Sep 22, 2025 Board Meeting

[Call to Order: Board President]

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ASK THAT EVERYONE 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 22ND, 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. I BELIEVE MRS. PERRY IS ABSENT THIS EVENING. MR. SEWELL HERE. I'M HERE. OH. THANK YOU, DENISE. DOCTOR MILLER HERE. MR. MCVICAR HERE. MR. COHEN. MR. COHEN IS ABSENT THIS EVENING. MRS. HAHN. PRESENT, MISS BRUCE HERE. MRS. ALVAREZ. PRESENT. VICE PRESIDENT PAGE HERE. PRESIDENT BOYNTON HERE. SUPERINTENDENT BULSON HERE. THIS COMPLETES THE ROLL CALL. THANK YOU, MADAM VICE PRESIDENT, PLEASE READ THIS EVENING'S 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 A NO. THANK YOU BOARD MEMBERS, YOU HAVE THE AGENDA BEFORE YOU. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE AGENDA? PLEASE? THIS IS MELISSA AND I MOVE TO ADOPT THE AGENDA. THIS IS DENISE. I SECOND THE MOTION.

THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY YES. YES. YES. YES. ARE THERE ANY OPPOSED? PLEASE SAY NO. THANK YOU. THE MOTION PASSES. PLEASE LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE. 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. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AS WE GATHER HERE THIS EVENING. I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO HONOR ONE OF OUR OWN, BLAKE ELLIOTT.

BLAKE WAS AN EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT, A LOYAL FRIEND TO MANY, AND A GIFTED SOCCER PLAYER WHOSE TALENT AND DETERMINATION WERE RECENTLY RECOGNIZED WHEN SHE WAS NAMED THE PLAYER OF THE YEAR BY THE EGIS JUST LAST WEEK, SHE BROUGHT AN INCREDIBLE ENERGY AND SPIRIT TO SEE MILTON WRIGHT HIGH SCHOOL. HER PRESENCE LIT UP THE CLASSROOM. IT LIT UP THE FIELD AND IT LIT UP THE LIVES OF EVERYONE WHO HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF KNOWING HER. BLAKE'S KINDNESS, HER COURAGE AND TALENT LEFT A LASTING IMPRESSION ON NOT JUST THE SCHOOL, BUT ON OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY. AND HER LOSS IS FELT DEEPLY BY ALL OF US. PLEASE JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE TO REMEMBER BLAKE ELLIOTT, AND TO REFLECT ON THE LIGHT THAT SHE BROUGHT INTO ALL OF OUR LIVES.

THANK YOU. OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO START THIS EVENING BEFORE WE GET INTO PUBLIC

[A. Harford County Public Schools Student Recognition North Harford High School's Envirothon Team's State Championship Competition Win]

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SAMANTHA'S THE LONE SURVIVING HAWK. AND SO WE'RE DELIGHTED THAT YOU COULD COULD COME HERE REPRESENTING EVERYONE. I'VE GOT THIS, THIS. AND ALSO WE'VE GOT SOME SOME COINS FOR ALL OF YOU AS WELL. SO THE AND IF YOU'VE GOT ANY OF THE OTHER ONES OUT THERE, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU THE REST OF THOSE IN CASE THOSE, THEY STOP BY TO VISIT YOU, YOU'LL HAVE IT. SO WE'LL, WE'LL DO A, WE CAN GATHER AROUND, LET YOU GUYS BRING THAT IN THERE, TAKE A STEP TOWARDS ME OKAY.

HOLD UP RIGHT THERE. PERFECT. GOOD SMILE EVERYBODY KEEP SMILING. ALMOST DONE WITH THOSE.

THANK YOU. FOR SO MANY YEARS. THIS. THANK YOU. I WOULD REALLY LIKE. OH OKAY. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO THANK THANK HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND HARFORD SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICT FOR SPONSORING OUR VERY EXPENSIVE TRIP TO ALBERTA, CANADA. I THINK THAT IT WAS MOSTLY MARYLAND ENVIROTHON, BUT I THINK HARFORD COUNTY ALSO KICKS IN. IT WAS SUCH AN AMAZING TRIP AND JOURNEY, YOU KNOW, TO CANADA, BRINGING MY FAVORITE NATURE NERDS INTO THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, WHERE THEY'RE THEY TEARED UP AT, JUST LIKE THEIR COACH BEING ABLE TO SPEND TIME WITH THEM LIKE THAT. I WANT TO THANK ANDREW LEAGUE, WHO COULDN'T BE HERE TONIGHT.

HE HAS ENVIROTHON AS ONE OF HIS MANY OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED, AND ENVIROTHON IS A BIG ONE.

AND I HE ACCOMPANIED ME AND HE WAS A GREAT OTHER CHAPERON AS WELL FOR FOR MY STUDENTS. AND I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU WHAT AN AMAZING GROUP OF STUDENTS I HAVE. AND EVEN STILL THIS YEAR CAN'T WAIT TO COMPETE AGAINST MY WONDERFUL COLLEAGUES, BECAUSE GETTING PAST HARFORD COUNTY IS IS THE BIGGEST HURDLE BECAUSE IT'S A VERY COMPETITIVE COUNTY. AND THANKS FOR ALL OF THE HELP, MR. EAKES AND HARFORD SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICT, GREAT, THANKS. YOU GUYS WANT TO SAY ANYTHING? NO. OKAY. ONE MORE ROUND OF APPLAUSE. AMAZING JOB. THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

[Public Comments]

IF WE COULD PLEASE READ THIS EVENING'S RULES OF ORDER. GOOD EVENING. I'M DJ RAVAGE, REGIONAL COORDINATOR FOR THE OFFICE OF SAFETY AND SECURITY. THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING TONIGHT'S BOARD OF EDUCATION BUSINESS MEETING. IN KEEPING WITH THE BUSINESS PURPOSE OF THE MEETING, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE UPDATED PRACTICES THAT WILL BE ENFORCED THIS EVENING AND FOR ALL FUTURE BOARD MEETINGS. DURING THE BUSINESS MEETING, ALL ATTENDEES ARE REMINDED TO CONDUCT THEMSELVES IN A RESPECTFUL MANNER. GRANDSTANDING WHICH INCLUDES

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THIS EVENING. WE HAVE 26 IN-PERSON SPEAKERS AND TWO VIRTUAL. WE WILL BEGIN WITH CHARLENE HAUPT, FOLLOWED BY NEIL THOMPSON AND MARCELLA THOMPSON. GOOD EVENING. I'M CHARLENE HAUPT AND I LIVE IN BEL AIR. I HAVE TWO POINTS. FIRST POINT I AM AND ALWAYS WILL BE AGAINST BOOK BANS AND CENSORSHIP IN A SUPPOSEDLY FREE SOCIETY. SECOND POINT I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM JOHN HOPKINS STATING ONGOING NEGOTIATIONS WITH UNITED HEALTHCARE. WE PUT IN MONEY REGULARLY FOR THAT HEALTH CARE PROVIDER. THE PERSON I CONTACTED AT THE HEALTH AND BENEFITS DEPARTMENT TOLD ME HOPKINS HAD AGREED TO ACCEPT PATIENTS ON AN OUT OF NETWORK STATUS. I'VE HEARD NOTHING SINCE, EXCEPT FOR A NEWS PIECE ON TV WHERE HOPKINS HAD SEVERED THEIR CONNECTIONS WITH UNITED HEALTHCARE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR ME AND ALL THOSE WHO HAVE IT AS THEIR ANSWER FOR ALL HEALTH CARE? DUE TO LACK OF TRANSPARENCY IN SEVERING IN COVERING PATIENTS THAT WOULD BENEFIT THEIR FOR PROFIT STATUS AND NOT THE CARE NEEDED FOR EACH AND EVERY PATIENT. WHY IS UNITEDHEALTHCARE DENYING THE CLAIMS FOR THE EXACT HEALTH CARE GIVEN FOR YEARS AND COVERED WITH NO NOTICE OF ANY UNACCEPTABLE CLAIMS? I'VE HAD OVER 20 YEARS OF FULL COVERAGE, AND NOW THE SAME DOCTORS AND SAME TREATMENTS DENIED AND ON APPEAL PARTIALLY PAID OUT. DO WE STILL PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR LESS CARE? IS THE FACT WE ARE GRADUALLY IN MORE NEED OF CARE AS WE AGE? THE REASON CLAIMS FOR TREATMENT ARE NOW DENIED MORE MONEY FOR THEIR POOR PROFIT STATUS, AND THE FACT THAT MANY OF US ARE AGING AND AT RISK. WOULD IT COST THEM MORE? AND THEY DECIDE TO DENY CLAIMS THAT CAN EXTEND OUR LIVES IN GOOD HEALTH? AND WHY AREN'T WE IN THE LOOP? THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. I'M NEIL THOMPSON. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK THE BOARD FOR HOLDING A MOMENT OF SILENCE REGARDING THE RECENT TRAGIC ACCIDENT. WE WE APPRECIATE YOU DOING THAT.

AND SEND PRAYERS TO THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS. I'M ALSO HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE BOARD'S ACTIONS AT THE JUNE 26TH HEARING, AT WHICH YOU BANNED THE BOOK FLAMER, AN ARTICLE IN THE SEPTEMBER 10TH BALTIMORE ISSUE OF BALTIMORE BANNER ISSUE, PRESIDENT POINTON SAID BOARD MEMBERS DID NOT HAVE THE OPTION TO REMOVE THE BOOK ONLY FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARIES.

TONIGHT, I'M ASKING BOARD MEMBERS DURING BOARD COMMENTS TO TELL US WHAT POLICY OR PROCEDURE CAUSED YOU TO FEEL YOU COULD NOT OPT TO SIMPLY MAKE FLAMER AVAILABLE ONLY FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND NOT FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, I COULD FIND NOTHING THAT RESTRICTED YOUR OPTIONS, BUT MAYBE YOU CAN CAN ENLIGHTEN US ON THAT. IF YOU CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION TONIGHT, I ASK THAT YOU PROVIDE AN ANSWER AT THE UPCOMING LISTENING SESSION ON SEPTEMBER 30TH. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. I'M TARA THOMPSON AND I'M REPRESENTING TOGETHER.

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PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS WHERE YOUR DECISION TO REMOVE FLAMER FEELS LESS THAN TRANSPARENT. THE FINAL ACTION WAS HELD DURING THE CLOSED HEARING RATHER THAN HERE AT A PUBLIC MEETING. I WOULD APPRECIATE BOARD MEMBERS RESPONSE TO THIS CONFLICT WITH THE PROCEDURE EITHER TONIGHT IN YOUR COMMENT PERIOD OR AT THE SEPTEMBER 30TH LISTENING SESSION. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DAVID BAUER, FOLLOWED BY WILLIAM MARTINO AND CANDACE KAMMERER. GOOD EVENING, I'M DAVID BAUER. WE HAVE ANOTHER FINE EVENING TO DISCUSS THE BOOK. FLAMER. WHY BANNING IT WAS A MISTAKE AND WHY, YES, THE TERM BAN IS CORRECT. AND THEN DOCTOR POINTON WENT AND MADE A NEW MISTAKE. DOCTOR POINTON'S OPEN LETTER ABOUT RESPONSES TO THE KILLING OF A WELL-KNOWN PERSON IN UTAH WAS INAPPROPRIATE FOR MULTIPLE REASONS. FIRST, HE WAS STEPPING INTO A SITUATION THAT HAS BEEN NOT JUST POLITICIZED, BUT WEAPONIZED. DOCTOR POINTON, YOU DRAGGED THE BOARD AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM INTO THIS SITUATION THAT HAS NATIONAL CONSERVATIVE FIGURES CRITICIZING THE HEAD OF THE FCC IN WHITE HOUSE FOR AUTHORITARIAN ATTACKS ON THE FIRST AMENDMENT. IT WAS ALSO STEPPING INTO AN INTERNAL DISCIPLINE ISSUE. THAT IS THE ADMINISTRATION'S JOB. THE BOARD HANDBOOK IS VERY CLEAR THAT SPECIFIC ISSUES OR COMPLAINTS MUST FIRST BE ADDRESSED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT AND HIS STAFF. LASTLY, DOCTOR POINTON'S LETTER CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES THAT HE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OF THE BOARD OFFICER POSITIONS. THE LETTER SAYS, QUOTE, I HAVE DIRECTED THE ADMINISTRATION, END QUOTE, THE BOARD OFFICERS DO NOT HAVE THAT AUTHORITY, ONLY THE BOARD AS A WHOLE ENTITY DOES. THE HANDBOOK IS ALSO VERY CLEAR THAT THE BOARD PRESIDENT IS, QUOTE, SPOKESPERSON FOR THE WHOLE BOARD, UNQUOTE. DOCTOR POINTON, YOU HAVE VIOLATED THAT DIRECTIVE REPEATEDLY ACTING AS IF SPOKESPERSON FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR OWN POSITION. THE ACTUAL DUTIES FOR PRESIDENT LISTED IN THE HANDBOOK FALL INTO TWO CATEGORIES MANAGING THE BOARD AS AN ENTITY AND ITS MEETINGS, AND ACTING AS A COMMUNICATIONS CHANNEL FOR THE WHOLE BOARD. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. THE BOOK BOOK OF ACTS TELLS US THAT STEPHEN WAS FALSELY ACCUSED OF BREAKING THE LAWS OF MOSES AND WAS ON TRIAL BEFORE THE SANHEDRIN. THE SANHEDRIN INCLUDED 70 PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES, ALONG WITH THE HIGH PRIEST CAIAPHAS. ALL OF THE SANHEDRIN WITH WERE THE MOST EDUCATED MEN ON OLD TESTAMENT WRITINGS IN THE ENTIRE ROMAN EMPIRE. THEIR COMBINED FORCE AND INTELLECT HAD TO BE OVERWHELMING TO THIS UNEDUCATED FOLLOWER OF CHRIST. HOWEVER, DURING THE TRIAL, STEPHEN DELIVERS A POWERFUL TESTIMONY OF WISDOM, JEWISH HISTORY, AND THE SIGNS THAT WERE FULFILLED BY THE MESSIAH. THIS UNEDUCATED MAN, STEPHEN, MANAGED TO OUTFOX THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY OF RELIGIOUS TITANS ON THEIR OWN TOUR AND OLD TESTAMENT. THE SANHEDRIN WERE SO EMBARRASSED THAT THEY HAD STEPHEN STONED TO DEATH. THE RELIGIOUS ELITE HAD DRIFTED SEVERELY OFF COURSE AND WERE FAR FROM THEIR DESTINATION. STEPHEN WAS TRYING TO PULL THEM BACK ON THE CORRECT PATH. AMERICA'S EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM HAD DRIFTED A LONG WAY OFF

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CHARLIE WAS WINNING AND HE WAS KILLED FOR IT. PARENTS IN THIS BOARD DIDN'T NEED TO FOLLOW CHARLIE'S EXAMPLE AND STOP BAD IDEAS AND RADICAL ACTIVISM BEING TAUGHT TO THE PUPILS OF THIS COUNTY. REGARDLESS OF WHAT COMER, THE TEACHERS UNION THE STATE MANDATES BAY CHARLIE AND PUSH BACK AND PROTECT OUR CHILDREN FROM DAMAGING ACTIVIST MATERIAL. WE ARE. GOOD EVENING.

