ALL RIGHT, GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
[00:00:02]
IT'S TUESDAY EVENING, MAY 4TH.I WON'T MAKE THAT JOKE, BUT AT 6:02 AND AT 5:01 THE CAROLINE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION WAS CALLED TO ORDER IN OPEN SESSION WITH A MOTION BY RICK BARTON, SECOND BY DONNA DIGIACOMO TO GO INTO OPEN SESSION.
ALL IN FAVOR, WE'RE 4-0, VOTED TO SUPPORT A MINUTE LATER BY A MOTION BY MS. WAYMAN AND A SECOND BY MS. DIGIACOMO TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION TO DISCUSS EXECUTIVE ITEMS, INCLUDING CONSULTING WITH STAFF ON POTENTIAL LITIGATION AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AND NEGOTIATIONS.
AND NOW IT IS 6:03, MEMBERS AND I'M LOOKING FOR A MOTION TO RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION.
MOTION BY MR. BARTON, SECONDED BY MS. DIGIACOMO.
FIRST UP IS 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.
ALL RIGHT, BOARD MEMBERS, WE CAN SET AN AGENDA.
WITH ADDENDUM, TONIGHT THIS EVENING.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE AGENDA PRESENTED? SO MOVED.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT.
NEXT UP, I'D JUST LIKE TO HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE AFTER I STOP TALKING FOR MISS KATHY DILL.
IT WAS A GREAT SHOCK TO US ALL LAST WEEKEND WHEN WE FOUND OUT THE PASSING OF OUR FELLOW BOARD MEMBER, COMMUNITY MEMBER AND ADVOCATE FOR CHILDREN THROUGH EDUCATION FOR DECADES.
THERE'S NOT MUCH MORE I CAN SAY IS I WILL MISS HER SERVICE AND HER PERSONALITY, BOTH ON THE BOARD AND IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE A PLACEHOLDER HERE FOR THE SEAT AND SOME NICE FLOWERS AND SOME OF HER FAVORITE FOODS, THE SMITH ISLAND CAKE AND A SLICE OF PIZZA, WHICH SHE ALWAYS COULDN'T RESIST EITHER.
SO WITH THAT, IF WE COULD JUST HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR MS. DILL.
OK, WITH THAT, WE'LL COME BACK AND, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE PASSING LIKE THAT, IT'S ESPECIALLY THAT CLOSE TO YOU.
I SERVED ON THE BOARD AND I SAID A FEW NICE WORDS.
I JUST WANT TO GIVE ANYBODY IN THE ROOM A MINUTE IF ANYBODY'S GOT ANY.
YOU KNOW, I JUST HAVE SAID ANYTHING OR IT'S ALL BEEN SAID.
I JUST DON'T WANT TO GLOSS OVER MS. DILL'S SERVICE TO HER FAMILY AND THIS COMMUNITY [INAUDIBLE].
[00:05:02]
I'D LIKE TO SAY I APPRECIATE WORKING WITH KATHY.WE WENT TO SCHOOL TOGETHER AND, PLAYED FIELD HOCKEY AND RAISED OUR KIDS TOGETHER, AND SO.
HAVING WORKED TOGETHER AND BEEN RIDING TOGETHER JUST THIS PAST JANUARY.
SO I DO MISS HER PRESENCE AND I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR HER CONTRIBUTIONS TO EDUCATION.
THE SERVICES WERE VERY NICE AND HER FAMILY APPRECIATED EVERYTHING THE COUNTY DID.
OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU.
I THINK IT'S THE UNIFORM WE FELT THAT OUR HEARTS GO OUT TO THE FAMILY, CLEARLY FEELING LOVED BY EVERY MEMBER OF THAT FAMILY.
IT'S JUST NOT ENOUGH WORDS CAN SAY THE RIGHT WORDS EVER.
AND SHE WAS TAKEN AWAY TOO SOON.
SHE DID A LOT AND THERE WAS MORE TO BE DONE.
IT LEAVES A BIG HOLE IN OUR GROUP HERE, BUT A MUCH LARGER LOSS TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO HER FAMILY.
MANY OF US IN THE ROOM, HAD ACTUALLY WORKED WITH KATHY OVER THE YEARS.
I GOT TO REALLY KNOW KATHY WELL AS A SOCIAL STUDIES SUPERVISOR, AND SHE WAS THE ONE WHO WRANGLED US ALL TOGETHER.
YEARS AGO I WAS BRAND NEW, WET BEHIND THE EARS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF EAGER TO TAKE ON ANY CHALLENGE.
AND KATHY WAS THE ONE WHO WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT, ALL OF US FROM THE EASTERN SHORE NEED TO START WORKING TOGETHER.
THERE'S ONE OF US IN EVERY COUNTY.
SOME OF US WEAR MULTIPLE HATS, BUT WE ALL CAN DO IT BETTER IF WE ALL PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER AND SHARE IDEAS AND BUILD THINGS OUT.
AND SHE WAS REAL DRIVING FORCE IN BRINGING SOME REALLY GOOD IDEAS HERE FOR SOCIAL STUDIES AND THINGS THAT STILL LAST, THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WOULD HAVE GOT TO EVEN WITHOUT THAT TIME.
BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, I PROBABLY WILL MISS MORE.
KATHY, YOU JUST HAD A WAY OF SAYING THINGS THAT JUST MADE IT MAKE SENSE, AS STRAIGHTFORWARD AS THEY COULD BE, BUT YOU KNEW THE HEART WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE AND THAT WIT AND WISDOM IS REALLY GOING TO BE MISSED.
HEART GOES OUT TO HER HUSBAND AND DAUGHTERS AND WHAT THEY'RE WORKING THROUGH AND PROCESS ING THROUGH AND OBVIOUSLY KEEP THEM IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS AS THE DAYS GO ON.
SO, YOU KNOW, CAROLINE COUNTY HAS THE, YOU KNOW, THE IMAGE AND THE REALITY OF A SMALL COMMUNITY, IT'S A VERY SPARSELY POPULATED COUNTY.
I DIDN'T KNOW KATHY UNTIL SHE BECAME A BOARD MEMBER, EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS A CAREER EDUCATOR AND STARTED HER CAREER IN CAROLINE COUNTY AND GREW UP IN CAROLINE COUNTY, GRADUATE FROM NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL.
BUT I DIDN'T KNOW HER AND OBVIOUSLY GOT TO KNOW HER OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS SINCE SHE WAS A BOARD MEMBER.
BUT YOU MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS.
AND WHAT SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW IS THAT LARRY PORTER AND HER WENT TO SCHOOL TOGETHER AND GRADUATED TOGETHER.
AND COMMISSIONER PORTER, AS HE'S KNOWN, LAYS CLAIM AND FAME TO HOOKING THEM UP, HOOKING, YOU KNOW, SETTING UP HER AND HER NOW HUSBAND FOR, YOU KNOW, HER LIFELONG PARTNER, AND TEASED HER QUITE A BIT ABOUT THINGS THAT THEY DID IN HIGH SCHOOL TOGETHER.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, INTEGRAL COMPONENT OF OUR COMMUNITY AND SO BLESSED WE WERE THAT SHE, WHILE SHE SPENT THE MAJORITY OF HER CAREER IN A NEIGHBORING SCHOOL SYSTEM, WAS COMMITTED ENOUGH TO KIDS HER WHOLE LIFE DEDICATED TO KIDS TO WANT TO COME BACK AND GIVE BACK TO HER LOCAL COMMUNITY COULD EASILY JUST RETIRED INTO THE SUNSET BECAUSE BEING A BOARD MEMBER IS NOT THE EASIEST OF VOLUNTEER JOBS.
AND YOU'RE BASICALLY A VOLUNTEER.
BUT, YOU KNOW, HATS OFF TO HER FOR HER SELFLESS SERVICE TO HER COMMUNITY THAT SHE GREW UP IN WANTING TO GIVE BACK TO CAROLINE COUNTY.
ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON, WE HAVE THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES WE HAD TWO MEETINGS OVER THE LAST MONTH WITH REGULAR BOARD MEETING APRIL 6TH AND
[2. Consent Agenda]
A CLOSED WORK SESSION ON APRIL 20TH.BOARD MEMBERS, I HOPE YOU GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THOSE MINUTES AND LOOKING FOR A MOTION TO MOVE AS IT'S PRESENTED OR IF THERE'S ANY EDITS.
NEXT, MOVING INTO THE CONSENT AGENDA.
AND WE HAVE THE PERSONNEL WITH ADDENDUM.
IT'S VERY SIMPLE TO READ, SO I HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME.
PRESIDENT NEWCOMB, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
TONIGHT, I COME FOR YOU TO PRESENT OUR PERSONAL ITEMS FOR YOUR CONSENT.
I'M GOING TO READ OFF MY PAPER AGAIN, BUT VERY SMALL.
WE HAVE TWO LEAVES, WELL WITH THE ADDENDUM, THREE LEAVES OF ABSENCES, ONE RETIREMENT, EIGHT RESIGNATIONS AND ONE TEACHER APPOINTMENT.
AS USUAL, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE RETIREMENTS, NEED TO SEE SOME OF THE RESIGNATIONS, SOME FOR FAMILY REASONS, SOME ARE FOR BETTER OPPORTUNITIES, CAREER OPPORTUNITIES.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS TOUGH TO LOSE GOOD PEOPLE FOR WHATEVER REASON.
BOARD MEMBERS, DO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? SO MOVED.
SECOND BY MS. DIGIACOMO TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
NO OTHER ITEMS ON THERE, BUT PERSONNEL THIS EVENING.
[3. Individual Action Items]
NEXT, WE'RE GOING INTO INDIVIDUAL ACTION ITEMS.[00:10:01]
NUMBER 3.01, TEXTBOOK ADOPTION FOR CHEMISTRY.SIMMONS? ARE YOU THINKING OF THAT? I WAS ACTUALLY PASSING IT OVER TO MS. AMY TOWERS, OUR SUPERVISOR OF INSTRUCTION FOR SCIENCE.
SIMMONS, PRESIDENT NEWCOMB AND BOARD MEMBERS.
I COME BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF ADOPTION OF THE MCGRAW-HILL AP CHEMISTRY TEXTBOOK.
THIS RESOURCE HAS BEEN REVIEWED BY THE COMMITTEE OF TEACHERS AND PARENTS AND HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED UNANIMOUSLY BY THE COMMITTEE.
WE ACTUALLY REVIEWED THREE TEXTBOOKS AND THIS WAS THE FIRST CHOICE BY EVERY PERSON ON THE COMMITTEE.
THE COMMUNITY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC REVIEW OF THE TEXTBOOK AND THE RESOURCES FOR MARCH 10TH THROUGH MARCH 24TH.
IN THE FRONT LOBBY OF THE BOARD OF ED, THERE WAS ALSO AN ONLINE REVIEW PROCESS THAT WAS OPEN WITH FEEDBACK OPPORTUNITY, AND THERE WERE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR THAT.
IF THIS IS APPROVED THIS EVENING, I WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH MISS MCCORMICK TO COMPLETE THE PURCHASE AS THE FUNDS BECOME AVAILABLE.
SO THIS EVENING I REQUEST THAT THE BOARD APPROVE THE AP CHEMISTRY TEXTBOOK AND RESOURCES.
AND THE REASON THAT THIS TEXTBOOK WAS ACTUALLY CHOSEN ABOVE THE OTHERS WAS BECAUSE OF THE ADDITIONAL ONLINE RESOURCES.
OUR CURRENT AP CHEMISTRY TEACHER, MISS LORI SMITH, WAS VERY INCREMENTAL IN LOOKING AT MOST OF THESE ONLINE BECAUSE SHE'S CURRENTLY TEACHING IT.
AND THIS BOOK HAS A SMART BOOK ATTACHMENT TO IT THAT ALLOWS FOR US TO ADJUST IN THE MOMENT WITH THE STUDENT DEPENDING UPON WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE.
SO IF WE HAVE STUDENT A IS NOT DOING WELL ON A CERTAIN TOPIC, THE TEACHER CAN ASSIGN THAT PARTICULAR TOPIC TO THAT STUDENT TO HELP BUILD CAPACITY IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA.
SO IT'S NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL, BUT IT CAN ADJUST IN THE MOMENT AND KIND OF ADAPT WITH THE STUDENTS.
THAT IS CERTAINLY A QUESTION THAT MS. DILL WOULD ALWAYS ASK ABOUT THE ONLINE COMPONENT, SO THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT, AMY, IN HER ABSENCE.
BOARD MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, WE WERE PRESENTED WITH THE SURVEYS, THE FEEDBACK FROM THE REVIEWERS, THE TEXTBOOK IS CIRCULATING AROUND.
EVERYTHING IS A FOLLOW UP OF WHAT THE TEACHER SAID, THEY LOVE THE VERSATILITY OF IT, THEY LOVE THE SMART BOOK PART AND THE FACT THAT THEY COULD INDIVIDUALIZE IT.
BOARD MEMBERS ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR CONCERNS OVER THIS TEXTBOOK ADOPTION? AND WHEN YOU SAY JUST CLARIFY, AS FUNDING BECOMES AVAILABLE, WHEN DO WE BELIEVE FUNDING WILL BECOME AVAILABLE? MS. TOWERS DO YOU KNOW? OR DR. SIMMONS? MISS MCCORMICK AND I HAD BEEN WORKING TOGETHER, AND I BELIEVE IT WILL BE ABLE TO BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE BEFORE THE END OF THE ACTUAL FISCAL SCHOOL YEAR.
SO HOPEFULLY BY THE BEGINNING OF JUNE, WE ALREADY HAVE THE QUOTE IN.
WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR THE APPROVAL.
AND IF THERE WAS ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
I HAD MY MICROPHONE COME IN TIME NOW.
[LAUGHTER] BOARD MEMBERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? HEARING NONE.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THIS, APPROVE THIS TEXTBOOK ADOPTION? SO MOVED.
THANK YOU, MR. NEWCOMB, I HAVE A QUESTION NOT ABOUT THE TEXTBOOK ADOPTION, BUT ABOUT THE PROCEDURE.
I NOTICED ONLY ONE PARENT THAT'S RENE HESTON, AND SHE'S BY CHANCE NOT AN EMPLOYEE? SHE IS AN EMPLOYEE.
OK, THEN I THINK THAT WE NEED TO MAKE AN EFFORT TO CONTACT PARENTS WHO ARE NOT EMPLOYEES.
WHETHER WE SEND THE LETTER OR MAKE A PHONE CALL, WE NEED SUCH AND SUCH BOOK ADOPTED, BECAUSE CHANCES ARE FOLKS WORK AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO JUST STOP BY AND CHECK.
BUT I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO CONTACT IN THIS CASE.
IF IT'S HIGH SCHOOL, THEN AT LEAST TWO TO FOUR HIGH SCHOOL PARENTS TO FROM EACH END.
AND THE SAME THING FOR MIDDLE AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
I KIND OF THOUGHT THAT MAYBE SHE MIGHT BE AN EMPLOYEE BY BEING JUST THE ONE PARENT.
[00:15:01]
OFF MIC], I DO DEFINITELY TAKE NOTE OF THE EMPLOYEE ASPECT .AND I KNOW THAT IT'S COME UP BEFORE AND I CAN ONLY IMAGINE IT'S HARD TO GET.
TO GET SOMEONE WHO'S ENGAGED, WHETHER IN CHEMISTRY OR IF IT WAS AN ENGLISH TEXTBOOK.
BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OVER THE YEARS HAD SOME PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS STEP UP AND, YOU KNOW, OFFER CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM ON ONE TOPIC OR ANOTHER.
AND MAYBE THESE TYPES OF PEOPLE OR THE ONES WE REACH BACK OUT TO AND TRY TO GET THEIR PARTICIPATION.
I MEAN, THAT IS HER ROLE IN CCPS.
SHE WAS ON THERE AS A ROLE AS A PARENT.
[INAUDIBLE]HIGH SCHOOL SO I'M IMPRESSED, AS A ENGLISH CHEMISTRY IS WAT OVER MY HEAD SO I'M IMPRESSED WITH THAT.
SO WE'VE GOT A UNANIMOUS VOTE ON THAT.
APPRECIATE THAT COMMENT MS. WAYMAN.
MOVING ON TO THE INDIVIDUAL ACTION AND 3.02 ANOTHER TEXTBOOK ADOPTION HIGH SCHOOL AP MUSIC THEORY, WHICH IS GOOD AND IT'S RECOMMENDED BY DR.
AND DO WE HAVE A MS. SCHEPPER ON THIS EVENING? ABSOLUTELY.
GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT NEWCOMB, DR.
SIMMONS AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
I COME TO YOU THIS EVENING TO RECOMMEND ON BEHALF OF THE AP MUSIC THEORY TEXTBOOK ADOPTION COMMITTEE, THE MUSICIANS GUIDE TO THEORY AND ANALYSIS, WHICH IS PUBLISHED BY WW NORTON AND CO..
WE LOOKED AT THIS TEXTBOOK AS WELL AS THE KOSKA AND PAIN TEXTBOOK BY MCGRAW-HILL, AND THIS ONE WAS BY FAR THE ONE THAT WE THOUGHT WOULD BEST MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS.
THE ACTUAL TEXTBOOK WAS ON WAS AVAILABLE FOR PREVIEW AT THE CENTRAL OFFICE FROM MARCH 19TH TO APRIL 15TH, AND WE RECEIVED ZERO FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY.
WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT THIS TEXTBOOK IS WE ACTUALLY HAVE PHYSICAL TEXTBOOKS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE YEARLONG LICENSES TO THE DIGITAL COMPONENT.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THIS PARTICULAR TEXTBOOK ADOPTION, BECAUSE IT HAS EMBEDDED ORAL MUSIC SKILLS AND TRAINING PRACTICES ACTUALLY EMBEDDED IN THE DIGITAL COMPONENT THAT ALIGNS WITH THE ACTUAL PHYSICAL TEXTBOOK.
EACH ONE OF THOSE LICENSES ARE GOOD FOR ONE FULL SCHOOL YEAR, SO THAT ALLOWS FLEXIBILITY FOR SCHEDULING AT BOTH HIGH SCHOOLS.
STUDENTS WILL HAVE ACCESS TO IT EITHER WHETHER THEY TAKE IT IN THE FALL OR THE SPRING.
WE DO HAVE A CERTIFIED AP MUSIC THEORY TEACHER AT BOTH HIGH SCHOOLS AND WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO GET THIS COURSE UP AND RUNNING FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR.
THANK YOU, WE HAVE THAT BOOK CIRCULATING AS WELL.
BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SURVEYS, REPORTS? I'LL NEED A COUPLE HOURS TO READ IT.
AND FUNDING AGAIN IS AVAILABLE FOR YET TO BE PURCHASED.
IT LOOKED LIKE IT HAD PRETTY UP TO DATE INFORMATION, 20TH CENTURY AND BEYOND WAS ONE OF THE TOPICS.
YOU CAN HAVE CHEMISTRY ON ONE HAND.
AP MUSIC THEORY IN THE OTHER? EXACTLY AND THEY KIND OF BALANCE EACH OUT.
BOARD, I DON'T KNOW AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT WE PURCHASED CLASS SETS? TYPICALLY WE DO, CORRECT.
WE DON'T PURCHASE ONE FOR EVERY STUDENT.
DIGITAL ACCESS IS ALSO INCLUDED.
A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE SAY, OH, MY GOSH, HOW DO KIDS CARRY THOSE BOOKS AROUND YEAH.
YOU DIDN'T HAVE DIGITAL ACCESS.
WHICH IS ALSO I WAS GOING TO SAY WHICH IS BENEFICIAL WITHOUT MOVING TO ONE TO ONE DEVICES AND THE DIGITAL ACCESS.
DO WE HAVE MOTION TO APPROVE THIS ACTION ITEM FOR AP MUSIC THEORY TEXTBOOK
[00:20:02]
ADOPTION? SO MOVED, WE APPROVE THE BOOK.INDIVIDUAL ACTION ITEM 3.03 BOARD REVIEW TO CONTROL UPGRADES AT THREE OF OUR SCHOOLS.
BIDS WERE SENT OUT AND QUOTES WERE RECEIVED.
AND MR. NAGEL? YOU'RE GOING OVER THAT WITH US? I CAN GO OVER IT OR I CAN HOLD AND WAIT TILL AFTER THE PRESENTATION TO SHARE THEM OUT AND VOTE AT THE SAME TIME.
SIMMONS, TO PASS ON IT, SINCE THESE FUNDS ARE COMING UP IN A PRESENTATION LATER.
THESE FUNDS ARE COMING FROM OTHER SOURCES.
LET'S JUST GO THROUGH WITH THIS PRESENTATION, BUT TABLE THE VOTE UNTIL WE FIND OUT EXACTLY WHERE THE FUNDS ARE COMING FROM.
SINCE IT'S OUTSIDE OUR NORMAL BUDGET.
SO THE REQUEST BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING, PRESIDENT NEWCOMB, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD IS TO UPGRADE CONTROLS AT THREE OF OUR SCHOOLS.
AND CONTROLS ARE THE PIECES OF TECHNOLOGY THAT ALLOW THE COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM TO TALK TO VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE HVAC SYSTEM, WHETHER HEATING OR AIR VENTILATION, OUTSIDE AIR COMING IN, ET CETERA.
LOTS OF THE TECHNOLOGY ABOVE THE CEILING, SO TO SPEAK, THAT IS REQUIRED IN SCHOOLS THAT HAVE HVAC SYSTEMS IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT YOU'RE BRINGING IN PROPER AMOUNTS OF FRESH AIR AND HELP TO REGULATE TEMPERATURE.
IN THREE SCHOOL, THOSE CONTROLS ARE VERY MUCH SO BEYOND END OF LIFE AND THE REASON THAT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN REPLACED BECAUSE TYPICALLY THEY'RE REPLACED WHEN THE SCHOOL IS RENOVATED.
SO WE'VE GOT THREE SCHOOLS WHERE RENOVATION IS NOT IN THE FIRST AND THEN IN THE SHORT TERM AND MAYBE NOT FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.
AND SO THE AVAILABILITY OF FEDERAL MONEY THROUGH THE CARES ACT, CARES II, THE SECOND ROUND OF FUNDING EXPANDED THAT POSSIBLE THE PERMISSIBLE USE OF FUNDING TO INCLUDE IMPROVING INDOOR AIR QUALITY.
AND SO WE HAVE STRUGGLED OVER THE YEARS, EVER INCREASING IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS WITH BEING ABLE TO ADEQUATELY CONTROL ESPECIALLY CERTAIN AREAS OF SELECTED SCHOOLS BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF THE OF THE CONTROL DEVICES, YOU KNOW, BREAKING AND HAVING TO BE REPAIRED OR JUST END OF LIFE.
AND SO AUTOMATING THEM, BRINGING THEM UP TODAY'S STANDARD WILL ALLOW THE COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM TO MUCH MORE SEAMLESSLY AND EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY MONITOR AND CONTROL AND CHANGE TEMPERATURES AND HUMIDITY INSIDE THE AMOUNT OF FRESH AIR THAT'S COMING AND ET CETERA, TO THE BETTERMENT OF THE WORKING CONDITIONS FOR STAFF AND STUDENTS INSIDE THE BUILDING.
AND SO WE'RE NOT IN A UNIQUE POSITION.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF SYSTEMS ARE USING SOME OF THIS FEDERAL MONEY FOR.
AND SO THAT WE WHEN CARES II FIRST CAME OUT AND WE SAW THAT EXPANDED LANGUAGE, WE SAID WE NEED TO DO IT.
WE NEED TO DO A BID AND TRY AND TAKE CARE OF THIS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WASN'T GOING OUT AND JUST GETTING SOME QUOTES.
IT WAS SCOPING THE SCHOOLS FOR THE MAGNITUDE OF WHAT WE NEEDED TO REPLACE AND THEN CONSTRUCTING THE ACTUAL BID DOCUMENT, VETTING IT.
SO THIS HAS BEEN THE PROCESS FOR SEVERAL WEEKS NOW.
