Jan 03, 2023 Board of Education Meeting

[00:00:02]

GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.

[1. Opening Items]

THE TIME IS ABOUT 6:08.

WE'RE A FEW MINUTES LATE.

IT'S BEEN A VERY BUSY DAY AND I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S PATIENCE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE MET IN CLOSED SESSION STARTING AT 5:30.

SO WE'LL NEED TO HAVE A MOTION TO GO BACK INTO OPEN SESSION.

MAKE A MOTION. ALL RIGHT.

WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WELL, WE ARE GOING TO DO OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, AND I THINK WE HAVE SOME SPECIAL GUESTS HERE TO LEAD US, MS. BROHAN. AND [INAUDIBLE] ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

COME ON UP. COME ON UP.

YOU GUYS GET FRONT AND CENTER.

IT'S YOUR FIRST, PROBABLY YOUR FIRST TIME.

AND I KNOW WHAT YOUR PRINCIPAL'S FIRST TIME.

DON'T BE SHY. THAT GOES FOR ALL OF YOU.

WHENEVER YOU'RE READY.

MS. BROHAN, WHO DO WE HAVE WITH US TONIGHT? WE HAVE WITH US SOME OF OUR BAND MEMBERS.

AND THIS IS MRS. BROOKE MILLS, OUR BAND DIRECTOR WITH OUR FIRST PLACE TROPHY.

ALL RIGHT. AS YOU SHOULD BE.

YOU GUYS DID AN EXCELLENT JOB ON THIS CONCERT AS WELL.

CONGRATULATIONS. CONGRATULATIONS.

AND WE ALSO HAVE SOME MIXED REPRESENTATION OF VOLUNTEERS FROM PRE-K THROUGH FIFTH GRADE.

OH, VERY GOOD. WE'RE GLAD YOU CAME OUT AS WELL.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.

THANKS FOR BEING HERE. WE'RE GLAD YOU GUYS CAME OUT TONIGHT.

MISS BARRY HAS, MS. BROHAN ALREADY, HAS SOMETHING FOR YOU GUYS AS WELL FOR A TREAT FROM THE CAFETERIA.

WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING OUT.

WE APPRECIATE YOUR PARENTS FOR BRINGING YOU OUT TONIGHT.

YES. AND DEFINITELY GLAD TO HAVE YOU GUYS HERE.

AND SO WHO ARE OUR BAND MEMBERS? YEAH, DEFINITELY BEEN VERY NICE.

AND OF COURSE, MEMBERS AS WELL.

UKULELE, BECAUSE THEY WERE AWESOME ALSO.

AND WE'RE MISSING A LOT OF OUR, WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE TO GET THE GRANT THAT MISS ANTHONY DREW OUR ATTENTION TO THIS PAST YEAR.

AND WE HAVE 50 INSTRUMENTS AND ALL OF THEM ARE BEING BORROWED.

SO OBVIOUSLY NOT ALL OF THE BAND IS HERE.

THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING. IT IS REALLY NICE.

REALLY NICE. AWESOME.

GREAT. WE CANNOT WAIT TO SEE THE SPRING CONCERT AND SEE HOW YOU GUYS ARE PROGRESSING.

KEEP PRACTICING, PRACTICING, PRACTICING.

AND YOUR PARENTS LOVE IT WHEN YOU PRACTICE MUSIC INSTRUMENTS AT HOME.

SO THE LOUDER THE BETTER YES.

ESPECIALLY ANY DRUMMERS.

YEAH. YEAH. SO THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT.

THANK YOU, MS. BROHAN.

THANK YOU. OH, YOU DID A GREAT JOB.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, SO FOR YOU GUYS, IT'S PROBABLY EASIER TO JUST TURN AROUND, RIGHT? TALLER STUDENTS IN THE BACK.

YEAH. USUALLY WHAT I'VE LEARNED IS I HAVE TO ASK IF I'M TALL AND USUALLY ANSWERS ITSELF.

AND YOU GUYS ARE ALL COMING TOGETHER AND YOU'RE. OH, WHAT A GOOD LOOKING GROUP.

ALL RIGHT. GOD, ARE YOU FREE NEXT MONTH? CALL ME. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH.

WE HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL NIGHT.

YOU. VERY NICE.

[INAUDIBLE].

[00:06:17]

A COUPLE OF VERY UNTIMELY PASSINGS, PEOPLE CLOSE TO THE SYSTEM.

AND SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE IN A MINUTE.

I WANT TO FIRST ACKNOWLEDGE CLARENCE CHILDS, A STUDENT WHO GRADUATED FROM COLONEL RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL LAST YEAR AND WAS ATTENDING OUR TRANSITION CENTER.

HE PASSED AWAY OVER THE WINTER BREAK AND OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH HIS FAMILY.

THE SECOND PASSING IS LUCAS NAGLE.

HE'S AN OFFICER. HE WAS AN OFFICER WITH THE CAROLINE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER FOR THE COLONEL RICHARDSON CAMPUS.

AND AS I SAID, HE PASSED AWAY JUST WITHIN THE LAST WEEK.

OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH HIS WIFE, LAUREN, AND WITH HIS PARENTS, MILTON AND TINA AND HIS BROTHER, JT.

AND OF COURSE, MILTON AND TINA ARE RETIREES FROM THE CAROLINE COUNTY SYSTEM.

SO HE CERTAINLY WAS A MEMBER OF OUR FAMILY.

SO I'D LIKE TO HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE DO HAVE AN AGENDA FOR TONIGHT.

IT HAS CHANGED A FEW TIMES WITH THINGS THAT WE HAD TO ADJUST, BUT WE GET A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS WRITTEN OR AMENDED.

SO MOVED.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR.

AYE. WE ARE NOW IN THE PRACTICE OF READING OUR MISSION STATEMENT BEFORE EVERY MEETING.

AND I CAN'T THINK OF A TIME WHEN OUR MISSION STATEMENT IS MORE IMPORTANT FOR US TO READ THAN CONSIDERING THE EVENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS.

SO THE MISSION FOR CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY, WE PREPARE ALL STUDENTS TO ACHIEVE COLLEGE, CAREER AND LIFE READINESS THROUGH A CHALLENGING AND PROGRESSIVE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE.

OK. NEXT UP, OUR BOARD MEMBER REPORTS.

[3. Reports]

SHE'S VERY BUSY. DONNA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO FIRST? I NEED TO GET A LIFE.

APPARENTLY. IT'S LIKE IT'S JUST THIS COUNTY JUST AMAZES ME.

THE STUDENTS, THE STAFF, EVERYBODY.

THERE WAS A LOT OF INTERESTING THINGS.

I LOVE GOING TO SEE CTC.

ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. AND SEEING WHAT THEY MAKE AND WHAT THEY DO.

AND EVERY TIME I GO, I'M EXTREMELY JEALOUS BECAUSE WHEN I GREW UP, GIRLS HAD SEWING AND COOKING.

BOYS HAD SHOP AND I DIDN'T MIND SEWING IT COOKING, BUT I DID WANT TO HAVE SHOP TO.

AND THEY GET THAT NOW.

AND I THINK THAT'S GREAT.

AND THEN THE NEXT GENERATION SCHOLARS, WE HAD THEM HERE LAST MEETING AND THEY ASKED ME IF I WOULD GO AND HELP OUT.

AND THAT WAS GREAT. I GOT TO SPEND THE DAY AT.

NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL.

AND COLONEL AND IN FACT, I'M GOING TO BE SPENDING THE NEXT TWO DAYS THERE DOING THE SAME THING, TALKING ABOUT CAREERS AND HOW YOU GET THERE.

[00:10:07]

WE DO FOR THE STUDENTS AND.

IT WAS JUST IT WAS GREAT IN THE HOLIDAY CONCERT WHEN THEY SAID THEY ONLY HAD TEN PRACTICES.

I ALMOST FELL OUT THE CHAIR LIKE, OH, HELP ME.

BUT IT WAS REALLY GOOD THE WAY THEY DID THAT CONCERT.

AND THEY SHOWED YOU HOW WITHIN THOSE TEN PRACTICES THEY WENT FROM NOTHING TO HOW FAR THEY GOT.

SO THAT REALLY WAS A LOT OF FUN TO GO TO THAT.

SO JUST AS USUAL, GREAT THINGS HAPPENING IN THIS COUNTY.

THANK YOU. TROY, CAN YOU GO NEXT? I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND MY FIRST BOARD MEETING AFTER BEING SWORN IN.

I GOT TO GO TO LOCKERMAN WINTER CONCERT.

IT WAS A PACKED HOUSE.

MAYBE I MISSED IT. IT WAS PACKED, AND I THINK MARK WAS THERE.

IT WAS. IT WAS STANDING ROOM ONLY.

AND THEY DID EXCELLENT.

I WAS ABLE TO SEE THE PLAY AT COLONEL MIDDLE.

THAT WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BETTER PLAYS I'VE SEEN IN A LONG TIME.

I THINK I SEE SOMETHING ABOUT SPRING.