I AM CANDACE KAMMERER AND I WAS A SCIENTIST, TEACHER AND ADMINISTRATOR FOR 47 YEARS. IT WAS MY PRIVILEGE AND I SHOULDN'T SAY WAS A SCIENTIST. I'M STILL A SCIENCE GEEK. I READ FLAMER AND BASED ON THE POSTED EVALUATION CRITERIA, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY IT WAS REMOVED FROM ALL SCHOOL PUBLIC SCHOOL LIBRARIES. AND I ALSO WATCHED THE VIDEOS OF THE MEETING AND I NOTICED A FEW THINGS. ALL OF MY FELLOW CITIZENS WANT THE VERY BEST FOR OUR SCHOOL CHILDREN, BUT WE HAVE DIFFERING PERSPECTIVES AND IN MY EXPERIENCE, COMMUNITIES THAT LISTEN TO AND RESPECT DIFFERENCES ARE MUCH MORE VIBRANT. I ALSO SAW THAT THE CURRENT RECONSIDERATION PROCESS HAS FLAWS. THE WORK OF THE NINE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND THE SUPERINTENDENT SEEM TO BE A WASTE OF TIME. ALL THAT MATTERED WAS THE BOARD'S VOTE IN A CLOSED SESSION. AT THE LISTENING SESSION ON SEPTEMBER 30TH. I HOPE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE COMMITTEE AND THE BOARD DIFFERED SO, SO MUCH. AND I ALSO HOPE TO HEAR LOTS OF IDEAS ON HOW THE OVERALL PROCESS CAN BE IMPROVED TO PROMOTE WIN WIN OUTCOMES THAT RESPECT AND BENEFIT EVERYONE. THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE MEGAN FITZGERALD, MAUREEN WESNER, AND ELLEN BUSKIN. GOOD EVENING. FIRST OFF, PLEASE REINSTATE THE BOOK FLAMER. AND I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF SOMEONE THAT I AM PROUD AND HUMBLED TO CALL A FRIEND. AND THAT'S RONALD WOODEN, THE CURRENT. CAN I STILL SPEAK? YEAH. JUST AVOID I WON'T SAY IT ANYMORE. ANYONE OTHER THAN FINE. I'M SORRY. IN ANY EVENT, I'M HERE TO SPEAK TONIGHT ON BEHALF OF SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN PUT ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE. WE CAN'T SAY THAT EITHER. IT'S A PERSONNEL ISSUE. NOT SUBJECT TO THE PUBLIC. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU CAN SAY? YEAH, OTHER. OTHERWISE I CAN. I GIVE EXAMPLES OF WHO HE IS. WELL, I THINK AT THIS POINT IT MIGHT BE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR YOU TO DIRECT YOUR COMMENTS TO THE BOARD AND NOT IN A PUBLIC FORUM. OKAY. ALRIGHT. FAIR ENOUGH. OKAY. THANK YOU. HELLO, MY NAME IS MAUREEN WESNER. I'M HERE BECAUSE I OPPOSE THE BANNING OF BOOKS AND I OPPOSE THE BANNING OF THE BOOK. FLAMER. SEVERAL BOARD MEMBERS HAVE OPPOSED OUR USE OF THE WORD BAN, AND INSIST THAT THEY HAVE MERELY REMOVED FLAMER FROM LIBRARY SHELVES. THE MERRIAM-WEBSTER DICTIONARY DEFINES THE WORD BAN AS FOLLOWS. TO PROHIBIT THE USE, PERFORMANCE, OR DISTRIBUTION OF AND GIVES THE EXAMPLE. BAN A BOOK. SO BY PROHIBITING THE DISTRIBUTION OF FLAMER BY HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL LIBRARIES, YOU HAVE IN FACT BANNED IT. YOU ATTEMPT TO SOFTEN THE LANGUAGE IN ORDER TO MAKE THE REMOVAL OF FLAMER FROM OUR LIBRARY SOUND LESS SUPPRESSIVE. I ASK THAT YOU RETURN FLAMER TO HARFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS LIBRARIES. THANK YOU.

I'M ELLEN WHAT? EVERY PERSON WHO WORKS IN THE EDUCATION PROFESSION HAS IN COMMON IS THE BELIEF THAT YOU SHOULD BE. YOU SHOULD DO YOUR BEST AND WHAT'S BEST FOR YOUR STUDENTS. AND AS A RETIRED EDUCATOR. THAT'S WHAT I DID. WHAT WAS BEST FOR MY STUDENTS. AND I FEEL THAT THIS

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FLAMER IS ONE SUCH TOOL. PLEASE FOLLOW THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS AND LIBRARIANS. REINSTATE FLAMER AND INSTITUTE AN OPEN AND TRANSPARENT PROCEDURE FOR EVALUATING LIBRARY BOOKS DESTINED FOR SCHOOL LIBRARIES. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ANNE HARTIG. MY COMMENT THIS EVENING RELATES TO THE VOLUNTEER POLICY NOTED IN THE NEW BUSINESS SECTION OF THE CURRENT AGENDA. I APPLAUD THE BOARD'S EFFORTS TO FORMALIZE THE VOLUNTEER POLICY, A POLICY THAT ALL SYSTEM MEMBERS MUST FOLLOW DISCOURAGES THE USE OF PERSONAL BELIEFS AND VALUES AND DECISIONS WHICH IMPACT OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS. MY FIRST SUGGESTION INVOLVES THE DEFINITION SECTION. LETTER C COMMUNITY PARTNERS. PLEASE CONSIDER CHANGING THE LANGUAGE FROM COMMUNITY PARTNERS MAY HAVE A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON FILE TO. THEY MUST HAVE A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING. BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS HAVE MORE PARTICIPANTS AND RESOURCES TO PROVIDE SUPPORT, WHICH MEANS THERE IS A GREATER OPPORTUNITY FOR MISUNDERSTANDING AND MISDIRECTION. A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING CAN IMPROVE THE LIKELIHOOD PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THEIR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, AND THAT DIRECTORS WILL BE FOLLOWED. THE SECOND CHANGE ROMAN NUMERAL FOR ITEM B VOLUNTEER GUIDELINES. CONSIDER ADDING LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS. THE PHRASE WOULD READ. ALL VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES WILL ALIGN WITH THE DISTRICT GOALS, SAFETY STANDARDS, AND LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION DOING SO.

DOING THIS ENSURES THE INTENT OF THE HCPS TO HOLD VOLUNTEERS AND ORGANIZATIONS ACCOUNTABLE TO ALL EDUCATIONALLY RELATED STATUTES. FINALLY, FINALLY, SECTION H ELIGIBILITY DISCUSSES THE RIGHTS TO DISMISS VOLUNTEERS WHO VIOLATE ESTABLISHED EXPECTATIONS, BUT AS DOES NOT DELINEATE HOW AND TO WHOM THAT PROCESS IS INITIATED, IT DOESN'T EXPLAIN THE PROCESS, AND OFFENDING INDIVIDUAL OR ORGANIZATION CAN EXPECT TO BE FOLLOWED IN THE EVENT OF A CONCERNING BEHAVIOR. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR STUDENTS, STAFF, PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO HAVE THIS INFORMATION UP FRONT SHOULD THE NEED ARISE. CONSIDER ADDING LANGUAGE TO EXPLAIN THIS PROCESS. THANK YOU. GET A COPY OF THAT. SO YEAH. CAN YOU JUST GIVE IT TO ERIC DAVIS OVER THERE. THANK YOU. IS THERE A ROBERT JACOBS? OUR NEXT SPEAKERS ARE LOUIS RENTERIA, DYLAN LEWIS AND CHERYL ADAMS. GOOD EVENING. I'M LOUIS RENTERIA. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, OUR SEVENTH GRADER CAME HOME WITH HIS NEW SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM. MY WIFE NOTICED RIGHT AWAY THAT IT PLACED A HEAVY FOCUS ON ISLAM AND MUSLIM HISTORY. AS VETERANS AND CATHOLICS. THIS CONCERNED US. WE BELIEVE RELIGION SHOULD BE TAUGHT AT HOME, IN CHURCH OR IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS, NOT A STATE MANDATED, MANDATED LESSONS. WE REQUESTED TO OPT OUR SON OUT BASED ON OUR FAMILY VALUES. AT FIRST, HIS TEACHER WAS UNDERSTANDING AND OFFERED INDEPENDENT STUDY DURING THOSE LESSONS. BUT THE NEXT DAY HIS SUPERIOR TOLD US NO, THAT IS, THAT IT WAS A STATE MANDATED AND WE HAD NO OPTION TO OPT OUT.

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WHAT MUSLIMS BELIEVE, HOW THEY PRAY WHEN THEY PRAY. WHEN SHE ASKED WHY SHE WAS TOLD, WE ASSUME EVERYONE ALREADY KNOWS ABOUT CHRISTIANITY. THE ASSUMPTION IS WRONG AND IT SHOWS THAT CURRICULUM IS NOT TREATING ALL RELIGIONS EQUALLY EQUALLY. EXCUSE ME. WE ALSO FOUND THAT DIFFICULT PARTS OF ISLAMIC HISTORY LIKE CONQUEST, VIOLENCE AND PERSECUTION WERE INTENTIONALLY LEFT OUT, WHILE A VERY IDEALIZED VERSION WAS PRESENTED. THAT IS NOT OBJECTIVE. EDUCATION. ADDING TO THIS CONCERN, WE LATER LEARNED THAT MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION CHANGES CURRICULUM. THIS PAST JULY, AFTER PRESSURE FROM THE COUNCIL ON AMERICAN ISLAMIC RELATIONS, OR CAIR, THIS IS THE CONTROVERSIAL ORGANIZATION THAT SEVERAL STATES HAVE CUT TIES WITH BECAUSE OF ITS CONNECTIONS TO EXTREMIST GROUPS. YET MARYLAND ALLOWED THEM TO INFLUENCE WHAT OUR CHILDREN ARE TAUGHT. BECAUSE OF THIS, WE MADE THE DECISION TO HOMESCHOOL OUR SON. BUT THIS SHOULD NOT BE THE ONLY OPTION FOR FAMILIES. I URGE THIS BOARD TO RECONSIDER THIS CURRICULUM AND PRESENT RELIGION IN A BIASED WAY. DENIES OR DENY PARENTS THE RIGHT TO OPT OUT AND ALLOW OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS TO INFLUENCE WHAT OUR CHILDREN ARE TAUGHT RESPONSIBLY. THIS BOARD IS TO ENSURE EDUCATION, NOT INDOCTRINATION. THANK YOU.

HI, MY NAME IS DELAINE LEWIS. I WANT TO EXPRESS MY DEEP SORROW AT THE DEATH OF BLAKE ELLIOTT.

THIS IS AN UNBEARABLE LOSS. I AM SENDING PRAYERS FOR THE FULL RECOVERY OF THE OTHER STUDENT INVOLVED. WE ARE HERE TODAY AND HAVE BEEN COMING BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT WE SHARE A BELIEF IN THE PRINCIPLES THAT LIE AT THE VERY HEART OF OUR DEMOCRACY, FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND FREE SPEECH. THROUGHOUT HISTORY, BOOKS HAVE BEEN THE VERY FOUNDATION OF OUR FREEDOM TO THINK CRITICALLY, TO QUESTION AND TO IMAGINE. BUT WE ARE SEEING BOOKS LIKE FLAMER DEEMED TOO CONTROVERSIAL, TOO OFFENSIVE, OR TOO DANGEROUS FOR READERS, THE IDEA THAT CERTAIN IDEAS OR NARRATIVES SHOULD BE CENSORED IN THE NAME OF PROTECTING OTHERS IS NOT ONLY MISGUIDED, BUT A DIRECT THREAT TO OUR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS. USING WORDS LIKE PURITY WHEN SPEAKING OF OUR STUDENTS IS FRANKLY, OFFENSIVE. YOU'RE TREADING IN DANGEROUS WATERS WITH THIS LANGUAGE, AND THE IMPACT HERE IS THE ISOLATION AND BULLYING OF OUR LGBTQ PLUS STUDENTS. WHEN A SMALL GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS BELIEVE THEY KNOW BETTER THAN THE REST OF US AND DECIDES FOR US WHICH IDEAS OR SPEECH ARE ACCEPTABLE AND WHICH ARE NOT, HISTORY HAS SHOWN TIME AND AGAIN THAT THAT IS NOT THE WAY FORWARD. THOSE THAT SEEK TO SILENCE OTHERS OFTEN DO SO BECAUSE THEY FEAR WHAT THOSE VOICES MIGHT REVEAL. THEY FEAR NEW WAYS OF THINKING, NEW IDEAS THAT MIGHT CHALLENGE THEIR POWER, THEIR PRIVILEGE, OR THEIR WORLDVIEW. TO BAN A BOOK OR SPEECH IS TO CLOSE OFF A DIALOG, TO DENY PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE PERSPECTIVES BEYOND THEIR OWN. WHETHER THE BOOK CHALLENGES SOCIAL NORMS, SPEAK TO UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTHS, OR ADVOCATES FOR MARGINALIZED VOICES, BANNING THESE BOOKS IS A FORM OF INTELLECTUAL OPPRESSION. IT TELLS INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE, THAT THEIR CURIOSITY IS DANGEROUS AND THAT THEIR PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE SHOULD BE CONTROLLED. SO LET US STAND TOGETHER IN DEFENSE OF THE FREEDOM TO READ, THE FREEDOM TO THINK, AND THE FREEDOM TO SPEAK. LET US REJECT THE IDEA THAT SOME VOICES ARE TOO DANGEROUS TO HEAR AND REAFFIRM THAT THE BEST WAY TO COUNTER BAD IDEAS. IS. GOOD EVENING, MY NAME IS CHERYL ADAMS. I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS TWO THINGS THIS EVENING. THE FIRST IS A RESPONSE TO THE SUGGESTION IN A PREVIOUS MEETING THAT OUR COMMENTS WOULD BE BETTER SERVED EITHER THROUGH EMAIL OR THE LISTENING SESSIONS, AND I JUST WANT TO PUSH BACK ON THAT A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO COME AND MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT BECAUSE I'M NOT ONLY JUST ADDRESSING YOU ALL, BUT I ALSO WANT TO TO MAKE SURE THAT THE STUDENTS, STAFF AND THE PUBLIC KNOW THAT THEY HAVE SUPPORT AND THAT I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF SOME OF THEM AS WELL. SO I WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THAT, AND I WANT IT TO BE ABLE TO BE RECORDED. THE SECOND THING I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS IS A STATEMENT MADE BY A MEMBER OF THE BOARD AT THE LAST MEETING, AND THE MEETING BEFORE, I THINK, REGARDING OR INFERRING THAT THE BOOK FLAMER HAD A HOW TO GUIDE FOR DYING BY SUICIDE. I SPOKE WITH MY COLLEGE AGED CHILD, WHO WAS A GRADUATE OF HC, ABOUT THE REMOVAL OF THIS BOOK AND AND THAT THOUGHT AND HIS RESPONSE WAS, DO THEY THINK THAT KIDS IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL DON'T ALREADY KNOW ABOUT SUICIDE OR THINK ABOUT IT? THEY KNOW ABOUT AS EARLY AS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND MOST KIDS ALREADY KNOW EXACTLY HOW TO DO IT. SO TRYING TO PRETEND BAD WORDS OR UNCOMFORTABLE TOPICS DON'T EXIST IS UNHEALTHY. WHAT IS HEALTHY IS BRINGING THEM OUT INTO THE OPEN AND TALKING ABOUT THEM WITH KIDS. KIDS WHO HAVE SUICIDAL IDEATION FIND GREAT RELIEF IN BEING ABLE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY HAVE HAD