AND THE RESULT OF THAT IS THAT WE DID RECEIVE BIDS FROM THREE DIFFERENT VENDORS AND THE LOWEST RESPONSIBLE BID AS RECOMMENDED IN THE ACTION ITEM HAS BEEN FULLY VETTED, DOES A LOT OF WORK ON THE WESTERN SHORE, NEW TO US, BUT A LOT OF WORK WITHIN MONTGOMERY COUNTY AND COMMUNITY COLLEGES ON THE WESTERN SHORE, A VERY GOOD REPUTATION FOR DELIVERING SERVICES AS PROMISED.
AND SO PENDING YOUR APPROVAL LATER IN THE EVENING, WE FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE THAT THAT THESE SERVICES WILL BE PROVIDED THIS SUMMER IN ADVANCE OF THE START OF THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS? I MEAN IT'S, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OUR NORMAL BUDGET, I JUST THESE ARE LARGE
[00:25:03]
NUMBERS.BIG, NUMBERS FOR JUST THAT AREN'T PART OF THE RENOVATION OR A NEW SCHOOL LIKE WE'RE DOING IN GREENSBORO JUST TO CHANGE SOME CONTROLLERS.
I MEAN, REALLY THINK ABOUT IT AND SID IS MUCH MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THIS THAN I AM.
SO I MAY DEFER TO HIM TO SPEAK TO SOME OF THE SPECIFICITY.
MR. NAGEL IS REFERRING TO BASICALLY THEIR PNEUMATIC CONTROLS, SO YOU HAVE AN AIR COMPRESSOR THAT IS PUMPING AIR THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SCHOOL TO EACH CLASSROOM THROUGH LITTLE TUBES.
ANY PINHOLE THAT YOU GET IN THERE, ANY KIND OF CRACK, ALL OF A SUDDEN THE SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK.
I WOULD SAY THE FIRST PHASE OF CONTROLS AND WHAT YOU'RE GETTING IS, IT'S EITHER ON OR OFF.
THERE'S NO OTHER CONTROLLING OF THE SYSTEM.
AND THIS WILL GREATLY INCREASE THE AIR QUALITY AND BECAUSE NOW YOU'LL BE ABLE TO MONITOR THE OUTDOOR MAKE UP AIR, THE HUMIDITY, THE DISCHARGE AIR TEMP.
AND AS MILTON WAS SAYING, THESE CONTROLS GO THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE ENTIRE BUILDING.
IT'S NOT JUST TO ONE PARTICULAR AREA.
ALSO RIGHT NOW, WE'RE CURRENTLY TURNING ON CHILLERS WHICH PROVIDE THE COLD WATER FOR THE AIR CONDITIONING BY HAND ON SOME OF THESE SCHOOLS AND ALSO THE BOILERS.
THIS WILL ENABLE US TO HAVE BETTER CONTROL.
IT IS A HIGH DOLLAR TICKET ITEM, BUT WITH THE FUNDS AVAILABLE, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF A WIN-WIN RIGHT NOW.
BUT THE LIFE CYCLE OF A PNEUMATIC SYSTEM AS YOU'VE GOTTEN YOUR MIC] FOR WHAT YOU HAD FROM 1970, IT'S WELL WORTH IT.
THIS IS JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, WHY IS DENTON MORE THAN THE OTHER TWO? IS IT A BIGGER SCHOOL? I'M JUST CURIOUS.
SO, DENTON IS FULLY PNEUMATIC, THE WHOLE ENTIRE BUILDING.
WHEN IT WAS BUILT, RIDGELY ELEMENTARY HAS A COUPLE OF SECTIONS THAT WHEN THEY ADDED RENOVATION ON THERE, THEY WERE ABLE TO TIE IT TO THE DDC CONTROLS.
SAME THING WITH LOCKERMAN, BUT THIS WILL BRING IT ALL ONLINE.
YOU'LL BE ABLE TO CONTROL IT BETTER.
RIDGELY AND LOCKERMAN JUST PARTIAL SCHOOLS ON THE OLD PNEUMATICS, BUT DENTON IS THE ENTIRE SCHOOL.
YEAH, TRY TO IMAGINE FINDING AN AIR LEAK IN THE CEILING SO, YOU KNOW, THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND SQUARE FEET, SO.
THAT'S A TERRIFIC USE OF THE MONEY.
IT'S AMAZING TO ME THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BIDS ON THE BIG RANGER THERE.
YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT AIR AGAIN, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE EXHAUST FANS IN THE BUILDING, MAKE UP AIR, ERVS.
IT'S ALL ABOVE THE CEILING, TOO.
SO YOU'LL SPEND A LOT OF MONEY.
I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, IT'S A LOT OF UP AND DOWN.
A LOT OF, THERE'S A BIG RANGE BETWEEN, BUT NOT SO MUCH BETWEEN ONE AND TWO.
BUT THE THIRD ONE IS REALLY THEY JUST THEY MISSED THE MARK.
ARE WE'RE BUSY ENOUGH? YOU KNOW, YOU THROW IT OUT THERE AND.
IT'S SAFE, YEAH, YOU DON'T REALLY NEED THE JOB, BUT IF I THINK I BETTER STOP.
BOARD MEMBERS, WITH THAT INFORMATION, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT? WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO, BECAUSE THAT IS AN UNUSUAL ABILITY WE HAVE RIGHT THIS YEAR TO USE FUNDS TO HELP COVER THESE IMPROVEMENTS IN A TIMELY MANNER, WHICH IS GOING TO COME UP IN A PRESENTATION DOWN THE AGENDA.
BUT THE WAY OUR AGENDA'S SET UP, OUR INDIVIDUAL ACTION ITEMS ARE HERE.
SO IF I CAN, I'D LIKE TO GET A MOTION TO TABLE THIS UNTIL AFTER A LATER IN THE BUDGET, TABLE TO VOTE UNTIL LATER.
MOTION BY MS. DIGIACOMO TO TABLE THE VOTE, SECOND BY MS. WAYMAN.
[4. Reports]
ALL RIGHT.BOARD MEMBERS, THAT MOVES US ON TO SECTION OF REPORTS, BOARD MEMBER REPORTS.
YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE GETTING A LITTLE MORE LIVELY HERE.
I'LL START WITH TO MY LEFT TO THE NIGHT AND MS. WAYMAN.
NO TO START, MS. DIGIACOMO, SHE ALWAYS HAS.
IN MY DEFENSE, I'M A NERD, I KNOW I'M A NERD.
[00:30:04]
AND ENJOYING WHAT I'M DOING.OK, SO I HAVE I DID A MADE SESSION MATTER OF FACT DONNA AND I DID BOTH ON THAT SAME SESSION, PARTICIPATED WITH THE SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE THAT JUST MET LAST WEEK, AND THAT WAS VERY ENLIGHTENING AND REWARDING TO SEE HOW WELL WE HAVE SOME STUDENTS DOING.
I HAVE MEETINGS SCHEDULED WITH HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS WHO ARE ATTENDING CHESAPEAKE TO KIND OF SHARE WITH THEM ACTIVITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT HOPEFULLY THEY WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, ESPECIALLY SINCE CHESAPEAKE ALSO RECEIVED SOME OF THE CARES MONIES.
I ATTENDED THE SERVICES FOR MRS. DILL.
I THINK THAT WRAPS IT UP FOR ME.
RIGHT, MR. BARTON? I LIKEWISE WAS JUST BEING IN THE RECOGNITION AND HONORING OF KATHY DILL AND TWO OTHER ITEMS THAT I MENTIONED.
I SAT IN AND LISTENED, AND I THINK DONNA WAS THERE ALSO AT THE MAIN LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE REPORT AND A TEXT FROM ONE POINT HAD SAID, HOW CAN THAT MAN TALK SO MUCH? AND NO OFFENSE TO HIM, HE WAS VERY COMPREHENSIVE.
AND HE SAID AT ONE POINT, HE'D BEEN DOING THIS FOR 20 YEARS AND HE REALLY ENJOYS IT.
AND I THOUGHT, THIS GUY NEEDS TO FIND OUT WHAT FUN REALLY IS.
BUT HE DID A GREAT JOB, TREMENDOUS JOB BRIEFING EVERYBODY.
THERE WEREN'T A LOT OF QUESTIONS, AND I THINK BECAUSE HE ANSWERED THEM AND THERE WERE A FEW QUESTIONS, BUT HE WAS TERRIFIC GENTLEMAN.
JOHN HAS HIS WHOLE CAREER, HE WORKED FOR SENATOR SARBANES PRIOR TO COMING, NOT SARBANES.
HE WORKED AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL AND HE HE'S NEVER TOLD ME THAT HE HASN'T, BECAUSE I'VE TOLD HIM, I SAID, YOU HAVE A PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY.
I'VE WALKED THROUGH THE HALLS OF AN [INAUDIBLE] IN LEGISLATIVE SESSION WITH HIM, AND THERE ISN'T A SINGLE PERSON THAT WALKS DOWN THE HALLWAY THAT HE DOESN'T KNOW THEIR NAME AND CAN'T STOP IF IT'S A SENATOR OR A DELEGATE, CAN'T STOP IN THE HALLWAY AND HAVE AN INTELLIGENT CONVERSATION ABOUT AN EDUCATION BILL BECAUSE OF A COMMITTEE THAT THEY SIT ON.
SO NOT ONLY DOES HE KNOW WHO THEY ARE, BUT HE KNOWS WHAT COMMITTEE THEY'RE ON.
AND HOW TO TAKE ELEVATOR SPEECH TWO MINUTES AND ADVOCATE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION MARYLAND SCHOOL SYSTEMS ARE BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE FOR WHAT HE DOES.
YEAH, THAT WAS MY IMPRESSION, OF COURSE, FIRST IMPRESSION, ALTHOUGH I THINK HE WAS INVOLVED IN THE ORIENTATION SESSION, TOO, AND HE DID A GREAT JOB THERE, TOO.
BUT MY IMPRESSION OF WORKING WITH THE LEGISLATURE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, NOT IN RECENT YEARS, BUT IN THE PAST.
SO I CAN AT LEAST APPRECIATE WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT.
AND THAT SAVES A LOT OF TROUBLE FOR EACH OF THESE SCHOOL DISTRICTS BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE TO TRACK ANY OF IT THIS CLOSELY BECAUSE HE'S DOING IT AND, YOU KNOW, HE'S GOT IT.
AND HE SAID AT ONE POINT AND I DIDN'T REALLY TAKE IT AS BOASTING THAT IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO WALK AROUND STATE CIRCLE WITHOUT KNOWING THE PEOPLE ON THAT CIRCLE.
IF IT'S SOMEBODY WHO HE DOESN'T RECOGNIZE THERE, THEY'RE KIND OF VISITORS.
SO HE'S EXACTLY, AS YOU'RE SAYING, MILTON.
AND ALSO I ATTENDED USING ZOOM, THE RHYTHM OF THE RIDGE INDUCTION CEREMONY.
AND, GOSH, WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT WHEN THAT'S IN PERSON? I THINK ONE OF MY COUNTERPARTS HERE WAS IN PERSON.
BUT I WATCHED IT ON ZOOM AND WISHED I'D BEEN THERE IN PERSON.
IT WAS REALLY NICE AND REALLY PLEASANT TO SEE A COUPLE OF THOSE KIDS WHO ACTUALLY KNOW AND TO SEE THEM PARTICIPATING.
JUST TO PIGGY BACK OFF WHAT RICK SAID AT THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, WHAT I THINK HE TALKED FOR LIKE THREE HOURS, I BELIEVE, BUT HE KNEW THE INFORMATION.
IT'S LIKE NORMALLY THEY READ IT AND IT'S LIKE, DA-DA-DA-DA-DA.
BUT HE ACTUALLY KNEW THE INFORMATION SO TIT WAS AND THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION , I DON'T KNOW, MY MIND KIND OF WENT IF YOU GUYS EVER HAVE A COUPLE HOURS.
UM, I ALSO ATTENDED THE RHYTHM OF THE RIDGE AND THE INDUCTION CEREMONY.
AND THAT WAS JUST, IT WAS INCREDIBLE.
AND I GOT TO GO IN PERSON, IT'S PRETTY CLOSE TO WHERE I LIVE.
[00:35:01]
AND IT WAS AWESOME SEEING THE KIDS.I WANT TO CONGRATULATE THEM FOR A JOB WELL DONE.
AND I GIVE THEM A LOT OF KUDOS BECAUSE THEY PUT THEMSELVES OUT THERE AND WERE SINGING AND IT WAS GREAT.
AND I'LL GET RANDALL'S NAME CORRECT THIS TIME.
I ALSO WENT TO MRS. DILL'S SERVICES, AND I SAID THAT AND I WAS WITH MS. WAYMAN WITH THE SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE AND THAT WAS INTERESTING TO SEE THAT.
I ALSO MET WITH TWIGG AND SHE WAS EXPLAINING A LOT ABOUT SPECED, SPECIAL EDUCATION..
AND, YOU KNOW, SHE'S GOING TO TEACH ME SOME MORE.
AND I ALSO MET WITH MRS. FRANCES, MS. FRANCE AT COLONEL RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL, AND SHE WAS EXPLAINING AGILE MINDS TO ME.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU START TALKING MATH AND CHEMISTRY, MY BRAIN GOES THROUGH SO THAT I REALLY APPRECIATED, YOU KNOW, BOTH OF YOU EXPLAINING IT TO ME.
AND THEN I HAD SOME FUN WITH MISS BONNER AT RIDGELY ELEMENTARY, SPENDING THE DAY WITH THE GYM TEACHER.
AND IT WAS THE DAY THAT IT WAS COLD AND WINDY.
AND I HAD NOT BEEN THAT VISIBLE IN QUITE A WHILE.
BUT IT WAS FUN WATCHING WATCHING THE CHILDREN PLAY.
AND IT REALLY, I HAVE TO TELL YOU, IT BOGGLED MY MIND AT HOW MUCH WORK SHE PUTS INTO IT, BECAUSE EACH GRADE LEVEL HAD DIFFERENT CURRICULUM AND THE TIME SHE HAS TO PUT IN BEFORE THEY EVEN WALK IN THERE TO GET ALL THE STUFF OUTSIDE AND THEN TO KEEP EVERYTHING CLEAN.
I MEAN, IT WAS PRETTY INCREDIBLE.
AND, YOU KNOW, DOING IT ALL WITH THE CAR BECAUSE THE GYM IS BEING USED FOR OTHER THINGS RIGHT NOW.
SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I THINK, MISS BONNER, FOR DOING THAT TO ME.
AND SHE'S OFFERED ME TO COME BACK WHEN IT'S ACTUALLY WARM.
SO I'M NOT JUST SITTING THERE SHIVERING WITH THE KIDS.
SO I'M GONNA TAKE HER UP ON THAT.
I WAS VERY HONORED TO GO WITH DR.
SIMMONS AND MR. NEWCOMB, AND WE GAVE OUT TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARD THAT WAS JUST INCREDIBLE.
AND BOTH OF THEM, I THINK, DESERVED IT.
MICHELLE FOSTER AND PENNY BOYD.
AND JUST ON A PERSONAL NOTE, MISS FOSTER AND I STARTED TEACHING AT CAROLINE COUNTY THE SAME DAY.
SO THAT WAS PRETTY, PRETTY EMOTIONAL FUN.
UM, THE LEO CLUB IS ACTIVE AGAIN, WHICH THEY'RE LOVING IT.
AND THIS MONTH THEY ACTUALLY HELP THE DENTON LIONS CLUB AND THE RIDGELY LIONS CLUB SELL CHICKEN DINNERS.
SO I WAS THERE HELPING THEM DO THAT, WHICH WAS NICE, AND THE LEO CLUB STUDENTS.
IF YOU EVER GET A CHANCE TO TALK TO THEM, GO TO ONE OF THEIR ACTIVITIES.
THESE ARE THE STUDENTS THAT LOVE DOING SERVICE LEARNING.
OK? AND THEY'VE BEEN LIKE THIS WHOLE COVID THING MISSING, GETTING OUT THERE.
SO IF YOU GET A CHANCE, YOU KNOW, TELL THEM GOOD JOB AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, AND THEN I ALSO VISITED LOCKERMAN, GREENSBORO AND FEDERALSBURG.
AND BECAUSE IT'S BEEN WE'VE ALL BEEN IN THE MIX, BUT I WAS GONNA ASK RACHEL, CAN YOU PUT IN YOUR CALENDAR, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE TUESDAY BEFORE THE TUESDAY BOARD MEETING TO SEND BOARD MEMBERS AN EMAIL REMINDER TO ASK FOR THAT LIST SO WE CAN POST IT UP THERE WHILE WE'RE READING IT? YOU KNOW, SO PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY CAN SEE AND, YOU KNOW, WHERE MORE MEMBERS OF DONE AND ACTIVITIES THEY'VE PARTICIPATED.
WE KIND OF GOT OUT OF IT WITH COVID.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AS BOARD MEMBERS, WE CAN YOU KNOW, IT CAN BE DOCUMENTED, BUT WE CAN ALSO COMMENT ON WHAT'S TOUCHED US THE MOST, THE BIGGER EVENTS, YOU KNOW, THE TAKEAWAYS, THAT TYPE OF THING.
YOU KNOW, I REGRETTABLY WAS OUT OF TOWN AND MISSED MS. DILLS SERVICES.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AS WE TALKED EARLIER, SHE WILL BE MISSED.
BUT OTHER THAN WHAT OTHER EVERYBODY ELSE SAID, IT'S NICE TO SEE THE KIDS OUT, STUDENTS OUT AT ACTIVITIES.
YOU KNOW, THE FALL SPORT SESSION FINISHED UP.
SEE THEM OUT THERE PRACTICING FOR THE YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S THE SPORTS OR THE BANDS ARE PLAYING NOW, THE LEO CLUBS.
BUT WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS THE TEACHER OF THE YEAR AND SUPPORT STAFF.
AND IT'S GREAT TO GET BACK TO PEOPLE AND BE ABLE TO PHYSICALLY BE IN THE SAME LOCATION WITH THEM AND, YOU KNOW, HAND SOMETHING OVER TO THEM.
AND I WAS THERE FOR TEACHER OF THE YEAR PRESENTATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT I HAD SOME TIME.
SO I TOOK AND STARTED WALKING AROUND COLONEL A LITTLE BIT, JUST CHECKING IN AND SAYING THANK YOU TO ALL THE TEACHERS THERE AND NOT JUST THE STUDENTS.
[00:40:02]
YOU COULD TELL I DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE UP THEIR TIME, BUT THEY WANTED TO INTERACT JUST TO SAY HI, HOW ARE YOU? HOW ARE YOUR KIDS? OH, YOU KNOW, MY KIDS ARE DOING THIS.IT'S JUST THE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL INTERACTION WITH PEOPLE.
YOU COULD TELL THEY WANTED IT AND I ENJOYED IT AS WELL.
AND THEN GOT TO THE POINT I GOT MIXED UP IN MY HEAD AND DIDN'T LEAVE FOR THE SUPPORT STAFF, SO I HAD TO GO THE NEXT DAY TO NORTH CAROLINE AND MAKE IT UP TO MS. PENNY BOYD AND CONGRATULATE HER AND THE SAME THING AT NORTH CAROLINE WHICH WAS JUST GREAT TO SEE PEOPLE AND INTERACT.
BUT THE SUPPORT STAFF AND THE TEACHER OF THE YEAR, WE WERE ALWAYS, THIS BOARD AND THIS ADMINISTRATION AND THE SYSTEM HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF OUR STAFF AND OUR TEACHERS DO THE BEST WE CAN WITH WHAT WE'RE GIVEN.
AND THAT BEING SAID, IT IS TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE BOARD HAS SENT OUT SOME LITTLE TCHOTCHKES TO HOPEFULLY UP TO ALL THE TO ALL THE TEACHERS THIS YEAR.
AND, YOU KNOW, ALONG WITH THE TEACHER OF THE YEAR, THIS BOARD APPRECIATES ALL OUR TEACHERS, ESPECIALLY THIS WEEK, NOT THAT WE DON'T APPRECIATE ALL STAFF AND BUT THIS WEEK IS THEIR WEEK.
SO IF YOU SEE A TEACHER, THANK THEM.
AND I THINK THIS YEAR, QUITE A FEW PARENTS THANKING TEACHERS MORE THAN THEY USUALLY DO BECAUSE THEY APPRECIATE THEM SO MUCH MORE FOR ALL THEY DO.
AND WITH THAT I'LL END AND MOVE ON TO THE SUPERINTENDENTS REPORT.
THANK YOU, MR. NEWCOMB, HIGHLIGHT TWO ITEMS TONIGHT AND ECHO THE SENTIMENTS OF OTHERS AND SUBSEQUENT TO OUR MEETING TONIGHT, ONE OF WHICH WAS AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY I GOT TO PARTICIPATE IN TODAY, ACTUALLY.
SO THE MONTH OF MAY IS CHILDREN, OH, SORRY, AS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH, HAS BEEN SINCE 1949.
I DID NOT QUITE REALIZE IT'S THAT VINTAGE BUT MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE SINCE 1949 AND WE WERE IN A WONDERFUL POSITION AND THE CAROLINE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS THIS MORNING ACTUALLY SIGNED A PROCLAMATION ALONGSIDE OF CCPS DECLARING THIS WEEK CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK TO KICK OFF THE MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS CAMPAIGN.
SO IT WAS EXCITING TO BE PART OF THAT THIS MORNING, OF COURSE, VIRTUALLY.
BUT WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCLAMATION PIECE MYSELF, MISS NICOLE FISHER, WHO IS OUR SUPERVISOR OF ALTERNATE PROGRAMS, WHO'S OVERSEEING SOME OF THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT I HAD PREVIOUSLY, MISS CARA CALLAWAY, OUR SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH COORDINATOR, AND MISS STELLA LEE COLBURN, WHO'S OVERSEEING OUR PROJECT, AWARE OF MENTAL HEALTH GRANT, WHICH IS THE GRANT WE RECEIVE TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT TODAY.
TO KICK THAT OFF, YOU'LL BE SEEING SOME THINGS COMING OUT OVER THE COURSE OF THE MONTH RELATED TO THOSE EFFORTS.
AGAIN, JUST A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
THE OTHER ITEM THAT I DID WANT TO SHARE, AND I'M SURE FOLKS HAVE THAT I'VE HEARD LAST WEEK AT THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING THE STATE BOARD AND THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT PASSED A RESOLUTION AS IT RELATES TO NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
AND I'LL SAVE US FROM ALL THE WHEREASES AND THEREFORES AND THOU SHALTS AND ARES AND THOSE THINGS.
BUT WHEN YOU BOIL IT DOWN WITH THE STATE BOARD, PASSED THEIR RESOLUTION FOR REALLY PERTAINS TO NEXT SCHOOL YEAR AS AN ENTITY MOVING FORWARD.
AND THE STATE BOARD PASSED A RESOLUTION FOR ALL SCHOOL SYSTEMS IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND MOVING FORWARD THAT THE OPENING OF SCHOOLS, BEGINNING WITH THE OPENING OF SCHOOLS IN 21-22, ALL SCHOOL SYSTEMS MUST BE OPENED FOR STUDENTS TO ATTEND AT LEAST ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY SCHOOL DAYS AND MINIMUM OF ONE THOUSAND EIGHTY SCHOOL HOURS DURING THE TEN MONTH PERIOD.
IN ESSENCE, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WHAT IT MEANS IS THEY'RE TELLING ALL SCHOOL SYSTEMS, YOU NEED TO BE OPEN FOR MORE.
WE NEED TO HAVE KIDS BACK IN BUILDINGS.
WE NEED TO SEE THOSE KIDS ENGAGED IN THOSE ACTIVITIES.
WE NEED TO GET PEOPLE USED TO TALKING WITH EACH OTHER AGAIN IN PERSON.
WE NEED TO HAVE OUR STAFF ENGAGING WITH KIDS AGAIN.
WE NEED THAT SENSE OF NORMALCY BACK THAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS, THAT OUR KIDS NEED THAT WE NEED.
AND IT IS OUR INTENTION OR IT IS MY INTENTION ALL ALONG THIS ONE.