THERE COULD BE ONE SPRING KIND OF EXCITED.

I DIDN'T GET TO SEE ANYTHING ELSE.

I ACTUALLY DIDN'T GET TO SEE MY DAUGHTER'S CONCERT AND FORTUNATELY I CAN'T BECAUSE THE FLU KIND OF HIT OUR HOUSEHOLD.

SO I KIND OF AFTER THAT, I KIND OF DIDN'T GET TO DO AS MUCH.

SO HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT FEW, WE'LL BE ABLE TO ATTEND A LITTLE BIT MORE.

MICHELE? I WANT TO LIFT UP THE FEDERALSBURG CHRISTMAS CONCERT WAS EXCELLENT.

NOT ONLY WERE THE STUDENTS EXCELLENT, THERE WAS A HUGE TURNOUT OF PARENTS.

I DIDN'T KNOW IF I WAS GOING TO GET A PARKING SPOT OR NOT, BUT I DID AND I ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE OF IT.

IT WAS VERY, VERY GOOD.

AND THEN THIS WAS THE ICING ON THE CAKE.

WHEN I OPENED MY MY PLANNER HERE FOR TODAY'S MEETING, THERE'S A THANK YOU FOR COMING TO OUR CONCERT, AND IT'S SIGNED BY MS. MILLS AND LOTS OF CHILDREN.

SO THAT WAS LIKE THE ICING ON THE CAKE.

THANK YOU, MARK.

WHAT STICKS OUT TO ME OVER THE PAST MONTH THROUGH THE THE CONCERTS THAT I ATTENDED, THE CHRISTMAS COOKIES AT THAT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID. SIZE OF THE CROWDS.

IT WAS FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR, BEING ABLE TO HAVE PEOPLE BACK IN, ANYBODY JUST THE SIZE OF THE CROWDS.

IT WAS REALLY GOOD TO SEE THAT MANY PEOPLE SHOWING UP TO THE CONCERTS, TO SEE OUR KIDS.

THAT REALLY DID AN AMAZING JOB AT EVERY LEVEL.

I WAS REALLY FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND THESE CONCERTS, THE ONES THAT I DID GET TO GO TO.

BUT THAT'S ABOUT IT.

JUST A GOOD WAY TO START THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY SEASON.

VERY GOOD. SO FOR ME, WHAT I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IS, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS WANT TO LOOK FORWARD IN THESE MEETINGS.

WE LOOK FORWARD QUITE A BIT.

THAT'S WHY IT HAS TO BE THE PLAN AND AND EXECUTE YOUR PLAN AND TRACK HOW YOU'RE DOING AND THAT SORT OF THING.

BUT I ALSO BELIEVE THERE'S A LOT TO BE GAINED BY LOOKING BACK.

IF YOU LEARN LESSONS, BY LOOKING BACK TO LOOK BACK A YEAR.

I THOUGHT ABOUT IT THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF DECEMBER WITH ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES GOING ON, THE PARADES, THE CONCERTS, THE PLAYS AND SO ON.

WHERE WERE WE A YEAR AGO? JUST THINK BACK A YEAR AGO AND THEN TWO YEARS AGO.

WHERE HAVE WE COME FROM AND WHAT HAVE WE ENDURED? AND IT'S NOT COMPLETELY OVER.

WE KNOW THAT. BUT IT CERTAINLY IS A BIG DIFFERENCE WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CROWDS OF SOME OF THESE THINGS.

AMAZING. JUST AMAZING.

AND I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD TAKE THAT FOR GRANTED.

AND WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THAT.

THAT'S WHY WHEN YOU'RE GOING THROUGH ANYTHING OR YOU'RE DEALING WITH CHALLENGES, IT'S LIKE CLIMBING A MOUNTAIN.

YOU HAVE TO LOOK BACK EVERY SO OFTEN AND SEE HOW FAR YOU'VE COME.

AND WE'VE COME A LONG WAY.

SO. THAT'S THAT'S OUR REPORTS.

SO NOW WE MOVE ON TO MORE INFORMATIVE REPORTS.

NOT REALLY. VERY GOOD.

AND THE SUPERINTENDENTS REPORT TONIGHT, MINE'S ACTUALLY GOING TO ECHO WHAT EVERYBODY HAS SHARED AND REALLY PULLED TOGETHER SOME PICTURES FROM THE EVENTS.

IF THE MONTH OF DECEMBER DID NOT PUT YOU IN A HOLIDAY MOOD IN THIS COUNTY, THEN SOMETHING WAS AMISS.

AND. REFLECTING.

LOOKING BACK AND BY THE WAY, MS. BROHAN, THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL. FLOAT DOWN BOTTOM.

WONDERFUL. REALLY THRILLED TO SEE PETALS OF THE SCHOOL FLOAT IN THE PARADE WAS AWESOME.

[00:15:07]

IT'S ALWAYS A JOY TO WATCH THE KIDS, ESPECIALLY FROM ELEMENTARY, WHEN THEY'RE JUST LEARNING.

AND THEY'RE LEARNING.

THEY'RE LEARNING THE INSTRUMENTS.

AND THEN YOU SEE AND YOU TEND TO FINISH JUST BY THE WAY, THE SCHEDULE ALWAYS RUNS.

ELEMENTARIES TEND TO GO FIRST AND MIDDLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH AND THEN END WITH THE HIGH SCHOOLS.

AND LITERALLY YOU SEE THAT FULL GAMUT OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FOR THOSE WHO PLAY IN INSTRUMENTS.

OVER FIVE YEARS, OVER EIGHT YEARS, AND REALLY SEE HOW STUDENTS PROGRESS AND HOW THEY LEARN TO WORK TOGETHER.

AND THAT TEAM ASPECT OF PLAYING TOGETHER IS JUST BEAUTIFUL AND WONDERFUL.

BUT I DO WANT TO DRAW ON A PIECE THAT MANY OF YOU HAVE MENTIONED, AND IT IS THE COMMUNITY.

AND IT RESONATES.

IT'S RESONATING THIS WEEK WITH WHAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING AND WORKING THROUGH AS A SCHOOL SYSTEM AND AS A LARGER COMMUNITY.

OUR LARGE, LARGER COMMUNITY REALLY SHOWED UP AND SUPPORTED OUR KIDS SUPPORTING THEIR KIDS.

I CAN'T REMEMBER A TIME AND I'LL ECHO MS. WAYMAN'S COMMENT. I CAN'T REMEMBER A TIME WHERE I'VE GONE TO FEDERALSBURG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND HAVE THE PARK OVER BY THE ICE CREAM PLACE, LIKE THE WHATEVER.

I FORGET WHAT IT IS NOW, BUT PASS THE BODY SHOP, MAKE A LEFT LIKE I WAS GOING TO MARSHY HOPE HARDWARE TO GET PARKING TO GET IN FOR A SCHOOL EVENT AT FEDERALSBURG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING.

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SEATING IN THE GYMNASIUM FOR FAMILIES COMING IN AND KIDS COMING IN.

AND THE KIDS WHO WERE SINGING AND PLAYING WEREN'T IN THERE.

THEY WERE SOMEWHERE ELSE.

THAT WAS WHAT PEOPLE COMING TO SUPPORT.

AND YOU SEE THE SAME THING ACROSS ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS AND AT ALL OF OUR AUDITORIUMS AND VENUES.

JUST SEEING THAT AGAIN, ESPECIALLY WITH THE COUNTER TO WHERE WE WERE A YEAR AGO, WAS WAS WONDERFUL.

THE PLAY AT COLONEL MIDDLE, THOUGH, NOT A PICTURE UP HERE FOR THAT.

THE PLAY WAS ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS.

IT WAS WONDERFUL. THE KIDS DID A GREAT JOB.

BUT THAT, TOO, A MIDDLE SCHOOL PLAY THAT WAS ABOUT 40 MINUTES IN LENGTH.

THE CAFETERIA WAS PACKED.

IT WAS JUST GREAT TO SEE FAMILIES OUT SUPPORTING THEIR KIDS.

TO SOUND LIKE AN OLD PERSON, TO SEE PEOPLE ENGAGING IN SOMETHING THAT INVOLVES US BEING PEOPLE AND NOT WITH DEVICES IN THEIR HANDS AND JUST REALLY JUST ENJOYING THOSE KIND OF COLLABORATIVE MOMENTS, WHICH IS REALLY POWERFUL AND REALLY NEAT TO SEE ACROSS ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS AND AT SO MANY PLACES.

AND IT REALLY DOES TOUCH YOU IN THE RIGHT FRAME OF MIND HEADING INTO THE HOLIDAY AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS THAT YOU DRAW FROM THAT ARE JUST AGAIN, WHAT MAKES CAROLINE COUNTY SPECIAL AND UNIQUE. AND IT'S THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT THAT WE CONTINUE TO BUILD UPON AND WANT TO CONTINUE TO BUILD UPON.

SO IT WAS A GREAT MONTH.