[00:35:02]

MELISSA HAHN FROM DISTRICT D ASKED THE BOARD TO REMOVE THE FOLLOWING BOOKS IN AN EFFORT TO PROTECT THE STUDENTS IN HER DISTRICT AND AND IN HARFORD COUNTY. GENDERQUEER FLAMER, WHICH YOU CAN GET AT AMAZON OR HARFORD COUNTY LIBRARIES. LAWN BOY ALL BOYS AREN'T BLUE A IS FOR ACTIVIST. AND LET'S TALK ABOUT IT. PLEASE CONSIDER ALLOWING BOARD MEMBERS TO SUBMIT BOOKS FOR REVIEW ON BEHALF OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS IN AN EFFORT TO ELIMINATE UNFORESEEN RAMIFICATIONS AND BULLYING. THANK YOU TO PRESIDENT BOYNTON FOR THE CURRICULUM TRANSPARENCY UPGRADES, INCLUDING THE IMPORTANCE OF PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES. YOUR OPEN LETTER TO EDITORS AND STAFF OF HCPS, A TIMELY REMINDER OF THE FIRM STANCE OF RESPONSIBLE USE AND PROCEDURE. I'LL STOP RIGHT THERE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, I'M JAMES RAMSEY. LAST TIME I WAS HERE, I CRITICIZED THE BOARD PRESIDENT'S JUDGMENT ON FLAMER. THIS TIME, I WANT TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE BOARD HAD OUTRIGHT DENOUNCED FLAMER. AS I KID YOU NOT, PORN, I'M NOT GOING TO WASTE TIME POINTING OUT ALL THE WAYS IN WHICH THAT MAKES ZERO SENSE. INSTEAD, I QUOTE FROM THE PRINCESS BRIDE YOU KEEP USING THAT WORD. I DO NOT THINK IT MEANS WHAT YOU THINK IT MEANS. REINSTATE FLAMER IN THE SCHOOL LIBRARIES. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS JAN HIRSCHFELD. I'M FROM ABERDEEN AND I'M HERE AGAIN TO ASK THE BOARD TO REINSTATE FLAMER. I OPPOSE THE BANNING OF FLAMER, AND I OBJECT TO THE WAY THE BAN WAS DONE. BOOK BANNING THREATENS OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS AND IT DISRESPECTS. AND IN THIS CASE, THOSE WHO SERVED ON THE RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE. IT'S ALSO A HUGE DISRESPECT TO THE DISTRICTS, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, LIBRARIANS WHO ARE TRAINED AND WELL QUALIFIED TO CHOOSE THE APPROPRIATE BOOKS TO FILL THE SCHOOL LIBRARIES. THE BOARD'S DECISION TO BAN FLAMER WAS NEVER VOTED ON IN OPEN SESSION, AND IT GOES AGAINST MARYLAND STATE LAW. SO NO MORE BOOK BANNING. PLEASE PUT FLAMER BACK ON THE SHELVES. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS TUKUFU NGWENYA, FOLLOWED BY REGINA. MCQUILTEN AND CHRISTINA LANOKA. GOOD EVENING SUPERINTENDENT. GOOD EVENING PRESIDENT. GOOD EVENING,

[00:40:16]

BUT THIS BOOK I FIND, IS A BOOK ON BULLYING. AND AS A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER, I TAKE CARE OF TEENS AND YOUNG WOMEN, AND I FIND THAT THIS WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR THE LBG, GQ GROUP.

SO PLEASE REINSTATE THIS BOOK. THANK YOU. YES, WE DO NEED GOD BACK IN OUR SCHOOLS, WE ARE INSPIRED BY CHARLIE KAY WHO LOST HIS LIFE FOR SPEECH. HE SPOKE GOSPEL TRUTH WITH LOVE TO THE COLLEGE STUDENTS. KNOW THAT WE LOVE YOU ALL AND WE PRAY GOD'S GUIDANCE FOR YOU. BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO SPEAK TRUTH UNTIL OUR CHILDREN ARE BEING GUIDED TO GOD, NOT AWAY FROM HIM. THESSALONIANS FOUR SAID, THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD, YOUR HOLINESS, THAT YOU REFRAIN FROM IMMORALITY. FOR GOD DID NOT CALL US TO IMPURITY, BUT TO HOLINESS. THEREFORE, WHOEVER DISREGARDS THIS DISREGARDS NOT A HUMAN BEING, BUT GOD, WHO ALSO GIVES HIS HOLY SPIRIT TO YOU. I THANK YOU FOR REMOVING THE BOOK FLAMER. AS DOCTOR BOYNTON POINTED OUT, THE BOOK DOES NOT MEET THE BOOK SELECTION STANDARDS OF HIGH SCHOOLS. MY QUESTION THEN IS HOW DID IT GET IN THERE AND WHO PUT IT THERE? AND ARE THE PEOPLE WHO CHOOSE THESE TYPES OF BOOKS STILL CHOOSING THESE TYPES OF BOOKS FOR OUR CHILDREN? IF SO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO STOP IT? ALSO, HOW ARE YOU PROPOSING TO REMOVE THE MANY OTHER BOOKS WHICH DO NOT MEET YOUR STANDARDS? MANY COMPLAIN THAT WE ARE BANNING BOOKS. ANYONE CAN BUY ANY OF THESE SEXUALLY EXPLICIT, PORNOGRAPHIC AND GENDER IDEOLOGY BOOKS AT ANY RETAIL BOOKSTORE. HOWEVER, WE AS TAXPAYERS AND PARENTS SHOULD NOT BE FORCED TO BUY AND GIVE TO OUR CHILDREN SUCH HORRIFICALLY EVIL BOOKS. SO EVEN IF WE WERE AWARE OF EVERY SINGLE OFFENSIVE BOOK ON YOURSELVES AND IN YOUR CLASSROOMS, AND THEN NOTIFIED THE SCHOOL TO KEEP OUR CHILDREN AWAY FROM SAID BOOKS, WE ARE STILL CONTINUING TO PAY FOR THE REST OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM'S CHILDREN TO BE EXPOSED TO THEM, SIMILAR TO YOUR FORCING YOUR STAFF, STUDENTS AND TEACHERS TO

[00:45:02]

PARENTS ARE THE EXPERTS ON THEIR CHILDREN. PLEASE THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE DOING TO OUR CHILDREN. ASK GOD'S GUIDANCE AND GO FROM THERE. JOHN 14 SIX JESUS JESUS SAID, I AM THE WAY AND THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME. MAY GOD BLESS BLAKE'S FAMILY AND ALL OF YOU TO. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JANINE CANDIDO, FOLLOWED BY SUSIE SCOTT AND FRED DURST. GOOD EVENING. I, I WANT TO MAKE TWO POINTS TONIGHT. ONE CONCERN CIP.

CIP PROJECTS, AND THE OTHER IS JUST KIND OF A GENERAL MESSAGE TO NEW AND EXISTING BOARD MEMBERS IN TERMS OF CIP, I WANT TO FIRST SHARE MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. MY HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION HOUNDED ME FOR EIGHT YEARS TO REPLACE MY ROOF. I COULDN'T AFFORD IT, SO I PUSHED BACK. I MADE AN ADULT FISCAL DECISION, AND I IMPLORE THE BOARD TO MAKE THE SAME RESPONSIBLE FISCAL DECISIONS IN TERMS OF THOSE FUNDS THAT ARE REQUESTED FOR CIP PROJECTS. MY SECOND POINT. HAS TO DO WITH RECENT EVENTS. OUR COUNTRY REACHED A TURNING POINT ON SEPTEMBER 10TH WITH THE ASSASSINATION. ASSASSINATION OF CHARLIE KIRK. AND MAKE NO MISTAKE, THE RADICAL LEFT MADE ITSELF VERY CLEAR IN ALL ITS UGLINESS. AND THE RADICAL LEFT COMES IN MANY DIFFERENT FLAVORS AND COLORS. SOMETIMES IT COMES IN THE FORM OF PEOPLE ATTENDING BOARD MEETINGS AND COLOR COORDINATED SHIRTS WITH COORDINATED STATEMENTS ON THEM.

BUT CALM DOWN, I ACTUALLY DID. I DIDN'T HEAR WHAT YOU SAID, BUT YOU KNOW THE RULES OF ORDER, SO TRY TO STICK TO THEM, I MEAN. WHAT SHE SAID, SHE'S CRITICIZED EVERY ONE OF THE PURPLE SHIRT.

YOUR TIME IS UP. SORRY. I'D LIKE TO GET MY TIME BACK. YOU WERE INTERRUPTED BY THE CROWD.

I'LL GIVE YOU 15 SECONDS. 15. OKAY. THE GOAL OF THE RADICAL LEFT IS TO MANIPULATE WITH THE CHANGING OF DEFINITIONS OF WORDS AND PHRASES. AND I ENCOURAGE THE BOARD NOT TO FALL FOR THIS. AND I AM SO THANKFUL TO. BOARD MEMBER SIMPLY, COGENTLY, ELOQUENTLY.

THANK YOU. THERE WAS NO SORRY THE CLOCK WASN'T RUNNING, SO WE WERE TRYING TO ESTIMATE YOU COULD STATEMENT IN TERMS OF THANK YOU. BOOK BANNING DID NOT FIT WHAT WE'RE TALKING. YOU'RE A LITTLE OVER YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU FOR WE GOT IT. YOU WANT TO POINT OUT TO ME. THANK YOU I'M SORRY. YOU'RE YOU'RE OVER YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

FOLLOW YOUR RULES. THANK YOU. MISS COOPER. GOOD EVENING. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. OKAY.

BRACE YOURSELF FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. I WANT TO EXTEND MY SINCERE THANKS TO THE BOARD THIS EVENING. FIRST TO YOU, DOCTOR BOYNTON, FOR YOUR BOLD AND PRINCIPLED STANCE IN ADDRESSING THE EDUCATORS AND STAFF THROUGH YOUR RECENT OPEN LETTER, YOUR DIRECTNESS AND COMMITMENT TO MAINTAINING THE INTEGRITY OF HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS NOT ONLY NECESSARY, BUT IT'S WHAT A TRUE LEADER SHOULD DO. IN A TIME WHEN CIVILITY AND RESPECT ARE OFTEN IN SHORT SUPPLY. YOUR CLEAR MESSAGE ABOUT THE PROFESSIONAL OBLIGATIONS OF EDUCATORS IS BOTH TIMELY AND IMPORTANT. THANK YOU FOR HOLDING ALL STAFF TO THE HIGHEST STANDARDS AND ENSURING THAT THOSE ENTRUSTED WITH SHAPING YOUNG MINDS DEMONSTRATE THE RESPECT AND HUMANITY THAT WE ALL EXPECT. YOUR LEADERSHIP IS TRULY APPRECIATED, AND I SUPPORT YOUR CONTINUED EFFORTS TO UPHOLD THE VALUES THAT MAKE OUR COMMUNITY STRONGER. NEXT, I WANT TO THANK MISS HAHN FOR ORGANIZING THE VIGIL FOR CHARLIE KIRK AT SHAMROCK PARK.

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL WITNESS IT WAS. THANK YOU FOR GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND TO ASSIST THE COMMUNITY

[00:50:03]

I HAVE MORE THANKS, BUT I'M RUNNING OUT OF TIME. SO TO ALL THE MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD, I APPRECIATE YOUR DEDICATION TO FOSTERING A HEALTHY AND OPEN DIALOG. THANK YOU. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. MY NAME IS FRED DURST. AND INDEED, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR LISTENING. YOU'RE VERY GOOD LISTENERS, AND I WANT TO ADDRESS THE TOPIC THAT WAS CAUSED BY THE BOARD'S REMOVAL OF THE BOOK, FLAMER FROM THE HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM. THE FIRST TIME I APPEARED BEFORE THE BOARD, I HADN'T READ THE BOOK, AND I INVOKED THE SPIRIT OF DOCTOR ROBERTA, DOCTOR ROBERTI, WONDERFUL MAN. HE, MY BROTHERS AND I IN THE 60S AND 70S. HE FACED A LOT OF CHALLENGES, BUT HE NEVER FACED A CHALLENGE OF A PARTIZAN NATIONAL IDEOLOGY INFECTING THE WORKINGS OF A NONPARTISAN BOARD THAT SHOULD BE CONCENTRATING ON THE STUDENTS WELFARE. AND IF YOU'RE CONCENTRATING ON THE STUDENT'S WELFARE, YOU REALLY NEED TO REINSTATE FLAMER, BECAUSE THE BOOK WASN'T WRITTEN FOR ME, THE BOOK WAS WRITTEN FOR MY GODCHILD. THE BOOK WAS WRITTEN FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE DIFFERENT. WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE DIFFERENT, AND THIS NEEDS TO BE A RESOURCE FOR PEOPLE. I CRIED WHEN I READ THE BOOK. I CRIED AND I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THE BOOK THAT YOU WERE TELLING ME I WOULD SEE, SIR. I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE IT. THERE WAS NO PORNOGRAPHY. THERE'S A STORY OF A YOUNG MAN GROWING UP. IT'S ABOUT A MIDDLE SCHOOLER. HOW CAN YOU TAKE IT AWAY FROM MIDDLE SCHOOLERS WHO MIGHT BE LIKE THIS YOUNG MAN? I MEAN, THIS YOUNG MAN'S REAL LIFE PEN PAL LIVED IN BALDWIN.