IT'S MY INTENTION AND OUR INTENTION AS A TEAM.
AND WE'VE TALKED THAT WE INTEND TO FOLLOW THE RESOLUTION OF THE STATE BOARD GOING INTO NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
WE BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO GET OUR KIDS BACK.
WE NEED TO HAVE A NORMAL SCHOOL YEAR.
AND AGAIN, THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT WE LEARNED FROM THIS SCHOOL YEAR.
[00:45:03]
THEY'RE GREAT THINGS WE'VE LEARNED THIS FROM THIS SCHOOL YEAR, NOT ONLY ABOUT THE RESILIENCY OF OUR KIDS, RESILIENCY OF OUR STAFF.WE'VE LEARNED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT ABOUT THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN CLASSROOMS. WE'VE LEARNED SOME GREAT STRATEGIES THAT WILL REALLY ROLL FORWARD REALLY WELL WITH IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION.
WE'VE ALSO LEARNED SOME THINGS THAT WE PROBABLY SHOULDN'T CONTINUE DOING, AND THAT IS HYBRID INSTRUCTION'S TOUGH.
HYBRID INSTRUCTION IS NOT FOR ALL KIDS, IT'S NOT FOR ALL TEACHERS.
AND IT'S TIME TO MOVE WHERE WE ARE NEXT YEAR.
LET'S JUST HOPE WE'RE WHERE WE NEED TO BE WITH COVID.
THAT TENDS TO BE THE GREAT EQUALIZER HERE IN THE MIX.
NONE OF US HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL TO KNOW WHAT THINGS WILL LOOK LIKE IN AUGUST.
BUT IF HEALTH INDICATORS ARE WHERE THEY ARE, I THINK WE SHOULD BE IN A POSITION THAT WE ARE PLANNING AND PREPARING FOR FIVE THOUSAND OR FIVE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED HAPPY, SMILING FACES, A THOUSAND HAPPY, SMILING EMPLOYEES.
FIVE DAYS A WEEK, SEVEN AND A QUARTER HOURS A DAY.
LOADING UP ON BIG YELLOW AND COMING IN FOR SMILES AND WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO, WHATEVER IT IS.
DO I HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL TO KNOW IF THAT MEANS MASKS OR NOT? NO, I DON'T.
WE'LL FOLLOW WHATEVER THE STATE MANDATE IS ON THAT PIECE.
BUT I KNOW KIDS NEED TO BE IN PERSON.
THERE IS AN OPTION THAT WE ARE PART OF WITH THE EASTERN SHORE, WITH THE EASTERN SHORE MARYLAND EDUCATIONAL CONSORTIUM WITH A BLENDED VIRTUAL PROGRAM.
IT IS A NARROW, FOCUSED PROGRAM FOR A SMALL COHORT OF STUDENTS.
THERE ARE A LIMITED NUMBER OF SEATS AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE APPLICATION PROCESS NOW.
AND WE'LL BE GETTING MORE INFORMATION OUT AND WE'LL BE DISCUSSING THAT FURTHER AT A BOARD WORK SESSION IN MAY AS WE GET MORE DETAILS AND HAMMER OUT OUR PROCESSES.
BUT I THINK WE'RE AT A POINT WITH THE RESOLUTION FROM THE STATE, IT KIND OF PUTS US THERE FOR OUR FAMILIES TO KNOW, OUR TEACHERS TO KNOW, OUR KIDS TO KNOW.
WE CAN'T WAIT TO GET YOU BACK.
AND WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU IN AUGUST.
HAPPY AND ALL COMING BACK IN, YOU KNOW, TO DO WHAT WE DO, THE WAY WE DO IT, THE WAY WE SHOULD BE.
SO I WOULD SAY IT'S NICE TO SEE THAT RESOLUTION BECAUSE IT TAKES EVEN THOUGH THERE'S PLENTY OF UNCERTAINTY, IT TAKES THE UNCERTAINTY OF INTENT AWAY SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW.
UNTIL THEN PEOPLE COULD SAY, WE DON'T REALLY KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO DO OUR BEST, WE'RE GOING TO CREATE PLANS, WE'RE GOING TO ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
BUT THAT JUST SETS ONE GOAL, ONE OBJECTIVE.
AND WE WANT TO HOPE THAT BY THE TIME WE REACH THAT POINT, ANYBODY WHO WANTS A VACCINATION HAS HAD THAT.
ANYBODY WHO DOESN'T WANT IT CHOOSES NOT TO.
THE FAMILY CHOOSES NOT TO, WHAT HAVE YOU, BUT THEY'VE MADE THEIR CHOICE.
AND THEN MAYBE SOCIETY AS REPRESENTED BY THE SCHOOLS IS MOVING FORWARD.
I WAS VERY HAPPY TO SEE THAT RESOLUTION.
I THINK IT'S A VERY POSITIVE, POWERFUL STATEMENT.
AND YOUR COMMENTS ARE RIGHT ON.
AND I THINK WHAT'S GOOD, TOO, IS THIS COUNTY AS A WHOLE, WE'RE READY.
I THINK WE'RE PRETTY MUCH A LOT FURTHER ALONG THAN A LOT OF THE OTHER COUNTIES.
THERE'S A LOT OF DEVILS IN THE DETAILS OF WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN BETWEEN AND NOW, AND YOU COULD ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, THE WIND CAN SHIFT AND DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT AND WE WANT TO BE THERE.
AND FOR THE SUPPORT OF OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF IS DO WE NEED TO FOLLOW UP WITH A LOCAL OR BESIDES A PRESS RELEASE TO CLARIFY OUR INTENT OR A LOCAL RESOLUTION OR WHAT? WHAT SHOULD THIS BOARD BE DOING? FROM MY FEELING AND LOOKING AT HOW SOME OTHERS HAVE RESPONDED, MR. NEWCOMB, I THINK THE FOLLOWING OF THE PRESS RELEASE, WITH OUR CLEAR INTENT, I THINK IS A GOOD POSITION FOR US TO BE IN RIGHT NOW.
THE STATE'S RESOLUTION AS WORDED IS AS I'M INTERPRETING IT AS WELL, IN ESSENCE, BOILS DOWN TO HERE'S THE STATE LAW, WE EXPECT YOU TO FOLLOW IT.
WE DON'T PLAN ON GIVING YOU ANY WAIVERS.
SO IT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACKNOWLEDGE ACCEPT AND STATE, WE DON'T PLAN ON PUTTING FORTH ANY WAIVERS, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.
BUT I THINK A PRESS RELEASE, SOMETHING GOING OUT TOMORROW, I THINK WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE FOR US TO BE IN.
BESIDES THAT, HOPEFULLY A COUPLE HUNDRED WHO ARE TUNED IN TONIGHT, WOW, IT'S
[00:50:04]
RAINING HARD.BESIDES THE COUPLE HUNDRED WHO ARE HOPEFULLY TUNING IN TONIGHT FOR THE PRIMETIME FEED HERE.
BUT I'D LIKE TO GET IT OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO OUR FAMILIES CAN KNOW AND PLAN AND PREPARE.
FOR OUR COMMUNITY, FOR A DAYCARE PROVIDERS TO BE AWARE.
THERE'S IMPLICATIONS ACROSS THE BOARD FOR MANY, MANY FACETS OF THIS COMMUNITY.
AND THE SOONER THAT THAT THEY KNOW IT, BETTER IT HELPS US.
AND LET THEM KNOW THAT, I MEAN, WE'RE FULLY SUPPORT IT.
AND I THINK GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT THERE IS WHEN I WASN'T AN OPPORTUNITY AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S REAL PUBLIC OR NOT.
IT'S NOT I DON'T IT'S NOT PERSONAL INFORMATION, BUT I WAS ASTONISHED.
THE STUDENTS I'M AWARE OF COULDN'T WAIT TO GET BACK TO SCHOOL.
AND THE PARENTS DEFINITELY WERE KICKING THEM OUT THE DOORS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I HAVE HEARD SOME OF THE LOCAL STAFF AND FIND OUT THAT SOME OF THESE SCHOOLS AREN'T EVEN, YOU KNOW, 40, 50 PERCENT POPULATED WHEN THEIR KIDS CAN GO BACK TO SCHOOL.
I JUST AND ONE COMMENT WAS, YOU KNOW, THESE KIDS AND SOME OF THE FAMILIES JUST GOT OUT OF PRACTICE.
IT'S LIKE MUSCLE MEMORY OR MENTAL.
YOU KNOW, YOU JUST YOU KNOW, AND YOU GET OUT OF PRACTICE OF DOING SOMETHING AFTER YOU DON'T DO IT FOR 10 MONTHS.
AND, YOU KNOW, DO I HAVE TO GET UP AT SIX O'CLOCK AND GET ON THE BUS OR CAN I SLEEP IN ANOTHER HOUR AND JUST TURN THE COMPUTER ON? BUT WE NEED TO BE CLEAR WITH OUR COMMUNITY THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS FOR A VERY MINIMAL AMOUNT OF PERIOD THAT WE COULD HAVE HAD TO DO IT.
AND NOW THE EXPECTATION IS WE'RE BACK TO WORK.
WE'RE BACK TO SCHOOL AS NORMAL.
STARTING NEXT YEAR WE WANT YOU BACK AS NORMAL, AND HECK, WE HAVE THE OPTION NOW.
BUT IF YOU DECIDE TOMORROW AFTER HEARING THAT YOU WANT TO SEND YOUR KIDS NOW.
THE OPTIONS THERE, FOUR DAYS A WEEK RIGHT NOW.
WHAT IS THE FIRST TIME? WE'RE STILL SITTING IN THE 70S, CLOSE TO 80 AND OUR ELEMENTARYS STILL SITTING DEPENDING ON THE DAY 50 TO 60 MIDDLE SOMETIMES DIPS A LITTLE, PROBABLY DEPENDING ON HOW NICE IT IS OUT.
HIGH SCHOOLS ARE STILL FLOATING IN THAT ANYWHERE BETWEEN THIRTY FIVE TO CLOSE TO 50 ON A GOOD DAY REALLY IN THAT FORTY RANGE IS REALLY WHERE IT STILL HITTING.
AND MR. NEWCOMB BRINGS UP A GOOD POINT.
IT JUST COMES DOWN TO YOU GET OUT OF RHYTHM OF WAKING UP EVERY DAY, YOU GET OUT OF RHYTHM, GETTING UP EARLY AND SOMETIMES IT'S EASIER TO JUST GO, YEAH, I'LL DO THE ZOOM TODAY BECAUSE I CAN GET THAT EXTRA HOUR OF SLEEP OR WHATEVER ELSE.
AND IT'S I KNOW SEVERAL STUDENTS ACTUALLY HAVE JOBS NOW.
BUT EDUCATION IS MORE IMPORTANT IN THE LONG RUN.
I DON'T THINK, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE THE DATA RIGHT HERE, BUT I THINK IF PEOPLE LOOK, THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN IMPACTED THE LEAST THROUGH THIS LAST YEAR ARE THE PEOPLE WITH JUST A LITTLE BIT LOVE, YOU KNOW, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE EDUCATION AS MUCH AS THEY COULD.
YOU KNOW, THE THE THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, MAXIMIZE THEIR OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATION, I GUESS IT WOULD BE THE [INAUDIBLE].
SO JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN MAKE TEN BUCKS AN HOUR NOW AND THINK YOU'RE RICH, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT YOUR LONG TERM FUTURES.
I SUPPOSE THAT WHEN WE MEET IN FOR THE WORK SESSION IN MAY.
SOMEHOW OR ANOTHER, THERE WILL HAVE TO BE A PUBLIC NOTICE ABOUT THE OPTION WITH THE EASTERN SHORE GROUP.
SO, YES, WE'LL BRING THAT TO CLARITY.
MOVING ON TO THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT AND DIRECTORS REPORTS, AND IT LOOKS LIKE WHO WE STARTED WITH? INSTRUCTIONS.
LOOKS LIKE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST.
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, SOME OF THE ITEMS UP HERE HAVE ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSED TONIGHT.
SO I'M JUST GOING TO REALLY HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THEM.
AND I'LL ACTUALLY START FROM THE BOTTOM UP.
I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, AS WELL AS OTHER CAROLINE COUNTY FAMILIES, COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND SCHOOL EDUCATORS TO ATTEND THE SPRING COMMUNITY EQUITY MEETING.
IT WAS A VIRTUAL MEETING THAT NIKKI FISCHER LED.
THAT JUST WAS A PHENOMENAL OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR ALL OF THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT ARE OCCURRING WITHIN CAROLINE COUNTY.
SO THAT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
RENEE HASN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH SALISBURY UNIVERSITY EDUCATION MAJORS IN THEIR THIRD YEAR OF THEIR PROGRAM.
SO NEXT YEAR IS WHEN THEY WILL BE DOING THEIR STUDENT TEACHING AND TALK TO THEM
[00:55:06]
ABOUT TEACHING LITERACY, AND HER BIGGEST TAKE AWAY WAS, MY GOODNESS, THERE ARE SOME VERY PROMISING TEACHER CANDIDATES FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR NEXT YEAR FOR THEIR INTERNSHIPS.AND THEN I WILL TOUCH ON FFA STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO MEMBERS OF CAROLINE COUNTY IN THE EASTERN SHORE, I'M SORRY, ENSURE LEADERSHIP AND DO PRESENTATIONS ON HOW THEIR CTE, 4H EXPERIENCES AND SKILLS THAT THEY'VE LEARNED THROUGH FFA HAVE REALLY HELPED THEM IN THEIR EDUCATION AND WILL CONTINUE TO HELP THEM.
SO THOSE ARE JUST A FEW THINGS.
AND THEN THERE'S OTHER INFORMATION OUT THERE AS WELL.
A SPECIAL PROGRAMS? GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT EARLY CHILDHOOD TONIGHT.
OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS LED BY [INAUDIBLE] AND OUR TEACHER, SPECIALIST SAYLOR, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CELAC, WHICH IS OUR CAROLINE COUNTY EARLY LEARNING ADVISORY COUNCIL, AND OUR JUDY CENTERS, LED BY TERESA FRENCH, PROVIDED TRAININGS FOR OUR CAROLINE COUNTY CHILD CARE PROVIDERS.
AND THESE ARE HOME DAYCARE CENTERS.
AND WE HAVE A STRONG BELIEF THAT WE START EARLY.
AND WHAT WE DO TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY IS GOING TO, IN THE LONG RUN, HELP THESE CHILDREN WHEN THEY ENTER SCHOOL.
AND OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WAS ALL ABOUT SOCIAL FOUNDATIONS.
OUR PARTICIPANTS LEARNED ALL ABOUT THE MARYLAND EARLY LEARNING STANDARDS.
SO WE'RE PREPARING THEM FOR ENTERING SCHOOL.
WE'RE NOT USING SOMETHING THAT IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
AND WE USED THE ACTUAL SOCIAL FOUNDATION STANDARDS, ALONG WITH THE INFORMATION FROM DR.
BECKY BAILEY'S CONSCIOUS DISCIPLINE STRATEGIES.
AND WHAT THIS IS, JUST TO PUT IT MAKE IT REALLY SIMPLE, IS WE'RE TEACHING OUR LITTLE GUYS PROBLEM SOLVING AT THE AT THE LITTLEST LEVEL OUR THREE AND FOUR YEAR OLDS.
WE'RE TEACHING ON PERSISTENCE.
WE'RE TEACHING THEM HOW TO COOPERATE WITH OTHERS.
WE'RE TEACHING THEM EMPATHY, AND WE'RE ALSO TEACHING THEM HOW TO SELF REGULATE.
NOW, SELF REGULATE IS A BIG ONE BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHEN SOMETHING'S WRONG SO THAT YOU CAN IDENTIFY HOW TO SELF REGULATE YOURSELF.
SO BECKY BAILEY'S CONSCIOUS DISCIPLINE ACTUALLY HAS DIFFERENT STRATEGIES.
AND ONE THAT WE HIGHLIGHT IS CALLED THE STAR STRATEGY.
AND THIS IS JUST SOMETHING TO TAKE AWAY THAT THIS STRATEGY IS ALL ABOUT BREATHING AND CALMING YOURSELF.
AND I CAN TELL YOU, I CARRY IT WITH ME EVERY DAY.
AND WHAT THIS IS, IT'S ALL ABOUT SMILING, TAKING YOUR BREATH AND HOLDING IT AND THEN BREATHING OUT.
AND THERE'S RESEARCH BEHIND THIS THAT ACTUALLY HELPS YOUR BODY BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO DIFFERENT SITUATIONS THAT YOU DO HAVE TO SELF REGULATE.
SO ALSO, WE DID HAVE FIFTEEN PARTICIPANTS THE FIRST NIGHT AND THEN FIFTEEN ADDITIONAL PARTICIPANTS THE SECOND NIGHT.
AND IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE TWO PICTURES, YOU CAN SEE UP TOP THAT WITH EACH PARTICIPANT RECEIVED A GREAT BIG BAG WITH ALL THOSE SUPPLIES IN IT THAT WENT ALONG WITH ALL OF THE STRATEGIES THAT WERE BEING TAUGHT DURING THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
WAS THIS LAST THURSDAY? THESE GOSH I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE DAYS, BECAUSE I ATTENDED THE FIRST ONE, THE SECOND ONE COULD HAVE BEEN LAST THURSDAY.
MAY NOT BE AWARE, BUT RECENTLY THE USDA EXTENDED THE UNIVERSAL FREE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH PROGRAM THROUGH THE ENTIRE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
BUT LOCALLY FOR US, FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM, BUT NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED.
IT DOES HAVE SOME UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
THAT LEAVES THE STATE AND EVERY STATE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF DATA THAT WE GET FROM [INAUDIBLE] APPLICATIONS THAT DRIVES OTHER FUNDING SOURCES.
AND SO THEY THEY PUT ON SOME WAIVERS FOR THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF THE UNIVERSAL PROGRAM.
THE STATE SCRATCHING HIS HEAD RIGHT NOW AS TO WHAT TO DO NEXT YEAR AS IT RELATES TO SOME OF THAT DATA THEY USE.
THAT IS A COMPONENT OF [INAUDIBLE] AS WELL.
IT'S GOING TO HELP DRIVE SOME OF THE [INAUDIBLE] NUMBERS.
AND AS RECENTLY AS LAST WEEK, WHEN THE AARON AND I WERE ON CALL WITH PRESENTATION PUT ON BY RACHEL [INAUDIBLE] LEGISLATIVE SERVICES, THEY DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS FOR THAT YET.
THEY'RE NOT THEY WEREN'T AWARE OF THE IMPACT OF THAT.
[01:00:02]
AND SO STAY TUNED.BUT THEN YOU CAN SEE THAT BETH CONTINUES TO WRITE A LOT OF GRANTS, GO AFTER A LOT OF MONEY, AND IS SUCCESSFUL AND.
MR. NEWCOMB, YOU'LL REMEMBER WE USED PRE AND OTHERS MAY KNOW AS WELL PRE PANDEMIC.
WE HAD TOWER GARDENS IN ALL THE SCHOOLS THAT THAT GREW LETTUCE THROUGH HYDRO FARMS. THAT JUST STARTED LAST YEAR OR TWO HASN'T IT? YEAH.
AND SO THAT WENT DORMANT OBVIOUSLY DURING COVID.
BUT SHE'S GOTTEN A GRANT TO REVITALIZE THAT AND SUSTAIN IT FOR THE YEARS TO COME.
SO YOU'LL SEE THOSE AGAIN ACTIVE IN THE SCHOOLS COME SEPTEMBER.
PICTURES TELL A THOUSAND WORDS YOU CAN SEE JUST TOOK THESE ONE DAY LAST WEEK.
YOU CAN SEE THE BOLLARDS GOING IN THERE.
THE SITE CONTRACTORS ARE REALLY STARTING TO NOW BACK UP AND DO SOME SITE GRADING AROUND THE EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING, PUT IN BACK FILLING IN TOPSOIL AND WHATNOT.
AS THE STAFF AND VISITOR PARKING LOT IS NOW PREPPED AND READY FOR BASE COAT.
YOU SEE THE SCALE AND COLORFULNESS OF THAT.
AND THAT'S LOOKING TOWARDS THE KITCHEN.
MIDDLE PICTURE IS THE NEW LOBBY.
AND IT'S GOT A LOT OF COLOR, HAVE A LOT OF WORK, A LOT MORE COLOR, BECAUSE THE TILES, IF YOU WILL, THE THINGS THAT ARE HANGING FROM THE CEILING ARE ACTUALLY COVERED UP NOW TO PROTECT THEM FROM DUST.
BUT THEY'LL BE VERY RAINBOW COLORS ONCE THEY'RE UNCOVERED.
AND THEN BOTTOM RIGHT IS A PICTURE OF THE COURTYARD AND THAT'S BEING OUTFITTED PAVERS.
AND IT'S ABOUT A THIRD OF THE WAY DONE AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
SO MR. [INAUDIBLE] I ATTENDED, ALONG WITH MR. PATRICK, A PROGRESS MEETING TODAY.
WE'RE DOWN TO NOW HAVING ONE A MONTH BECAUSE THE PROJECT IS GETTING TO THAT POINT WHERE IT'S NOT BENEFICIAL TO MEET EVERY OTHER WEEK.
AND WE HIT THE 90 PERCENT MARK TODAY.
THEY'RE STILL ON TARGET TO TURN THE BUILDING OVER TO US A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE THE RIBBON CUTTING, WHICH IS JUNE 23RD.
AND ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THAT ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING FINALIZED.
AND RACHEL AND SANDY BERRY BEEN WORKING ON THAT AND HOPE TO GET THEM OUT LATER THIS WEEK OR NEXT WEEK AT THE LATEST.
SO, ALL RIGHT, SO JUNE 23RD YOU SAID THIS ON HOLD THE DATES WILL COME OUT, BUT BOARD MEMBERS.
IF YOU PUT ON YOUR CALENDAR NOW IF YOU GOT IT, JUNE 23RD, ONE O'CLOCK.
RAIN OR SHINE, IF IT'S WEATHER'S BAD, WE'LL JUST BE INSIDE.
WE'VE GOT MORE THAN ENOUGH ROOM IN THE CAFETERIA.
I'M SURE THE COMMUNITY AND ESPECIALLY TEACHERS AND EVERYBODY IS GETTING EXCITED ABOUT NEXT FALL.
MR. PATRICK, IN COORDINATION WITH MS. SWAN, HAS BEEN TAKING SMALL GROUPS OF TEACHERS OVER THERE PERIODICALLY TO SEE PROGRESS OF SCHOOL ON VERY STRUCTURED END OF THE DAY TOURS.
STAFF'S PROBABLY ALREADY ON TOP OF THIS.
BUT WILL THE [INAUDIBLE] REALLY TECHNICALLY BE TURNED OVER YET? BUT IS LEGALLY CAN THEY TAKE THE FIFTH GRADERS OVER IN SMALL GROUPS BEFORE THEY'RE GOING TO LEAVE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM? I DON'T KNOW.
HAS ANYBODY THOUGHT ABOUT THAT? TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE MISSING? I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A GOOD IDEA OR BAD IDEA.
[INAUDIBLE] THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO.
JUST TELL THEM THEY'RE GETTING A NEW HEATING AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM [INAUDIBLE] AND LOCKER ROOM.
SO WE CAN TAKE ADULTS OVER BEFORE THE HANDOVER, BUT WE COULDN'T.
I THINK IT'S A IT'S A FAVOR [INAUDIBLE].
THERE'S STILL A LOT GOING ON, EVEN 90 PERCENT.
AND REALLY WALKING THROUGH THE BUILDING TODAY, IT'S LIKE ALMOST EERILY QUIET.
BUT THERE'S STILL OVER 50 PEOPLE WORKING.
AND IT'S HARD HAT ONLY, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T NEED.
IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A FIELD TRIP.
AND JUST AFTER SCHOOL GETS OUT, ASK THEM TO COME.
[01:05:01]
YEAH, I'M SURE THERE'LL BE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES IN THE SUMMER FOR PARENTS AND STAFF AND STUDENTS TO COME OUT.BUT I'M GOING TO MISS THE OPENING.