LOTS OF OTHER REALLY GOOD THINGS HAPPENED, I'M SURE OF IT.

BUT THOSE JUST THAT REALLY STOOD OUT.

AND ONE LAST THING. SORRY, MR. MARTIN. THE EFFORT THAT OUR MUSIC TEACHERS ARE PUTTING IN TO OUR STUDENTS IS PHENOMENAL.

AND THE TEAMWORK BY THE MUSIC TEACHERS ACROSS SCHOOLS, SOMETHING THAT DIDN'T EXIST A DECADE AGO.

AND I'M NOT 100% SURE THAT IT'S A COMPLETE BYPRODUCT OF COVID.

BUT I KNOW WE STARTED SEEING IT AND I STARTED NOTICING IT MORE WHEN COVID HIT AND THEY WERE WORKING TOGETHER TO HELP SUPPORT EACH OTHER.

I MEAN, NOT JUST FEEDER SCHOOLS, NOT JUST PRESTON AND FEDERALSBURG HELPING COLONEL MIDDLE COL HIGH, BUT I'M TALKING NORTH HIGH, HELPING COLONEL HIGH.

OH MY GOD. ACROSS THE COUNTY, THEY'RE WORKING TOGETHER LIKE THEY REALLY HAVE GELLED TO REALLY GROW THE FINE ARTS IN THIS COUNTY.

AND I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE THEM OUT OF THE COMMENTS BECAUSE THEY'RE PUTTING IN TIME, THEY'RE PUTTING IN EFFORT.

IT IS A PASSION. IT IS A LABOR OF LOVE.

IT IS COUNTLESS HOURS.

AND THEY'RE DOING IT TOGETHER AS A TEAM AS WELL, WHICH IS JUST GREAT TO SEE THAT GROW.

THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, THESE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, THAT'S A LIFE SKILL.

I THINK A LOT OF CHILDREN DON'T NECESSARILY RECOGNIZE THAT.

KEEP PLAYING THAT INSTRUMENT.

KEEP DOING IT BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN DO FOREVER.

I THINK AT LEAST MOST OF THE INSTRUMENTS, MAYBE THERE'S ONE OR TWO THAT WOULD BE HARD TO DO FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

I DON'T KNOW. I THINK EVERY ONE OF THEM YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN TO ENJOY PLAYING A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SO. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU.

DIRECTOR OF SNAPSHOTS.

WE HAVE JUST ONE THIS EVENING.

ALL RIGHT, SO LET ME GET THIS OUT HERE.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE SEEN A NEW BOARD, NEW FACE IN DIFFERENT PLACES.

SO GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

SIMMONS, WELCOME.

MR. PLUTSCHAK, I HAVE AS I MENTIONED, I WAS NOT HERE ON DECEMBER, SO I WAS NOT ABLE TO KIND OF GIVE A REPORT OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON IN DECEMBER.

[00:20:07]

WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED, HAVE BEEN REALLY GREAT THINGS HAVE HAPPENED SINCE NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER.

I HAVE APRIL POINTS UP THERE.

I'M NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT ALL OF THEM.

I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THEM EARLY DECEMBER AND TRANSPORTATION.

WE WERE BLESSED TO HAVE ANOTHER BUS COME TO OUR FLEET.

THIS WAS A LEASE CONTRACT BUS SYSTEM, NOT THE TWO BUSSES THAT WERE STILL LOOKING FOR THIS ONE.

TO MR. DERRICK CARABALLO, THIS IS AN AWESOME BUS.

HE HE PAID ABOUT $130,000 FOR THIS BUS.

IT HAS ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES.

AND WHEN YOU WALK ON THIS BUS, IT'S LIKE BEING ON A TOUR LIKE A COACH.

THERE'S SO MUCH SPACE ON THIS BUS.

I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. YOU WALK IN, YOU ALMOST FEEL YOU'RE IN A DIFFERENT SPACE.

THERE'S A LOT I THINK THE KIDS ARE REALLY GOING TO ENJOY RIDING ON THAT BUS.

AS I MENTIONED ABOUT TWO SCHOOL BUSSES.

THEY'RE OFF THE PRODUCTION LINE.

WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE THEM HERE IN NEXT WEEK OR SO, HOPEFULLY IN MID JANUARY.

SO THE FOOD SERVICE HAD A REALLY GREAT NOVEMBER AND EARLY DECEMBER.

THAT DEPARTMENT HAD A GREAT SUCCESSFUL USDA TOUR THAT CAME AND VISITED CAROLINE COUNTY, SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE USDA'S FOOD NUTRITION SERVICES TOWARDS FOOD SERVICE DEPARTMENT.

IT WAS A GREAT VISIT. THE TOPICS THEY COVERED WERE REGARDING WHAT CAN BE DONE TO INCORPORATE LOCAL FARMERS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS.

THAT WAS ACTIVELY DISCUSSED AMONGST I THINK THEY BROUGHT MAYBE A TEAM OF 12 PEOPLE LIKE BETH BREWSTER, THE SUPERVISOR OF FOOD SERVICE.

SHE SHOWED THEM HOW WE SERVE OUR SCHOOL MEALS TO OUR STUDENTS.

THAT INCLUDES SO MANY FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, NOT JUST IN SEPTEMBER AND MAY, BUT HOW WE DO IT ALL THE OTHER MONTHS WHEN THE FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES ARE NOT READILY AVAILABLE. SHE ALSO SHOWED THEM HOW THEY SOURCE OUT THE LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTS AND THE PRODUCE WITHIN OUR AREA.

SHE SHOWED HOW OUR FARM TO FREEZER PROGRAM IS GETTING OFF THE GROUND AND WORKING.

SHE ALSO SHOWED THEM HOW WE ARE INFUSING WATER WITH FRESH FRUITS SO THAT THE STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO THE FLAVORED WATERS THAT YOU GET IN RESTAURANTS.

VERY SIMPLE CONCEPT, BRILLIANT IDEA.

BETH ALSO SHOWED THE USDA THE BROAD PICTURE OF FEEDING OUR STUDENTS AND WORKING ON HUNGER AND POVERTY AND CAROLINE COUNTY.

SHE ALSO SHOWED THEM HOW THEY ARE CONTINUOUSLY WORKING ON FOOD RESILIENCE AND EQUITY WITHIN CAROLINE COUNTY.

SHE TOOK THE USDA TO A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT PLACES IN OUR AREA.

THEY TOURED THE CENTRAL BACKPACK PANTRY.

THEY TOURED THE SHORE GOURMET MOBILE BUS, THE CULINARY CENTER, AND THEY ALSO WENT AND TOURED BOTH WAREHOUSES HAVE THE DRY AND THE FROZEN, THE DRY AND THE COLD STORAGE AREAS.

THEY WERE BLOWN AWAY.

THEY CONTINUED ON THE TOUR AND I WOULD STRUGGLE WITH THIS WORD.

THEY VISITED A SPIRULINA FARM TO LEARN WAYS TO RESOLVE MALNUTRITION MORE ON A UNIVERSAL SCALE.

THIS IS KIND OF A HOT TOPIC, BUT IT'S REALLY LOW ON THE PRIORITY LIST RIGHT NOW.

BUT I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO START HEARING MORE AND MORE ABOUT THIS IN THE COMING YEARS.

SPIRULINA SHE ALSO WAS VERY INVOLVED WITH GETTING NEW PICNIC TABLES, NEW CAFETERIA TABLES.

SHE HIT FOR SCHOOLS.

WE GOT NEW CAFETERIA TABLES ORIGINALLY.

RIDGELY, DENTON, PRESTON, AND LOCKERMAN.

THESE ARE SOME REALLY NEAT TABLES.

WE CAN FOLD THEM UP AND USE THEM AS AUDITORIUM SEATING AND THEY ALSO HAVE GREAT SPRING LOCKS THAT YOU CAN JUST CLICK THE LEVER AND THEY POP RIGHT UP AND THE CUSTODIANS LOVE THEM BECAUSE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF EFFORT IN TERMS OF LIFTING THESE CHAIRS WHEN THEY NEED TO MOVE THEM AROUND.

THEY'RE VERY NICE, VERY NICE TABLES, PLAN UPS.

I AM VERY EXCITED TO MAKE ANOTHER ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WE HAD PROMOTED ONE OF OUR CUSTODIAL RANKS TO A HIGHER POSITION.

WE HIRED A NIGHT SHIFT HEAD CUSTODIAN AT NORTH CAROLINE HIGH SCHOOL.

AS YOU KNOW, THAT SCHOOL IS VERY BUSY AND WE NEED TO HAVE SOLID LEADERSHIP THERE IN THE EVENINGS TO KEEP THE CUSTODIANS KIND OF ON TRACK OF WHAT'S GOING ON, AS WELL AS TAKING CARE OF ALL THE EVENTS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE BUILDINGS.

AND SO IF WE CAN GET THEM OUT BY A DECENT TIME AND HAVING THE BUILDINGS 2 TO 3:00 IN THE MORNING.

SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

WE BROUGHT ON BOARD TO NORTH CAROLINE NICHOLAS MARSHALL.

HE ACTUALLY STARTED LAST NIGHT.

HE WAS HIRED A WHILE AGO BUT ACTUALLY STARTED LAST NIGHT.

HE'S BEEN WORKING WITH US AT GREENSBORO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR A WHILE.

SO IT'S REALLY GOOD TO PROMOTE AND TO ESTABLISH THAT THIS IS A TREND THAT WE'RE TRYING TO TO GET GOING WITH WITH OUR CUSTODIAL STAFF.

IN NOVEMBER, THE TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT, THEY WERE APPROVED FOR 450,000 EMERGENCY CONNECTIVITY GRANT TO PURCHASE 1100 CHROMEBOOKS AND 200 IPADS TO HELP REPLACE THE AGING STUDENT DEVICES THIS HELPED REMOVE.

THE BURDEN FROM LOCAL FUNDS TO PURCHASE THESE DEVICES.

BY GETTING THIS GRANT, THEY ALSO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF UPGRADING THE EQUIPMENT FOR OUR FIBER DATA NETWORK.

THIS EQUIPMENT IS PURCHASED WITH E FUND RATES AND WILL IMPLEMENT THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY TO MAINTAIN FIBER DATA CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE BUILDINGS.

AND AS YOU PROBABLY WELL AWARE, CHOP TANK IS REALLY INVOLVED IN GETTING FIBER THROUGH ALL CAROLINE COUNTY.

[00:25:06]

IT'S THE WAY TO GO. SO THOSE ARE MY SNAPSHOTS.

I DO WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT.

IF YOU WANT TO GET TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

I DO WANT TO DISCUSS THIS WITH YOU.

THIS IS AN OVERVIEW.

THIS IS A VERY GOOD RENDITION OF WHAT THE NEW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PLAYGROUND IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.

AS YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE OF, THIS PLAYGROUND IS THE OLDEST ONE IN CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

IT HAS BEEN CLOSED AND WRAPPED OFF TO NO ONE CAN USE IT.

NO CHILDREN, NO STUDENTS.

IT'S IN BAD SHAPE. IT'S VERY UNSAFE.

WE WERE TRYING TO SCRAMBLE TO GET THIS FIGURED OUT.

THIS PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE FOR SIX MONTHS AGO, BUT WE HAD FUNDING ISSUES WE WERE TRYING TO WORK THROUGH.

I'M PROUD TO REPORT THAT WE HAD RECEIVED FUNDING ITS TWO PART FUNDING PROJECT FROM A GRANT FROM ISE'S AGING SCHOOLS PROGRAM FOR $103,000, AND THE REMAINING $97,000 WILL COME FROM LOCAL FUNDS.

AND THESE PLAYGROUNDS ARE NOT CHEAP.

THIS ONE HERE, THE EXACT SAME FOOTPRINT IS WHAT YOU SEE AT RIDGELY, SAME LENGTH AND WIDTH, SAME HEIGHT, $199,950.

AND SO IT, WHEN I PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE, WHEN I DROVE BY CAROLINE OR BY THE EYES COMING BACK THIS AFTERNOON, IT'S SUCH A HUGE PLAYGROUND. I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT THAT COST WILL BE UNLESS YOU PUT THAT IN OR GOD FORBID, WHAT THAT WILL COST WHEN WE HAVE TO REPLACE THAT DOWN THE ROAD.

VERY, VERY LARGE. THEY'RE VERY EXPENSIVE.

SO THE COMPANY IS GOING TO DO THIS.

IT'S CALLED. GAME TIME. AND THEY KIND OF HAVE THE MARKET ON MARYLAND, DELAWARE AND PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS.

THEY'RE ALSO A STATE APPROVED PURCHASING COOPERATIVE.

SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WELL, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO ANY FORMALIZED BIDDING FOR THIS PARTICULAR PRODUCT.

I CAN JUST GO AND SELECT THEM AND HAVE THEM.

THEY GIVE ME THE QUOTE, WHAT'S THEIR COST.

AND BECAUSE THAT THERE'S NO BOARD APPROVAL THAT IS NEEDED BECAUSE THERE'S NO BID IN PROCESS.

THE LAST THING IS, I DID ASK MR. SUTTON AND HIS ADMIN TEAM TO COME UP WITH SOME COLOR SCHEMES BECAUSE IT'S LIKE BUYING A CAR.

YOU COULD HAVE 1500 DIFFERENT COLORS FOR EVERYTHING.

I THINK THAT MIGHT BE SIMILAR TO WHAT THE COLOR SCHEME IS, BUT THE COLORS HE PICKED IS CALLED THE JOVIAL STANDARD COLOR SCHEME, WHICH INCLUDES BURGUNDY, BUTTERSCOTCH, DOLPHIN GRAY, SPRING GREEN AND BLUE.

I SEE A LOT OF GREEN THERE, SO I HOPE IT'S NOT QUITE LIKE THAT, BUT IT SHOULD POP COMPARED TO WHAT WHAT WE HAVE OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.

SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT GETTING THAT DONE.

HOPEFULLY THAT PROJECT WILL BE ACTUALLY COMPLETED BY MID SPRING.

WE HAD TO GO IN THE DEMO FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS, TAKE EVERYTHING OUT OF THERE AND THEN REBUILD IT.

AND SO HOPEFULLY IT TAKES ABOUT A WEEK OR TWO TO GET DONE.

SO THAT IS THAT'S THE PLAYGROUND I KNOW MR. SUTTON TOLD ME. HE SAID HE GOES, THE HARDEST THING THAT YOU COULD EVER IMAGINE BEING A PRINCIPAL DOING IS BEING A PRINCIPAL OF A ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WITH LITTLE KIDS WHO CAN'T GO AND PLAY IN THEIR PLAYGROUND. SO I HEARD IT LOUD AND CLEAR.

YOU'RE TAKING CARE OF THAT.

YEAH, WELL, IT'S NOT A PLACE YET, BUT WE'RE WORKING ON IT.

YEAH. ANY QUESTIONS FIRST? LIKE, WHAT IS THAT? PURPLE. SO THAT PURPLE, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I BELIEVE MARK, THAT IS PART OF THE FIBER OPTICS HARDWARE THAT'S BEING USED THAT WE'RE INSTALLING FOR THE FIBER.

THAT'S A FIBER OPTIC SWITCH, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO THE ETHER THAT ONE YOU'VE SEEN FOR YEARS, THAT SAME KIND OF THING.

SO IT'S NOT IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE A TRUCK.

IT'S NOT A TRUCK, RIGHT.

A MACK TRUCK. LOOK, IT LOOKS LIKE A CAR.

YEAH. YEAH. THAT PICTURE DOES.

SEEM LIKE WHAT THE? THAT DOES DRIVE THE ORGANIZATION.

OH, REALLY? THE ENTIRE.

ALL THE QUESTIONS. WHAT WILL THE NEW DUGOUT BE DONE? WELL, SPRING SPORTS STARTS MARCH 1ST.

AND I'VE BEEN ON CONTACT WITH THE COACH ALMOST RELIGIOUSLY EVERY WEEK.

WE GOT A LOT OF WORK DONE OVER CHRISTMAS BREAK.

WHAT'S LEFT REMAINING THERE IS THE ROOF AND WHAT I'M GOING TO CALL THE GUTS INSIDE THE BENCHES, THE STORAGE AREAS.

THEY'RE GOING TO LOOK VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT SAINT MICHAEL COLONEL RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL LOCKERS.

THEY KIND OF MODELED THEM OFF OF THAT FOR THE STORAGE UNITS ON THE INSIDE.

SO THE WHOLE DUGOUT WILL BE VERY SIMILAR TO THAT.

WHAT'S REALLY GREAT ABOUT THAT, IF YOU LOOK TOWARDS THE LEFT RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THAT, THERE'S A LITTLE NET THERE.

THERE IS A DOORWAY THAT LEADS WILL LEAD RIGHT TO THE BACK TO THE PITCHING AREA AND THE BATTING CAGES.

SO OUR GIRLS WILL HAVE OBVIOUSLY HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE.

THE VISION BOX IS NICE, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE THAT TYPE OF ACCESS.

SO. TOTALLY OFF OF THE PRESENTATION YOU GAVE TONIGHT, BUT JUST GLAD TO KNOW THAT WITH THE INCIDENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED, OUR BUS DRIVERS AND OUR CHILDREN HAVE ALL BEEN SAFE.

YES, BECAUSE IT'S JUST SEEMS LIKE WE'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, TWO OR THREE INCIDENTS, BUT WE WENT THROUGH A LITTLE BAD STREAK THAT WAY.

[00:30:02]

THOSE TWO OTHER BUSSES AS A RESULT.

THANK YOU. SO GAME TIME AS A SOLE SOURCE PROVIDER OF PLAYGROUNDS IN MY PAST PROFESSIONAL LIFE.