THIS IS A REAL STORY. HE REALLY ALMOST COMMITTED SUICIDE BECAUSE OF BULLYING. PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THIS POSITION NEED THAT RESOURCE. PLEASE DO SOMETHING. YOU LISTEN REAL GOOD, BUT PLEASE RESOLVE THIS ISSUE IN A WAY THAT RESPECTS PEOPLE WHO ARE DIFFERENT. THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE IRIS BAUER, FOLLOWED BY THOMAS PENNINGTON AND TANYA TEO. GOOD EVENING. I'M HERE TO TALK TONIGHT. TO TALK ABOUT. SORRY. LET ME START AT THE BEGINNING. MY NAME IS IRIS BAUER AND I'M A STUDENT AT ABERDEEN HIGH SCHOOL. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT UNDERSTANDING. JUST AS ONE SHOULDN'T BAN BOOKS WITHOUT EVEN READING THEM, ANY GOVERNING BODY SHOULD DO ITS JOB TO UNDERSTAND WHICH IT GOVERNS. YOU GOVERN THE HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM AS ITS BOARD OF EDUCATION. BUT DO YOU UNDERSTAND IT? MULTIPLE FAILED POLICY ATTEMPTS SAY YOU DO NOT. YOU TALK SO MUCH ABOUT STUDENTS BEING TOP PRIORITY. HOW WELL DO YOU THINK YOU UNDERSTAND THEM? DO YOU LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE WHO INTERACT WITH STUDENTS ON A DAILY BASIS AND UNDERSTAND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM? CAN I HAVE ALL THE CURRENT OR FORMER PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD? YEAH. THANK YOU. I HAVE A CHALLENGE FOR ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS TONIGHT, ASIDE FROM THE STUDENT MEMBER IN YOUR COMMENT, PLEASE SHARE. WHAT SOURCES OF INFORMATION DO YOU USE TO FORM YOUR OPINIONS, IF NOT THAT OF THE PEOPLE WHO WORK AT SCHOOLS? HOW DO YOU WORK TO UNDERSTAND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, NOT JUST OVERSEE IT? THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. BOARD.

I'M TOM PIDDINGTON AND FIRST OF ALL, ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE. JUST TO IN EFFORT TO TRY TO PROTECT THE PURITY OF OUR CHILDREN. AND I REALIZE THAT FLAMER IS NOT NOT THE WORST OF THE BOOKS, BUT IT'S ONE OF THE BOOKS. DOCTOR POINT, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU

[00:55:05]

GOOD EVENING. I DO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR REMOVING THE BOOK, FLAMER. THAT ACTUALLY WAS A COURAGEOUS DECISION. DESPITE EVERYONE TRYING TO CONVINCE YOU THAT ABOUT THIS BOOK AND TO KEEP IT, IT PUSHES WAY TOO MANY IDEOLOGIES THAT COULD BE VERY INAPPROPRIATE FOR MOST OF OUR YOUNG READERS I KNOW. I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT MY NIECES AND NEPHEWS READING IT. I READ THE BOOK MYSELF. IT IS REALLY BAD AND I ALSO WAS BULLIED AS A CHILD MYSELF. SO THERE'S OTHER WAYS. THERE'S ALSO SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE A ZERO TOLERANCE BULLYING POLICY IN HC. SO HOPEFULLY THAT STAYS AND THAT SHOULD THAT SHOULD HELP THAT PROBLEM. I ALSO WANTED TO MENTION ANOTHER THING, BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN TWICE NOW TONIGHT THAT OTHER PEOPLE WERE STOPPED TO TALK LIKE WE'RE ALL NOT ALLOWED TO SAY ANYBODY'S NAME IN THE AUDIENCE, BUT THERE IS A BOARD MEMBER UP THERE THAT SAYS OUR NAMES. WELL, THERE WERE A PUBLIC FIGURE OR NOT, THAT NEEDS TO STOP. I'VE ALREADY EMAILED ABOUT THIS. IT KEEPS HAPPENING. PLEASE STOP REFERENCING PAST CANDIDATES AND CURRENT BOE CANDIDATES. I AM SURE THERE IS WAY MORE PRODUCTIVE ISSUES THAT YOU CAN BRING UP WHEN YOU ARE. IT'S YOUR TURN TO COMMENT FROM THE DAIS AND THAT'S IT. THANKS. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. PRESIDENT. THAT'S ALL THE IN-PERSON SPEAKERS. THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE ANY VIRTUAL? I BELIEVE SO, YES. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING. YOU ARE NOW IN THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING. BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE STATE YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME. YOUR TIME WILL CONCLUDE IN TWO MINUTES.

YOU'LL HEAR A BELL RING WHEN YOU HAVE 30S REMAINING. PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND YOU MAY BEGIN YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT NOW. HELLO, MY NAME IS JULIE PARKER. BOARD OF EDUCATION. ONCE AGAIN, I WOULD IMPLORE YOU TO APPROVE A LIFEWISE ACADEMY PILOT GROUP IN THE HARFORD COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM AND JOIN THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO ARE THRIVING AND GROWING IN BIBLICAL CURRICULUM. IT TEACHES ANCIENT WISDOM, MORALS, BETTER LIFE CHOICES TO GUIDE STUDENTS AND IMPACT OUR COMMUNITIES POSITIVELY. SO LET'S STOP OPPOSING THIS AND IMMEDIATELY GET THE BALL ROLLING. SIGNATURES ARE BEING COLLECTED TO TESTIFY THAT PARENTS AND CITIZENS OF HARFORD COUNTY WANT THIS IN THEIR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, TO PUSH BACK THE ENVIRONMENT OF VIOLENCE. POOR SCHOOL SCORES, BULLYING, SUICIDE, POOR MORALS, POOR CHOICES AND EVEN MURDERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. PARENTS THERE TO LIFEWISE. ORG WEBSITE

[01:00:03]

PHONE NUMBER ENDING IN 4 OR 0 906. CAN YOU HEAR ME? GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS KATIE YORK.

ARE YOU ABLE TO HEAR ME? YES. PLEASE PROCEED. THANK YOU. SEPTEMBER IS SUICIDE AWARENESS AND PREVENTION MONTH. I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE URGENT NEED TO SUPPORT THE MENTAL HEALTH OF ALL OF OUR STUDENTS. HARFORD COUNTY SUICIDE RATE IS HIGHER THAN THE MARYLAND STATE AVERAGE AND HAS BEEN RISING FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS, ACCORDING TO THE CDC. SUICIDE IS THE SECOND LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN US FOR YOUTH AGED 10 TO 14 AND THE THIRD FOR THOSE BETWEEN AGES 15 AND 24. RESEARCH CONSISTENTLY SHOWS THAT HISTORICALLY EXCLUDED GROUPS, PARTICULARLY LGBTQ+ YOUTH, FACE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER RATES OF SUICIDALITY. IT'S CRITICAL TO UNDERSTAND THESE RISKS ARE NOT DUE TO THEIR IDENTITIES, BUT BECAUSE OF SOCIAL PRESSURES, BULLYING, STIGMA, DISCRIMINATION, REJECTION, AND A LACK OF ACCESS TO AFFIRMING ENVIRONMENTS. THIS IS WHY DECISIONS LIKE REMOVING THE BOOK FLAMER FROM HTTPS ARE SO CONCERNING. REMOVING BOOKS LIKE THIS DOESN'T PROTECT STUDENTS. IT ERASES THE EXPERIENCE OF THOSE WHO ARE MOST VULNERABLE AND SENDS A MESSAGE THAT THEIR STORIES DON'T BELONG. ONCE AGAIN, IMPLORE THE BOARD TO REVERSE THE DECISION AND MOVE THE BOOKS FROM HIS LIBRARIES TO THE SHELF. THE SUICIDE. IF WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT SUICIDE PREVENTION, WE NEED TO CREATE SPACES THAT ALL STUDENTS FEEL SAFE, SEEN AND SUPPORTED, NOT SILENCED. DOCTOR BOYNTON, YOUR NIGHT SEPTEMBER 14TH FACEBOOK POST ABOUT DIRECTING ADMINISTRATION IS OUTSIDE YOUR ROLE AS PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. ADDITIONALLY, POSTING THIS OPEN LETTER TO EMPLOYEES ON FACEBOOK INSTEAD OF SENDING IT DIRECTLY TO EMPLOYEES REEKS OF POLITICAL GRANDSTANDING. YOU STATED EDUCATORS MUST BE ROLE MODELS OF CIVILITY, RESPECT, AND HUMANITY. ARE YOU? I'M PLEASED TO SEE THE LISTENING SESSIONS BACK ON THE CALENDAR. PLEASE MAKE THEM ACCESSIBLE TO THE GREATER COMMUNITY BY LIVE STREAMING AND RECORDING THEM.

ADDITIONALLY, PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO SIDESTEP THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT BY EXCLUDING A MAJORITY OF BOARD MEMBERS. HAVE EVERYONE PRESENT. THANK YOU. DOCTOR BOYNTON. THAT CONCLUDES OUR

[Board Member Comments]

GOOD EVENING. IT'S TODAY WITH HEAVY HEARTS THAT WE REFLECT ON THE RECENT LOSS OF ONE OF OUR STUDENTS. THERE ARE NO WORDS THAT CAN FULLY CAPTURE THE GRIEF THAT TOUCHES ALL OF US IN MOMENTS LIKE THESE. LOSING A YOUNG LIFE IS SOMETHING NO SCHOOL, NO FAMILY, AND NO COMMUNITY SHOULD EVER HAVE TO ENDURE. AND YET, HERE WE ARE, TRYING TO MAKE SENSE OF WHAT FEELS SENSELESS. NOW MORE THAN EVER, WE MUST LEAN INTO THE STRENGTH OF THIS COMMUNITY.

HEALING IS NOT A SOLITARY ACT. IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO TOGETHER. AND NOW, IF I MAY, I WANT TO SHIFT GEARS A LITTLE BIT AND TALK ABOUT FOCUS AS A BOARD. OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS NOT ONLY TO GOVERN, BUT TO LEAD. AND LEADERSHIP REQUIRES FOCUS. IN TODAY'S WORLD, IT'S SO EASY TO GET CAUGHT UP IN THE NOISE OF THE RUMORS, DIVISIVE NARRATIVES, DISTRACTIONS THAT PULL US AWAY FROM WHAT TRULY MATTERS. OUR COMMITMENT MUST REMAIN CLEAR AND UNWAVERING TO INSPIRE, TO PREPARE, AND TO HELP EVERY STUDENT ACHIEVE. OUR MISSION ISN'T JUST A SLOGAN, IT'S A PROMISE. IT'S A PROMISE TO KEEP STUDENTS AT THE CENTER OF EVERY DECISION, A PROMISE TO SUPPORT OUR EDUCATORS, EMPOWER OUR FAMILIES, AND STRENGTHEN OUR SCHOOLS. WE CAN'T ALLOW OUTSIDE NOISE INTERNAL DIVISION TO DILUTE OUR PURPOSE. THE WORK AHEAD DEMANDS CLARITY,

[01:05:08]

WE ASK THAT THOSE PROCEDURES BE USED TO THEIR FULLEST CAPACITY THAT THEY BE ENCOURAGED TO FILL OUT THE BULLYING FORMS. AND I ASK THAT THE SCHOOLS ENSURE THAT THE BULLYING THAT OCCURS BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY AND ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, EACH CONCERN. I LASTLY, I WANT TO I WANT TO ADDRESS A COMMENT BECAUSE IT'S BEEN COMMENTS THAT PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THIS FORUM HAVE COME TO ME WITH, AND THAT IS THAT PARENTS ARE FEELING LIKE THEY NEED TO TAKE THEIR STUDENTS OUT OF SCHOOL, OUT OF THE PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM, AND HOMESCHOOL, OR PUT THEM IN OTHER ALTERNATIVES. SOME PARENTS HAVE COME TO ME VERY CONCERNED AND THEY A SINGLE

[01:10:08]

[01:15:01]

THIS SHOULD BE A LESSON THAT DEHUMANIZING SOMEONE OR A GROUP OF PEOPLE HAS LASTING, HATEFUL EFFECTS, AND THAT OUR WORDS AND OPINIONS DIFFERING FROM OUR OWN ARE NEVER TO BE MET WITH VIOLENCE IN ANY WAY. THIS SAME HATEFUL RHETORIC ALSO PREVENTS PEOPLE THAT HAVE DIFFERING OPINIONS FROM COMING TO OUR MEETINGS AND SPEAKING IN OPPOSITION TO THE REMOVAL OF BOOKS, OR OPPOSING ANYTHING THAT IS CONTROVERSIAL FOR FEAR OF RETALIATION AGAINST THEMSELVES OR THEIR CHILDREN. I'VE HEARD FROM TEACHERS, STAFF, ADMINISTRATORS, PARENTS AND STUDENTS THAT THEY WILL NOT SPEAK UP BECAUSE OF THE SAME FEAR. I TALKED TO SO MANY INDIVIDUALS THAT WANT TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS, BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT THE BACKLASH OR THE HATE THAT GOES ALONG WITH IT, AND ALONG WITH SPEAKING OUT OR HAVING A DIFFERENT OPINION, THIS IS A HUGE ISSUE AS WE SHOULD ALL BE ABLE TO FREELY SPEAK ABOUT OUR CONCERNS, ISSUES OR THINGS THAT WE STAND FOR WITHOUT FEAR OF RETALIATION. FROM FIGHTS IN SCHOOLS TO BULLYING, DEGRADING REMARKS IN THIS BOARDROOM, THE BEHAVIOR IS UNACCEPTABLE. WE ALL HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE A BETTER EXAMPLE FOR OUR CHILDREN. WE, AS THE EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY HAVE A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY TO TEACH OUR CHILDREN COMPASSION AND RESPECT FOR ALL. WHEN A CONTRACT FOR EMPLOYMENT IS OFFERED, THOSE INDIVIDUALS MUST HAVE THE HIGHEST STANDARD OF PROFESSIONALISM AND TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITIES AS ROLE MODELS AND FIGURES TO OUR STUDENTS THAT THEY LOOK UP TO AS SERIOUS AND OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE.

PARENTS TRUST US TO ALWAYS LIVE UP TO THOSE STANDARDS. I PRAY THAT WE CAN ALL PUT OUR DIFFERENCES ASIDE, RESPECT OUR DIFFERENCES, AND ALWAYS PUT THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS IN THE FOREFRONT OF EVERY DECISION THAT WE MAKE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MCVICKER. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT AND SPEAKING TONIGHT. I WOULD LIKE TO START OFF BY ANNOUNCING THAT THE HARFORD COUNTY REGIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STUDENT COUNCILS WILL BE HOSTING A5K RUN. THIS IS ITS SECOND ANNUAL RUN AND WILL BE HOSTED AT HARFORD TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL ON OCTOBER 18TH. GATES OPEN AT 9 A.M. AND THE RACE BEGINS AT TEN. TICKETS CAN BE FOUND AT SCHOOL SLASH ONLINE. EACH CLASS IS ALSO HOSTING A YOUTH TOWN HALL ON OCTOBER 2ND AT BELLAIRE HIGH SCHOOL FROM 5 TO 7 P.M. THE PURPOSE OF THIS EVENT IS TO INFORM YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT THE UPCOMING BEL AIR AND ABERDEEN ELECTIONS. STUDENTS WILL LEARN ABOUT REGISTERING TO VOTE, HOW THE VOTING PROCESS WORKS, AND HEAR DIRECTLY FROM LOCAL CANDIDATES. WE ENCOURAGE ALL YOUNG PEOPLE TO ATTEND, EVEN IF THEY CAN'T VOTE, SO THEY CAN MAKE THEIR VOICE HEARD.

I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE ALL YOUTH IN THE COMMUNITY. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, TO APPLY FOR THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S YOUTH COMMISSION. APPLICATIONS CAN BE FOUND AT HARFORD COUNTY MD.GOV.