I'M BE IN NORTH CAROLINA [INAUDIBLE].
WELL, YOU CAN CERTAINLY SCHEDULE, YOU KNOW, THROUGH MR. PATRICK AN ALTERNATE TIME AND AFTER THE TWENTY THIRD WITH MS. SWAN, BECAUSE WE WILL WE WILL HAVE OCCUPANCY AND WE ARE PLANNING TO MOVE ADMINISTRATION FROM ONE SCHOOL RIGHT INTO THE NEXT, BECAUSE BY THE TWENTY THIRD WE WILL HAVE WE WILL BE WELL INTO THE DECOMMISSIONING OF THE CURRENT SCHOOL.
THAT'S ALL [INAUDIBLE] I KNOW EVERYBODY.
THE TEACHERS ARE SO EXCITED BECAUSE I WAS THERE ONE DAY WHEN THEY WERE GETTING TO GO THERE.
I MEAN, IT WAS THEY WERE LIKE LITTLE KIDS, IT WAS GREAT.
THEY DESERVE, NOT THAT EVERY TEACHER DOESN'T.
BUT SOME OF THE SMALL SPACES THAT FOLKS IN THAT SCHOOL HAVE HAD TO OPERATE IN FOR A LONG TIME AND YOU SEE THE SIZE WHEN YOU GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE SIZE OF THESE CLASSROOMS. IT'S JUST.
IT'S BREATHTAKING AND THE VIEWS, I MEAN, THE WINDOWS, I JUST HOPE AND PRAY THAT THEY DON'T COVER UP, THE NATURAL LIGHT.
I SEE, YOU KNOW, AND I'M NOT A TEACHER, SO I DON'T.
SO I KNOW THEY HAVE THEIR OWN REASONS FOR DOING SO.
BUT I'M A BIG NATURAL LIGHT PERSON.
WHEN I WALK INTO A CLASSROOM AND I SEE THE BLINDS CLOSED, I'M LIKE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT'S A DISTRACTION.
PEOPLE HAVE THEIR OWN REASONS, BUT SOMETIMES THE PERMANENT BECAUSE THERE'S POSTER BOARDS ON THE BLINDS SO THERE'S NEVER AN OPPORTUNITY TO LET THAT NATURAL LIGHT IN.
THAT IS SO IMPORTANT TO HOW THE BUILDING IS DESIGNED.
IF IT WASN'T IMPORTANT, WE WOULDN'T PUT THEM IN.
BUT IT'S A REQUIREMENT THAT WE HAVE SO MUCH NATURAL LIGHT BECAUSE IT HELPS TO.
AND THIS BUILDING IS IS THE MOST SOPHISTICATED BUILDING THIS COUNTY HAS EVER HAD BECAUSE THE LIGHTING SYSTEM IN EVERY CLASSROOM IS WILL ADJUST THE ROOM LIGHT BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF NATURAL LIGHT COMING IN TO CREATE THE RIGHT BALANCE.
OUR SIXTH ITEM OF THE BOARD DISCUSSED EARLIER WHAT WE DID.
OBVIOUSLY, THE AWESOME OPPORTUNITY OF BEING ABLE TO RECOGNIZE BOTH MICHELE FOSTER AT COLONEL HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER OF THE YEAR AND MS. PENNY BOY AS CAFETERIA MANAGER FOR [INAUDIBLE] EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR.
BOTH OUTSTANDING, WELL DESERVED RECIPIENTS OF THIS YEAR'S AWARD AND WILL DO WELL WITH THAT.
AND BUT WHAT A GREAT OPPORTUNITY THAT DAY TO SEE STAFFS IN BOTH BUILDINGS.
JUST CHEER THEM ON, EGG THEM ON.
AND I'LL JUST SAY BOTH ADMINISTRATIONS WERE EXTREMELY CREATIVE AT FINDING WAYS TO PULL THEM TOGETHER WITHOUT KNOWING THAT WE WERE THERE AS WE TRIED TO RUN IN THE BUILDING, HIDING FLOWERS AND EVERYTHING ELSE TO NOT BE SEEN.
AND LOTS OF APPRECIATION OPPORTUNITIES THIS MONTH, NOT TO SHORTCHANGE ANYONE.
THIS WEEK IS TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK.
AGAIN, AS IT'S ALREADY BEEN STATED, OUR TEACHERS HAVE HAD ONE HECK OF AN AMAZING YEAR, INCREDIBLE CHALLENGES THEY'VE OVERCOME AND CONTINUE TO DO SO EVERY DAY.
WE HAVE THE BEST TEACHERS IN THE STATE HANDS DOWN AND IT'S GREAT TO BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THEM THIS WEEK.
MAY 7TH IS SCHOOL LUNCH HEROES DAY.
WE ALWAYS HAVE SOMETHING FOR THEM ON THAT DAY WHICH WILL BE EXCITING.
AND OUR SCHOOL NURSES DAY IS MAY 12TH.
AGAIN, OUR SCHOOL NURSES AND HEALTH ASSISTANTS HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTE ROCK STARS THIS YEAR WITH ALL THEY'VE BEEN ASKED TO DO.
AND THEY HAVE JUST DONE A YEOMAN'S JOB, EVERYTHING COVID RELATED COMING DOWN AS WELL AS THEIR NORMAL JOBS.
AND I DON'T WANT TO SKIP THE FIRST ONE OR MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO GO HOME.
APRIL'S ALSO SCHOOL LIBRARY APPRECIATION MONTH AS WELL.
SO THANK YOUR SCHOOL MEDIA SPECIALIST AS WELL.
AND AGAIN, APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S HARD WORK AND IT'S NICE THAT EVERYBODY CAN BE RECOGNIZED MULTIPLE WAYS THIS MONTH.
ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON TO STUDENT REPORT, STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES, DO WE HAVE ZACK OR YOU ON THE NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL? ARE YOU ONLINE TONIGHT? YES.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? THERE YOU ARE.
GOOD EVENING, DR. [INAUDIBLE], PRESIDENT NEWCOMB AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD TO FIRST START OFF.
WE'RE GOING TO START OFF WITH DENTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
LAST MONTH [INAUDIBLE] CLASSROOMS TOOK OVER THE MORNING ANNOUNCEMENTS.
SOME UPCOMING EVENTS FOR DS INCLUDE STAR WARS, SPIRIT DAY, MAY 5TH PRE-K THROUGH
[01:10:02]
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION, MAY 7TH MAKE UP PICTURE DAY AND MAY 20TH, FIFTH GRADE PARENT NIGHT.OVER IN RIDGELY AT RIDGELY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THEY WILL BE HOLDING A VARIETY OF FUN SPIRT DAYS IN MAY, SOME OF THE DAYS INCLUDE STAR WARS SPIRIT DAY, DECADE SPIRIT DAY AND WESTERN SPIRIT DAY.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STAFF TOURS OF THE NEW SCHOOL CONTINUE AND EVERYONE IS LOVING IT.
FIRST GRADE STUDENTS BEGAN THEIR UNIT ON BIRDS AND THE CHILDREN ARE ENJOYING TRIPS TO THE POND OUT BACK OF THE SCHOOL TO SEE THE BIRDS UP CLOSE.
THEY'VE SEEN MANY BIRDS, SUCH AS GEESE, DUCKS, KILLDEER, ROBINS, CARDINALS AND ET CETERA.
AND THEY ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SEND KUDOS TO THEIR ELO TEACHERS WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED WIDA TESTING FOR 213 STUDENTS.
OVER LMS LAST MONTH, BETWEEN APRIL 22ND AND 24TH, PICTURE DAY WAS ACCOMMODATED FOR BOTH IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL LEARNERS, FOR ALL STUDENTS AND STAFF.
OVER AT NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL LAST MONTH, THE.
RHYTHM OF THE RIDGE ELITES CHOIR HONORS HAPPENED ON APRIL 19TH AND APRIL 28TH.
CAP AND GOWN PICTURES WERE TAKEN.
SOME OF THE UPCOMING EVENTS INCLUDE MAY 3RD THROUGH 7TH TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK, FINALS ON THE 24TH AND THE 25TH, MAKE UP FINALS ON THE 26TH AND SENIOR LAST DAYS ON MAY 27TH.
AND LASTLY, AT CAROLINE COUNTY TECHNOLOGY CENTER LAST WEEK, THEY SHOWED THEIR ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONAL, MR. BLASI, AS THEY SHOWED HER THEIR APPRECIATION.
AND MISS HALL IS PROUDLY HOLDING THE CCTC STAFF READY CHAMPIONSHIP BELT FOR THIS MONTH.
SOME UPCOMING EVENTS INCLUDE MAY 3RD THROUGH 7TH CCTC SPIRIT WEEK AND TEACHER APPRECIATION AND MAY 13TH AT FIVE O'CLOCK, A VIRTUAL CTE INFORMATION NIGHT.
ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON, JILLIAN, ARE YOU FROM COLONEL RICHARDSON , ARE YOU WITH US TONIGHT? YES, I AM.
GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT NEWCOMB, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
SO FEDERALSBURG ELEMENTARY, AS WELL AS THE OTHER THREE SCHOOLS, WILL BE CELEBRATING TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK FOR THE REST OF THIS WEEK.
PRE-K AND KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION WILL TAKE PLACE MAY 12TH AND PRE-K CONFERENCES WILL BE ON MAY 19TH AND 20TH.
PRESTON ELEMENTARY HELD THEIR BOOK FAIR LAST WEEK AND WE'LL BE CONTINUING IT FOR THE REST OF THIS WEEK.
MAY 7TH WILL BE DRESS LIKE YOUR FAVORITE TEACHER DAY TO HELP CELEBRATE TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK AND MAY 28TH WILL BE THE FIFTH GRADE CELEBRATION TO SEND THEM OFF TO MIDDLE SCHOOL.
THE RMS HELD A COVID SAFE COURTYARD CLEAN UP FOR THE TEACHERS ON APRIL 24TH, THEY WILL BE WEARING GREEN FOR CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK AND WILL BE HOLDING A SPRING FLING SPIRIT WEEK FROM MAY 17TH TO THE 21ST.
THE RIHS WILL HAVE A HYBRID MEETING FOR SENIORS, GIVING THEM INFORMATION ABOUT GRADUATION AND THE FIFTH ANNUAL ARTS AND ACADEMIC SHOWCASE WILL BE HELD ON MAY 12TH, THEN MAY 26TH WILL BE CAP AND GOWN PICTURES FOR SENIORS.
JUNE 1ST WILL BE GRADUATION PRACTICE.
AND THE SENIOR LUNCHEON AND GRADUATION WILL BE ON JUNE 3RD.
WE HAVE MS. THORNTON WITH US THIS EVENING.
SIMMONS AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE IN PERSON THIS EVENING [INAUDIBLE] SPOT FOR ME TO PRESENT THE FINANCE REPORT AS OF APRIL 30TH.
TONIGHT, I'M GOING TO BRIEFLY WALK YOU THROUGH THE INFO THAT IS INCLUDED IN THIS REPORT, BECAUSE I KNOW OUR FINANCE SOFTWARE ISN'T VERY USER FRIENDLY.
SO ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE REPORT IS THE ACCOUNT STRUCTURE.
WE FOLLOW MSDE'S CHART OF ACCOUNTS.
THIS MAKES IT EASIER FOR REPORTING PURPOSES.
MOVING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, THE NEXT COLUMN IS OUR FY 21 APPROVED OPERATING BUDGET.
THE FIGURES IN THIS COLUMN DO NOT INCLUDE ANY OF OUR RESTRICTED GRANTS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED.
[01:15:01]
THEY ALSO DON'T INCLUDE SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION EXPENDITURES OR FOOD SERVICE EXPENDITURES.THOSE ARE ACCOUNTED FOR SEPARATELY.
THE NEXT COLUMN IS THE PERIOD EXPENDITURES, WHICH ARE THE EXPENDITURES FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL.
THE COLUMN AFTER THAT OR THE ENCUMBRANCES.
ENCUMBRANCES INCLUDE SALARY COSTS THROUGH THE REST OF THE FISCAL YEAR, AS WELL AS SALARY COSTS FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES THAT AREN'T 12 MONTHS, BUT CHOOSE THE TWENTY FOUR PAY OPTION AND CONTINUE TO GET PAID THROUGH THE SUMMER MONTHS.
ALSO IN THE ENCUMBRANCES OR ANY PEN POS THAT WE HAVE FOR GOODS OR SERVICES.
THE NEXT COLUMN IS THE YEAR TO DATE EXPENDITURES, AND WHEN IT SAYS YEAR TO DATE, IT DOESN'T MEAN CALENDAR YEAR, IT MEANS FISCAL YEAR TO DATE.
FOLLOWING THAT IS THE AVAILABLE BALANCE, WHICH SIMPLY IS A FORMULA THAT'S TAKING THE BUDGET LESS THE ENCUMBRANCES, LESS THE YEAR TO DATE EXPENDITURES.
AND THAT IS OUR AVAILABLE BALANCE.
THE FOLLOWING COLUMN IS JUST THE PERCENTAGE.
IF YOU TAKE AWAY ANYTHING FROM TONIGHT, JUST REMEMBER THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT NUMBER ON THIS REPORT IS THE AVAILABLE BALANCE ON THE LAST PAGE, WHICH, IF YOU TURN TO PAGE FIVE, IS APPROXIMATELY SEVEN POINT TWO MILLION DOLLARS.
OVERALL, THIS IS A HIGHER BALANCE COMPARED TO PRIOR YEARS AND WHERE WE WERE AT THIS POINT IN THE YEAR, AND THIS IS A RESULT OF THE YEAR WE'VE BEEN THROUGH AND OUR CONSERVATIVE SPENDING, AS WELL AS SAVINGS AND VARIOUS LINE ITEMS SUCH AS TRAVEL AND MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES, FIELD TRIPS, SUBSTITUTE COSTS, THOSE LINE ITEMS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN PREVIOUS BOARD MEETINGS.
SO OVERALL, WE ARE IN GREAT SHAPE FROM A FISCAL STANDPOINT.
SINCE IT'S TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THERE ARE SOME OVERAGES IN A FEW OF THE LINE ITEMS, BUT THIS IS OFFSET BY SAVINGS IN OTHER LINE ITEMS. SO OVERALL, THERE ARE NO ISSUES AND I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT WE ARE IN GOOD FISCAL SHAPE.
OVERALL, THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE ARE IN GOOD SHAPE.
CAN YOU CLARIFY YOU? AND IT JUST IT ALWAYS COMES UP WHEN THEY ARE NEGATIVE.
AND IN OUR LARGEST CATEGORIES, OF COURSE, EXPENDITURES AND SALARIES, I GUESS.
SO HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? SO THERE ARE.
THEIR SALARIES IN EACH OF THE CATEGORIES.
AND THE BOARD'S PREVIOUS DECISION BACK IN MARCH TO PAY THAT ONE TIME BUDGET SHARE SAVINGS AND ALL OF THAT HIT ALL THE SALARY CATEGORIES.
SO TO THE EXTENT OF THE SALARY CATEGORY, THEY'RE SALARY [INAUDIBLE].
WHETHER IT BE ADMINISTRATION OR CONSTRUCTION OR SPECIAL ED WAS REALLY CLOSE TO THE BUDGETARY` SAVINGS AND[INAUDIBLE].
PLUS, IT'S A WIN-WIN, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TURNOVER, A NORMAL TURNOVER FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
WE DON'T, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE WHEN THE BUDGET IS STRUCTURED TO KNOW DEFINITIVELY WHAT THOSE NEW SALARIES ARE GOING TO BE.
AND SO THE ACTUAL IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE BUDGET.
AND THERE'S ALWAYS AND THERE'S MOVEMENT.
WE WILL HAVE SOME MOVEMENT WITHIN BETWEEN CATEGORIES OF STAFF THAT HAVE CHANGED POSITIONS BETWEEN THIS YEAR AND NEXT YEAR.
AND THAT SALARY MAY THROW THAT PARTICULAR CATEGORY OUT OF WHACK.
BUT WE HAVE THE ROOM FOR ADJUSTMENT WITH THE BOTTOM LINE? CORRECT.
AND IF YOU'LL NOTICE, INSTRUCTIONAL SALARIES, THAT HAS A HUGE BALANCE LEFT.
THAT'S PARTIALLY BECAUSE WE DON'T BUDGET FOR OUR SALARY LAPSE.
IT'S ALSO BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF ONE TIME PAYMENTS THAT WE PAY AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, SUCH AS CLUBS, AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES.
THOSE STIPENDS GET PAID AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO AT THE END OF THE YEAR YOU'LL SEE THAT DWINDLE DOWN.
BUT IN THIS PANDEMIC YEAR, THE BIG LINE ITEM FOR SUBSTITUTES IN OUR CATEGORY AND SO AND WE HAVE NOT HEARD NEAR THE AMOUNT OF SUBSTITUTE COST AS WE WOULD NORMALLY, BUT KIND OF WEIRD.
[5. Recognitions]
YEAH.[01:20:01]
BOARD MEMBERS, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? GREAT.ALL RIGHT, RECOGNITIONS, NOTHING FORMAL, BUT WE'VE MENTIONED SOME OF THE
[6. Reports and Presentations]
ACTIVITIES WE'VE ALL PRESENTED, TALKED TO THE RHYTHM OF THE RIDGE ET CETERA.REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS, ENGAGEMENT SURVEY SUMMARY.
A LITTLE BIT OF BACK INFORMATION, TWO YEARS AGO CCPS MOVED INTO THE ENDEAVOR OF PARTICIPATING IN AN EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT SURVEY.
THAT WAS GIVEN TO ALL CCPS EMPLOYEES.
IT WAS, AS FAR AS WE CAN TELL, WE'RE ONE OF THE ONLY SCHOOL SYSTEMS IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND DOING SUCH A SURVEY.
PROVIDES US VALUABLE FEEDBACK, VALUABLE INFORMATION FOR US TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT AND KIND OF GIVE A DIPSTICK OF WHERE THINGS ARE RELATED TO EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT.
SO IF WE CAN, RACHEL WITH THE FIRST SLIDE.
FOR EVERYBODY'S EDIFICATION, I WANT TO KIND OF DEFINE WHAT EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT IS AS DEFINED BY NEW MEASURES AND [INAUDIBLE].
SO NEW MEASURES IS THE ONE WHO DOES THE SECOND ATTRITION TYPE WORK WITH IT.
[INAUDIBLE] IS WHO WE'VE EMPLOYED TO DO THE SURVEY.
THEY DEFINE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AS AN ACTIVE COMMITMENT IS ONE OF THEIR AREAS.
THREE THEMES ACTIVE COMMITMENT, WHICH EMPLOYEES PLAN TO STAY AND RECOMMEND THE ORGANIZATION TO OTHERS.
EMPLOYEES FEEL VALUED AND ARE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THEIR WORK AND CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE.
I HAD A DIFFERENT ONE ON MY SHEET.
SO IF YOU DON'T MIND GOING TO THE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AND WE'LL GO BACKWARDS THEN OF AND CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE.
EMPLOYEES BELIEVE IN THE FUTURE OF THE ORGANIZATION.
SO THOSE ARE THE THREE THEMES THAT THEY'RE SEEKING TO MEASURE IN THE OVERALL METRICS OF THE SURVEY, WHICH LEADS TO AN OVERALL FEELING OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT WITHIN CCPS.
SO AGAIN, THOSE THREE THEMES, IT'S NOT A HAPPINESS SURVEY.
AND AGAIN, THESE THREE THEMES ARE WHAT THEIR DATA SHOWS THAT WHEN YOU ASK THESE QUESTIONS, PUT IT IN THEIR BIG MIX, SHAKE IT OUT.
THAT'S WHERE YOU GET YOUR RATINGS AND YOU'RE FEELING.
SO, RACHEL, IF YOU CAN GO BACK NOW, I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
OUR PARTICIPATION RATE, FOR THE SURVEY FOR THIS YEAR, WE HAD SEVENTY NINE PERCENT PARTICIPATION RATE AMONGST ALL EMPLOYEES IN FEBRUARY OF 2021.
THE FIRST TIME WE GAVE THE SURVEY WAS IN JANUARY OF 2021O.
WE HAVE SEVENTY SIX PERCENT DISSIPATION RATE AND ACCORDING TO THE PSYCHOMETRICIANS WHO PULL THE DATA AND DO THAT WORK BASED ON THEIR ANALYSIS, WE CAN BE NINETY NINE PERCENT CONFIDENT THAT THE SCORES WITHIN THE SURVEY WOULD FALL WITHIN A PLUS OR MINUS OF ONE POINT SEVENTY SEVEN POINTS IF WE HAD 100 PERCENT PARTICIPATION.
SO WE HAD A HIGH PARTICIPATION RATE IN SAID SURVEY TO PROVIDE THE INFORMATION.
SO THE PURPOSE OF TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION IS NOT ONLY TO IDENTIFY AND REVIEW KIND OF THE KEY FINDINGS.
THE STRENGTHS THAT WERE NOTED WITHIN THE SURVEY BETWEEN THE TWO YEARS ALSO TALK ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT PRESENT THEMSELVES TO CCPS AND OUR TEAM MOVING FORWARD AND AS WELL TO TALK A LITTLE ABOUT THOSE ACTION ITEMS GOING FORWARD FOR OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO THE KEY FINDINGS THAT WERE EVIDENT WITHIN THE SURVEY AND THESE WERE WITHIN THE SAME KEY FINDINGS LAST YEAR OF HIGH SCORING ITEMS. AND I DON'T WANT TO GO THROUGH EVERY SINGLE INDIVIDUAL QUESTION, BUT TO GO TO THE THEMES AND THOSE ARE IN THE GRAY BOX.
STRENGTHS IN OUR SURVEY, OVERWHELMINGLY FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, OUR EMPLOYEES FEEL A STRONG SENSE OF CAMARADERIE.
THEY FEEL A STRONG SENSE OF TEAM WITHIN THEIR TEAM AND THE FOLKS THEY WORK CLOSELY WITH ON A REGULAR BASIS.
EMPLOYEES INTEND TO STAY FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR.
WE ACTUALLY HAD THE EMPLOYEES INTENDING TO STAY FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR WAS IN THE MID EIGHTY PERCENT, WHICH IS WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR.
EMPLOYEES VALUE THEIR COMMUNITIES, COWORKERS AND STUDENTS AND EMPLOYEES KNOW WHAT IS EXPECTED OF THEM AND UNDERSTAND HOW THE WORK CONTRIBUTES TO THE GOALS OF THE DISTRICT.
AND THOSE WERE THEMES THAT EXISTED OVER THE SURVEY OVER THE TWO YEARS AS STRENGTHS.
AND I THINK THOSE ARE REALLY GOOD OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO BUILD UPON AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND NOT LOSE SIGHT OF IN OUR EFFORTS AND ON OUR WORK.
SO WE LOOK AT THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS OUR OPPORTUNITIES.
AND THESE WERE ITEMS THAT SCORED THE LOWEST IN THE ENGAGEMENT SURVEY AND FOR THE MOST PART, SCORED THE LOWEST FOR US OVER THE LAST TWO ITERATIONS OF THE SURVEY WHEN IT WAS GIVEN.
[01:25:01]
AND THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARE A CONSISTENT AND TRANSPARENT COMMUNICATION FROM DISTRICT LEADERSHIP, SHARING A COMPELLING VISION FOR THE FUTURE, COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SCHOOLS DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE DISTRICT AND TWO WAY COMMUNICATION WITH AND FEEDBACK AND RECOGNITION FROM PRINCIPALS AND SUPERVISORS.WE DID NOTICE THESE OPPORTUNITIES AFTER YEAR ONE IN THE SURVEY AND CCPS DID BEGIN THE PHASES OF MAKING PLANS TO MOVE FORWARD, IMPLEMENT SOME STRATEGIES TO TRY TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO IMPROVE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT.
COVID GOT IN THE WAY OF US IMPLEMENTING A LOT OF THE STRATEGIES THAT WERE BEING FORMULATED REALLY THREW US INTO A, I DON'T WANT TO SAY A TAILSPIN, BUT DEFINITELY FLIPPED US ON OUR LID.