MY ORGANIZATION HIRED THEM AND BOUGHT PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT FROM THE MANY TIMES THAT IF THEY'RE WHAT THEY WERE, THEN THEY DO A GREAT JOB.

YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED, I'M SURE.

ARE YOU AWARE OF THAT? YEAH. NO.

WE USE THEM FOR MANY OTHER PROJECTS.

YOU NEVER THINK OF IT QUITE THIS WAY.

BUT YOU CAN BUILD A HOUSE OR BUILD A PLAYGROUND.

BUT YOU CAN'T DO BOTH.

YES. YES.

$199,000. YEAH.

WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE TO GO SEE THAT LATER IN THE SPRING AND YOU'RE ACTUALLY ON IT AND YOU LOOK AT IT, THINK ABOUT THE PRICE TAG BECAUSE IT GETS SMALL WHEN YOU'RE ON IT.

I MEAN, IT'S FUN, BUT IT'S PART OF THE PART OF THE EXPENSE.

I KNOW IT'S NOT JUST THE QUALITY OF CONSTRUCTION, BUT THEY GO THROUGH A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PLAYGROUNDS ARE AS SAFE AS THEY CAN POSSIBLY BE.

THEY'RE TESTED EXTENSIVELY AND THEY'RE CONSTANTLY MAKING MODIFICATIONS TO DESIGN BECAUSE OF THE LATEST INTELLIGENCE ABOUT INJURIES AND FALLS AND WHAT KIND OF SURFACES AND WHAT KIND OF EQUIPMENT LEADS TO MORE INJURIES OR LESS INJURIES.

SO WE DON'T WANT ANYBODY HURT.

SO SAFE PLAYGROUNDS, IT'S WORTH UNDER 99,000.

SURE. ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. SO NOW WE CAN GO INTO OUR STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE REPORTS.

SHELBY, YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE AT THE TABLE, SO WE'LL GO FIRST WITH YOU.

LESLIE COULDN'T BE HERE TONIGHT.

SHE SENT US A NOTE EARLIER.

SHE WILL BE MISSED, BUT WE HAVE SHELBY IN.

SO THE GENERAL MESSAGE FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR US HAD A GREAT MONTH OF LEARNING IN DECEMBER.

WE WORKED HARD BUT HAD A LOT OF FUN IN SCHOOL IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND YOU CAN SEE FROM THEIR LAST MONTH EVENTS, THEY DID INDEED HAVE A LOT OF FUN.

THEY HAD THEIR CONCERT, THEY HAD THEIR 12 DAYS OF SPIRIT DAYS AND LIKE THEY SAID, FES WON THIRD PLACE FOR THEIR FLOAT.

AND THE PARADE, WHICH WAS QUITE EXCITING.

AND THEY ALSO WERE IN THE PARADE WITH THE BAND.

SOME OF THEIR UPCOMING EVENTS ARE GOING TO BE THE WINTER BALL DANCE AND THEIR [INAUDIBLE] PEP RALLY WHERE THE WINNING HOUSE WILL BE ANNOUNCED.

IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH FES'S HOUSE SYSTEM, IT'S A GREAT SYSTEM.

THE KIDS LOVE IT.

EVERY TIME THAT I MEET WITH PRINCIPAL BROHAN, THAT'S WHAT WE TALK ABOUT BECAUSE IT'S SUPER EXCITING.

FOR PES PRINCIPAL, MR. ANGELONI SAID PES CONTINUES TO PROMOTE OUR POLES PLEDGE EACH AND EVERY DAY.

OUR STUDENTS HAD A FANTASTIC DECEMBER NOT ONLY PARTICIPATING IN ALL OF OUR SCHOOL SPIRIT EVENTS, BUT ALSO DOING THEIR BEST EACH AND EVERY DAY INSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM. LIKE FOR US, HAD A LOT OF SIMILAR EVENTS WITH THE PARADE AND THE CONCERT AND THE SPIRIT WEEK, BUT THEY ALSO HAD A GRINCH MOVIE NIGHT, WHICH SOUNDS REALLY EXCITING.

AND THEN FOR COLONEL MIDDLE, DR.

HOLLOWAY SAID, WE HAD SOME FUN LEADING UP TO THE HOLIDAY BREAK.

WE HOPE THE SPIRIT OF CHEER TAKES US INTO 2023.

THEY HAD A SUCCESSFUL TOYS FOR TOTS CAMPAIGN.

THEY ALSO HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL WINTER CONCERT AND THEY HAD THE IT'S A WONDERFUL NEVERLAND FIRST SEMESTER PLAY.

AND THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THEY'VE HAD A FIRST SEMESTER PLAY IN A WHILE.

SO THAT WAS EXCITING.

AND THEY HAD A GINGERBREAD HOUSE BUILDING CONTEST AND THE WINNERS RECEIVED GIFT CERTIFICATES TO FEDERALSBURG FAMILY RESTAURANT.

AND THEN AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, DR.

[INAUDIBLE] SAID SIRI JUST HAS HAD AN EXCITING DECEMBER TEACHER, CELEBRATED THE 12 DAYS TO WINTER BREAK WITH LITTLE GIFTS EACH DAY FROM THE LEADERSHIP TEAM.

THE STUDENTS CELEBRATED, FINISHING UP ELA TEN TESTING AND KICK OFF WINTER BREAK WITH A PEP RALLY THAT INCLUDED A STUDENT VERSUS STAFF BASKETBALL GAME.

AND ALL STUDENTS GOT A SERIOUS JUST WATER BOTTLE AS A HOLIDAY GIFT FROM THE CRHS ADMINISTRATION.

SO GOING ON TO WHAT DR.

[INAUDIBLE] SAID, THE PEP RALLY WAS SUPER EXCITING, BUT NOT JUST FOR THE STAFF VERSUS STUDENT BASKETBALL GAME.

WE HAD A LOT OF FUN RELAYS.

IT WAS REALLY FUN.

ALSO LAST MONTH WE HAD DOOR DECORATING CONTEST AND SPIRIT DAYS LIKE THE OTHER SCHOOLS AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE WAS EXCITING.

DECEMBER SO SHELBY, I JUST WANT TO ADD THE PEP RALLY PIECE.

I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE THERE FOR PART OF IT.

SO AS YOU WERE NOT THERE, YOU HAVE A GIFT.

YOU REALLY DO.

SO SHELBY LED THE PEP RALLY AND YOU DID AN INCREDIBLE JOB WITH, WHAT, 450 STUDENTS IN A GYMNASIUM? AND WHAT I MEAN, SHE LED LIKE SHE RAN THE PEP RALLY.

IT WAS HER WITH A MICROPHONE.

[00:35:02]

HER EP WAS MEETING WITH ME OVER SOMETHING ELSE, AND HE WAS LIKE, OH, SHELBY'S GOT IT.

SHE'S GOOD. WE WERE SITTING OFF TO THE SIDE, BUT YOU REALLY DID AN INCREDIBLE JOB.

YOU JUST REALLY HELD.

THERE'S A GIFT THAT COMES THAT TRULY IS.

IT'S A NATURAL ABILITY THAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW YOU HAVE.

AND I COULD SEE I'M MAKING YOU UNCOMFORTABLE EVEN TALKING ABOUT BUT.

IT'S. NO, IT'S.

SHELBY, YOU REALLY DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF SOMETHING YOU DON'T SEE VERY OFTEN IN ANYONE AT WHAT AGE GROUP, BUT AT YOUR AGE, TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT AND THEN HAVE ALSO THE RESPECT OF YOUR PEERS BACK.

PEP RALLIES ARE WONDERFUL, BUT THEY'RE ORGANIZED CHAOS.

IT'S NOT LIKE I HAVE A LOVE HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM FOR THAT REASON.

BUT AGAIN, IT WAS JUST IT WAS WONDERFUL TO LITERALLY JUST SIT BACK AND WATCH AND WATCH YOU LEAD IN THAT ENVIRONMENT AND TO REALLY BUILD THAT FUN AMONGST ALL YOUR CLASSMATES.

IT WAS REALLY INCREDIBLE AND SOMETHING THAT WAS UNIQUE THAT YOU JUST DID A GREAT JOB.

THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT.

I, THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD DONE IT BY MYSELF.

USUALLY I DO THE PEP RALLIES WITH A PARTNER, ANOTHER SENIOR, BUT HE LEFT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PEP RALLY WITH NO NO HEADS UP.

SO I DIDN'T THINK I WAS DOING A GREAT JOB.

BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU SAID THAT.

YOU'RE WELCOME. I MENTIONED BEFORE ABOUT MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS BEING A LIFE SKILL.

THAT'S A LIFE SKILL, AND THAT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN BUILD ON.

BELIEVE ME, YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE, YOU MAY BE THRUST INTO SITUATIONS LIKE THAT OR BE ASKED TO DO THAT.

THE ONLY DOWNSIDE IS IF PEOPLE GET TO KNOW YOU'RE GOOD AT THAT.

YOU CAN IMAGINE, RIGHT? THEY WANT YOU BEING THE EMCEE OR RUNNING EVERYTHING LIKE.