LASTLY, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO SPEAK TO THE PROFOUND SENSE OF GRIEF OUR COMMUNITY IS STILL FEELING FOLLOWING THE TRAGIC ACCIDENT FROM LAST WEEK. LIKE SO MANY OF MY FELLOW STUDENTS, MY HEART REMAINS WITH THOSE AFFECTED. MY DEEPEST, MOST HEARTFELT SYMPATHIES CONTINUE TO BE WITH THE FAMILIES, THE FRIENDS, AND ALL THE LOVED ONES WHO ARE NAVIGATING THIS UNIMAGINABLE LOSS DURING THIS DIFFICULT TIME. I ASK THAT WE ALL PLEASE HOLD OUR LOVED ONES CLOSE AND CONTINUE TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER. AS A COMMUNITY, WE ARE KEEPING EVERYONE AFFECTED IN OUR CONSTANT THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS. MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL DURING THESE DIFFICULT TIMES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DOCTOR MUELLER. SURE. WELL, I'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT COLORED SHIRTS TODAY AND MAY I SAY WE HAVE GOT A RAINBOW OF SHIRTS OUT THERE. WE'VE GOT THE NAVY BLUE SHIRTS. WE'VE GOT THE YELLOW SHIRTS, THE RED SHIRTS, THE PURPLE SHIRTS. WE

[01:20:01]

GOOD FOR YOU. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE BIG DEAL IS. I REALLY DON'T, YOU KNOW, THE NAVY BLUE SHIRTS HAVE BEEN COMING HERE FOR A LONG TIME, AND YET NOBODY REFERS TO THEM AS THE NAVY BLUE SHIRTS. PURPLE SHIRTS HAVE JUST STARTED COMING, YET THEY BECOME VILIFIED BECAUSE THEY DON'T AGREE WITH THE NAVY BLUE SHIRTS. I DON'T GET WHAT THE BIG DEAL IS AND I KNOW YOU ALL SUPPORT RAINBOWS, SO LET'S JUST MOVE ON. BEYOND THAT, THE CIP PROGRAM, THE THAT WE LOOK AT, SOMEONE HAS COMPLAINED THAT WE SPENT $10 MILLION ON NEW BUSSES SINCE 2017, AND HAS NOW SUGGESTED THAT WE JUST DEFY THE RULE AND DON'T BUY NEW BUSSES ANYMORE.

BUT WHY DO WE BUY NEW BUSSES? WELL, THE STATE REQUIRES THAT THE BUSSES BE REPLACED EVERY 15 YEARS. KIND OF MAKES SENSE IF YOU'VE OWNED AN OLD CAR, AS I HAVE MANY TIMES IN MY LIFE. YOU.

AFTER YOU'VE HAD CARS FOR SO LONG, THINGS START TO GO WRONG AND I'M SURE WITH BUSSES TO PUT THE MILES ON THAT OUR SCHOOL BUSSES DO. THEY ALSO HAVE THINGS THAT GO WRONG WITH THEM, AND YOU CAN EXPECT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF BREAKDOWNS WHERE IT BECOMES MORE EXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN AND KEEP THOSE BUSSES UP THAN IT DOES TO REPLACE THEM. SO THE STATE HAS DECIDED 15 YEARS IS THE LIFESPAN OF A BUS. IF YOU WANT US TO DEFY THAT BECAUSE YOU'VE HAD AN OLD ROOF ON YOUR HOUSE FOR A LONGER TIME, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN DO THAT AND STILL GET FUNDING FROM THE STATE, BUT I DO THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN, THAT WE FOLLOW THOSE GENERAL GUIDELINES. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE BROUGHT UP AT THESE MEETINGS AND THE PEOPLE AGREE WITH AND DISAGREE WITH AND HAVE ARGUMENTS ABOUT. I DON'T PARTICULARLY LIKE THE WAY THAT THE BOOK BANNING TOOK PLACE, AND I KNOW SOME PEOPLE TALK ABOUT IT AS CURATING AGE APPROPRIATE READING MATERIAL. THEN WE SHOULD HAVE CALLED IT THE PROCEDURE FOR CURATING AGE APPROPRIATE MATERIAL. BUT INSTEAD WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE REMOVED BOOKS FROM THE LIBRARY. AS SOMEONE MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, YOU CAN KEEP YOUR CHILD FROM BEING ABLE TO CHECK OUT ANY BOOK THAT YOU WANT TO. IT'S JUST TALKING ABOUT THE AVAILABILITY OF BOOKS FOR OTHER STUDENTS. WHO DECIDES WHAT'S PORNOGRAPHY AND WHAT'S NOT PORNOGRAPHY? WELL, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN ARGUED ABOUT THAT OVER THE YEARS. YOU CAN READ ONLINE IF YOU WANT TO, SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MATERIAL MATERIAL THAT'S DESIGNED TO CAUSE SEXUAL AROUSAL. I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT BOOK WAS DESIGNED TO DO THAT. I DON'T KNOW, UNDER THOSE DEFINITIONS IF IT'S ACTUALLY PORNOGRAPHY. SO WHEN IT'S A MATTER OF OPINION LIKE THAT, SHOULDN'T THE PARENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO DECIDE? SHOULDN'T THE PARENTS HAVE THE CHOICE? YOU'RE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT PARENTAL CHOICE. WHY DON'T WE HAVE PARENTAL CHOICE IN THIS SITUATION? I DON'T KNOW, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU.

WE HAVE TWO VIRTUAL MEMBERS. MR. SEWELL, DO YOU HAVE COMMENTS THIS EVENING? YES.

THANK YOU. I WANTED TO EXPRESS MY DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO THE ELLIOTT FAMILY AND THE MILTON WRIGHT, OUR MILTON WRIGHT FAMILY AND EVERYONE THAT WAS AFFECTED BY THIS TRAGEDY. AND THAT'S ALL THE COMMENTS I HAVE TONIGHT. THANK YOU, MISS PERRY. GOOD EVENING. I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY CONDOLENCES AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO. FOR THE BOARD TO BE MORE TOGETHER. AND I BELIEVE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO A LOT OF GOOD RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

I'LL JUST CONCLUDE BY SAYING THANK YOU TO THE BOARD. THANK YOU TO THE PUBLIC FOR SHOWING UP HERE AND ENGAGING IN THESE DISCUSSIONS, WHICH WILL ULTIMATELY IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM. I'LL TRY NOT TO DUPLICATE HERE, BUT I WILL SAY TWO THINGS. ONE OF THEM IS AN AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS COMING UP, BUT I KNOW THAT HALF, IF NOT MORE OF YOU WILL PROBABLY LEAVE DURING BREAK AND YOU WON'T STICK AROUND FOR IT. SO I WOULD ASK YOU IF YOU IF YOU HAVE A COUPLE MINUTES AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO RUN OUT OF HERE, PLEASE STICK AROUND AFTER THE BREAK BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO LAUNCH SOMETHING REALLY BIG TONIGHT. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF EDUCATION HAPPENS IN THE CLASSROOM, BUT A LOT OF EDUCATION AND REAL LIFE LESSONS HAPPEN OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM AS WELL, WHETHER THAT'S SPORTS OR EXTRACURRICULARS OR IN THIS CASE, IT'S GOING TO BE THE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM THAT WE'RE LAUNCHING THIS EVENING. I DON'T WANT TO THANK DOCTOR DAVIS AND HIS TEAM THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR, WHICH WAS A VISION THAT I HAD, AND IT WAS SUPPORTED BY MANY BOARD MEMBERS TO LAUNCH

[01:25:03]

[B. Consent Agenda]

MONTHLY PERSONNEL REPORT, AUGUST 2025. NUMBER TWO FY 2027 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.

THANK YOU. MAY I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? I MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. CAROL BRUCE. SECOND. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY YES.

YES YES, YES. ANY OPPOSED? PLEASE SAY NO. THANK YOU. WELCOE BACK EVERYONE. YOU CAN ROOM

[C. Update on Harford County Public Schools Mentorship Alliance, Dr. Eric Davis, Deputy Superintendent for Operations]

[01:30:06]

BECAUSE RIGHT NOW OUR MENTOR WEBSITE IS LIVE ON THE HPRC WEBPAGE RIGHT NOW. AND WE'VE GOT THE QR CODE UP THERE. YOU GO TO THE HPRC, YOU'LL SEE OUR MISSION. YOU'LL SEE PARTNER CONTEXT AND NEW PARTNER INTEREST AND NEW MENTOR INTEREST. SOME THINGS I'LL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE LATER IN THE PRESENTATION. SO WE'RE SO EXCITED ABOUT THAT. SO EXCITED.

NOW JUST TO FOR IF FOLKS ARE INTERESTED, WHEN YOU GO TO THE WEBSITE THE FIRST THING YOU WILL SEE IS, WELL, WE HAVE ALL OF THE BUTTONS, THAT RED RECTANGLE THAT OUTLINES THE MENTOR BUTTON. WHEN YOU SEE THAT BUTTON, YOU CLICK ON THAT. THAT WILL TAKE YOU TO THE MENTORSHIP ALLIANCE PAGE WHERE YOU'LL SEE SAFETY AND SECURITY. YOU'LL SEE OUR MISSION, OUR VISION, AND JUST SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROGRAM. BUT HERE'S THE PART THAT I AM EXCITED ABOUT TONIGHT. AND THIS REALLY FITS INTO OUR CALL TO ACTION BECAUSE THERE ARE TWO AREAS YOU CAN SEE TWO BUTTONS. FIRST IS THE MENTORSHIP ALLIANCE BUTTON FOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS WHO WOULD LIKE TO COME IN AND PARTNER WITH HCPS TO REALLY SPREAD MENTORING ALL AROUND THIS COUNTY. AND IF YOU HAVE A 501 C3 OR A MENTORING PROGRAM THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN STARTING, YOU CLICK ON THAT BUTTON, YOU FILL OUT THIS APPLICATION, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE SOMEONE FROM OUR OFFICE TALK TO YOU, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT HOW YOUR VISION CAN ALIGN WITH OURS SO THAT WE CAN POSSIBLY BRING YOUR ORGANIZATION INTO OUR DISTRICT. ALRIGHT, THAT'S THE FIRST THING. BUT THEN THE SECOND PART I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT, SO EXCITED BECAUSE THIS IS OUR MENTOR ALLIANCE, INDIVIDUAL INTEREST FORM. NOW WE MEET WITH ALL OF OUR MENTOR LEADS EVERY MONTH, DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. WE MEET WITH THEM EVERY MONTH AND THE LAST TIME WE MET WITH THEM, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY TOLD ME, THEY SAID, ERIC, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BIGGEST AREAS OF FOCUS FOR US IS JUST REALLY FINDING AVAILABLE MENTORS, FOLKS THAT WE CAN UTILIZE FOR OUR PROGRAMS. AND I SAID, OKAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE'LL HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR. WE WILL CREATE AN APPLICATION FOR ALL OF OUR MENTORS WHO ARE INTERESTING. SO IF YOU'RE AT HOME OR IF YOU GO TO OUR WEBSITE AND YOU HAVE A AN INTEREST IN GIVING OF YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR TIME TO BE A MENTOR, YOU CAN FILL OUT THIS APPLICATION, A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT YOU, WHY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE A MENTOR, AND HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. MAYBE SOME THINGS ABOUT YOU AROUND LEADERSHIP, YOUR OCCUPATION, THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT AT THE BOTTOM IT'S YOUR CONSENT TO A BACKGROUND CHECK. AND HCPI HAS BACKGROUND CHECK. NOW WE'LL TAKE ALL OF THOSE MENTORS WHO ARE IN THIS DATABASE, VET THEM TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE ALIGNED WITH OUR PROGRAM. AND THEN WE'LL WE WILL CREATE A MENTOR DATABASE. AND THE GOAL WOULD BE TO HAVE HUNDREDS OF MENTORS THERE. SO IF OUR MENTOR LEADS ARE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO MENTOR, THEY CAN GO TO THIS DATABASE AND PULL SOME SOMEONE OUT BECAUSE THEY'LL KNOW THAT THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN VETTED BY HCPI. AND WE'RE JUST VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. CAN YOU TELL I'M EXCITED. ALL RIGHT, SO THE NEXT PART IS JUST THE LOGOS ON THE WEBSITE. AND REALLY AND TRULY, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S STILL EVOLVING RIGHT NOW. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS THAT WHEN YOU GO TO THE WEBSITE AND YOU SEE THE LOGOS, WE'D LOVE FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO CLICK ON THAT LOGO AND GO TO THE INDIVIDUAL MENTORING PROGRAMS WEBSITE. WE'RE NOT THERE YET, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO GET THERE. OKAY, SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE THERE. NOW THIS NEXT PART IS LIKE, I THINK THE ESSENCE OF OF WHAT WE'RE DOING. YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD FROM FROM TEACHERS, I'VE HEARD FROM PRINCIPALS AND SEVERAL BOARD MEMBERS TALKED TO ME ABOUT, OKAY, SO WHEN YOU START THIS MENTORING PROGRAM, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO MONITOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF IT? HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DO THAT? HOW ARE YOU GOING TO MONITOR IF THE MENTORS ARE REALLY DOING WHAT THEY SAY THEY'RE DOING TO TO MOVE FORWARD FOR STUDENT SUCCESS? WELL, WE'VE PUT TOGETHER A DATA DASHBOARD. A DATA DASHBOARD IS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. THAT MEANS ALL OF OUR MENTEES WILL BE IN THIS DASHBOARD. SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO MONITOR THINGS LIKE ATTENDANCE, LIKE DISCIPLINE DATA, LIKE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT DATA. AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE IF OUR MENTOR MENTEES ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. AND WE CAN ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT IT. BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THE BOARD YOU SAID TO ME IS YOU WANTED TO SEE AND HAVE QUARTERLY UPDATES

[01:35:03]

CAN YOU TELL I'M EXCITED NOW. NOW, DOCTOR STANTON, YOU WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE IDEA THAT YOU HAD AS FAR AS THE PERSON OVERSEEING THAT? YEAH. SO WE KNOW WE HAVE FACED SOME FINANCIAL STRUGGLES IN OUR DISTRICT, BUT WE'RE LOOKING TO SECURE GRANT F CAN HAVE SOMEONE WHO WILL REALLY DO SOME OF THE DAY TO DAY LEGWORK AND VISIT ALL OF THE PROGRAMS, ENSURING THAT THEY ARE MEETING THE GOALS, TALKING TO STUDENTS, CONNECTING WITH COMMUNITIES, LOOKING AT SOME OF OUR ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES, AND THEN REPORTING BACK TO MY OFFICE AND TO THE LARGER DISTRICT ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING SO THAT WE SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING EVERY SINGLE DAY. SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOME FUNDING MORE TO COME ON THAT, BECAUSE WE'RE STILL THINKING THROUGH WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE. WE WE KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE MEET OUR GOALS AND THAT WE ALIGN WITH OUR VISION AND THAT WE HAVE WE SHOW AND WE PROVE THAT MENTORING IS IS IMPORTANT. AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CAN DO THAT. THANK YOU, DOCTOR STANTON. ALL RIGHT. SO AGAIN JUST SOME. AN EXAMPLE OF THE DASHBOARD THAT YOU SEE THERE. I WON'T GO INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL THERE, BUT I WILL DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO THAT BOTTOM NUMBER.