SURVEY RESULTS WERE BEING ANALYZED IN FEBRUARY AND WE CLOSE MARCH 13TH.
SO IT DID DISRUPT OUR FLOW FOR BEING ABLE TO ADDRESS THIS.
BETWEEN THAT PERIOD OF REALLY MARCH AND NOW FOR THE MOST PART.
BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN WE DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE NOW AND NEED TO BEGIN TO.
THE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT SURVEY IS A TOOL THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO UTILIZE IN THE FUTURE TO HELP PROVIDE FEEDBACK AS WE KEEP BUILDING OUT OPPORTUNITIES TO STRENGTHEN OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH AND AMONGST OUR EMPLOYEES, WITH AND AMONGST LEADERSHIP AND WITH AND AMONGST AUTHORITY AND BETWEEN THOSE THOSE GROUPS.
SO FOCUSING ON REALLY WHERE WE GO FROM HERE AND WHAT ARE OUR OPPORTUNITIES REALLY ARE, AS WE SEE THEM.
AND SOME OF THIS FALLS TO ME AS I SEE IT.
WHEN I SEE THEMES OF DISTRICT LEADERSHIP.
WE'RE TAKING STEPS TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNICATION OPPORTUNITIES WITH STAFF FROM DISTRICT LEADERSHIP OUT TO OUR EMPLOYEE GROUPS.
THIS DOES INCLUDE AND I WANT TO BE CLEAR ON THIS PIECE, COMMUNICATION IS NOT JUST ONE WAY.
IT'S NOT JUST THE EMAIL, THE NEWSLETTER.
IT'S A TWO WAY COMMUNICATION AND DIALOG IN PROVIDING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
AGAIN, COVID MAKES IT REALLY INTERESTING TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE WHEN WE STRUGGLE TO BE ABLE TO SIT IN ROOMS TOGETHER.
BUT WE'RE GOING TO FIND WAYS TO OVERCOME THAT.
NOW THAT, OF COURSE, WE CAN BE.
A FACT THAT WE'RE ALL SITTING IN HERE GREATER THAN SIX FEET APART, BUT WE ALL ARE ABLE TO HAVE OUR MASKS OFF AND SAFELY DO IT SAYS A LOT THAT WE CAN DO AROUND COMMUNICATION.
AND WE'VE ALREADY STARTED TAKING STEPS TO IMPROVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR TWO WAY COMMUNICATION AND DIALOG AS I'M TRYING TO FILL WHAT'S REMAINING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR WITH MY CALENDAR, WITH SCHOOL VISITS AND AND BASICALLY BEING AROUND AND BEING WITH STAFF TO OPEN UP THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
WE ALSO WANT TO LOOK AT BEING INTENTIONAL WITH ONE WAY COMMUNICATION AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE WHY OF A DECISION.
THERE'S ALWAYS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE THE.
THERE'S ALMOST ALWAYS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE THE WHY OF A DECISION IF WE BUILDINGS ON FIRE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE WHY TO SAY WHY ONE DOOR IS BETTER THAN ANOTHER.
BUT A LOT OF TIMES WE HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO FOCUS ON THE WHY, TO MAKE SURE FOLKS KNOW WHY WE'RE MOVING IN ONE DIRECTION OR WHY WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO ROW THIS WAY AS OPPOSED TO ANOTHER AND HELPING TO FILL THAT VOID.
A LOT OF TIMES FOLKS WILL DO WHAT THEY THINK IS BEST.
AND IF THEY HAVE THE INFORMATION FOR THE WHY, IT HELPS MOVE US IN THAT DIRECTION IN A BETTER FLOW, WITH BETTER SUPPORT MOVING FORWARD.
WE ARE ALSO GOING TO SUSTAIN OUR FOCUS ON OUR VISION, MISSION, CORE VALUES AND GOALS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
CAROLINE COUNTY PUT A LOT OF EFFORT.
MANY OF US WERE ON THAT TEAM AND DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC PLAN.
A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE DEVELOPED A 2020-2025 STRATEGIC PLAN WITH FOUR VERY CLEAR GOALS .
FOUR VERY CLEAR GOALS WERE, IN A NUTSHELL, ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT FOR ALL STUDENTS, SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL WELLNESS FOR ALL STUDENTS, IMPROVING EDUCATIONAL EQUITY FOR ALL STUDENTS, AND IMPROVING COMMUNICATION.
WE DON'T GET THE LUXURY OF TAKING A PENCIL TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND SCRATCHING OUT AND GOING OUT SOME 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN.
IT WAS A COMMITMENT WE MADE FOR 2020-2025.
AND WE'RE GOING TO KEEP WORKING FORWARD.
WE KEEP WORKING ON THE GOALS THAT WE FELT AS A SYSTEM AND OUR COMMUNITY FELT THAT WERE IMPORTANT TO MOVING OURSELVES FORWARD FOR ALL OF OUR KIDS.
WITH THAT SAID, WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON CREATING A REGULAR COMMUNICATION PLAN ON PROGRESS FOR HOW WE WERE DOING AT ACHIEVING THE GOALS THAT WE LAID OUT WITHIN THE STRATEGIC PLAN GOING FORWARD.
[01:30:01]
OUR GOAL WAS TO MEET ALL OF THOSE BY 2025, IF NOT SOONER.AND WE HAVE GOT TO BE TRANSPARENT AND CLEAR ON HOW WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS ON THOSE GOALS.
AND IF WE ARE NOT MAKING PROGRESS ON THOSE GOALS, THEN WE NEED TO REVISIT SAID PROGRESS OR LACK THEREOF, SEE WHAT'S GETTING IN THE WAY AND REVISE THE PLAN.
KEEP MOVING FORWARD AND WE'RE GOING TO REMAIN COMMITTED TO THAT.
AND WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THAT AS WELL WITH THE BOARD AS WE LOOK AT OUR STRUCTURES AND AGENDAS MOVING INTO THE OUT YEARS, BEYOND JUST ENDING THE SCHOOL YEAR.
AND WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE THE OBVIOUSLY THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT SURVEY TO MEASURE PROGRESS AND ADJUST PLANS ACCORDINGLY.
WE ARE ENGAGED IN CONVERSATION ABOUT THE TIMELINESS OF THE SURVEY OF WHEN MAYBE THE BEST OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE IT AND WHEN MAY BE THE BEST OPPORTUNITY.
IT MAY MEAN THAT WE DIPSTICK TWICE A YEAR.
AND LOOKING AT IT FROM AN EDUCATOR STANDPOINT, IF I'M TEACHING A CLASSROOM OF CHILDREN IN MY CLASSROOM, I CAN'T WAIT TILL THE END OF THE YEAR TO GIVE A TEST TO SAY HOW DID I DO AND HOW HAVE I DONE ALL YEAR LONG? WE WAIT TILL THE END OF THE YEAR.
AN AUTOPSY DOES NO GOOD FOR US IN FACING THE FUTURE, DOES A GREAT JOB OF LETTING US LOOK AT THE HISTORY.
I LOVE HISTORY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE'VE GOT TO DIP STICK A LITTLE BIT MORE OFTEN TO KNOW HOW WE'RE DOING AND MAKE PROGRESS IN ALL OF OUR AREAS.
WE SHOULD BE DOING THIS AS WELL AS PART OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN, PART OF THE GOALS THAT WE HAVE GOING FORWARD, WE'RE COMMITTED, WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARDS IMPROVING THE OUTCOMES.
WE HAD SOME REALLY GOOD HIGHLIGHTS WITH SOME OF OUR EMPLOYEE GROUPS THAT FEEL VERY CONNECTED AND VERY ENGAGED, WHICH IS EXCITING.
WE HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN FROM WHAT'S WORKING REALLY WELL AND SOME EMPLOYEE GROUPS TO LEARN FROM THAT AND TO STRENGTHEN THOSE OUTCOMES ELSEWHERE FOR OTHER EMPLOYEE GROUPS.
OUR GOAL WAS TO SEE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS ACROSS THE BOARD FOR ALL OF US.
WE TRULY ARE A KEY THEME THAT WE'RE REALLY SOLID.
WE REALLY LOVE OUR TEAMS. WE LOVE OUR HOMES.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FEEL CONNECTED ACROSS ALL OF OUR HOMES.
WE HAVE MULTIPLE SCHOOLS, WE HAVE MULTIPLE FACILITIES, EVERYBODY LOVES THEIR HOME, BUT AGAIN, IS WE'VE GOT TO WORK TO BUILD THAT SYSTEMIC APPROACH.
SO WE'RE NOT JUST A SYSTEM OF SCHOOLS, BUT A SCHOOL SYSTEM, AGAIN, WE'RE ALL ROWING IN DIFFERENT BOATS, BUT WE'RE ROWING IN THE SAME DIRECTION FOR THE SAME GOAL.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? COMING OUT OF WASHINGTON IS A FAIR WAY THAT AND THIS MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT AND GET FEEDBACK LATER.
IS THERE A WAY BETWEEN OUR MEDIA AND OUR TEAM THAT THIS STRATEGIC PLAN, THOSE FOUR GOALS CAN BE? THE POSTER OR BILLBOARD OR WHATEVER THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY OR MAKE IT EASY VISIBILITY FOR EVERYONE TO SEE, LIKE WE SEE THE NO SMOKING COURTS AND THAT TYPE THING.
I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE OUR COUNTY'S GOAL THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO KNOW IT.
FOLKS HERE, THE STAFF, IMMEDIATE STAFF NEEDS TO KNOW IT.
EVERY TEACHER, EVERY STUDENT, EVERY PARENT, EVERY COMMUNITY.
SO I THINK IF WE'RE REALLY GOING TO FOCUS ON THAT, THAT WE NEED TO PUT SOME EFFORT IN MAYBE, AS I SAID, BETWEEN IT AND MEDIA TO BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH A PLAN FOR SPREADING THAT COMMUNITY-WIDE.
I MEAN, IT COULD BE IN ALL THE COUNTY BUILDINGS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND JUST EVERYWHERE.
AND SO FOR THE PAST YEAR HAS BEEN HOW ARE WE GOING TO COPE WITH THIS PANDEMIC AND TRY TO GET OUT OF IT SO REVISITING AND COME BACK THAT THE KEY PARTS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND ILLUSTRATE THAT AND EMPHASIZING THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
SO YOU'VE BEEN RUNNING FULL BORE THROUGH THIS THING AND YOU'RE OUT OF BREATH.
CATCH YOUR BREATH AND RECONNECT WITH THE OBJECTIVES SAYING SPEAKERS] TO THANK YOU FOR.
DR. SIMMONS, YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB OF SUMMARIZING THIS SURVEY, BUT, YOU KNOW,
[01:35:02]
I WANT TO, YOU KNOW, LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT MORE DATA AND INFORMATION TO THIS SURVEY.YOU'VE DONE A GOOD JOB OF SUMMARIZING IT BRIEFLY FOR THIS THIS OPEN MEETING.
YOU KNOW, BUT TO THE STAFF WHO AGAIN, TURNED OUT IN 79 PERCENT PARTICIPATION UP FROM 76.
I MEAN, THAT'S JUST PHENOMENAL.
AND I WANT TO CONTINUE TO CHALLENGE PEOPLE TO DO THAT AND OVERALL THAT'S GREAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS BOARD HAS SEEN SOME OF THE MORE DETAILED INFORMATION, SOME AREAS, CATEGORIES OF OUR EMPLOYEES HAVE STEPPED BACK FROM THE SURVEY OVERALL WENT UP, BUT OTHER AREAS STEPPED BACK.
AND I CHALLENGE ALL OUR EMPLOYEES TO PARTICIPATE TO THIS BECAUSE THIS BOARD IS LOOKING AT IT, YOU KNOW, SCHOOL BY SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, QUESTION BY QUESTION, SEEING WHAT WE CAN DO TO DO BETTER AS WELL AS THIS ADMINISTRATION, AS MUCH AS OUR STAFF COVID DID KIND OF INTERFERE WITH WHAT WE COULD DO FROM THE FIRST SURVEY.
AND THIS IS OUR SECOND, AS YOU POINTED OUT, AND I KNOW PREVIOUS BOARDS HAVE TALKED ABOUT LOCAL DATA THAT WE CONTROL THAT DOESN'T CHANGE YEAR, BUT YEAR BY YEAR, SOMEBODY OUTSIDE OF THIS THING.
AND I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN THIS CONSISTENCY EVEN THROUGH AN INCONSISTENT YEAR.
AND JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO MAKE SURE WE CELEBRATE, ESPECIALLY IN TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK AND STAFF APPRECIATION TIMES, WHAT WE'RE DOING WELL.
BUT IT'S ALSO AS IMPORTANT TO, YOU KNOW, TO DO WHAT WE HERE TO DO FOR OUR STUDENTS IS TO HAVE THE KEY DISCUSSIONS NEEDED TO WORK ON THE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD DO A LITTLE BETTER.
AND I THINK THIS SURVEY IS HELPING US DO THAT.
SO I JUST APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION.
PLEASE ENCOURAGE THE STAFF TO CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE AND PARTICIPATE IN THE OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE WHAT WE KEEP DOING, WHAT WE'RE DOING WELL AND IMPROVE WHAT WE NEED TO WORK ON.
MEMBERS, ALL RIGHT, WE ARE MOVING ON TO IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE ON THAT, REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS WE ARE BACK TO OR NOT BACK TO YOU, BUT UP TO 6.02, ELEMENTARY SECONDARY SCHOOL, EMERGENCY RELIEF ESSER .
AND I THINK, MR.[INAUDIBLE], YOU'RE GOING TO TOUCH ON THAT.
AND YES, PRESIDENT NEWCOMB, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
SO ESSER COMMONLY REFERRED TO CAN SEE WHAT THAT STANDS FOR ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND.
THIS IS ROUND TWO OF WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE.
LIKE ROUND ONE WAS RECEIVED LAST SCHOOL YEAR RIGHT IN THE MIDST OF THE PANDEMIC AND WAS NOT NEARLY THE AMOUNT DOLLAR WISE AS ESSER II.
AND THERE IS AN ESSER III FORTHCOMING.
WE HOPE TO HAVE MORE DEFINITIVE GUIDANCE FROM MSDE [INAUDIBLE] A PHONE CALL TODAY.
WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, RIGHT ABOUT TWO WEEKS, WE'LL HAVE PRELIMINARY INFORMATION AS TO SOME OF THE RULES OF THE ROAD, IF YOU WILL, FOR STRUCTURING AND DEVELOPING BUDGETS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
BUT TONIGHT, WE'RE FOCUSING ON ESSER II AND THE BUDGET THAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED BY STAFF HERE FOR THE USE OF THOSE FUNDS.
SO ONTO THE NEXT PAGE, ALLOWABLE USAGE EXTEND BEYOND WHAT WAS THE ORIGINAL LEVEL OF ESSER AND ESSER ONE WAS REALLY ABOUT GETTING KIDS TO BE ABLE TO LEARN REMOTELY.
AND WE USED ALL THAT MONEY FOR TECHNOLOGY SO THAT WE COULD GET DEVICES IN THE HANDS OF KIDS.
SO THAT MONEY GOT SPENT IN A MATTER OF TEN MINUTES.
IT DID NOT TAKE LONG TO LIQUIDATE THOSE MONIES.
THIS POT FULL OF MONEY, AS YOU CAN SEE AT THE BOTTOM THERE A LITTLE BIT, A LITTLE BIT NORTH OF SIX MILLION DOLLARS, TOOK A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO REALLY VET OUT BECAUSE WE DID A REALLY GOOD JOB WITH THE FIRST ALLOCATION OF CARES AND SATISFYING THAT CONNECTIVITY.
BUT THAT BEING SAID, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO BETTER.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY EXPANDED IT TO ALLOW YOU TO ADDRESS AND TO INCLUDE ITEMS TO ADDRESS, LEARNING LOSS, PREPARING SCHOOLS FOR REOPENING AND REPAIRING AND UPGRADING, UPGRADE PROJECTS TO IMPROVE INDOOR AIR QUALITY ISSUES AND SCHOOLS.
KNOWING THAT MORE THAN EVER, THE FRESH AIR AND THE BETTER THE AIR QUALITY IN THE SCHOOLS, THE HEALTHIER THEY ARE IN HELPING TO KEEP MINIMIZE THE THE POSSIBILITY OF SPREAD,
[01:40:03]
NOT JUST OF COVID, BUT FLU OR, YOU KNOW, ANY OTHER GERM THAT MAY BE AIRBORNE.AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS ESSER II GRANT DOES NOT HAVE AN EQUITABLE SERVICES REQUIREMENT.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS BASICALLY IS THAT WE'RE NOT REQUIRED.
MOST FEDERAL MONEYS COMES WITH THE REQUIREMENT THAT A PORTION OF IT GO TO ANY NONPUBLIC ENTITY THAT THAT LISTEN THAT'S IN YOUR JURISDICTION.
AND FOR US, I BELIEVE THAT [INAUDIBLE] SCHOOL.
AND SO WE HAVE TO CARVE OFF A PERCENTAGE OF THE GRANT BASED ON A FORMULA THAT THAT'S APPROVED BY USDE AS SUBMITTED BY MSDE BECAUSE OF MULTIPLE DIFFERENT WAYS.
AND WITH CARES II OR ESSER II, THERE'S NO EQUITABLE SERVICE REQUIREMENT.
SO THE SIX MILLION DOLLARS IS REALLY ALL FOR CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE AREA.
SO THE BUCKETS THAT WE FOCUSED ON WAS TECHNOLOGY AGAIN AND THAT WE FORESEE THE USE OF DEVICES IN STUDENTS HANDS TO CONTINUE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
AND SO WITH THAT SAID, WITH CARES I, WE PAID FOR A LOT OF DEVICE CONTROL MECHANISMS TO ALLOW TECHNOLOGY TO MONITOR AND CONTROL WHAT KIDS, WHAT STUDENTS ARE ACTUALLY ABLE TO DO WITH THAT DEVICE, AS WELL AS BE ABLE TO REMOTELY UPDATE THE DEVICES WITH SOFTWARE UPDATES, ET CETERA, WITHOUT HAVING TO BRING THEM PHYSICALLY BACK IN.
AND SO WE'RE USING SOME CARES MONEY TO EXTEND THAT FOR A COUPLE MORE YEARS BECAUSE THE GRANT PERIOD FOR THIS GRANT EXTENDS THROUGH 2023.
SO WE CAN SPEND WE CAN AVOID HAVING TO BUDGET FOR IT LOCALLY BY USING SOME GRANT MONEY TO PAY FOR THOSE RECURRING COSTS FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS AND THEN SEE WHERE WE ARE AND SEE IF THAT'S REALLY THE PLATFORM THAT NEEDS TO CONTINUE OR AND IF SO, TRY TO FOLD IT INTO.
THE LOCAL BUDGET AT THAT POINT IN TIME AND SEE WHAT'S WORKING AND WHAT'S NOT.
WE ALSO HAVE LEARNED THAT WE REALLY NEED TO PROTECT THESE DEVICES BETTER THAN JUST A CARRYING CASE.
AND SO WE NEED MORE DROP RESISTANT CASES, SHOCK RESISTANT CASES, PROTECTIVE SCREENS ON THE DEVICES, BECAUSE SOME OF THE CRACKING OF THE SCREENS, THE SCREEN PROTECTORS WOULD WE THINK WOULD REDUCE SOME OF THOSE.
AND SO WE'RE BUDGETING FOR THAT KIND OF COST TO BE ABLE TO BE HAVE ALL THE DEVICES WHEN THEY'RE TURNED BACK TO STUDENTS.
REISSUED TO STUDENTS IN SEPTEMBER, A LOT MORE DURABLE, A LOT MORE NOT TO SAY THEY'RE NOT STILL GOING TO BREAK, BUT THE ACCIDENTAL DROPS ARE HOPEFULLY GOING TO HELP PROTECT THEM A LOT MORE WHEN WE DEPLOY DEVICES THIS PAST SUMMER FOR THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
WELL, A LOT OF DEVICES WERE EXISTING DEVICES AND LABS IN MOBILE CARS, AND THEY WERE REALLY NOW END OF LIFE.
AND SOME OF THEM ARE LIMITED AS FAR AS THEIR ABILITY TO DO ALL THE LATEST AND GREATEST ZOOM AND TECH RELATED ISSUES THAT THE TEACHERS NEED THEM TO DO.
AND SO A PORTION OF THE GRANTS BEING ALLOCATED TO REPLACE SOME OF THE OLDER STUDENT DEVICES.
WHEN WE FIRST UP, THE MODEL FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR, IPADS WERE THROUGH GRADE FOUR PRE-K THROUGH GRADE FOUR AND LAPTOPS GRADE FIVE AND ABOVE.
REALLY IN A PERFECT WORLD, IT'S NOT THE NICE INSTRUCTIONS SAID THAT WE'D LIKE TO HAVE LAPTOPS IN THE HANDS OF THIRD AND FOURTH GRADERS SO A PORTION OF THE FUNDS WOULD BE USED TO PURCHASE LAPTOPS SO THAT THIRD FOURTH GRADERS IN THE FALL WILL GET LAPTOPS AND NOT IPADS.
AND THEN FINALLY, IF YOU'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO AROUND AND VISIT SOME OF THE SCHOOLS, YOU'LL SEE SOME AMAZINGLY CREATIVE TEACHER WORKSPACES, YOU KNOW, MILK CRATES AND BOOKS AND ALL KINDS OF GADGETS AND GIZMOS TO ALLOW THEM TO MULTITASK AND TO TEACH IN PERSON AND TEACH VIA ZOOM.
AND WHILE WE CLEARLY KNOW THAT IN SEPTEMBER, ALL STUDENTS ARE GOING TO COME BACK TO THE BUILDING AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THE HYBRID ENVIRONMENT THAT WE HAVE NOW, STUDENTS ARE STILL GOING TO HAVE DEVICES AND TEACHERS ARE STILL GOING TO USE THAT TECHNOLOGY AS A TOOL BECAUSE THEY'VE LEARNED TO USE THAT TECHNOLOGY.
AND FROM TIME TO TIME, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A STUDENT THAT'S OUT, MAYBE HOME WITH THE FLU OR SOMETHING THAT MAY VERY WELL ZOOM IN FOR THE DAY.
AND SO WE TASKED THE TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT TO SEE IF THEY COULD COME UP WITH A MOBILE TEACHER WORKSTATION.
[01:45:01]
IT'S A DESK ON WHEELS THAT'S ADJUSTABLE FROM SITTING TO STANDING WITH THE TOUCH OF A BUTTON AND CONTAINS EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEED.LCD PANEL, MICROPHONE, PROJECTOR, ALL WIRELESS, ALL WIRED TOGETHER.
SO EVEN IF EVERY KID IS IN THE CLASSROOM, THEY'RE NOT BOUND TO ONE SECTION OF THE OF THE CLASSROOM TO TEACH.
THEY CAN MOVE AROUND AND REORIENT THEMSELVES AND TAKE THEIR WHOLE WORKSTATION WITH THEM.
SO WE'VE PILOTED THAT THIS SPRING AT ALL THREE LEVELS, LINDSAY IN CONJUNCTION WITH TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT AND HAS BEEN VERY WELL RECEIVED.
AND SO BE PART OF THIS BUDGET IS TO PURCHASE THEM FOR EVERY TEACHER AND MAKE SURE THAT IN THE FALL, ALL TEACHERS HAVE THAT TOTALLY WIRED BROUGHT UP TO SPEED WORKSTATION.
IN ADDITION, WE HAVE SOME YOU KNOW, OVER THE YEARS W PUT IN PROJECTORS AND BRIGHTLINGSEA IN STAGES AS MONIES HAVE BECOME AVAILABLE.
WE'RE GOING TO BRING EVERYBODY UP TO THE SAME STANDARD SO THAT IN THE FALL EVERYBODY'S GOT AS NEW AS POSSIBLE TECHNOLOGY IN THEIR CLASSROOM.
NOW, SOME OF THEM HAVE GOTTEN SOME OF THAT WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
IT'S BUT OLDER STUFF THAT'S REALLY OUT OF WARRANTY, OUT OF SERVICE REPAIR.