SO CONGRATULATIONS.

THAT'S WONDERFUL. WONDERFUL REPORT.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

MOVING ALONG. AND WE CERTAINLY MISS LESLIE, BUT WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING HER NEXT TIME.

SO WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE EXCITING FINANCE REPORT.

KIND OF LIKE A PEP RALLY.

I KNOW THAT'S A HARD ACT TO FOLLOW.

WHY DO I ALWAYS HAVE TO COME UP BEHIND THE THE GOOD OX HERE? GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT BARTON.

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. DR.

SIMMONS, YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU THE FINANCE REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING DECEMBER 31ST.

AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE HALFWAY THROUGH OUR FISCAL YEAR AND WE HAVE SPENT OUR ENCUMBERED APPROXIMATELY 77% OF OUR BUDGET.

SO WE ARE RIGHT ON TRACK WITH WHERE WE SHOULD BE AT THIS POINT IN THE YEAR.

THERE IS ONE THING THAT I'D LIKE TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION THIS MONTH, AND RACHEL, IF YOU'LL SCROLL TO THE SECOND PAGE, PLEASE.

IF YOU LOOK DOWN THE LEFT HAND COLUMN WHERE IT SAYS TRANSPORTATION AND LOOK AT THE EQUIPMENT, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL NEGATIVE NUMBER.

AND NEGATIVE NUMBERS ARE SCARY.

WE DON'T LIKE NEGATIVE NUMBERS.

AND I JUST WANT TO EXPLAIN THE REASON FOR THAT.

AS MR. MENGELE MENTIONED EARLIER THIS YEAR, WE ORDERED TWO NEW BUSSES WHICH ARE IN THE PRODUCTION LINE RIGHT NOW AND EXPECTED TO ARRIVE THIS MONTH.

SO AS A RESULT, WE HAVE YOU'LL SEE THAT 230,000 FOR THAT PURCHASE SHOWS UP AS AN ENCUMBRANCE, WHICH IS KICKING US INTO THE NEGATIVE.

BUT WE FINANCED THOSE TWO BUSSES.

SO ONCE THE BUSSES ARRIVE, WE'RE ABLE TO SUBMIT THE INVOICES, GET REIMBURSED AND THAT WILL OFFSET AND IT WILL BE A WASH.

IT'LL PUT US BACK IN A POSITIVE FOR THAT LINE ITEM.

SO I JUST WANTED TO EXPLAIN THAT.

THAT'S WHY THAT'S WHY IT LOOKS THE WAY IT IS.

BUT WE ARE GOOD TO GO AND THERE IS NOTHING THAT I NEED TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT YOU NEED TO WORRY ABOUT RIGHT NOW.

SO IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS, I APPRECIATE YOU EXPLAINING THAT, BECAUSE WHEN I LOOKED AT THIS AND I SAW THAT, BUT I ALSO LOOKED AT MR. MENDEL'S REPORT IN ADVANCE AND SAW.

OH, YES, YES, IT'S GOT TO BE THAT.

AND IF YOU'RE. VERY HELPFUL, THANK YOU.

AND IF YOU REMEMBER WHEN YOU APPROVED THE BUDGET IN JUNE, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE AVAILABLE FUNDING TO PURCHASE THE TWO BUSSES OUTRIGHT.

WE DID NOT HAVE 230,000 AT THAT POINT IN TIME BECAUSE WE HAD OTHER PRIORITIES BEING SALARY ENHANCEMENTS AND THAT SORT OF THING.

SO THAT'S WHY WE CHOSE THE FINANCING OPTION.

SO THANK YOU.

ANY QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS? THANK YOU.

YOU'RE WELCOME. IT SAYS A LOT ABOUT YOU THAT WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT FINANCE, THAT YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.

ALL RIGHT. MOVING ALONG TO THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE, THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION IS GOING TO BE STARTING BEFORE YOU KNOW IT.

SO WHAT I PUT TOGETHER FOR YOU THIS EVENING AND CONSULTED WITH MR. JONES, AS WELL AS THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE BOARD.

THE DATES WE TRIED TO PUT TOGETHER A ONE SPOT, SORT OF IMPORTANT DATES FOR THE BOARD AS JUST REMINDERS.

[00:40:02]

BIG DATES TO KEEP AN EYE ON IS JANUARY 10TH, THE 10TH DAY, THE FINAL DATE.

THE GOVERNOR HAS INTRODUCED THE BUDGET BILL AND CAPITAL BUDGET.

HOWEVER, THIS WILL BE GOVERNOR HOGAN'S BUDGET AND THEN THE NEW GOVERNOR WILL COME IN LATER IN JANUARY AND THEN MAKE CHANGES TO THAT BUDGET.

BUT AT LEAST THAT FIRST INITIAL DROP OF THE BUDGET IS JANUARY 20, WHICH WE'LL ALL BE WATCHING.

CROSSOVER DAY IS MARCH 20TH.

SO THE BILL IS GOING TO SURVIVE.

IT'S GOT TO GET OUT OF ONE HOUSE AND GET INTO THE OTHER BY THAT DATE FOR THE MOST PART, FOR MOST BILLS, IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD WITH LEGISLATION.

AND APRIL 3RD IS WHEN THE BUDGET BILL HAS TO BE PASSED.

THAT'S USUALLY WHEN WE'VE GOT A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF A FIRM GRASP ON WHAT OUR NUMBERS LOOK LIKE COMING FROM THE STATE IN TERMS OF OUR FINANCE PIECES.

AND APRIL TEN IS THE LAST DAY THAT IS THE THAT IS THE FINAL WHATEVER MAKES IT MAKES IT.

AND WE ALSO PUT ON THERE MARYLAND ASSOCIATION OF BOARDS OF ED AND WHO ARE OUR BOARD MEMBERS OF NAMES PRIORITIES, WHICH THEY HAVE STATED GOING INTO THE SCHOOL YEAR. WE LISTED THOSE AS WELL FOR THE BOARD AND FOR EVERYBODY AS REMINDER SORT OF WHAT THEIR PRIORITIES ARE WHEN THEY COME IN.

AND, MARK, ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT TO ADD AS WELL? MARK SITS ON THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE CALLS, AND.

I WOULDN'T HAVE TO ADD ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT MAYBE CREATES THESE PRIORITIES THAT ARE KIND OF SIMILAR, VERY SIMILAR TO THE PRIORITIES THAT WERE SET LAST YEAR.

AND THEN IN OUR MEETING AT THE BEGINNING OF DECEMBER.

THESE PRIORITIES ARE GOING OVER AT THE MEETING AND DISCUSSED AND.

AT ONE POINT IN THE MEETING, THIS WAS DOESN'T HAVE TO DO EXACTLY WHAT THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE.

BUT AT ONE POINT IN THE MEETING, I THINK CAROLINE COUNTY PRESENTED WAS AT THE BEGINNING OF DECEMBER THAT YOU PRESENTED TO THE STATE BOARD.

YES. EDUCATION ON A DIFFERENT TOPIC.

BUT JOHN WILLIAMS IS A LEGISLATIVE ADVISOR.

I'D SAY HE ACTUALLY HAD COMMENTED TO THE GROUP ABOUT HOW GOOD OF A JOB OUR COUNTY DID PRESENTING TO THE STATE BOARD FOR THAT AND WANTED THAT TO BE PASSED ALONG TO OUR COUNTY THAT I'LL GET TO THE JOB WE DID. SO I THINK THIS IS THE TIME.

THANK YOU. YEAH.

AND I THINK THERE'S ANOTHER MEETING SOON COMING WHICH WILL GET MORE INTO WHAT BILLS ARE.

ACTUAL BILLS ARE UP TO DATE.

YEAH. SHOULD ALL BE COMING OUT SOON.

AND MR. JONES AND I WILL HAVE LOTS TO UPDATE YOU ON OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS AS IT RELATES TO LEGISLATION, THAT'S FOR SURE.

ANYTHING ELSE UP THERE? ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. GOOD. PERSONNEL IS NEXT.

[4. Consent Agenda]

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. DR. SIMMONS.

THE PERSONNEL AGENDA INCLUDES FOUR LEAVES OF ABSENCES AND TWO RETIREMENTS.

THE ADDENDUM DATED TODAY RESCINDS ONE OF THOSE LEAVES OF ABSENCE INCLUDES ONE RESIGNATION, ONE RETIREMENT THROUGH THE VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT INCENTIVE PLAN AND HAS TWO TEACHER APPOINTMENTS TO BRING OTHER CONTRACT.

GOOD QUESTIONS ANYWAY.

OKAY. WE HAVE OUR MINUTES FROM DECEMBER 6TH, 2022.

WE DID NOT HAVE A WORK SESSION IN DECEMBER, SO THAT'S THE ONLY MINUTES WE HAVE.

ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THAT? IF NOT, CAN WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? SO MOVED.

SECOND.

THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL RIGHT.

CONSENT AGENDA'S PASSED.