AND THIS WAS LAST YEAR I THINK, I BELIEVE WE HAD 329 STUDENTS, SEVEN MENTORING PROGRAMS, SEVEN HOST SITES. NOW, WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO, JUST BECAUSE WITH OUR QUARTERLY UPDATES TO THE BOARD, WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT TO YOU EVERY QUARTER. AND HOPEFULLY WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS THAT NUMBER GROW RIGHT NUMBER OF STUDENTS. SO RIGHT THERE YOU SEE 329. WE'D LOVE FOR THAT NUMBER TO KEEP GROWING AS I KNOW YOU WOULD MISS HAHN AS WELL. RIGHT. AND SO ONCE WE GET TO THAT POINT, WE'LL BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THOSE BEST PRACTICES, LESSONS LEARNED, THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING TO ENHANCE THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, BUT ALSO TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS ARE SUCCESSFUL. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT AS WELL. JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF OF THE DATA. WE'LL BE LOOKING AT SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, SO TO SPEAK. BUT NOW THE PART THAT DOCTOR POINTON MENTIONED IN HIS OPENING COMMENTS, AGAIN, WE CAN'T THANK OUR OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE ENOUGH FOR THESE GENEROUS GRANTS THAT THEY HAVE PROVIDED TO FUND THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM. YOU KNOW, OUR MENTORING PROGRAMS RIGHT NOW ARE IN THE PROCESS OF AND THEY'RE JUST ABOUT DONE WITH FILLING OUT THE APPLICATIONS. AND WE'RE ABOUT TO PUSH SEND ON THIS, BUT THEY'VE ALL BEEN ABLE TO GO THROUGH WITH YOUR SUPPORT, DOCTOR POINT AND THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, AND TO GET THE FUNDING THAT THEY NEED FOR THEIR INDIVIDUAL MENTORING PROGRAM. OKAY. AND THEY ARE JUST ECSTATIC ABOUT THAT, ECSTATIC ABOUT THAT. NOW, PART OF THAT PROCESS, OKAY. BECAUSE ONE OF THE BARRIERS THAT WE HEARD ABOUT FOR SOME OF OUR MENTORS IS LIKE, WELL, OKAY, WELL, IF YOU'RE GOING TO ASK ME TO MENTOR, CAN YOU AT LEAST PAY FOR ME TO BE A MENTOR? WELL, GUESS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH SOME OF THIS GRANT FUNDING.

WE'RE GOING TO PAY FOR ALL OF OUR MENTORS IN THE MENTORING PROGRAMS TO BECOME MENTORS.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING. ALL RIGHT. AND THAT IS GOING TO BE A GAME CHANGER. SO WHEN WE CREATE THIS MENTORING DATABASE AND WE START OFF WITH 4 OR 5 MENTORS IN THERE AND THAT NUMBER GROWS, WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT ALL OF THE PEOPLE IN THERE AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE ASSISTED TO GET THEM IN HERE BECAUSE WE PAID FOR THEM TO BE A MENTOR IN HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I'M JUST CAN YOU TELL I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS? ALRIGHT. SO WITH THAT, I KNOW WE'VE WE'VE TALKED A LOT. OH, BEFORE I CLOSE I DO WANT TO THANK SOME PEOPLE. ALRIGHT. BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A CENTRAL OFFICE MENTORING GROUP THAT COMES TOGETHER. WE HAVE MENTORING EVERY TWO WEEKS, MENTOR MEETINGS AND MISS CHELSEA DAVIS, SARAH SACHS, MARY BETH STAPLETON WHO'S BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN ALL OF THIS, OBVIOUSLY DOCTOR PAULA STANTON, WHO IS JUST AMAZING, JOE HARBERT AND PAM SMITH. DID I MISS ANYBODY? I THINK YOU GOT HIM. OH, I'M SURE I'LL HEAR ABOUT IT IF I DID. SO. SO THIS IS OUR CENTRAL OFFICE GROUP WHO

[01:40:03]

THANK YOU. OH, YES. YES. SEE, I KNEW I'D FORGOTTEN SOMEBODY. DOCTOR ROCKLAND WHITE, WHO IS OUR GRANT WRITER WHO HAS JUST BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN THIS PROCESS. SO AGAIN WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE SHOUTED HER OUT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

I BELIEVE I STAY UP HERE. YOU DO STAY UP HERE ALSO. OH, GOD. YOU SEE? WELL, THAT ONE I WOULD

[D. Decision on Proposed New Board Policy: Volunteers, Dr. Eric Davis, Deputy Superintendent for Operations, Mr. Jason Wilkinson, Endpoint Services Team Leader, and Dr. Renee McGlothlin, Coordinator of Investigations • Proposed New Volunteers Policy]

AND SO WE I FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST BASED ON THE POLICY THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE RIGHT NOW, I THINK WE'RE WE'RE ABLE TO CAPTURE A LOT OF THOSE THINGS THAT WERE MENTIONED. NOW, I WILL SAY THIS. WE ARE CREATING A A VOLUNTEERING OR VOLUNTEER WEBSITE AS WELL THAT WILL HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION ON THERE, BECAUSE I KNOW MISS ALVAREZ, YOU HAD ASKED ABOUT THE CLASSIFICATION OF AND THE ROLES OF, OF THE DIFFERENT VOLUNTEERS. AND SO I BELIEVE THAT A LOT OF THAT COULD BE SPELLED OUT ON OUR VOLUNTEER WEBSITE AS WELL. AND SO WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU APPROVE THE VOLUNTEER. OKAY. THANK YOU. THE BOARD'S HAD TIME TO REVIEW IT.

IT'S BEEN OUT FOR 30 DAYS OF PUBLIC COMMENT. PRESIDENT BOYNTON YES, I DID HAVE ONE CHANGE THAT I WANTED TO. SURE. WHAT IS THAT? I SUBMITTED THAT AS A REQUEST. AS DOCTOR DAVIS MENTIONED. AND I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE EXPLICITLY CALL OUT OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS IN, IN THE. IN THE TABLE FOR THE SCREENING OVERVIEW THAT THEY'RE ADDED TO THAT. COLUMN FOR THE INDIRECT, OKAY, SUPERVISED COMMUNITY. AND I THINK THAT'S IN LINE WITH

[01:45:04]

I WOULD SAY JUST MAKE SURE THAT INFORMATION IS ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC. YES. YES, SIR. OKAY.

WERE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR RECOMMENDATIONS. SO I THINK THERE'S THAT ONE CHANGE TO THE POLICY. NON-SUBSTANTIVE. AND THEN LET'S ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE OTHER ISSUES. ABSOLUTELY OUTSIDE OF THE POLICY. SO I'LL TAKE A MOTION AND A SECOND, PLEASE, TO APPROVE THE PROPOSED NEW BOARD POLICY ON VOLUNTEERS. IT DOESN'T HAVE A POLICY NUMBER, IS IT? DID WE ASSIGN ONE JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY? WE WILL. IT'S A NEW ONE, SO IT'LL GET ASSIGNED. THIS IS MELISSA AND I MOVE THAT WE ADOPT THE NEW POLICY VOLUNTEERS. THANK YOU. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY YES. YES YES YES YES YES. ARE THERE ANY OPPOSED? PLEASE SAY NO. THANK YOU. THE MOTION PASSES. ALL

[E. Discussion of 2025 - 2026 Harford County Public Schools Synchronous Instruction Plan for Inclement Weather Days, Ms. Katie Ridgway, Chief of Staff • Draft 2025 - 2026 HCPS Synchronous Instruction Plan for Inclement Weather Days]

[01:50:04]

YOU COULD NOT. I KNOW YOU HAD ASKED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT USE OF THE PHONES. WE DID LOOK AT THE USE OF PROVIDING CELL PHONE, WHICH WOULD BE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE HOTSPOTS. AND THEN WE

[01:55:02]

[F. Presentation of Quarterly Financial Report for the Period Ending June 30, 2025, Ms. Deborah Judd, Assistant Superintendent for Business Services]

[02:00:03]

SO WITH THE EXCESS REVENUES OVER BUDGET AND THE EXPENDITURES THAT WERE UNDER BUDGET, WE HAD A SURPLUS OF $8 MILLION. SO WE USE 30 MILLION IN FUND BALANCE TO BALANCE THE BUDGET. SO THAT WAS $30 MILLION TO PAY FOR RECURRING COSTS IN FY 25. WE ENDED THE YEAR WITH $8 MILLION. SO WE USED 22 MILLION OF THAT ASSIGNMENT OF FUND BALANCE. IF YOU JUMP TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN, WE HAVE 22 MILLION LEFT IN UNASSIGNED, 5 MILLION INCLUDE THE 2.5 THAT WAS ADDED AT THE END OF THE YEAR. SO 2.5 IS FOR FY 26. THIS IS FY 25. IT TRUST ME, I GET IT. I LIVE IN THREE YEARS AT THIS TIME OF YEAR. SO. SO YES DIFFERENT YEAR. SO THE 22 MILLION. SO THAT IS WHAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO US. CONSIDER FOR FY 27. I DO HAVE THE 30 MILLION ABOVE THE 12.5 MILLION, WHICH WAS THE TOTAL 10 MILLION THAT WE INITIALLY PROPOSED AND THE 2.5 MILLION THE BOARD PROPOSED AT JUNE 30TH. SO THAT IS THE FY 26 ASSIGNMENT THAT IS IN OUR BUDGET FOR THE CURRENT YEAR. SO THAT HELP. OKAY. AND THEN THE ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENTS THAT WE HAVE LISTED THERE THAT BRINGS OUR UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE DOWN TO 22.5 MILLION. SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. ON PAGE THREE. THE CHART. THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT I NOTICED. AND I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD JUST KIND OF GIVE ME A SUMMARY OR EXPLAIN THE JUMP FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES FROM 2021 TO 2025. INITIALLY THEY WERE PROBABLY ABOUT 15%, AND NOW THEY'RE UP TO 95% FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES. AND THEN THE SAME THING FOR, I GUESS, INSTRUCTIONAL COSTS. FROM 2021, IT WAS ABOUT 55%, AND NOW IT'S AT 95%. I'M JUST SO FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES IN 21, WE WERE CLOSED BECAUSE OF COVID, SO WE WEREN'T DOING ANY RENTAL OF OUR FACILITIES. PEOPLE WEREN'T USING OUR BUILDINGS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO WE USED A VERY SMALL PORTION OF THAT BUDGET, WHEREAS IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS WE INCREASED A LITTLE BIT IN 22, 23 AND THEN FULLY BACK TO NORMAL. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE UP TO ALMOST 100% OF THAT BUDGET. SO THAT'S WHAT THAT'S REFLECTING. AND THAT IS WHAT WE'RE SPENDING OR WHAT REVENUE THAT WE'RE RECEIVING. THIS IS THE EXPENDITURES OKAY. ARE WE LOOKING AT THE PAGE THREE COMPARED WITH EXPENDITURES. YES OKAY. SO IF WE WERE CLOSED YES WE WOULDN'T HAVE THOSE EXPENDITURES. WELL THAT'S THE PERCENT OF WHAT WE HAD BUDGETED FOR THAT YEAR. SO IF WE HAD THAT IN WHAT WE USED FOR THAT YEAR IN COMPARISON TO BUDGET.

YEAH. SO YES. YEAH, THAT'S THE PERCENT OF WHAT WE USED. AND SO THE POINT IS GOING INTO THAT YEAR WE WOULDN'T WE PROBABLY LEFT OUR BUDGET SIMILAR TO WHAT IT HAD BEEN IN PAST. SO IF YOU WERE TO EXTEND THIS BACK, PROBABLY JUST TO FY 18, 1920, YOU'D PROBABLY SEE THAT BACK UP CLOSER TO 100. IT'S JUST WE DIDN'T USE AS MUCH OF WHAT WE BUDGETED. SO IT WASN'T SO MUCH ABOUT WHAT WE SPENT. BUT AND THEN EACH YEAR, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE STARTED COMING BACK INTO EVENTS, THEY DIDN'T ALL COME BACK AT ONCE. AND SO YOU SAW THAT HAPPEN OVER THOSE,

[02:05:02]

SO YOU SEE AGAIN, THOSE THINGS COMING BACK OKAY. THANK YOU. INTEREST INCOME IS GENERATED ON ASSIGNED AS WELL I'M SORRY I'M SORRY. INTEREST INCOME IS ALSO GENERATED ON ASSIGNED FUND BALANCE. UNASSIGNED. UNASSIGNED IS WHAT'S SITTING IN THE BANK. DO WE GENERATE INTEREST INCOME ON BOTH. WELL THE ASSIGNMENTS YES. IT WOULD BE THERE UNTIL THE MONEY IS USED. SO THE 30 MILLION THAT WE HAD ASSIGNED, WE WERE EARNING INTEREST ON JULY 1ST LAST YEAR. BUT AS WE USE THAT MONEY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND WE ARE SEEING OUR INTEREST REVENUE GO DOWN BECAUSE THERE'S LESS CASH IN THE BANK. I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION ON PAGE EIGHT. THE OTHER REVENUE, THE MISCELLANEOUS FOR 4,000,300. WHAT WHAT ENCOMPASSES THAT MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY THAT, FOR THE MOST PART, IS GOING TO BE REBATES ON OUR P CARD USAGE.

SO WE'RE PART OF A CONSORTIUM. SO AS WE USE THE P CARD TO BUY CERTAIN THINGS, WE GET A PORTION OF THAT BACK IN A REBATE. SO THAT IS IN MISCELLANEOUS REVENUE. EXCUSE ME. SORRY, BUT I CAN I CAN LOOK AND SEE WHAT ELSE IS IN THERE. I ALSO THINK THE 3 MILLION THAT WE HAD. FROM THE RATE STABILIZATION IS ALSO IN THAT NUMBER. WE DON'T HAVE THAT BROKEN OUT. OKAY. THANK YOU. YEP. ANYTHING ELSE? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE

[G. Presentation of Proposed 2026 - 2027 Harford County Public Schools Calendar, Ms. Jillian Lader, Manager of Communications]

LATER MANAGER OF COMMUNICATIONS. GOOD. WELCOME. THANK YOU. OH, YOU'RE DRIVING BACK THERE. I'M TRYING TO CONTROL THE MOUSE, AND IT'S MAGICALLY HAPPENING FOR ME. OUR TECH IS AMAZING.

THANK YOU. SO GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT, PAGE BOARD MEMBERS.

SUPERINTENDENT OLSON, I AM HERE TO TALK YET AGAIN. AS MISS JUDD SAID, WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT YEAR.

SO ADJUST YOUR MINDSET TO 2026, 2027. I THINK THAT ALL OF YOU, EXCEPT TREY AND EVEN THOSE THAT ARE WITH US VIRTUALLY, HAVE BEEN THROUGH THIS PROCESS MULTIPLE TIMES NOW. SO I WON'T GO THROUGH PAINSTAKING DETAIL BECAUSE TREY ALSO HAS HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING ON THE CALENDAR COMMITTEE. SO WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS OF THE CALENDAR THAT HAVE TO BE MET, BUT I'LL JUST HIT A COUPLE OF THINGS, JUST AS A FRIENDLY REMINDER FOR THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO MIGHT NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH THE PROCESS. THE CALENDAR COMMITTEE IS PUT TOGETHER BY THE BOARD THAT WAS APPROVED ON A CONSENT AGENDA.