SO THIS REALLY GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY HIT THE CLASSROOM HARD AS IT RELATES TO THE RESOURCES THAT TEACHERS NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY GOING FORWARD.
AND THEN WITHIN INSTRUCTION ITSELF, YOU KNOW, EXPANDED USES ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE TO PAY FOR SOME OF THESE LEARNING PLATFORMS THAT ARE INSTRUMENTAL TO GETTING US THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC.
BUT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO EMBRACE.
IN FUTURE YEARS, AS WELL AS TAKE CARE OF SOME ITEMS THAT WE NEED FOR THIS UPCOMING SUMMER SCHOOL THAT WE'VE ALREADY INCURRED SO THAT BAND STUDENTS CAN PLAY INSTRUMENTS IN THE SAME ROOM WITH EACH OTHER AND LOTS OF LANGUAGE ART SUPPLIES, BECAUSE THE GRANT PERIOD FOR THIS, ALTHOUGH WE'RE JUST NOW SUBMITTING THIS GRANT, IT GOES BACK TO LAST MARCH.
SO EVEN EXPENDITURES WE'VE ALREADY INCURRED CAN BE CAPTURED THROUGH THIS GRANT.
AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, AS IT RELATES TO DEVICE MANAGEMENT, WE ALSO WANT TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SOME OF THESE TOOLS THAT GUIDANCE COUNSELORS AND SOME OF OUR SPECIAL EDUCATORS NEED AS IT RELATES TO GOOGLE VOICE AND ZOOM AND LEARNING TOOLS, LEARNING PLATFORMS, IF YOU WILL.
A COUPLE OF THOSE ARE SPECIAL ED AND SOME OF THOSE ARE REGULAR.
AND SO THOSE ARE THERE FOR YOU.
AND THEN FINALLY AND FACILITATES CARES I ALLOWED FOR PPE AND DESK SHIELDS.
BUT AND WE NEED A LOT MORE OF THAT AS WE BRING MORE AND MORE KIDS BACK TO THE BUILDING TO ENSURE THAT EVERYBODY IS PROPERLY PROTECTED AND HAS THE SUPPLIES THAT THEY NEED.
AND THEN, AS DISCUSSED EARLIER, THE PROPOSAL ACTION ITEM BEFORE YOU TONIGHT WAS TO SPEND SOME OF THIS MONEY, A BIG CHUNK OF IT, ON UPGRADING THE HVAC CONTROLS AND THREE OF OUR SCHOOLS.
AND TO COME BEFORE YOU, ASSUMING THAT YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME BEFORE YOU OUT TO BID RIGHT NOW IS REMOVAL OF CARPET IN CLASSROOMS AND REPLACING IT WITH EITHER VCT OR LVT BECAUSE CARPET TRAP SMELLS, TRAPS ODORS, AND CONTRIBUTES TO AN UNHEALTHY LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.
WHILE IT MAY BE A NOISE DAMPER, IT'S NOT LONG TERM WHAT WE WHERE WE SHOULD BE.
AND WE HAVE FOUR SCHOOLS THAT NEED TO BE DONE.
WE HAVE A BID OUT ON THE STREET RIGHT NOW TO DO TWO OF THOSE SCHOOLS.
AND I PROPOSE TO USE CARES II MONEY FOR TWO OF THE FOUR SCHOOLS AND THEN CARES III MONEY WOULD BE USED FOR THE OTHER TWO SCHOOLS NEXT SUMMER.
IT'S JUST TOO, TOO MUCH TO BITE OFF TO TRY TO DO ALL FOUR SCHOOLS THIS SUMMER IN CONJUNCTION WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH SUMMER SCHOOL.
SO THIS SUMMER WOULD BE WOULD BE LOCKERMAN AND RIDGELY, AND THEN NEXT SUMMER WOULD BE DENTON ELEMENTARY AND FEDERALSBURG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, ALL YOUR SCHOOLS, ALL THE LEARNING AREAS WOULD BE VCT
[01:50:01]
OR LVT.AND THE DIFFERENCE AND OTHERS ARE ACRONYMS. BUT VCT IS VINYL, LVT IS LUXURY VINYL AND THE DIFFERENCE IS VCT YOU HAVE TO WAX AND PUT A SHINE ON.
LVT IS A NATURAL FINISH THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE WAXING OR SO IT'S A MUCH MORE IT'S A MORE EXPENSIVE PRODUCT.
BUT LIFE CYCLE, IT'S LESS EXPENSIVE BECAUSE A LOT LOWER MAINTENANCE COSTS.
IT'S ESSENTIALLY WATERPROOF OR PRETTY CLOSE.
AND WE KNOW ESPECIALLY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, YOU DON'T SEE THE CUPPING.
THINGS GET SPILLED ON THE FLOOR.
LVT COMES A MUCH BIGGER PART PANELS WHERE THE VCT IS LIKE A 12 BY 12 SQUARE.
AND YOU GET IF YOU GET A WATER LEAK OR SOMETHING, YOU CAN SEE SOME CUPPING OF THE TILES.
AND OBVIOUSLY AND WE CAN ALSO PAY FOR FOOD AND PACKAGING COSTS, SO THERE'S SMALL PORTION DEDICATED TO THAT.
YOU'LL SEE MORE OF THAT COSTS COME AND ASSOCIATED WITH CARES III.
AND THEN THIS GRANT ALSO ENABLES US TO, ALONG WITH ANOTHER GRANT THAT WE GOT, WE ARE FULLY COVERING THE COST OF THE THIRD BUS RUN WITH GRANTS.
SO THAT COSTS THAT THIRD BUS RUN IS NOT BEING BORNE BY THE LOCAL BUDGET AT ALL.
NOW, THE OTHER ATTACHMENT AND I, ALL THE KUDOS FOR THAT VERY NICE, CONCISE SUMMARY, GO TO RACHEL, BECAUSE WHAT I SENT TO HER WAS A LOT.
AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE IT'S A NICE OVERVIEW.
BUT AT FULL DISCLOSURE, THIS IS I PULLED DIRECTLY FROM THE BUDGET, BEING SUBMITTED TO MSDE AS FAR AS EXPLANATION OF OUR PROPOSAL FOR ESSER II FUNDS WITH ALL THE BREAKDOWN OF HOW MUCH PER LINE.
BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS, CLARIFICATIONS, COMMENTS? LOTS OF GOOD DISCUSSION.
I LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THE THOROUGHNESS.
WELL, I'LL TELL YOU, IN MY CAREER HERE, THIS IS AGAIN THE FIRST WE HAVE NEVER HAD THIS KIND OF MONEY.
AND HONESTLY, WHEN WE GOT CARES I GRANT, WE DIDN'T, IT WAS, WE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT NEEDED TO BE SPENT ON IT WITH IT JUST AND IT WAS LITTLE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS, WHICH IS NO, NOT POCKET CHANGE.
BUT WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT THIS MUCH MONEY, YOU KNOW, AND CERTAINLY THE NEXT ONE, YOU'LL SEE IT WHEN WE GET TO THE BUDGET.
THE MAGNITUDE, THIS IS THERE'S THE YOU KNOW, THE LEVEL OF DETAIL NECESSARY.
I'M NOT SURE HOW IT ALL RELATES TO COVID, AND I DON'T CARE.
I'M VERY PROUD, I'M ALSO VERY CAN'T THINK OF THE RIGHT WORD, BUT YEAH, AND I KNOW YOU KNOW VERY WHAT IS, SOMEBODY HELP WITH THE WORD.
CAREFUL BECAUSE PEOPLE COULD SAY ANYTHING THEY WANT.
KNOW? AND BUT I KNOW FROM TALKING TO SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES FROM AROUND THE STATE AND ERIN AND SAYS, WELL, WORK, YOU KNOW, I WORK WITH WE'RE LIGHT YEARS AHEAD OF WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH OUR MONEY COMPARED TO WHAT OTHER SYSTEMS ARE DOING IT.
AND IT'S BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW, WE'VE JUST DONE IT RIGHT FOR SO LONG THAT WE DON'T WE'RE NOT PUTTING BAND AIDS ON THINGS.
WE'RE REALLY THIS MONEY IS GOING TO PAY DIVIDENDS FOR YEARS TO COME, LONG AFTER THE GRANT.
THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS LIKE SAID, MR. NAGEL, YOU'VE BEEN HERE A LOT LONGER, INVOLVED IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM THAN I HAVE BEEN HERE PRETTY INVOLVED IN PRETTY LENGTHY PERIOD OF TIME SINCE 2006.
AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WOULD HAVE WISHED COVID ON US, NOT JUST US, BUT THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE SILVER LININGS.
AND YOU CAN LOOK DOWN THIS LIST AND THE DETAIL THAT YOU AND YOUR STAFF AND EVERYONE ELSE HAS PUT TOGETHER.
[01:55:01]
WE JUST DON'T HAVE A CATEGORY AND WE'VE GOT A BUNCH OF MONEY IN IT.AND EVEN THOUGH WE'VE DONE A LOT OF THINGS, WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO ARGUE ABOUT ANY OF THESE THINGS.
AND IT MAKES ME THINK ABOUT SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE MONEY, TOO.
WE ALL KNOW THERE'S INFRASTRUCTURE OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE.
WE'VE KNOWN THESE THINGS COULD BE DONE, BUT YOU JUST CAN'T DO THEM EVERY YEAR WHEN YOU KNOW YOU'RE FOCUSED ON OTHER ASPECTS OF YOUR MISSION AND VISION.
SO IT'S REALLY NEAT TO SEE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE THINGS COME TOGETHER.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ONE TO ONE.
NEVER THOUGHT WE'D GET THERE IN A YEAR OR AT ALL.
TO BE HONEST, WE NEVER THOUGHT WE'D HAVE THE YEAR WE'VE HAD.
BUT THEN TO HAVE THE SUPPORT THEY LIKE RICK SAID, YOU KNOW, GLAD TO USE EVERY PENNY OF IT.
WELL, AND AGAIN, IT BEARS TO BE NOTED AGAIN AND RECOGNIZE THE COMMISSIONERS BECAUSE THEY ALSO HELPED US TO GET THROUGH THIS.
AND WHEN THEY HAD CARES MONEY, THEY SAY, HEY, HOW CAN WE HELP? AND SO THAT'S HELPED WITH SOME OF THE TRANSPORTATION COSTS.
BUT HOW DOES IT RELATE TO COVID? YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A DEVASTATING TIME, NEEDLESS TO SAY, IN ALL THESE CATEGORIES AND HELPING THE SYSTEM RECOVER, HELPING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT GET BETTER.
AND SO MUCH ENERGY AND EFFORT WAS REDIRECTED TO OTHER THINGS BECAUSE OF THE WHAT'S GOING ON THE PAST YEAR AND THIS HELPS THAT WE LOT BEFORE CENTER BACK ON OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITIES.
AND THE POST PANDEMIC WORLD AND WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE IT'S NOT GOING TO BE QUITE THE SAME.
AND SO THESE ARE GREAT CATEGORIES OF EXPENDITURE AND I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT ALL.
OTHER THAN TO SAY THIS LOOKS OUTSTANDING IN THE END.
I KNOW FIRSTHAND THAT THERE ARE SYSTEMS SPENDING SOME OF THIS MONEY TO REPLACE WINDOWS.
BECAUSE THEY HAVE 40, 50 YEAR OLD SINGLE PANE WINDOWS THAT ARE DRAFTY.
THEY JUST CLOSE THE BLINDS ANYWAY DON'T THEY? AND THEY SWEAT AND DRAFTY AND THERE ARE SYSTEMS USING SOME OF THIS MONEY TO INSTALL HVAC SYSTEMS BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ANY THING BUT HEAT.
THEY YOU KNOW, WE KNOW FIRSTHAND WHEN IT GETS HOT.
THERE ARE SCHOOLS IN THIS STATE THAT HAVE TO CLOSE.
HALF DAY BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE AIR CONDITIONING.
SO A LOT OF PEOPLE OVER A LONG TIME HAVE WORKED HARD TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE CONDITIONED SPACES AND THIS MONEY IS HELPING TO MAKE THAT CONDITION SPACE EVEN BETTER IN SOME OF THE SCHOOLS WHERE SYSTEMS ARE REALLY IN NEED OF SOME ATTENTION.
VERY GOOD PRESENTATION, AND I'LL JUST PUT THE PLUG IN THERE, SINCE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, LAPTOPS HOPEFULLY COMING OUT OF THREE AND FOUR YEAR OLDS AND OUR KIDS HAVE LOST A LOT.
THEY'VE GAINED SOME THINGS, TOO.
THEY'VE GAINED SOME ABILITIES.
THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE CONNECTION PASSWORDS, YOU KNOW, LOG INS, AND NOW THEY'VE GOT A KEYBOARD IN FRONT OF THEM FOR.
SO I'M GOING TO PUT IN MY PLUG FOR TYPING OR KEYBOARDING.
AND, YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU ONCE YOU PUT ONCE YOU, YOU KNOW, INSTRUCT A KID AND A BIG KID OR AN ADULT STUDENT IN SOMETHING, IF YOU DON'T USE IT, YOU LOSE IT.
BUT NOW, YOU KNOW, INSTRUCTION, YOU KNOW, CURRICULUM, WE'VE GOT TO INTRODUCE IT TO THEM EARLIER NOW.
AND WE YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T LET THEM HUNT AND PECK.
TALK TO TEXT IS FINE, BUT YOU CAN'T TALK TO TEXT ALL THE TIME.
WE CAN'T TALK TEXT ALL THE TIME.
YOU'VE GOT THE KEYBOARD? I FELL INTO IT MY SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL.
AND I'M SO THANKFUL EVERY DAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I SIGNED UP FOR THAT CLASS TO HANG OUT WITH A BUNCH OF GIRLS, YOU KNOW.
MR. NEWCOMB, HUH? YEAH, PAYROLL.
WHO'S MARRIED TO HER SON, JIM? PAT.
YEAH, PAT'S HER SON, RIGHT? THEY'RE ALL.
BUT THEY GOT TO, TEACHERS GOT TO STAND THERE AND MAKE SURE I WASN'T CHEATING.
YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO HAVE A TEACHER TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT CHEATING.
AND I'M THANKFUL FOR THAT EVERY DAY.
SO AND I KNEW THESE KIDS WILL BE THANKFUL.
I MEAN, THEY'VE MISSED SOMETHING, BUT THEY'VE GAINED SOMETHING.
IS THESE THESE FUNDS ARE GIVING THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN SOMETHING THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE HAD OTHERWISE.
SO, BOARD ANY ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT, GREAT PRESENTATION.
NOW WE KNOW WHERE SOME FUNDS ARE COMING FROM, THAT NORMALLY AND MR. NAGEL LONG TENURE WITH A SYSTEM HAVE NEVER SHOWN UP IN THIS VOLUME OR, YOU KNOW, VARIETY BEFORE.
AND I'D LIKE TO BRING BACK INDIVIDUAL ACTION.
WE HAD A PUBLIC OR A PRESENTATION ON EARLIER ABOUT THE BIDS THAT WENT OUT
[02:00:04]
FOR VASEY, UPGRADES RELATING TO SWITCHES AND CONTROLS, ET CETERA, BOARD MEMBERS, ANY CONVERSATION OR QUESTIONS ON THAT INDIVIDUAL ACTION ITEM? SO MOST OF THAT IS BEING PAID.OH, YEAH, SO DO WE NEED A MOTION? YES, MOTION TO ACCEPT THE BID AS RECOMMENDED.
ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION, QUESTIONS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE.
GREAT TO UPGRADE THOSE SCHOOLS.
YEP, FOR THAT TO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO WORK THAT AROUND A LITTLE BIT TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHERE THE FUNDS ARE COMING FROM.
WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
[7. Citizens/Public Comments]
DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT THIS EVENING? WE DO.I'M GOING TO READ THE PUBLIC COMMENTS STATEMENT AND [INAUDIBLE] ONLINE FOR THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
THE MEMBERS OF THE CAROLINE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION DESIRE TO HEAR THE VIEWS AND HAVE THE ADVICE OF INTERESTED CITIZENS.
THE PUBLIC COMMENT SESSION IS HELD AT EACH BOARD MEETING FOR THAT PURPOSE.
THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURES ARE TO BE FOLLOWED DURING THIS TIME, IN LIEU OF SIGNING IN, CITIZENS ARE ADVISED TO EMAIL THEIR REMARKS TO PUBLIC COMMENT AT CCPSSTAFF.ORG.
THERE IS A FIVE MINUTE TIME LIMIT FOR EACH EMAIL.
SPECIFIC AND PERSONAL REFERENCES TO STUDENTS, EMPLOYEES OR OTHERS ASSOCIATED WITH THE BOARD OF EDUCATION WILL NOT BE PERMITTED.
SHOULD SOMEONE WISH TO BRING SOMETHING TO THE ATTENTION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OR THE BOARD ABOUT A SPECIFIC PERSON OR STUDENT, THEY MAY DO SO IN WRITING TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OR THE BOARD.
RUDE, SLANDEROUS OR THREATENING REMARKS ARE NOT PERMITTED.
THE BOARD OF EDUCATION DOES NOT ENGAGE IN A DISCUSSION OF THE MATTER BEING BROUGHT TO IT DURING PUBLIC COMMENT.
IF APPROPRIATE, THE BOARD MAY DIRECT THE SUPERINTENDENT TO PROVIDE A RESPONSE FOLLOWING THE MEETING.
[INAUDIBLE] PUBLIC COMMENT IS FROM BRENDA SCANLAN.
AS I HEAR OF ALL THE CHANGES IN CAROLINE COUNTY EDUCATION, I THOUGHT I SHOULD WRITE THIS LETTER TO GIVE ONE PERSPECTIVE.
I LIVED AND WORKED AS AN EDUCATOR IN CAROLINE COUNTY FOR 30 YEARS.
I LOVED MOST OF MY TIME IN CAROLINE COUNTY.
I ALWAYS THOUGHT WHEN I WAS READY TO BE DONE TEACHING, I WOULD RETIRE FROM NORTH CAROLINE HIGH SCHOOL.
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT DID NOT TURN OUT AS PLANNED.
I AM NOW TEACHING AT URBANA HIGH SCHOOL IN FREDERICK COUNTY.
SO MY FIRST QUESTION TO ADDRESS IS WHY.
ANY PERSON IN ANY JOB WANTS TO FEEL VALUED AND APPRECIATED.
IT HAD COME TO THE POINT WHERE I DID NOT FEEL THAT WAY TO THE EXTENT THAT I DID NOT FEEL I COULD STAY IN MY POSITION OF TEACHING.
I EXPERIENCED MANY TRANSFORMATIONS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS THAT LED TO THIS DECISION.
FOR EXAMPLE, A PROGRAM WAS ADOPTED IN THE COUNTY FOR ALL GRADE LEVELS WITHOUT TEACHER INPUT.
THIS PROGRAM CREATED A LARGE AMOUNT OF EXTRA WORK FOR TEACHERS WITHOUT SEEING A POSITIVE OUTCOME ON STUDENT LEARNING.
ONE OF THE WORST THINGS ABOUT THE PROGRAM WAS THAT WE WERE TOLD NOT TO ANSWER STUDENT QUESTIONS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW STUDENTS CAN LEARN CALCULUS OR ANY MATERIAL WITHOUT A TEACHER'S HELP.
SECONDLY, ANOTHER PROGRAM WAS ADOPTED FOR THE MATH DEPARTMENT AGAIN WITHOUT TEACHER INPUT.
WELL, THERE WAS A NEGATIVE TEACHER INPUT THAT WAS IGNORED.
I WAS GETTING BETTER RESULTS WITH THE CURRICULUM I WAS USING AND TOLD I STILL HAD TO SWITCH TO THE NEW PROGRAM.
NONE OF THIS MADE SENSE TO ME.
I WROTE LETTERS TO MY SUPERIORS TRYING TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THE DIFFICULTIES AND PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW PROGRAMS AND [INAUDIBLE].
I THOUGHT SINCE I HAD ALL THOSE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, MY OPINION WOULD BE VALUED.
DURING THIS TIME I ALSO SAW TWO HIGH LEVEL ADMINISTRATORS CHANGE TEACHER'S GRADES.
I SAW A TEACHER THAT HAD 22 YEARS OF GOOD EVALUATIONS, SUDDENLY TARGETED AND FORCED TO RETIRE.
I SAW MANY GOOD TEACHERS TREATED UNFAIRLY AND MANY TEACHERS AFRAID TO SAY ANYTHING.
THIS LEADS TO THE SECOND QUESTION I WANT TO ADDRESS WHAT MAKES A SCHOOL SYSTEM A GREAT SCHOOL SYSTEM? AND THE MOST IMPORTANT ANSWER TO THAT IS GREAT TEACHERS.
FOR A SCHOOL SYSTEM TO HAVE OUTSTANDING ACADEMICS, YOU NEED TO ACQUIRE GREAT TEACHERS AND RETAIN THEM.
OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, I HAVE SEEN MANY GREAT TEACHERS LEAVE CAROLINE COUNTY.
SOME HAVE GONE TO TEACH IN OTHER SYSTEMS AND SOME HAVE LEFT THE TEACHING FIELD.
EXCUSE ME, I MENTION THIS BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN THIS HAPPEN AT A VERY HIGH RATE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
I AM NOT SAYING THAT A SCHOOL SYSTEM NEEDS TO LET TEACHERS DICTATE WHAT HAPPENS.
I AM SAYING THAT THERE SHOULD BE A COLLABORATION WHEN DECISIONS ARE MADE.
WHEN TEACHERS FEEL DISRESPECTED AND DEVALUED, THEY WILL LEAVE.
MY POINT IS VALUE, YOUR TEACHERS.
THERE ARE GREAT TEACHERS IN CAROLINE COUNTY WHO WORK EXTREMELY HARD SO THAT ALL STUDENTS IN CAROLINE COUNTY GET A GREAT EDUCATION.
[02:05:02]
SO PLEASE MAKE TEACHERS FEEL RESPECTED AND HEARD.I MISS CAROLINE COUNTY AND WISH THE BEST FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE FUTURE.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE BOARD.
THE SECOND PUBLIC COMMENT COMES FROM MR. JOHN MUELLER, HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
MY NAME IS JOHN MUELLER, A LOCAL JOURNALIST AND HISTORIAN FROM THE WASHINGTON, D.C.
IN RECENT YEARS, I HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY CONDUCTING FIELD AND ARCHIVAL RESEARCH ON THE EASTERN SHORE, INCLUDING AROUND AND WITHIN THE CHURCHES, CEMETERIES, LANDINGS, LIBRARIES, SCHOOLS, TOWNS AND COMMUNITIES OF CAROLINE COUNTY.
IN FEBRUARY 2019, I PRESENTED AT THE DENTON LIBRARY ON THE HISTORY OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS IN CAROLINE COUNTY.
IN FEBRUARY 2020, I PRESENTED TO THE INTELLECTUALLY CURIOUS STUDENTS AT LOCKERMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
ON APRIL 9TH OF THIS YEAR, I CO-PRESENTED THE HISTORY OF DENNIS F..
ROACH, A TEACHER WITH THE CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE 1880S AT THE GREENSBORO HISTORICAL SOCIETY WITH MR. JUSTIN MCNEIL.
THE PRESENTATION, TITLED FROM THE [INAUDIBLE] TANK TO WASHINGTON CITY THE LOST HISTORY OF CAROLINE COUNTY'S FIRST GRADUATE OF HOWARD UNIVERSITY, WAS WELL RECEIVED AND INCLUDED SEVERAL GRADUATES OF CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, FORMER TEACHERS AND SUPPORT STAFF IN ATTENDANCE IN PERSON.
AND VIRTUALLY THE PRESENTATION FOCUSED ON MR. DENNIS ROACH, BORN IN 1863, WHO SERVED AS A TEACHER IN THE CAROLINE COUNTY COLORED SCHOOL SYSTEM BEFORE ATTENDING HOWARD UNIVERSITY, FOUNDED IN 1867 IN WASHINGTON, DC.