MRS. BARRY, DO WE HAVE SOME COMMENTS TONIGHT? NO, SIR.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WHEN I SAY MRS. BARRY, TWO PEOPLE LOOK UP TO ME.

ALL RIGHT. INDIVIDUAL ACTION ITEMS, CONTINUATION OF POLICY DISCUSSIONS.

[6. Individual Action Items]

DR. SIMMONS, AS YOU KNOW, OUR POLICY WORK CONTINUES AS WE LOOK TO UPDATE OUR POLICIES A LITTLE EACH YEAR.

LAST MONTH, I BROUGHT YOU TWO POLICIES THAT WERE IN NEED OF RETIREMENT.

THIS MONTH I'M BRINGING TO YOU TWO POLICIES WHERE THE RECOMMENDATION IS THAT THE POLICY CONTINUE TYPICALLY WITHOUT CHANGES IN THE HOMEWORK POLICY.

THERE IS ONE CHANGE THAT IS RELATIVE TO GRADING, AND I WILL POINT THAT OUT.

BOTH OF THESE WERE VETTED THROUGH THE INSTRUCTIONAL DIVISION.

THE COPYRIGHT RESTRICTION POLICY IS THE FIRST.

AS YOU CAN SEE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE POLICY ITSELF, IT IS SIMPLY A POLICY STATEMENT THAT SAYS THAT WE WILL COMPLY WITH COPYRIGHT LAW SO IT DOES NOT

[00:45:05]

ADOPTED IN 1987.

SO THIS IS JUST TO PUT EYES ON IT.

YES, WE'RE STILL GOING TO FOLLOW COPYRIGHT LAW, BUT IT DOES ALLOW US TO HAVE THAT REVISED DATA ON SO THAT WE KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN LOOKED AT.

THE SECOND IS THE ASSIGNMENT OF HOMEWORK.

THIS IS STILL THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO CONTINUE THIS ON.

AT THE VERY END OF THE POLICY, YOU WILL SEE SECTION H AND SECTION H TALKS ABOUT THE PERCENTAGE OF THEIR REPORT OF THE STUDENTS REPORT CARD GRADE THAT HOMEWORK CAN ACCOUNT FOR.

AND WE HAVE, SINCE WE LOOKED AT HOMEWORK, WHICH WAS ALL THE WAY BACK IN, WELL, THERE ISN'T A DATE ON THE HOMEWORK POLICY, SO WE DON'T KNOW WHEN IT WAS ADOPTED, BUT SINCE IT WAS ADOPTED WE'VE ADOPTED A REPORTING PUPIL PROGRESS POLICY THAT TALKS ABOUT THINGS LIKE HOMEWORK NEEDS TO BE WEIGHTED LESS THAN WORK THAT'S DONE IN THE CLASS AND HAS CATEGORY WEIGHTS AND IS MUCH MORE DETAILED IN HOW TO ACTUALLY GRADE IN THIS SECTION H IS.

SO THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO CONTINUE ON WITH THE HOMEWORK POLICY, TAKE SECTION H OUT BECAUSE IT IS REALLY REDUNDANT WHEN WE HAVE A FULL POLICY ON REPORTING PUPIL PROGRESS THAT INCLUDES GRADE CALCULATION, CATEGORY WEIGHTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO IS HOMEWORK HAVING ANY WEIGHT AT ALL? IT DOES HAVE WEIGHT.

THE TEACHER CAN ASSIGN WEIGHT TO IT.

THAT IS REALLY THAT IS IN THE REPORTING PUPIL PROGRESS POLICY, THE GRADING POLICY, WHAT WE CALL.

SO IT DOES HAVE WEIGHT.

IT'S JUST THAT THAT PARTICULAR POLICY TALKS ABOUT WHAT EACH CATEGORY CAN BE.

IT DOES HAVE THE STATEMENT IN THERE, AND I'M PARAPHRASING, THAT WORK DONE AT HOME SHOULD BE COUNTED LESS THAN WORK DONE IN SCHOOL AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO THAT'S WHERE IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE IN THIS POLICY.

IT'S ALREADY ADDRESSED IN THE REPORTING PUPIL PROGRESS POLICY.

YEAH, IT IS DEFINITELY IMPORTANT.

I THINK IT'S CLOSE TO 30 PAGES FOR THE REGULATIONS.

WITH THE REGULATIONS, IT'S VERY DETAILED.

OTHER QUESTIONS? IS THIS SOMETHING WE NEED TO VOTE ON TONIGHT? YOU CAN. IT'S JUST A RECOMMENDATION TO CONTINUE.

YOU CAN OR YOU CAN.

WE CAN BRING IT BACK NEXT MONTH.

I DON'T SEE ANY REASON UNLESS WE HAVE ADDITIONAL OR ADDITIONAL.

I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THIS.

SECOND.

WE HAVE A SECOND.

DO YOU WANT TO DISCUSS IT FURTHER? IF WE GET A SECOND, WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION.

SECOND, FURTHER DISCUSSION.

WE'RE JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S THE ANSWER.

THE QUESTION TO ASK AS FAR AS DOES IT HAVE WEIGHT? DOES IT HAVE WEIGHT? YES.

SO A TEACHER CAN WEIGHT, A TEACHER CAN ASSIGN WEIGHT TO ANY ASSIGNMENT THAT THEY HAVE.

AND IN OUR REPORTING, [INAUDIBLE], IF YOU WANT TO JUMP IN ANYTIME.

IN OUR REPORTING PUPIL PROGRESS POLICY, TEACHERS REALLY HAVE TWO BROAD WAYS THAT THEY CAN SET UP THEIR GRADE BOOK.

ONE IS BY CATEGORY WEIGHT.

AND SO THAT MIGHT BE AN EXAMPLE OF THAT MAY BE THAT TESTS AND QUIZZES ARE 25% PROJECTS OR 25% PRESENTATIONS OR 25% HOMEWORK IS TEN AND A CULMINATING PROJECT IS 15 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

HOMEWORK, THEREFORE, BECAUSE OF HOW THE WEIGHT AND THE CATEGORY IS SET UP, IS LESS THAN WORK DONE IN SCHOOL, WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH THE REPORTING, YOUR PROGRESS POLICY AND A TOTAL POINT WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE CATEGORIES.

YOU JUST YOU HAVE POINTS AVAILABLE TO EACH ASSIGNMENT.

IT MIGHT BE THAT THE WORK THAT YOU DO IN SCHOOL IS WORTH 20 POINTS, A 20 POINT ASSIGNMENT, A 50 POINT ASSIGNMENT, BUT HOMEWORK IS A TEN POINT ASSIGNMENT OR A FIVE POINT ASSIGNMENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SO AGAIN, IT'S WEIGHTED LESS.

IT STILL HAS WEIGHT, IT STILL GETS CALCULATED AND DO THE FINAL GRADE.

BUT REALLY THE PURPOSE OF HOMEWORK IS TO GO HOME AND PRACTICE OR REINFORCE SKILLS, NOT TO LEARN NEW SKILLS, NOT TO ACQUIRE NEW UNDERSTANDING AND NEW KNOWLEDGE.

SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT WEIGHTING IT THE SAME AS THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE DURING THE LEARNING ACQUISITION THAT HAPPENS IN THE CLASSROOM.

IF WE KEPT H THIS WOULD ACTUALLY NOT MATCH.

IT WOULDN'T MATCH.

SO YOU'D HAVE TO JUST TAKE IN THE VERBIAGE, RIGHT.

BECAUSE I'M SORRY, JUST TO JUMP INTO ROB, GREAT EXPLANATION, BY THE WAY.

THANK YOU. BUT IN SAYING THAT IF SOMEBODY WERE TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT GRADING OF HOMEWORK, WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THEM TO THE REPORTING PEOPLE PROGRESS POLICY AND NOT NECESSARILY THE HOMEWORK POLICY

[00:50:04]

THAT'S WHY THE RECOMMENDATION TO REMOVE ONE AND PLUS THEY DON'T MATCH.

SO CORRECT RIGHT. AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS.

MRS. DIGIACOMO THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS OVER TIME AS POLICIES JUST KIND OF LINGER WITHOUT THOSE EYES BEING LOOKED AT, BEING LOOKED OVER.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO RECTIFY.

SO IT DOES BRING THEM INTO LINE AND IT DOES HAVE ALL OF OUR GRADING THAN IN ONE POLICY AND NOT SPREAD THROUGHOUT GRADE.

IF THERE'S PARENTS LISTENING AT HOME, THEY NEED TO KNOW THIS AND HOPEFULLY THEY'RE PAYING ATTENTION AS MOST ARE.

SO I DON'T MEAN TONIGHT NECESSARILY, BUT THEY'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT THE TEACHERS SEND HOME AND IN THAT INTERACTION AND HOW THEY GET INVOLVED IN SUPPORTING THE HOMEWORK.

SO ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OF THE MOTION.

ALL RIGHT. WE'LL CALL A VOTE ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION.

ANY OPPOSED? ABSTAIN. OKAY.