PRIOR TO THIS MEETING. THE BOARD THEN PROVIDED A CALENDAR, A STARTING PLACE FOR THE CALENDAR COMMITTEE TO REVIEW, AND THE CALENDAR COMMITTEE CAME TOGETHER, HAD ROBUST CONVERSATION. AS ALWAYS OCCURS, WE HAVE LOTS OF DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS ON THAT COMMITTEE TO ENSURE THAT ALL KINDS OF PERSPECTIVES ARE INCLUDED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CALENDAR, BUT ALWAYS GOING BACK TO REALIZING THAT WHAT NEEDS TO OCCUR WITH THIS CALENDAR IS WHAT'S BEST FOR STUDENTS AND INSTRUCTION THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR. SO THE CALENDAR COMMITTEE MET, REVIEWED THAT PURPOSE, THAT TIMELINE, AND WE BROUGHT TOGETHER SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AND SOME CHANGES TO THE BOARD CALENDAR THAT WAS PRESENTED TO THE COMMITTEE FOR CONSIDERATION. SO I WANT TO WALK THROUGH THOSE WITH YOU RIGHT NOW. YOU WILL SEE THAT THERE IS A NEW COLOR THIS YEAR. I'M CALLING IT GOLDENROD. SOME PEOPLE ARE SEEING THAT MORE AS AN ORANGE, BUT YOU'LL SEE THAT ON THERE AS PLANNING DAYS. SO THAT WOULD BE TEACHER PLANNING SPECIFICALLY. SO THOSE HOT PINK DAYS ARE STILL THOSE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAYS. THE GOLDENROD IS TEACHER PLANNING DAYS. AND THIS WILL BE PUT OUT ON THE WEBSITE FOR 60 DAYS OF PUBLIC COMMENT FOLLOWING THE PRESENTATION THIS EVENING. SO FOLLOWING THAT COMMUNICATION FOLLOWING THE COMMITTEE MEETING, IT WAS DETERMINED OR RECOMMENDED THAT WE ADD SOME ADDITIONAL DAYS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR TEACHER PLANNING. SO YOU'LL SEE THAT THOSE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAYS WERE MOVED UP SO THAT NOW THERE'S A TOTAL OF FIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAYS FOR ALL RETURNING TEACHERS.

[02:10:01]

THERE WERE SUGGESTIONS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FENCE. SO GIVEN THE CONVERSATION, THOUGH, THAT THE BOARD HAS HAD IN THE PAST, WE KEPT WITH THAT FIRST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH SETTING THAT THAT STANDARD. AND THEN PRE-K STARTS WITH US TWO DAYS LATER. AND THEN OF COURSE, WE HAVE LABOR DAY ON SEPTEMBER 7TH, SO I WON'T WALK YOU THROUGH EVERY SINGLE DAY. I'M GOING TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THIS YEAR. NOVEMBER 3RD IS AN ELECTION DAY. THAT'S WHY YOU'LL SEE THAT ADDITIONAL CLOSURE FROM THE BOARD CALENDAR THAT WAS GIVEN TO THE COMMITTEE, AND THEN THE NINTH AND THE 10TH ARE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAYS, BUT ALSO THAT'S TO ALLOW THAT ELEMENTARY PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES. AND THEN YOU'LL SEE WE HAVE EARLY DISMISSALS PRIOR TO HOLIDAYS LIKE THE THANKSGIVING BREAK, THE WINTER BREAK. AND THEN YOU'LL ALSO SEE THAT EARLY DISMISSALS HAVE BEEN ADDED FOR STUDENTS ONLY AROUND THE END OF QUARTERS. THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT SOME OF OUR ADMINISTRATORS AND TEACHERS THAT WERE ON THE COMMITTEE SAID WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO THEM TO HAVE THOSE ADDED AS WELL.

AND THEN YOU'LL SEE THAT WE MOVED THE TEACHER PLANNING DAY FROM THE END OF SPRING BREAK TO THE BEGINNING. THAT ALSO WAS A CONVERSATION WITH TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS IN THE CALENDAR COMMITTEE. SO WITH THE CHANGE THAT THE BOARD MADE TO THE POLICY AROUND INCLEMENT WEATHER DAYS, YOU'LL ALSO SEE THAT THAT HAS CHANGED. SO THE LAST DAY WITH THREE INCLEMENT WEATHER DAYS WOULD BE JUNE 17TH. IF WE DON'T HAVE INCLEMENT WEATHER DAYS, THE LAST DAY WOULD BE MONDAY THE 14TH FOR MOST STUDENTS, THURSDAY THE 10TH. BUT WE DO ANTICIPATE, AS HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN THE CASE, THAT THERE WILL BE INCLEMENT WEATHER DAYS. SO THERE ISN'T TOO MUCH CONCERN ABOUT THAT. MONDAY BEING THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL. AGAIN, THIS WILL NOW GO OUT FOR 60 DAYS OF PUBLIC COMMENT. BOARD MEMBERS WILL GET THAT PUBLIC COMMENT. THE CALENDAR COMMITTEE WILL GET THAT PUBLIC COMMENT. CALENDAR COMMITTEE WILL COME BACK TOGETHER. OH, I'M I APOLOGIZE, I DOUBLE CLICKED. THEY WILL COME BACK TOGETHER, GO THROUGH THAT PUBLIC COMMENT, DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S ANYTHING IN THERE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED AGAIN. AND THEN I WILL COME BACK ON DECEMBER 15TH FOR THE BOARD TO DO THE SAME, AND THEN TO VOTE ON THAT FINAL VERSION OF THE CALENDAR TO MOVE FORWARD. SO WE CAN HAVE THAT APPROVED PER THE BOARD POLICY, EIGHT MONTHS IN ADVANCE OF THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. SO WITH THIS NEW COLOR. SO THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS, WELL, CAN YOU EXPLAIN FOR THE PUBLIC WHAT THE DIFFERENCE AND FOR THE EDUCATORS, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING DAYS? I CAN DO MY BEST. I ALSO KNOW THAT WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM ED SERVICES WHO I WILL WOULD NEVER CLAIM TO KNOW BETTER THAN THEY DO. THE PINK PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAYS MAY BE COUNTY LED. THEY MAY BE THINGS LIKE FROM CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT VERSUS THE GOLDENROD DAYS, WHICH WOULD BE TRULY FOR THE TEACHERS TO UTILIZE AS PLANNING AND FOR THEIR DESIRED PURPOSE. AND IS THIS THE FIRST CALENDAR THAT WE'VE EMBEDDED THOSE GOLDEN DAYS? CORRECT. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, I'VE BEEN HERE. I'VE BEEN IN THIS POSITION TEN YEARS DOING THIS. I THINK IT'S GOOD BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HEAR ALL THE TIME FROM EDUCATORS, THAT THEY NEED MORE TIME TO THEMSELVES, YOU KNOW, AND NOT NECESSARILY PD SHOVED DOWN THEIR THROAT. QUESTION THOUGH THESE TWO DATES ON SO LAST YEAR I THINK OR THIS YEAR WE HAD TWO DAYS FOR PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES. RIGHT. IS THAT THE NINTH AND THE 10TH OF NOVEMBER. CORRECT OKAY. OH I'M SORRY, ARE YOU GOING TO COFFEE.

NO. SO I WOULD LIKE TO ASK WHAT THE RATIONALE IS FOR KEEPING THE START DATE POST LABOR DAY INSTEAD OF PRE. AND MY MAIN ARGUMENT KIND OF TOWARDS THAT IS IT'S PRE PRE PRE OR SORRY NOT NOT NECESSARILY PRE AND POST BUT FARTHER BEFORE LABOR DAY INSTEAD OF AFTER. BECAUSE MY MAIN CONCERN REGARDING THAT IS AP TESTING. WITH THAT BEING AT THE SAME TIME FOR EVERYBODY, SOME OF THE METRICS AND I DON'T HAVE THEM UP, I COULDN'T FIND THEM IN A SPLIT SECOND. BUT FOR SOME OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT START BEFORE LABOR DAY, LIKE WELL BEFORE LABOR DAY, YOU SEE THOSE SCORES INCREASED BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE US WE ALL TAKE AP TESTING ALL AT THE SAME TIME. AND I THINK THAT WE'RE KIND OF LIMITING OUR STUDENTS IN A SENSE, TO THE AMOUNT OF MATERIAL THAT THEY CAN CONSUME, YOU KNOW, DURING OVER THE COURSE OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, BEFORE THAT MID-MAY ISH TEST DATE FOR AP TESTING. SO IF YOU COULD JUST PROVIDE ME SOME

[02:15:05]

AND I KNOW YOU JUST MENTIONED NOT HAVING IT AT YOUR FINGERTIPS, BUT REACH OUT TO ONE OF OUR PRINCIPALS, MR. REDMOND. HE WAS THE ONE THAT PROVIDED SOME DETAILS ABOUT THAT TO A COMMITTEE AND A PRIOR YEAR. AND OF COURSE, I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST SPEAKING WITH MISS HAHN, BECAUSE SHE ALSO HAS SHARED FEEDBACK ON THAT FROM THE OPPOSITE VIEWPOINT. AND I ALWAYS START OUR COMMITTEE MEETINGS OFF SAYING IT'S THE CALENDAR. AND SO WE WILL NEVER MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY. WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO GIVE EVERYONE WHAT THEY WANT. BUT IT'S GREAT TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AND UNDERSTAND THE ARGUMENTS FOR BOTH SIDES. PERFECT. THANK YOU.

YOU'RE WELCOME. I'LL BE SURE TO REACH OUT. I DID HAVE ONE SUGGESTION. IT'S PRETTY MINOR.

SO THE QUARTERS THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW THAT THE DATE, THE THIRD AND FOURTH QUARTER THAT MAYBE YOU OUTLINE THOSE DAYS BECAUSE THEY ARE LIKE EARLY DISMISSAL. SO THEY DON'T HAVE ANY YELLOW OR YELLOW CONTENT TO THEM. SO IT JUST MAYBE THE 6TH OF NOVEMBER IS THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER. AND THEN YOU HAVE THIRD AND FOURTH. JANUARY 27TH IS THE END OF THE SECOND QUARTER. AND THEN APRIL 9TH IS THE END OF THE THIRD QUARTER. AND THAT DOES NOT HAVE YELLOW. AND YES, I FEEL AS THOUGH THE COLOR COORDINATED CAN BE CHALLENGING, BUT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND ANOTHER WAY TO PUT EVERYTHING. IF YOU COULD HIGHLIGHT HIGHLIGHT THE BORDERS IN YELLOW. I WILL TRY MY BEST. MISS ALVAREZ, THAT WOULD SHOW THAT YOU HAVE BOTH THINGS GOING ON. I WILL ABSOLUTELY TRY MY BEST BECAUSE ACTUALLY, I'M GLAD YOU SAID THAT, BECAUSE THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL WILL ALSO BE AN EARLY DISMISSAL WHATEVER DAY IT LANDS ON. AND THAT ONE IS NOT THAT ONE. YOU CAN'T TELL EITHER, THAT IT'S AN EARLY DISMISSAL.

SO I'M GLAD YOU SAID THAT. I JUST I JUST THINK I LIKE I LIKE THAT THE QUARTERS ARE HIGHLIGHTED BECAUSE IT REALLY KIND OF SHOWS THE BLOCKS OF TIME THAT THE STUDENTS ARE, YOU KNOW, ABSOLUTELY BEING GREETED ON. ANYWAY, JUST I JUST HAVE A QUESTION. THE GOLDENROD COLOR TEACHERS DO NOT HAVE TO UTILIZE THOSE DAYS. LIKE I SEE THAT THE 31ST OF AUGUST, WHICH IS LABOR DAY, IS HIGHLIGHTED. THE 7TH OF SEPTEMBER IS LABOR DAY. OH YEAH. OKAY. SORRY. IT'S IT'S THE SEVENTH. YEAH, YEAH. OKAY. SO I WAS THINKING THAT THAT WAS THE THAT WAS THE FOUR DAYS. FOUR DAYS. OKAY. YEAH I THOUGHT THAT'S WHY. OKAY. THANK YOU. I HAVE A FEW THINGS I DON'T ENVY YOUR POSITION BECAUSE IT IS IT IS TRULY LISTENING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE AND GETTING A LOT OF FEEDBACK. BUT I'LL GIVE YOU MY FEEDBACK. VETERANS DAY IS A HALF DAY. YOU KNOW, I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT. I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE A FULL DAY OFF. I THINK WE SHOULD ALSO, AS A BOARD, CONSIDER JUST DOING EVERY FEDERAL HOLIDAY OFF RIGHT. SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I DO HAVE ARE STUDENT AND TEACHERS HAVE THE SAME LAST DAY. DON'T TEACHERS NORMALLY GO A DAY AFTER? WHEN DID THAT END? I DON'T THINK THEY GO A DAY AFTER IN THIS YEAR'S. I FEEL LIKE THIS ONE THEY DID. YOU NEED A DATE, BUT JUST A QUESTION MARK. IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT. NO. YEAH. I MEAN AS LONG AS THEY GET TO 190. CORRECT. ALSO NOTICE THAT THE END OF A QUARTER IS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE ON A WEDNESDAY. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A THOUGHT PROCESS AND MOVING IT TO A FRIDAY OF LEAVE. ALL THE OTHER ONES ARE ON A FRIDAY. AND THEN AS, AS I WOULD JUST ASK THE COMMUNITY, AS YOU GIVE FEEDBACK ON THIS CALENDAR, DO YOU PREFER A LONGER SPRING BREAK OR GETTING OUT OF SCHOOL EARLIER? I THINK THAT'S A QUESTION. AND BECAUSE I NOTICED THAT WE HAVE THE 26TH, MAYBE WE DON'T NEED THE 26TH OFF AND YOU GET OUT OF SCHOOL A DAY EARLIER OF MARCH. THAT'S GOOD FRIDAY. AND DO WE HAVE TO HAVE WE HAVE TO I THOUGHT WE HAD TO HAVE THE MONDAY. I WASN'T SURE ABOUT THAT TOO. YES. SO THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. JUST JUST THINGS TO THINK ABOUT. SO SPRING BREAK IS LIKE 14 DAYS. WELL IT STARTS ON THE 2020 FIFTH FIFTH FOR STUDENTS THREE, FOUR, 12, 12 DAYS. 1012. YEAH. SO BOOK YOUR

[02:20:06]

SO I THINK AS WE LOOK AT LIKE TALKING ABOUT ALL FEDERAL HOLIDAYS OFF AND SUCH, THAT'S GOING TO BE A LOT MORE DAYS OFF THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER STARTING SOONER IN AUGUST THEN, BECAUSE YOU AREN'T GOING TO WANT TO GO TO THE END OF JUNE. SO, I MEAN, IF THAT'S A GOAL OF YOURS TO HAVE EVERY FEDERAL HOLIDAY OFF, WHICH WILL INCLUDE THINGS LIKE PRESIDENT'S DAY AND I GUESS WHETHER YOU CALL IT COLUMBUS DAY OR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE EXACT TERM IS. THE CORRECT TERM IS FOR THE FEDERAL HOLIDAY. BUT IF YOU START TALKING ABOUT ADDING THOSE DAYS IN, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO NEED TO START TALKING ABOUT EITHER STARTING IN THE MIDDLE OF AUGUST OR GOING TILL THE END OF JUNE, BECAUSE THERE ARE A GOOD NUMBER OF THEM ALREADY. RIGHT? SO WE HAVE THE JANUARY 1ST, WE HAVE THE FEBRUARY. WE DO A GOOD NUMBER OF THEM ALREADY. I JUST THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT VETERANS DAY. WELL, BESIDES VETERANS DAY, THERE PROBABLY ARE A COUPLE OTHERS, RIGHT, THAT AREN'T ON. I DON'T SEE I DON'T SEE COLUMBUS DAY OFF. HONESTLY, I JUST DON'T. WE FOLLOW THE HOLIDAYS THAT ARE LISTED IN THAT WE HAVE TO BE CLOSED AND ALSO IN THE NEGOTIATED AGREEMENTS. OKAY.