IN 1889, ROACH BECAME CAROLINE COUNTY'S FIRST GRADUATE OF HOWARD UNIVERSITY WITH COMPLETION OF COURSEWORK FOR THE PREPARATORY DEPARTMENT.
HE WOULD CONTINUE HIS STUDIES AT HOWARD ATTENDING THE COLLEGE DEPARTMENT IN THE EARLY 1890S WHILE EMPLOYED BY THE UNIVERSITY AS AN ASSISTANT STEWARD.
DURING THE TIME OF HIS ATTENDANCE AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY, FREDERICK DOUGLASS WAS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE UNIVERSITY'S BOARD OF TRUSTEES, FREQUENTLY ATTENDING ORIENTATIONS, GRADUATION CEREMONIES, AND INVITING STUDENTS TO RECEPTIONS AT HIS HOME.
MR. JUSTIN MCNEIL AND I SUBMIT THIS LETTER FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD TO OFFER OUR AVAILABILITY AT A FUTURE DATE AND TIME TO MORE FULLY PRESENT AND DISCUSS THE HISTORY OF LITERATURE.
MR. ROACH, A FORMER TEACHER OF THE CAROLINE COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM WITH MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND HISTORY AND SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS WITHIN THE CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
FURTHERMORE, AS THE NEW GREENSBORO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL READIES FOR OPENING, WE OFFER OUR SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE IN RECOGNIZING MR. ROACH APPROPRIATE AND BEFITTING WAY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN THE COMMUNITY TO RECOGNIZE THE HISTORY OF MR. ROACH, A CONTEMPORARY OF JH LOCKERMAN.
AND THANK YOU, MISS SCANLON, MR. MUELLER, FOR THAT INFORMATION.
AND I KNOW WE'VE , THIS BOARD AND THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS HEARD IT AND WE'LL TAKE IT UNDER ADVISEMENT WITH STUFF.
[8. Upcoming Meetings and Events]
UPCOMING MEETINGS MOVING DOWN THE AGENDA WILL COME UP TO 8.01 UPCOMING MEETING EVENTS.WE HAVE GRADUATIONS COMING UP ALL TOGETHER, WHICH IS GOOD NEWS FOR CAROLINE AND COLONEL.
OH, GRADE NIGHT, THAT'S GRADE NIGHT.
WELL, FIFTH GRADE GRADUATION IS IMPORTANT, TOO.
MIC] THE LATEST UPDATE FROM THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER THAT'S ALLOWING US TO OFFER SOME OF THOSE OUTDOORS, AND WE'RE WORKING ON GETTING THOSE DATES PLANNED AND ORCHESTRATED IN THE SCHOOLS AND WE'LL HAVE THAT TO THE BOARD WHEN WE HAVE IT.
OH, I'M SORRY, MARK,[INAUDIBLE] HERE.
YOU KNOW, I GOT TO LET GO OF MY.
THINGS ARE STARTING TO PICK UP AND KEEP TRACK.
AND AGAIN, WE'LL TRY TO DO A BETTER JOB TO GETTING BACK TO GETTING MS. RACHEL BERRY A LIST PRIOR TO THE WEEK BEFORE THE BOARD MEETINGS MOVING FORWARD ON WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WE HAVE A WORK SESSION ON THE 18TH HERE IN CENTRAL OFFICE THAT'S STILL SEVEN
[02:10:07]
O'CLOCK? SIX, SIX O'CLOCK? SIX O'CLOCK.THANK YOU FOR THAT CORRECTION.
SIX O'CLOCK AND THEN REGULAR BOARD MEETING ON JUNE 8TH.
[9. Discussion of Items for Future Board Action]
DISCUSSION ITEMS FOR FUTURE BOARD OF ACTION CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET.PRESIDENT NEWCOMB, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DO WANT TO REVIEW WITH YOU AGAIN WHERE WE ARE DEVELOPING NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
RACHEL, IF YOU'LL, THE SECOND ONE.
THIS IS A REMINDER UP AT THE TOP, WE LIST, SHOW OUR, THIS IS A SNAPSHOT.
THIS IS, WHAT'S CHANGED? WHAT WILL CHANGE FROM THIS YEAR TO NEXT YEAR? IF IT'S NOT HERE AND WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING IT WE PLAN TO.
SO THIS IS A CHANGE DOCUMENT, A ONE PAGE CHANGE DOCUMENT, AS OPPOSED TO THUMBING THROUGH OVER A 90 PAGE DETAILED DOCUMENT.
AND SO, REVENUE WISE, ONE OF THE SMALLEST INCREASES IN MY CAREER BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC AND HOLD HARMLESS BEING PROVIDED FOR IN THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET.
AND WHILE THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY COMING FROM THE STATE, IT'S NOT COMING IN THE UNRESTRICTED OPERATING BUDGET FUNDING CATEGORIES.
WE STILL DO NOT HAVE FROM MSDE THE OFFICIAL MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT CALCULATION, FORMULA.
ERIN WAS ON A CFO CALL TODAY AND THEY'RE STILL SAYING BE PATIENT, BE PATIENT.
WE THINK IT'S GOING TO BE LATER IN MAY BEFORE WE HAVE THOSE OFFICIAL FORMS. JUST THERE JUST IT'S AN AVALANCHE OF INFORMATION OF NEW FUNDING BUCKETS AND INTERPRETATION OF THAT HOUSE BILL 1372 AS IT RELATES TO THE NEW FORMULA FOR MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT CALCULATION.
IT'S NO LONGER, AT LEAST FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, GOING TO TAKE THE PRIOR THE CURRENT YEAR 930 ENROLLMENT OVER THE PRIOR YEAR BEFORE 930 ENROLLMENT AND A QUICK [INAUDIBLE] FORMULA.
NOW, IT'S THE HIGHEST OF THE PRIOR THREE YEARS, NOT COUNTING THIS PAST SEPTEMBER 30TH, BUT THAT HASN'T BEEN MADE OFFICIAL YET.
AND UNTIL WE GET THE FORMS FROM MSDE, WE'RE NOT QUITE SURE IF THAT TWO HUNDRED ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS IS REAL OR NOT.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HAVE EARMARKED EVEN MORE FOR THAT.
IN THEIR BUDGET DEVELOPMENT, SO THEY'VE GOT US COVERED.
SHOULD THIS AMOUNT GO HAVE TO GO UP A LITTLE.
BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO FALL INTO A SITUATION WHERE THE COUNTY'S GOING TO SAY, OH, WE DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH MONEY BUDGETED.
BUT THEY'RE HEDGING THEIR BETS THAT IT COULD BE HIGHER THAN THAT.
SO WHEN YOU COMBINE THAT A LITTLE BIT OF NEW MONEY WITH THE FACT THAT INTEREST RATES ON OUR SURPLUS FUNDS ARE, YOU KNOW, AT NEAR HISTORIC LOWS BECAUSE WE'RE VERY LIMITED ON WHAT WE CAN EVEN PUT THAT MONEY IN, IT HAS TO BE EXTREMELY SAFE.
YOU KNOW, LIKE BONDS, WHICH BOND THE BOND MARKET IS VERY LOW.
WE'RE HAVING TO DECREASE THAT LINE ITEM.
SO OVERALL, WE'RE ONLY LOOKING AT A HUNDRED AND TWENTY SIX THOUSAND NEW DOLLARS NEXT YEAR OUT OF, YOU KNOW, OVER SEVENTY SIX MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET.
AND SO HOW DO WE GET TO WHAT THE BOARD'S PRIORITY HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN? AND THAT IS MAINTAINING A COMPETITIVE SALARY AND AT THE SAME TIME CONTINUING TO DO WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING WHEN COSTS GO UP IN VARIOUS LINE ITEMS. AND SO YOU DO THAT BY MAKING CUTS.
AND SO YOU SEE IN THAT NEXT SECTION THERE, LABOR PART ONE REDUCTIONS SAME SERVICES AND BUDGET ACTUAL THE FIRST TWENTY THREE LINE ITEMS. HAVE BRACKET'S NEXT TO THEM.
IN THE THIRD FOURTH COLUMN OVER NEXT TO THE LAST COLUMN RATING.
ALL THOSE NEGATIVES ARE CUTS, WHETHER THEY BE POSITIONS THAT THROUGH A NORMAL ATTRITION, WERE NOT REFILLED, REHIRED OR NON SALARY LINE ITEM COSTS THAT THAT WE'RE JUST NOT GOING TO BE DOING NEXT YEAR.
AND THOSE HAVE THOSE AREN'T HIGHLIGHTED BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN NO CHANGES FROM WHAT YOU SAW LAST MONTH.
SO THERE'S REALLY NOTHING ON HERE THAT'S CHANGED JUST AGAIN, BECAUSE FOR, YOU KNOW, MAJORITY OF THE BOARD RIGHT NOW, IT'S A NEWER PROCESS, SOMETHING WE'VE NOT
[02:15:01]
BEEN ACCUSTOMED TO, JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE FULLY UNDERSTAND HOW THIS DOCUMENT WORKS.AND THEN NEAR THE BOTTOM THERE, WE HAVE COST OF DOING BUSINESS.
THERE'S WHERE YOU START TO NOT SEE BRACKETS IN THAT SECOND FROM THE RIGHT COLUMN.
YOU SEE INCREASES AND HEALTH INSURANCE, THAT RATE IS FINAL.
WE ARE LOOKING AT A FIVE PERCENT RATE INCREASE NEXT YEAR AS A REVIEW.
SO THAT REPRESENTS IN THE NORMAL COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT AND IN THE HEALTH CARE ENVIRONMENT COUPLED WITH UTILIZATION, THE PLAN HAS BEEN UTILIZED.
WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF PRETTY SIGNIFICANT CLAIMS, SEVERAL THAT HAVE PUT OUR STOP LOSS LIMIT.
AND SO THAT DRIVES RATES AND THAT'S WHAT IT'S THERE FOR.
WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE, WE DON'T WANT PURCHASE INSURANCE AND PEOPLE NOT TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES, BUT WE'VE GOT TO PAY.
AND THEN THERE'S SOME OTHER LINE ITEM INCREASES IN THERE.
AND WE LEFT SOME ZEROS THERE BECAUSE THOSE WERE THINGS THAT WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR.
BUT WE'RE ABLE TO OFFLOAD THEM IN THE CARES II REMEMBER THAT PRESENTATION.
SO THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE NOT HAVING TO PUT IN LOCAL BUDGET NEXT YEAR THANKS TO THAT FEDERAL MONEY THAT'S COMING TO US, WHICH GIVES US THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE A PLACEHOLDER FOR SALARY ENHANCEMENTS FOR EMPLOYEES TO DO OUR BEST WITH ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SIX THOUSAND NEW DOLLARS TO PUT SOMETHING IN THE HANDS OF EMPLOYEE'S POCKETS MORE NEXT YEAR THAN THIS YEAR AND A FEW VERY DESPERATELY NEEDED POSITIONS THROUGHOUT, SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM THAT'S LISTED THERE, OBVIOUSLY THE [INAUDIBLE] POPULATION CONTINUES TO INCREASE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WITH THE ONE TO ONE PLATFORM THAT WE'RE ON NOW, WE MORE THAN EVER NEED AS MANY HANDS AND TECHNOLOGY AS POSSIBLE AND A COUPLE OF OTHER VERY SMALL LINE ITEMS THERE IN THE EDITIONS.
AND THEN AT THE VERY BOTTOM THINGS THAT SHOULD, FOR INSTANCE, THE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT CALCULATION COME OUT AND SAY THAT IT SHOULD BE THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND INSTEAD OF TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
THEN WE WOULD START TO LOOK AT THINGS AT THE BOTTOM THAT WOULD ALL OF SUDDEN COME UP ABOVE THE LINE AND BE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR.
THAT'S WHERE WE ARE FROM UNRESTRICTED OPERATING BUDGET STANDPOINT.
I'LL PAUSE THERE IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS.
AGAIN, IT IS A CHANGE DOCUMENT, IF ANYTHING THAT'S NOT LISTED THERE.
PEOPLE LIKE YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FUND THIS NEXT YEAR.
NO, IF IT'S NOT SHOWN AS A DECREASE AND IT'S CURRENTLY BEING FUNDED, THEN IT'S GOING TO BE FUNDED AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
WE GET THAT FROM TIME TO TIME, EVEN FROM SOME OF OUR SEASONED ADMINISTRATORS.
I GUESS MY QUESTION AS A NEW BOARD MEMBER AND I GET THAT THIS IS THE CHANGE.
MY ISSUE IS I'VE NEVER SEEN THE WHOLE THING AND I WOULD AT SOME POINT LIKE TO SEE THE WHOLE THING.
SO I KNOW WHAT'S NOT CHANGING.
I MEAN, LOOK, I KNOW IT'S NOT GOING TO BE FUN.
I KNOW IT'S NOT GOING TO BE INTERESTING.
BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT I UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE BIG PICTURE.
SO WE JUST NEED TO SCHEDULE THAT EITHER, YOU KNOW, AS A YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO SCHEDULE THAT AS A BOARD AS A WHOLE, WE NEED TO SET A WORK SESSION ASIDE OF IT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE.
OR WE NEED TO GO IN AS AN INDIVIDUAL AND FIND TIME WITH, YOU KNOW, ERIN OR MILTON OR SOMEBODY WHOSE AREA OF EXPERTISE IN GROUPS OF ONE OR TWO AND MAKE SURE WE DIVE INTO IT.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO DO THAT FOR THE WHOLE.
I MEAN, YOU HAVE THE WHOLE DOCUMENT.
AND I'VE LOOKED AT IT, BUT I'M NOT A MATH PERSON, I'LL BE HONEST, WHEN I START SEEING ALL THE NUMBERS AND THEN I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
AND I THINK IF IT'S LIKE WITH ME, IF I JUST ONE TIME JUST ONE TIME SOMEBODY EXPLAINS THE WHOLE THING, THE NEXT YEAR, THIS IS GOING TO MAKE A WHOLE LOT MORE SENSE TO ME.
SURE, IT'S GIVING IT A LITTLE BIT OF COORDINATION.
SO FOR ME, IT'S KIND OF LIKE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW.
BUT I'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE WHOLE DOCUMENT AGAIN AND SEE IF MY QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED THERE.
THE SUMMARY DOCUMENTS OUTSTANDING, I REALLY DOES HELP.
IT'S ALSO A LITTLE PAINFUL BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY MORE THINGS THAT ARE LISTED THAT YOU WANT TO DO AND YOU CAN'T DO.
BUT ONE HUNDRED TWENTY SIX THOUSAND MORE DOLLARS.
I MEAN, TO THE PEOPLE LISTENING AT HOME, THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY.
[02:20:01]
SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY, BUT NOT WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL BUDGET.AND IF YOUR ELECTRIC RATE GOES UP, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A GOOD CHOICE FOR EFFECT, BUT IF IT GOES UP TO MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED TWENTY SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS, SO IT'S JUST HARD TO SAY WHAT THAT MIGHT BE USED ON IF YOU HAD A REALLY HARSH WINTER AND THERE WAS MORE HEAT, NOT EVEN TO SNOW DAYS OR WHATEVER SNOW.
SO I'LL LOOK THROUGH BECAUSE I KNOW I HAVE THAT BIGGER DOCUMENT I'LL LOOK THROUGH AND SEE WHAT QUESTIONS REMAIN FOR ME.
AND MR. BARTON, THAT'S A GOOD, THOSE ARE TWO GREAT POINTS THAT ARE COMPLETELY OUT OF OUR CONTROL.
AND SO CONCEPTUALLY, THE BUDGET DOCUMENT, THE UNRESTRICTED OPERATING BUDGET, 80 PERCENT OF ITS PEOPLE, WE ARE A PEOPLE BUSINESS, 80 PERCENT OF ITS WAGES, SALARY AND WAGES AND RELATED COSTS, HEALTH INSURANCE, RETIREMENT.
THE STATE PICKS UP RETIREMENT TO A CERTAIN DEGREE FOR TEACHERS.
CONSERVE UNIT ONE EMPLOYEES WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR ONE HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE EMPLOYER COST FOR UNIT TWO EMPLOYEES, WHICH ARE ALL OF OUR SUPPORT STAFF.
WHEN YOU TAKE THAT OUT AND THEN YOUR REMAINING BUCKETS, THE BIGGEST BUCKET IS TRANSPORTATION AND THEN FOLLOWED CLOSELY BY PLAN OPERATIONS, HEAT AND ELECTRICITY AND PROPANE.
TWO OF THREE THINGS YOU MENTIONED.
WE CONTROL THE COST OF THE UNIT COST FOR THOSE COMPONENTS BECAUSE WE BUY, WE HAVE BID FUEL OIL MULTIPLE TIMES, BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE ABOVEGROUND TANKS TRI GAS, OUR LOCAL WHICH THE HOUSE HERE IN CAROLINE COUNTY HEADQUARTERS IN CAROLINE COUNTY, BECAUSE THE ONLY VENDOR THAT HAS TANKER LOADED TANKERS THAT ACTUALLY PUMP MOST TANKS ARE UNDERGROUND, WHICH MEANS YOU CAN HAVE A GRAVITY FED TRAILER.
A LOT OF MOST COMPANIES DON'T HAVE PUMPERS ON TRACTOR TRAILERS, THEY HAVE PUMPERS ON SIX WHEELERS, BUT NOT WHEN WE'RE ORDERING A TRAILER LOAD AT A TIME ANYWAY.
THAT'S A SQUIRREL MOMENT, BUT SO WE CONTROL, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THAT RELATIONSHIP WE WE PURCHASE AHEAD AND WORKING WITH THEM WHEN THEY SEE THE MARKET TO BE IN OUR BEST INTEREST, WHICH IS A GREAT PARTNERSHIP TO HAVE BECAUSE THEY'RE LOOKING OUT FOR OUR BEST INTEREST BECAUSE THEY'RE INVESTED IN THIS COUNTY.
BUT THAT RELATIONSHIPS WORKED OUT WELL.
ELECTRICITY WE BUY WE'RE BUYING WHOLE EASTERN SHORE WIDE SCHOOL SYSTEMS, AND COUNTY GOVERNMENTS AND MEGAWATT BLOCKS OF ELECTRICITY AT A TIME.
WE'VE ALREADY PROCURED OUR ELECTRICITY TWO AND THREE YEARS OUT ALREADY INTO THE FUTURE BECAUSE IT'S A COMMODITY THAT'S NOW TRADED ON THE OPEN MARKET.
SO WHAT WE DON'T CONTROL IS THE USERS AND THE WEATHER WE DON'T CONTROL.
AS YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TURN THE LIGHTS OFF WHEN THEY'RE NOT IN THE ROOM, NOT WHEN THEY'RE IN THE ROOM, BUT WHEN THEY'RE NOT IN THE ROOM, AND BUT WEATHER IT'S THE OTHER ONE.
SO THAT'S WHY WE ERIN MENTIONED EARLIER IN OUR FINANCE REPORT, WE DON'T BUDGET FOR SALARY LAPSE.
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU'VE APPROVED THE OF AGENDA, RETIREMENTS, RESIGNATIONS.
AND WE COULD BE SHARPENING THAT PENCIL AND SAYING, WELL, THAT PERSON'S RETIRING WITH THIRTY YEARS AND WE'VE HIRED THEM FIRST YEAR, SECOND YEAR TEACHER.
WE KNOW WE'VE SAVED X NUMBER OF DOLLARS.
WELL, THAT SAVINGS IN THE BUDGET, THAT POSITION'S STILL BUDGETED BASED ON THAT CURRENT TEACHER, THAT SAVINGS THAT DELTA IS WHAT HELPS US TO ABSORB THINGS LIKE THAT OR SNOW REMOVAL WE HAVE WE DON'T BUDGET FOR SNOW REMOVAL BECAUSE WE DON'T ANYMORE.
WE GET ONE OUT OF FIVE YEARS WHERE WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO INCUR THAT COST.
WE HAVE CONTRACTORS ON, YOU KNOW, AT THE READY, BUT IT'S NOT IN A TIGHT BUDGET LIKE THIS.
DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ALLOCATE THOSE MONIES WHEN YOU MAY NOT EVER USE THEM.
IT'S BETTER TO PUT THEM IN THE HANDS OF THE TEACHER IN A CLASSROOM.
SO THOSE SORTS OF THINGS THAT, YEAH, BIG SQUIRRELED MOMENTS ARE NO GOOD.
ACTUALLY, THAT WAS KIND OF INTERESTING.
WELL, AND I THINK, DON, I THINK THAT'S TO SOME OF YOUR POINT, DONNA, TOO, YOU KNOW, REALLY A LOT OF THE ASPECTS OF THE BUDGET ARE INTERESTING.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF FINDING THE TIME TO GO INTO THEM, JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, SO MANY ASPECTS OF EDUCATION THAT PEOPLE LIKE.
FIVE YEAR OLD TO 18 YEAR OLDS.
YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT UNTIL I DON'T KNOW, IT'S A YEAR OR TWO OR THREE.
MAYBE THAT REALLY ADDS BIRTH TO 21, RIGHT? YEAH.
I MEAN, SO THAT'S YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU TALK TO PARENTS, THAT'S A LITTLE DETAIL THAT ALL THESE FUNDS IS 80 MILLION IN DOLLARS.
AND IT ISN'T JUST GOING FROM FIVE YEAR OLDS TO 18 YEAR OLDS.
[02:25:02]
IT'S, YOU KNOW, A FEW YEARS ON EACH END THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO SPREAD THAT OVER AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WITH THE BIGGEST PART OF IT.I JUST WISH, YOU KNOW, SITTING HERE AND WATCHING, I DON'T THINK, HAS HEALTH CARE COSTS GOING UP LESS THAN FIVE PERCENT A YEAR FOR THE LAST DECADE? YES.
WE'VE HAD THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE NOT BEEN GOOD.
WE'VE HAD SOME HIGHER SINGLE DIGIT INCREASES IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, BUT WE'VE HAD SOME YEARS WHERE IT'S BEEN VERY LOW SINGLE DIGITS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'LL BE, WHAT I HAVEN'T DONE AND I SHOULD DO, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT WE HAVE NEW BOARD MEMBERS, IS A PRESENTATION ON BEHALF OF [INAUDIBLE] HEALTH, OF WHICH I'M THE CHAIRMAN.
I'VE GONE AROUND IN THE PAST YEARS AND DONE PRESENTATIONS TO OTHER BOARDS WHEN THEY'VE HAD REQUESTED ME TO COME AS THE CHAIR.
BUT YOU NEED TO SEE WHAT, AS [INAUDIBLE] HEALTH IS DOING TO HELP CONTROL THAT TREND AND HOW WORSE IT WOULD BE IF WE WEREN'T TAKING SOME OF THE MEASURES THAT WE'VE TAKEN OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS TO HELP KEEP A LID ON THE YEAR OVER YEAR COSTS WITHOUT ANY DETRIMENT TO THE MEMBER.
AS FAR AS THE LEVEL OF BENEFITS, IT'S ALL BEHIND THE SCENES THAT THEY DON'T EVEN REALIZE THAT'S GOING ON.
SO I DO NEED TO GET THAT ON THE BOOKS AT SOME POINT.
HAS COVID HURT THE HEALTH INSURANCE OR IS SOMEBODY ELSE PAYING FOR THAT? COVID THOUGHTS? LIKE WHAT, LIKE TEACHERS SOME OF THE TEACHERS THAT GOT COVID HAVE REALLY BEEN HAD TO BE IN THE HOSPITAL FOR? NOW, IT COMES OUT OF THE PLAN.
THE RATE'S GOING TO BE AFFECTED BY THE CLAIM, CORRECT? ABSOLUTELY.
THAT WILL DRIVE NEXT YEAR'S RATES.
YOU CAN HAVE JUST A HANDFUL OF SEVERE CLAIMS ARE GOING TO CHANGE YOUR RATE.
BUT A PRESENTATION ABOUT HOW, AS COULD SET UP AND STRUCTURED WOULD HELP TO CLEARLY UNDERSTAND THE TREMENDOUS BENEFITS OF IT, BUT ALSO HOW CLAIMS DO DRIVE THE RATINGS.
