTRA BODIES IN THE BUILDING TO DELIVER ON ACADEMICS. SO WE'RE SEEING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IMPROVE QUICKER THERE. AND I THINK THAT'S JUST A TESTAMENT TO THE WORK GOING ON. I KNOW SCHOOLS AND ALL THE PEOPLE COMMITTED TO, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE, YOU KNOW, THE FAMILIES GET THE RESOURCES THEY NEED AND THE STUDENTS IN PARTICULAR GET THE RESOURCES THEY NEED. SO AGAIN, MANY, MANY GOOD THINGS HAPPENING, HOPING TO CONTINUE SHOWCASING THOSE FOR PEOPLE. A COUPLE MORE BUSY WEEKS OF GETTING OUT TO SCHOOLS AND GETTING THE SCHOOL YEAR KICKED OFF. BUT THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO'S MADE THIS POSSIBLE. WE HAVE AN AMAZING STAFF. WE HAVE A HUGE DIVERSITY OF TYPES OF POSITIONS, PEOPLE DOING WORK, CONTRIBUTING IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY. BUT THE ONE THING I TRY TO REMIND OUR STAFF EVERY CHANCE I GET IS EVERYONE WE EMPLOY IS AN EDUCATOR FIRST. AND AND WE SEE THAT AND WE SEE THE WAYS THAT OUR PEOPLE CONTRIBUTE. AND THEY UNDERSTAND THAT WHATEVER WORK THEY DO, THEY'RE CONTRIBUTING TO STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. AND SO THANKS TO OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR STAFF, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS. MR. PRESIDENT, YES, I WOULD I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THAT. I KNOW FOR MY DISTRICT I HAVE THREE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, AND I KNOW THAT SOME OF THE OTHER DISTRICTS AND FOR THE NEW PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE BOARD, COULD WE GET A LISTING OF THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE IN THE SPECIFIC DISTRICTS SO THAT AND HAVE REPRESENTATION SO THAT THE BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE APPOINTED TO THE BOARD CAN HAVE SOME IDEA

[Future Meetings Review]