FOR SOME OF THE REASONS THAT HAVE JUST BEEN SHARED, ONCE WE START ADDING MORE HOLIDAYS, IT WILL EXTEND THE SCHOOL YEAR. AND ALSO CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. THE REASON THAT WE KIND OF WENT WITH THE FIRST TUESDAY IN SEPTEMBER AS A START DATE WAS BECAUSE WE HAD A LOT OF PARENTS SAY THAT THEY WANTED A CONSISTENT DAY SO THAT THEY KIND OF KNEW WHAT TO EXPECT, WHEN TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL, INSTEAD OF GOING BACK AND FORTH, BACK AND FORTH, BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN BEFORE LABOR DAY, AFTER LABOR DAY START. SO WE HAD KIND OF DISCUSSED IT AS A BOARD AT OUR I THINK IT WAS THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING. YEAH. SO WE ALL KIND OF AGREED THAT THAT FIRST TUESDAY IN SEPTEMBER WOULD BE A GOOD DAY, I GUESS, TO KIND OF GO BY. THAT DID SEEM AS THOUGH IT WAS THE ULTIMATE REASONING FOR THAT CONVERSATION. TO TREY'S CONVERSATION. THERE'S ALSO THE TESTING PIECE TO STARTING EARLIER. LIKE I SAID, IT'S ALWAYS YOU. CAN YOU HAVE AN ARGUMENT FOR EVERY POINT? THERE'S A COUNTERPOINT FOR EVERY ACADEMICS, THE MOST IMPORTANT OR THE VACATIONS. I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION. YEAH, WELL, THERE'S DEFINITELY A LOT TO CONSIDER. YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY. AND THE CALENDAR CHANGES EVERY YEAR BECAUSE THE DATES CHANGE EVERY YEAR. BUT ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT CALENDAR. SO IT'S GOT MY SUPPORT. BUT LET'S SEE WHAT THE PUBLIC SAYS. WE'VE GOT 60 DAYS SO IT'LL GO OPEN TODAY. THAT MEANS WE'RE VOTING ON IT PROBABLY IN WHAT, DECEMBER? DEPENDING ON WHAT THE DECEMBER 15TH MEETING, I WILL BE BACK IN FRONT OF YOU. AND PRIOR TO THAT, THE CALENDAR COMMITTEE GETS BACK TOGETHER AS WELL, RIGHT BEFORE THE THANKSGIVING BREAK. OKAY, SO BOARD MEMBERS, IF YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS ON, YOU KNOW, VETERANS DAY OR WHATEVER, YOU HAVE TO LOOK ALSO AND FIGURE OUT WHAT OTHER WHAT OTHER DAY YOU MAY WANT TO MOVE OR CHANGE. DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION. NO. SORRY. OKAY. ANYBODY ELSE? ALL

[H. Superintendent's Report]

WE'RE GOING TO END WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT DOCTOR BOLSON. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

WE COVERED A LOT OF GROUND TONIGHT. AND AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT GOING ON. I WANT TO TAKE JUST A FEW MINUTES. I KNOW EVERYONE TOUCHED ON SOME OF THESE THINGS, SO I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND LAST WEEK WITH APPROXIMATELY 25 SUPERINTENDENTS, EXPERIENCE TALENTED SUPERINTENDENTS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AND I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THIS GROUP FOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR NOW. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S SO STRIKING ABOUT SPENDING TIME WITH THEM IS NOT THE HUGE QUANTITY OF INNOVATIONS THAT THAT THEY'VE HAD HAPPEN IN THEIR SCHOOL SYSTEMS, BUT ALSO JUST HOW INCREDIBLY SIMILAR THE CHALLENGES WE ALL FACE ARE. YOU KNOW, ONE OF US CAN START TELLING A STORY AND THE OTHER ONE CAN FINISH TELLING IT. SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS. LAST YEAR, BEFORE THE FIRST TIME I MET WITH HIM, I. I ARRIVED TO THE GROUP THE SECOND WEEK OF SEPTEMBER. AND IF YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR, I WALKED INTO A ROOM AND I SHARED WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. YOU KNOW, IT'S A HORRIBLE TRAGEDY WE'D EXPERIENCED AT JOPPATOWNE AND BETWEEN A THIRD AND A HALF, THE SUPERINTENDENTS IN THE ROOM HAD EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING. AND SO ON THE ONE HAND, YOU KNOW, HAVING PEOPLE LIKE THAT AROUND ME WHO, YOU KNOW, I COULD LEAN ON FOR SUPPORT, WAS AN

[02:25:02]

AND I RECEIVED A CALL FROM DOCTOR DAVIS. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF CALLS AFTER THAT WITH UPDATES ABOUT JUST THE HORRIBLE TRAGEDY HARFORD COUNTY EXPERIENCED. AND, YOU KNOW, BEFORE I SAY MORE ABOUT THAT, I ALSO WANT TO EXTEND MY CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY, TO THE ENTIRE. COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO TO, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE WHO WAS AFFECTED BY THIS. I CAN'T HELP BUT THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OUR BUS DRIVERS AND EVERYONE WHO WHO HAS TO, YOU KNOW, GET UP AND DO THIS AMAZING WORK EVERY DAY. BUT WITH THAT, WE EXPERIENCED, YOU KNOW, COLLECTIVELY AND FOR SOME PEOPLE, VERY ACUTELY. ON THURSDAY, IT CAME ON THE HEELS OF TWO, TWO OTHER THINGS HERE IN HARFORD COUNTY. ONE WAS THE THE BULLYING INCIDENT THAT WE EXPERIENCED AND INVESTIGATED AT HARFORD TECH. THAT'S HAD SUCH A BIG IMPACT ON SO MANY OF OUR STUDENTS. AND I CAN ONLY SAY THAT THERE'S SO MUCH MORE WE NEED TO DO TO ENSURE THAT NEVER HAPPENS. AND I CERTAINLY HAVE SOME THOUGHTS MOVING FORWARD ABOUT HOW WE WILL CONTINUE TO CONFRONT THIS. BUT IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT REALLY THAT REALLY AFFECTS A WHOLE COMMUNITY. AND AND THEN, OF COURSE. THE TRAGEDY THAT THE THAT THE NATION EXPERIENCED WITH THE DEATH OF, OF CHARLIE KIRK. AND IT'S BEEN VERY HARD TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO APPROACH THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE WHAT'S BECOME INCREASINGLY EVIDENT IS THAT REGARDLESS OF WHICH SIDE SOMEONE IS ON AND THE CONVERSATION ABOUT HIM, WHAT'S COMPLETELY EVIDENT IS THAT PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES AND ALMOST EVERYONE ON BOTH SIDES IS HURTING, AND IT'S COMING OUT IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS. AND WE NEED TO COME UP WITH WAYS TO HEAL FROM THAT. AND I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE HOW WE DO THAT AS A COMMUNITY OR AS A SCHOOL SYSTEM. BECAUSE AS THE RHETORIC COMING FROM BOTH SIDES CONTINUES, IT JUST CONTINUES TO EXACERBATE IT. AND FRANKLY, AND WE ENGAGE IN A LITTLE TOO MUCH OF THIS HERE IN THIS PARTICULAR SETTING IN THIS ROOM. BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO THREATEN EACH OTHER OR CRITICIZE EACH OTHER AS A MEANS OF, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGING THEM TO DO BETTER INDIVIDUALLY. WE HAVE TO START AND INDIVIDUALLY WE HAVE TO DO BETTER. BECAUSE I HAVEN'T SEEN A LOT OF SUCCESS EMERGE FROM TRYING TO TELL OTHERS HOW TO DO BETTER. BUT WE KEEP TRYING. NOW, TODAY I RECORDED THIS MONTH'S MONTHLY MINUTE, WHICH IS SOMETHING I DO EVERY MONTH, AND IT'S A IT'S A BRIEF MESSAGE, A FEW MINUTES AT THE MOST THAT GOES OUT TO OUR STAFF PRIMARILY, AND I THINK WE USUALLY COPY IT IN THE BOARD UPDATE THAT YOU GUYS GET. SO YOU CAN YOU CAN SEE IT, BUT IT'S IT'S AIMED AT STAFF. IT'S A MESSAGE FOR STAFF. AND SO I WANT TO FLIP A LITTLE BIT TO WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT THERE BECAUSE. WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S GONE ON THROUGH, WHAT'S BEGINNING TO FEEL LIKE A VERY, VERY LONG MONTH OF SEPTEMBER. THERE'S ONE IMAGE THAT SOMEONE SHARED WITH ME FROM THIS WEEKEND WHERE OUR EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYERS IN OUR HARFORD TECH HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYERS CAME TOGETHER AT THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD. AND, YOU KNOW, THEY MAY NOT BE POLITICAL OPPONENTS, BUT THEY'RE DEFINITELY OPPONENTS. BUT THEY UNDERSTOOD THE HUMANITY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF OF COMING TOGETHER LIKE THAT. AND SO I APPRECIATE THEM FOR LEADING THE WAY. I'M SURE THERE WAS SOME STUDENT LEADERSHIP IN THAT, BUT ALSO THERE WAS SOME ADULTS HELPING MAKE THAT HAPPEN TOO. AND I APPRECIATE ANYONE WHO WHO ENCOURAGED OUR FOLKS TO, YOU KNOW, DO THE RIGHT THING, SEND THE RIGHT MESSAGE. AND HELP OUR OUR STUDENTS SHOW A STRONG, UNIFIED, BUT PRODUCTIVE FACE. AND THIS, OF COURSE, ALL COMES ON THE HEELS. I GET TO, YOU KNOW, I CAN CELEBRATE THAT MOMENT FOR JUST A SECOND. AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN TO MANY

[02:30:05]

BAKERSFIELD ELEMENTARY TEACHER HAD THE STUDENTS WRITING THEIR THEIR HOPES AND DREAMS ON BALLOONS, AND THEY WERE GOING TO SEND THOSE BALLOONS. THEY WEREN'T HELIUM BALLOONS, SO THEY WEREN'T GOING FAR AND POLLUTING OUR, OUR, OUR COUNTRY. BUT BUT THE IDEA WAS THEY WANTED TO LET THOSE HOPES AND DREAMS TAKE FLIGHT, AND THAT WAS A PLACE THAT IT COULD HAPPEN IN THEIR CLASSROOM. AND THEN I ALSO HEARD THE PRINCIPAL OF HARFORD TECH SHARED WITH ME THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'D HAD STUDENTS COME IN. I BELIEVE SENIORS COME IN DURING PRE-SERVICE WEEK BECAUSE HARFORD TECH IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, AND TEACHERS COULDN'T GET IN THERE BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF PRE-SERVICE. AND SO THE SENIORS CAME IN AND DID THE BULLETIN BOARDS FOR THE TEACHERS, WHICH AGAIN, A SMALL THING, BUT IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE, PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU GO TO SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS. YOU SEE HOW MUCH WORK GOES INTO THOSE BULLETIN BOARDS. IT'S NOT A SMALL THING THAT THE TEACHERS DO. I MEAN, WE MIGHT TAKE IT FOR GRANTED, AND I THINK MAYBE SOME OF OUR SENIORS HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF HOW MUCH WORK GOES INTO THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. AND SO, AGAIN, SEEING SOME OF THE GOOD THINGS HAPPENING, I, I MENTIONED LAST TIME THAT ALL TEN OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS WILL HAVE THE FORMAL EDUCATORS RISING PROGRAM, WHICH IS A PROGRAM FOR ASPIRING TEACHERS. AND THANKS TO A GRANT FROM PDK, WHICH IS A COMPANY THAT RUNS ED RISING. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS IS I SEE THAT LINKING TO WHAT WE HEARD ABOUT TONIGHT FROM DOCTOR DAVIS, WE FOR ME, I'M LOOKING AT THE EXPERIENCE THE STUDENTS HAVE WHILE IN SCHOOL. AND, YOU KNOW, OUR FIRST EFFORTS ARE TO ENLIST AND ENGAGE AS MANY MENTORS AS WE POSSIBLY CAN AND BRING THIS COMMUNITY IN TO TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS. WE HAVE SUPPORT IN A MILLION DIFFERENT WAYS. BUT TO DO THAT. BUT OVER TIME, I SEE THIS ALSO EVOLVING TO INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, OUR OLDER STUDENTS MENTORING YOUNGER STUDENTS. AND I HOPE THROUGH THAT AS THAT EVOLVES, THAT WE'RE ABLE TO MAYBE IDENTIFY SOME MORE STUDENTS WHO WE MIGHT. ENCOURAGE INTO THE CAREER OF TEACHING. AND SO JUST SO MANY AMAZING CONNECTIONS GOING THROUGH A GREAT DEAL, A GREAT DEAL OF WORK HERE. SO DESPITE THIS MONTH, WHICH BROUGHT TRAGEDY AND PAIN ON SO MANY FRONTS, YOU KNOW, ONE GREAT THING ABOUT SCHOOLS IS YOU CAN WALK IN AND YOU CAN SEE THE STUDENTS AND IF THERE'S ANY DOUBT, TRY ACTUALLY, MR. COOK AT HOME FIELD HOMESTEAD, WAKEFIELD, TODAY, SAID IT'S KIND OF LIKE WE THROW A BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR 1100 KIDS IN OUR CAFETERIA EVERY DAY.

THERE'S A LOT OF ENERGY IN THAT ROOM. IT'S A LOT TO MANAGE, AND THAT'S A LOT OF KIDS IN ONE SPACE. BUT IF YOU EVER NEED A LITTLE LIFT, YEAH, GO VOLUNTEER FOR LUNCH DUTY. YOU'LL HAVE TO OPEN SOME MILK CARTONS, BUT OTHERWISE YOU'LL HAVE A GREAT TIME. SO WITH THAT ONE LAST REMINDER, TREY MENTIONED THIS EARLIER. PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO SIGN UP FOR THE FIVE K ON

[02:35:06]

[Future Meetings Review]