EXPLAIN THAT A COUPLE TIMES AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL.
BECAUSE, I MEAN, REMEMBER, IT IS VERY EDUCATIONAL.
AND THROUGH YOU AND OTHER EFFORTS, I THINK, A GREAT JOB OF DOING WHAT YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO PRESENT AT SOME POINT OR HAVE SOMEONE PRESENT.
BUT TIED INTO THAT IS THE PRESCRIPTION BENEFITS.
BUT ALSO AND WHERE ARE I'M KIND OF PUTTING HER ON THE SPOT, BUT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT HEALTH CARE? SOME OF THESE PRESENTATIONS WERE TIED TO YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF OPTIONS IN HEALTH CARE.
BUT ONE, YOU KNOW, IS MORE EXPENSIVE.
BUT IF I MEAN, YEARS AGO WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT, IT WAS MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT ONLY LIKE FIVE PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE ON THAT PLAN OR 10 PERCENT WERE ACTUALLY USING THE BENEFIT THAT WE WERE PAYING FOR.
WE SUCCESSFULLY NEGOTIATED A DOLLAR COST EQUIVALENT.
WE PAY X PERCENT OF THE LESS EXPENSIVE PLAN AND THE DOLLAR COST EQUIVALENT OF A MORE EXPENSIVE PLAN.
SO IF YOU WANT THE BELLS AND WHISTLES OF WHICH THE ONLY DIFFERENCE, THE ONLY MAJOR DIFFERENCE WITH THE TWO PLANS ARE THE EPO, WHICH IS THE EXCLUSIVE PROVIDER OPTION.
WHICH MEANS YOU STAY IN THE NETWORK, IN THE NETWORK IS NOT LIKE THE OLD DAYS OF DELMARVA HEALTH, WHICH WAS SHORE BASED NETWORK OF PHYSICIANS.
IT'S A NATIONAL NETWORK OF CAREFIRST PHYSICIANS.
OR YOU HAVE THE PPO, WHICH IS THE PREFERRED PROVIDER OPTION, WHICH HAS AN OUT OF NETWORK OPTION, WHICH MEANS THAT IF YOU GO SEE A SPECIALIST OR A PHYSICIAN, MOST OF THE TIME IT'S A SPECIALIST.
THAT DOESN'T ACCEPT CARE FIRST.
YOU DON'T GO IN AND PAY, OK, WE HAVE A COPAY PLAN.
SO YOU GO TO SEE A PHYSICIAN, YOU PAY A TWENTY DOLLAR COPAY.
AND SO WHEN I WAS ADVOCATING AND TRYING TO EDUCATE STAFF AT STAFF LEVEL MEETINGS ABOUT THE SMALL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE EPO AND THE PPO AND THAT BENEFIT, THAT WASN'T REALLY BEING UTILIZED.
THE SIMPLE QUESTION IS, IF YOU'VE EVER GONE TO THE DOCTOR AND HAD TO PAY 20 PERCENT OF THE COST, THEN YOU'VE GONE OUT OF THE NETWORK SUBJECT TO YOUR ANNUAL LIMIT AMOUNT OF 500 DOLLARS.
IF YOU'VE EVER HAD TO PAY FOR FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS, THEN YOU'VE USED AN OUT OF NETWORK PHYSICIAN.
IF EVERY PHYSICIAN OR SPECIALISTS YOU'VE GONE TO SEE HAS BEEN A COPAY, THEN EVERYBODY'S IN THE NETWORK.
AND SO YOU'VE NEVER UTILIZED THE BENEFIT OF THE PPO PROGRAM, WHICH IS THAT OUT
[02:30:03]
OF NETWORK COVERAGE.NOW WE KEEP IT BECAUSE WE KNOW I KNOW FIRSTHAND OF SOME EMPLOYEES THAT DO GO SEE SPECIALISTS THAT DON'T ACCEPT CARE FIRST.
THE ANALOGY I LIKE TO USE, THAT'S LIKE HAVING A CONVERTIBLE AND NEVER PUTTING THE TOP DOWN.
YOU'VE PAID FOR THAT CONVERTIBLE OPTION.
AND IF YOU NEVER PUT THE TOP DOWN, YOU PAY FOR SOMETHING YOU DON'T REALLY NEED.
SO I KNOW THAT'S VERY SIMPLISTIC AND I'M NOT TRYING TO OFFEND ANYBODY, BUT THAT'S.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU GOING INTO A LITTLE BIT DETAIL.
SO WE PAY AND THAT LEVELS THE PLAYING FIELD.
OTHERWISE, YOU HAVE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EMPLOYER A AND EMPLOYEE B.
EMPLOYEE A SELECTS THE MORE EXPENSIVE PLAN.
WITH A TOTAL COMPENSATION PACKAGE FOR EMPLOYEE A IS MORE THAN EMPLOYEE B, EVEN THOUGH THE PAY IS THE SAME.
BECAUSE THE BOARD, IF THE BOARD AND 70 PERCENT OF BOTH, 70 PERCENT HAVE A HIGHER, MORE EXPENSIVE PLAN, IS MORE TOTAL COMPENSATION.
I DO HAVE ANOTHER ATTACHMENT TO GO THROUGH AND THAT'S TO SHOW YOU THE RESTRICTED GRANTS REALLY QUICK AND THEN VERY MOUTHY TONIGHT.
YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED THE DETAILS SOMETIMES.
AND THIS MEANS THAT THESE GRANTS HAVE TO BE USED FOR SOMETHING SPECIFIC? YES, THEY COME TO US WITH LOTS OF STRINGS.
SO THEY CAN'T JUST BE THROWN INTO THE NORMAL CHECKING ACCOUNT AND SPEND ON WHATEVER WE HAVE TO HAVE.
ERIN HAS A SEPARATE SET OF ACCOUNTS JUST TO TRACK THE REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES FOR EACH ONE OF THESE.
AND THEN THERE'S OVER HOW MANY GRANTS THEY HAVE NOW, ERIN.
YOU HAVE JOB SECURITY, SO, UM, SO THIS IS JUST, YOU KNOW, WE DO OUR BEST TO CAPTURE THE RECURRING ONES WITHIN THE BUDGET DOCUMENTS.
SO THESE ARE PAGES THAT ARE OUT OF THE BUDGET, A BIG BUDGET DOCUMENT THAT CAPTURES STATE AND FEDERAL GRANTS.
AND SO STATE GRANTS THAT ARE RECURRING ARE LISTED HERE.
THE NUMBER OF COLUMNS REPRESENT ACTUAL NUMBERS IN FY 20 APPROVED FY AND MY LABELS AROUND '21 AND THEN REQUESTED FOR '22.
I'D HAVE TO FIX THAT FORMULA IN MY EXCEL SHEET, BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND SOME OF THE A LOT OF THINGS WE DON'T KNOW YET WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE AND WE HOPE TO KNOW BEFORE THE BUDGET IS APPROVED.
BUT THE FORMULA WE GET THEM EVERY YEAR WE GET AN ALLOCATION OF NONPUBLIC PLACEMENT BECAUSE LOCALLY YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THE COST FOR STUDENTS TO BE PUT IN AN EDUCATIONAL FACILITY OUTSIDE OF OUR WALLS HERE IN CAROLINE COUNTY.
BUT THE STATE PAYS FOR A PORTION OF THAT.
AND I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL THESE, BUT I DO WANT TO GO TO THE NEXT PAGE.
RACHEL, HIT HIGHLIGHTS OF THESE ARE NEW FUNDING SOURCES AS APPROVED BY THE LEGISLATURE, AS PUT FORTH BY THE GOVERNOR AS PART OF THE RELATED STATE FUNDING TO ADDRESS COVID 19 ISSUES.
AND SO BIG BUCKET OF MONEY FOR SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION SLASH TUTORING, NO DEFINITION.
THERE'S DEFINITIONS WITHIN THE BILL ITSELF, BUT NOTHING YET INTERPRETED BY MSDE TO COME OUT.
BUT AT SOME POINT, STAFF ARE GOING TO HAVE TO ESTABLISH A BUDGET FOR ONE POINT SIX, ALMOST ONE POINT SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS OF STATE MONEY FOR NEXT YEAR.
THERE'S A BUCKET FOR SCHOOL REOPENING WE HAVE.
WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS AT ALL.
JUST A LITTLE OVER NINETY TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS SUMMER SCHOOL THAT SOMEHOW OR ANOTHER CAN BE USED FOR FY TWENTY ONE AND FY TWENTY TWO, EVEN THOUGH NO DEFINITION YET.
WE'RE WANTING TO FIND SOMETHING FOR THAT.
YEAH BUT SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
NOW IF ALL THE CHILDREN COME OUR BUDGET IS ONE POINT IS WHAT? ONE MILLION SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
SO IF ALL THE CHILDREN COME TO SUMMER SCHOOL.
OK, THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
I THINK THE SCHOOL REOPENING, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO USE MOST OF THAT FOR ROBO CALLS AT SIX O'CLOCK EVERY MORNING AND MAKE SURE EVERYBODY GETS BACK IN THE
[02:35:01]
HABIT OF APPLYING TO KIDS.HERE, COME TO SCHOOL, WAKE UP CALL.
AND THEN FINALLY BEHAVE YOUR HEALTH AGAIN.
BUDGET DOCUMENT THAT MAY COME BEFORE YOU AT THE JUNE BOARD MEETING, MAY NOT COME BEFORE YOU UNTIL JUNE WORK SESSION DEPENDING ON HOW LATE AND MAY WE GET BETTER GUIDANCE ON THIS, AS WELL AS FINALIZATION OF THE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT CALCULATION AND UNRESTRICTED OPERATING BUDGET.
WE'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO PUT SOME BETTER DESCRIPTORS IN HERE OTHER THAN NO SPECIFICS PROVIDED.
SO SPEAKING OF SUMMER SCHOOL, HOW'S ARE YOU KNOW, IN GENERAL, I MEAN, IT'S NOT HOW THE RESPONSE FOR TEACHERS ARE JUMPING UP AND DOWN THE BOOK THIS SUMMER.
UNOFFICIALLY? IF WE STILL HAVE FOLKS WHO ARE INTERESTED THEY ARE FREE TO CONTACT ME IF THEY ARE STILL INTERESTED.
BUT THE KIDS, YOU KNOW, THE MONEY'S THERE.
THE MONEY'S THERE, AND THE KIDS NEED IT.
AND WE ARE, YOU KNOW, OUR ELEMENTARY WE ARE PARTNERING WITH CAROLINE COUNTY RECREATION AND PARKS.
AND THROUGH THEM, REGISTRATIONS HAVE GONE OUT.
THEY ARE STEADY COMING IN SOME GRADE LEVELS IN CERTAIN SCHOOLS WHERE WE'RE GETTING TO CAPACITY, OTHER GRADE LEVELS WHERE WE'RE STILL HOPING FOR MORE REGISTRATION FROM FAMILIES, MIDDLE SCHOOL, VERY TARGETED POPULATION.
THOSE APPLICATIONS WILL BE GOING OUT SOON.
AND I KNOW THAT MICKEY FISHER IS WORKING ON THE CREDIT RECOVERY FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL.
BUT YES, IF THERE ARE STILL ESPECIALLY AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL, I KNOW IT'S BEEN A TOUGH YEAR.
I KNOW THAT TEACHERS NEED THAT REST AND THAT BREAK.
BUT IF THEY ARE INTERESTED IN THREE OR SIX WEEKS STINTS, THEY CAN ABSOLUTELY STILL GET IN CONTACT WITH THEM.
SO WE STILL HAVE A NEED? YES, BUT WE HAVE PLANS FOR PLAN B, C AND D, YOU KNOW, YOU ALWAYS PLAN AND PREP.
SO IT SAYS REQUESTED THAT BY 2021 OVER THERE, BUT THAT MONEY IS APPROVED, RIGHT? IT'S IN THE BUDGET.
WELL, REQUESTED IS JUST THE DEFINITION, WHETHER WE BE CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE BUDGET DOCUMENT, THEY PASS THE BUDGET.
WE JUST DON'T HAVE ANY DEFINITION ON EXACTLY WHAT.
WELL, AND EVEN THOUGH IT'S ALLOCATED, IT'S STILL SUBJECT TO SUBMISSION OF A DETAILED BUDGET DOCUMENT NARRATIVE AND APPROVAL BY THE STATE.
SO IT'LL SAY SCHOOL OPENING FUNDS CAN BE USED FOR THE FOLLOWING FOUR THINGS, NOT THESE OTHER THINGS.
YEAH, SAME WITH SUMMER SCHOOL AND EVERYONE.
AND YOU KNOW, UNTIL WE GET FINALIZATION ON NUMBERS, WE CAN'T YOU KNOW, CARMEN AND HER STAFF CAN'T RUN TRANSPORTATION ROUTES AND PUT A FIRM NUMBER ON WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST TO BRING THEM IN.
WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT WE'RE NOT ALLOWED.
NO SYSTEM IN MARYLAND IS ALLOWED TO CHARGE ANY CHILD ANY FEE FOR SUMMER SCHOOL.
WE NEVER DID THOSE, DID WE? YEAH, WE USED THEM.
TWENTY FIVE BUCKS, I THINK WAS OUR LAST TWENTY FIVE OR 50 LEGISLATION PASSED THIS SESSION? YOU CANNOT ANYMORE.
THAT SUMMER SCHOOL WAS ALSO AT THE TIME.
AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, MOSTLY BECAUSE BUDGETS WERE TIGHTENING THIS SUMMER SCHOOL AT THAT TIME.
WE WERE DOING THAT FOR THE KIDS TO KEEP THEM ON WITH THEIR COHORT.
YEAH, OUR SUMMER SCHOOL AT THE TIME THAT WE WERE CHARGING FOR CREDIT RECOVERY ON THE KIDS, WE'VE HAD THE COURSE DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR AND DID NOT PASS, DID NOT CUT IT.
YOU NEEDED AN ADDITIONAL TIME AND GAVE HIM AN OPPORTUNITY, ONE LAST OPPORTUNITY TO STAY WITH THEIR GRADE BEFORE HAVING TO BE HELD BACK.
AND YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO CHARGE NOW BECAUSE THEY GIVE YOU THE MONEY TO GIVE YOU MONEY.
AND THAT'S MORE THAN ENOUGH, RIGHT? CROSSED.
WELL, THAT'S MORE HELP FOR THE NATION WITH PROBABLY SOME CARES II III.
BUT THAT'S MORE THAN WE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN FOR THE TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS.
WE GOT LIKE, THAT WAS MAYBE THIRTY OR FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND SO THE LAST POINT ON THIS PAGE IS TO IS THAT AND THE REASON, PART OF THE REASON FOR SHOWING YOU THIS NOW IS THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY SAYING, OH, YOU'RE GETTING ALL THIS NEW MONEY AND THERE COULD BE A NUMBER OF STAFF EVEN SAYING YOU'RE GETTING ALL THIS NEW MONEY.
WHY ARE YOU WHY IS IT NOT GOING FOR X, Y OR Z?
[02:40:02]
WHY IS THAT? AND IT'S BECAUSE IT'S RESTRICTED AND SO FAR RIGHT HAND COLUMN ALL THE WAY AT THE BOTTOM, JUST IN THE STATE, ALMOST TWO MILLION NEW DOLLARS AND STATE REVENUE, BUT RESTRICTED, NOT GENERAL OPERATING BUDGET TO DO WHATEVER YOU SEE FIT.AND WE DON'T KNOW OR DO WE KNOW OF THE DURATION? IS THIS I THINK THIS IS JUST A POSSIBLY OF A ONE YEAR ONE TIME AND THEN [INAUDIBLE] WILL KICK IN FY TWENTY THREE, THE CURRENT FORM.
YOU CAN'T PUT THIS INTO SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO RECUR OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND SO THE OTHER PORTION OF IT, OF THIS THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO SAY, IT'S FEDERAL GRANTS, WHICH ARE THE NEXT COUPLE OF PAGES.
AND A NUMBER OF THESE ARE RECURRING TITLE ONE.
THIS SHOULD BE VERY FAMILIAR FROM THE FEDS.
AND AGAIN, ZERO ALL THE WAY IN THE RIGHT HAND COLUMN.
SO WE DON'T HAVE NUMBERS YET FOR NEXT YEAR.
WE HAVE NOT BEEN TOLD WHAT THOSE AMOUNTS ARE GOING TO BE.
I KNOW, YOU KNOW, TWIGG OVER HERE IS CHOMPING AT THE BIT, WAITING FOR SPECIAL ED NUMBERS AND NOTICE THAT SHE DOESN'T HAVE THOSE.
SO, RACHEL, YOU CAN SCROLL DOWN AND REALLY WANT TO GET TO THE SECOND PAGE THERE WHERE, AGAIN, YOU'RE NEAR THE BOTTOM IS WHERE THE ESSER GRANTS ARE.
AND THAT SPOKE EARLIER TO THE FACT THAT WE DID GET AN ESSER I AND II LESS THAN ONE POINT, ONE POINT FIVE MILLION.
YOU JUST SAW A PRESENTATION ON ESSER II, WHICH IS A LITTLE OVER SIX MILLION.
WE KNOW HOW MUCH WE'RE GETTING, THIRTEEN POINT ALMOST THIRTEEN POINT SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS FOR US FOR ESSER III.
BUT ONCE AGAIN, RESTRICTED, VERY RESTRICTED.
[INAUDIBLE] WELL WE SAID WITH AN HVAC SYSTEM SENSORS IN PLACE FOR TWENTY YEARS THAT'S TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, LET'S TRY TO MAKE IT THE TWENTY YEAR MONEY AGAIN OR AT LEAST TEN.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
YOU PRIORITIZE AND I APPRECIATE ALL THAT HEAVY LIFTING YOUR STAFF DOING TO DO THAT.
MAKE IT LAST, MAKE IT THE BIGGEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK.
WHEN DO WE GET THE THIRD FUNDING? DO THEY KNOW YET? THEY SAID THAT THEY HOPE TO RELEASE THE APPLICATION OF.BUT IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE.
WELL, I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE GRANT PERIOD IS GOING TO BE ONCE AGAIN FROM LAST MARCH THROUGH I THINK IT'S ONE MORE YEAR, SEPTEMBER OF TWENTY FOUR.
SO THE WINDOW I MEAN, WE COULD LEGITIMATELY IF WE HAVE NEEDS NOW, WE COULD START TO SPEND MONEY OUT OF THAT CARES III BUCKET THAT THE PENALTY OR THE RISK WE RUN IS AS CASH FLOW.
WE CAN'T JUST START SPENDING TOO MUCH WITHOUT AN APPROVED BUDGET BECAUSE WITHOUT AN APPROVED BUDGET FROM MSDE, WE CAN'T GET REIMBURSED FOR ANY OF IT.
SO WE DON'T HAVE THE CASH FLOW TO SUPPORT TOO MUCH ADVANCE SPENDING.
BUT THEORETICALLY, IT'S AVAILABLE FOR CURRENT, LIKE LINDSAY MENTIONED, SOME SUMMER SCHOOL OVERFLOW FROM THE WHATEVER OVER AND ABOVE WHAT THAT GRANT WILL PAY CAN COME OUT OF CARES III.
UM, SO IT'S GOING TO BE PRUDENT ON STAFF TO GET THAT BUDGET DEVELOPED IN A TIMELY FASHION TO MINIMIZE THE CASH FLOW SITUATION TO JURISDICTIONS THAT DON'T SPEND THEIR ALLOCATION THAT NEED SPECIFIC BUCKETS IN THE TIME FRAME.
IS THAT MONEY THAT GETS THROWN BACK INTO A POT? IT GOES BACK TO THE FEDS.
ON THE STATE SIDE, WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT WHILE THEY'RE RESTRICTED, THEY WILL THEY ARE ALLOCATED WITHIN THAT THE STATE'S GENERAL FUND.
AND SO WHILE THEY'RE RESTRICTED TO US, THAT'S CONSIDERED UNRESTRICTED STATE REVENUE.
AND SO AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WE CAN INFORMALLY EXTEND THE EXPENDITURES IF WE HAVE TO INTO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
[02:45:02]
BUT AND WE'VE DONE THAT A LITTLE.BUT WE'RE GOING TO DO OUR BEST TO SPEND THEM CORRECTLY THE RIGHT WAY.
AND WITHIN THE GRANT, LOT OF BIG JURISDICTIONS HAVE A RECORD OF NOT SPENDING ALL THEIR GRANT MONEY.
AND THAT GOES BACK TO, YOU KNOW, THE BIG GRANT GIVERS IN THIS GUY WITH THE MOST AMOUNT OF WHEN FUNDS AVAILABLE THAT THAT'S GOING TO.
BOARD MEMBERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO QUESTIONS ON THIS, BUT I DID ASK ABOUT TEACHERS AND WHO KNOWS, JUST A FEW PEOPLE WATCHING, BUT HOW ARE WE? ISN'T PART OF THE SUMMER LEARNING SUMMER SCHOOL.
AND LEARNING RECLAMATION ISN'T OUR OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG YOUTH, WHETHER HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE AGE YOUNG, A CERTIFICATE TO BE EMPLOYED IN NEEDED.
AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL, THAT WOULD BE THROUGH THE RECREATION PARKS AND OUR PROGRAM LEADER AND JUNIOR PROGRAM LEADER.
AND THEY HAVE RECEIVED, THEY ACTUALLY WERE SAYING SEVERAL APPLICATIONS THIS YEAR, MORE INTEREST THAN USUAL.
SO WE'RE USUALLY I MEAN, DO WE USUALLY FILL THOSE POSITIONS EASILY OR ARE WE RECRUITING OR I MEAN? THOSE ARE THROUGH RECREATION AND PARKS.
SO THEY DID PUT OUT SOME RECRUITMENT.
I KNOW THAT WE PUBLICIZED IT AS WELL WITHIN CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AND ACTUALLY SOME OF OUR TEACHER ACADEMY STUDENTS COULD HAVE APPLIED TO BE THE JUNIOR LEADERS AS WELL.
GOOD, GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUR KIDS.
THERE'S NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION ON THAT.
YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE CRAZIEST BUDGET THINGS WE'VE SEEN IN DECADES, BUT WORTHWHILE AND PUT TO GOOD USE.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO A LIST OF FUTURE DISCUSSIONS.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME WE TALK ABOUT SOMETHING, THERE'S ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
BUT WE WORKED THROUGH SOME THINGS, YOU KNOW, HERE ABOUT THE BLENDED VIRTUAL PROGRAM AT THE WORK SESSION, ADDITIONAL THINGS BEING ADDED AND DISCUSSED AS WE GO ON BOARD MEMBERS.
IF YOU THINK OF ANYTHING OR WANT TO ADD ANYTHING ADDED, PLEASE FORWARD TO DR.
[10. Unfinished Business]
SIMMONS' OR RACHEL BERRY, ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE GOOD OF THE CAUSE SYSTEM? I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS AN OVERSIGHT, BUT.WE DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT FOR ME.
YEAH, AS PART IT WASN'T REALLY PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT IT DID.
WELL, IT'S GOOD, BUT IT'S IN OUR PACKAGE.
BUT JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE.
I'M JUST READING IT, IT SAYS THE HEADLINE FROM THE BOARD OF [INAUDIBLE]COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION TO CAROLINE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION AND MADE COMBINED THEY GUEST SENT FORWARD, SENT ABOUT HALF ON THE BOARD OF IT ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION IN [INAUDIBLE] COUNTY.
THEY JUST WOULD LIKE TO CONVEY THEIR SINCEREST CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY, FRIENDS AND COMMUNITY FOR THE LOSS OF MISS KATHY DILL.
WE APPRECIATE KATHY'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO ME AND HER DEDICATION TO PUBLIC EDUCATION.
AND THAT WAS VERY, VERY NICE AND APPRECIATED OF THEM TO DO THAT.
AND ON THAT NOTE, I GUESS WE'LL TAKE A MOTION, T MOTION TO DISMISS BY MISS DIGIACOMO.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR INFORMATION TONIGHT.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.