SO WE ARE FOUR, FOUR, FOUR IN FAVOR AND ONE ABSTAIN.

YEAH. THANK YOU.

I LIKE THIS ONE A LOT.

WE HAVE A CONTRACT FOR A LOCALLY SOURCED, CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT.

LETTUCE. I THINK I KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.

GOOD EVENING ONCE AGAIN. I COME WITH YOU AT THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THE BOARD APPROVES AND ACCEPTS THE BIDS FOR ALL THREE AND MULTI AWARDS.

THIS CONTRACT TO THREE LETTUCE VENDORS THAT FOOD SERVICE USES EXCLUSIVELY, ONE BEING IN HENDERSON, ONE BEING IN HURLOCK, AND ONE BEING WHARTON. THIS HELPS TO SATISFY THE FOOD SERVICES NEED TO TRY AND STAY LOCAL AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

LOCAL BEING DEFINED BY 200 MILES WITHIN FROM THE FOOD SERVICE DIVISION WHERE WE'RE AT HERE.

SO WE'RE UP AND DOWN THE EAST COAST WITH THESE WITH THESE THREE COMPANIES.

THEY'RE VERY GOOD COMPANIES.

ONE OF THE REASONS WE ASKED TO BE AWARDED, AS YOU LOOK IN THE BACK SEAT, THAT SHEET OF THE DETAIL SHEET COST THE CONTRACT TO BE 96,000.

WE DO HAVE TWO MORE.

ONE DIDN'T COMPLETE THE ENTIRE BID WITH THEIR CRUNCH LETTERS AND MIX LIST, AND THE OTHER ONE CAME IN MUCH HIGHER.

IN FOOD SERVICE YOU DEFINITELY WANT TO HAVE MULTIPLE OUTLETS FOR VENDORS TO GET YOUR PRODUCT.

IT'S JUST LIKE IF YOU GO TO YOUR FAVORITE PRODUCE STAND AND THEY DON'T HAVE THE CERTAIN APPLE THAT YOU LIKE IN THE FALL, YOU GO FIND IT SOMEWHERE ELSE, RIGHT? IT'S THE SAME THING WITH FOOD SERVICE AND THIS PARTICULAR CONTRACT WITH LETTUCE.

AND LET US BE IN A VERY FRAGILE, DELICATE VEGETABLE TO BEGIN WITH.

ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN ON A FARM AND THEY HAVE RUN INTO ISSUES AND PROBLEMS. THEY CAN SHIFT GEARS AND GO TO THE OTHER FARM AND GET THAT.

SO IT'S MY RECOMMENDATION TO YOU THAT THE BOARD ACCEPT ALL BIDS.

MULTI AWARD THREE CONTRACTS TO GRANDVIEW, HYDROPONICS BRAMBLE BLOSSOMS AND RED ACRE HYDROPONICS.

WE GO TO. GREENVIEW FIRST? YES. THEY DON'T HAVE WHAT WE NEED.

YES. YEAH, EXACTLY.

YEAH. AND THE GREAT THING ABOUT THIS IS THAT THIS WILL BE A AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, 2024, I BELIEVE IT'S A ROLLOVER FOR FOUR ADDITIONAL ONE YEAR OPTIONS SHOULD WE CHOOSE TO CONTINUE TO USE THIS CONTRACT WITH THEM.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONTRACT MOTION HERE? SO MOVED. ALL RIGHT. SECOND.

ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR. AYE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WELL DONE.

ALL RIGHT. SYNERGISTIC UPDATE REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS.

[7. Reports and Presentations]

OUR PRESENTATION HERE IS SEEN AS SYNERGISTIC WHERE WE ARE AFTER SIX MONTHS OF OUR ENERGY CONSERVATION PROGRAM.

WITH US TONIGHT IS SCOTT MUIR.

HE IS FROM CENTER AND HE HAS BEEN ACTUALLY WORKING WITH JOSH RYAN OVER HERE A LOT.

I SEE SCOTT ONCE A WEEK ON AVERAGE, SOMETIMES A COUPLE OF TIMES DURING THAT WEEK.

I JUST WANT TO REPORT OUT THAT WE DID START THIS PROGRAM BACK IN JULY 1ST OF 2022.

WE'RE SIX MONTHS INTO IT.

WE ARE, THE PROGRAM IS GOING VERY WELL.

WE'RE SEEING SOME INCREDIBLE GAINS IN USAGE.

AND WE CAN'T CONTROL.

WE CAN'T CONTROL AND THAT BEING PRICES, BUT WE CAN'T CONTROL THE USAGE.

SO WE ARE DEFINITELY SEEING THAT.

WE HAVE LEARNED A LOT IN OUR BUILDINGS OF WHAT IS GOING ON AND WE HAVE FOUND A LOT THAT GOES ON OUR BUILDINGS.

SOME THINGS JUST NEVER SEEM TO EVER TURN OFF, EVER.

AND JOSH HAS FOUND US.

YEAH, TURN OFF NOW.

SO AND AND THAT'S WHERE TO SAY.

WE'RE NOT TRYING TO WE'RE NOT TRYING TO ALTER THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT OR THE PROFESSIONAL WORKING ENVIRONMENT IN OUR SCHOOLS.

[00:55:06]

WHERE CAN WE TURN THINGS OFF? WHERE CAN WE SHUT THINGS DOWN, SLOW THINGS DOWN, REDUCE TEMPERATURES OR INCREASE TEMPERATURES DEPENDING WHAT TIME OF THE YEAR IT IS.

SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE SCOTT TO COME ON UP.

HE'S GOING TO GIVE US A GREAT IDEA OF WHERE WE'RE AT SO FAR FOR SIX MONTHS.

I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO BE IMPRESSED.

WELCOME. THANK YOU.

THANKS FOR INVITING ME HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THIS.

NOW, MY GOAL WAS TO WELL, BY THE WAY, I'M SCOTT MUIR WITH SYNERGISTIC, AS BILL SAID, AND I'M LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE A REGIONAL MANAGER FOR THE COMPANY.

SO I IMPLEMENT THESE ENERGY PROGRAMS IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND UNIVERSITIES IN NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, AND HERE IN MARYLAND.

AND I GOT TO SAY, I'M VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE SUPPORT THAT I'VE GOTTEN HERE.

THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE QUICKEST PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION THAT I'VE THAT I'VE SEEN.

MY GOAL TODAY WAS THE GOAL OF MY COMPANY WAS TO ACTUALLY COME IN WITH FIGURES TO SAY, HEY, IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS, THIS IS HOW MUCH WE HAVE SAVED, BUT WE'VE GOT A FEW STUBBORN SOLAR METERS THAT AREN'T PASSING OUR QUALITY ASSURANCE.

SO WHAT I CAN DO, THOUGH, IS SHOW YOU THE RAW USE AND THE RAW USE TRENDS AND SOME OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT WE'RE SEEING AS A PART OF THE PROGRAM SO FAR. AND IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'VE GOT A LASER POINTER.

IT'S ACTUALLY ENERGY SPECIALIST TOOL OF CHOICE, WHICH IS THE TEMPERATURE GUN.

SO WE WERE SIX MONTHS INTO THE PROGRAM.

WE STARTED JULY ONE.

AND WHAT WE DO IS, WE TAKE THE BASELINE BASED ON WHEN THE CONTRACT STARTS.

SO WE WILL ALWAYS COMPARE OUR CURRENT ENERGY USE TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S BASE.

WE GOT WE'RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE AN ENERGY SPECIALIST RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE.

JOSH WAS ALREADY HERE.

SO WE WERE ABLE TO WORK ON TRAINING HIM UP AND GETTING HIM INTO ALREADY BEING IN THE BUILDING, CHANGE HIS SCHEDULE.

I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH HE ENJOYS THAT, BUT WE MOVED HIM INTO A FLEX SCHEDULE, SO NOW HE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR WORKING NIGHTS, WEEKENDS AND JUST BEING MORE AVAILABLE TO CHASE DOWN ANYTHING THAT WE DETECT IN THE ENERGY USE.

AND AS BILL SAID, WE OUR GOAL ISN'T TO THERE'S NOT A LOT WE CAN DO DURING THE OCCUPY TIME WHEN THE SCHOOL IS IN SESSION.

WHAT WE CAN DO IS OPTIMIZE THOSE TIMES.

SO WE OPTIMIZE WHEN WE'RE OCCUPIED AND WE MASTER THE UNOCCUPIED.

ALL RIGHT. SO IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

SO THIS IS THE BASE YEAR ENERGY COST PROFILE FOR THE DISTRICT.

SO BETWEEN JULY 21 AND THROUGH JUNE 22, THIS IS HOW MUCH YOUR UTILITY SPEND WAS. AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE COMPARING AGAINST.

AND ONE THING THAT REALLY STANDS OUT TO ME IS 70 OR 75% OF YOUR ENERGY USE IS OR COST IS IN ELECTRIC.

SO THAT'S WHERE OUR AREA OF FOCUS IS GOING TO BE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE PROGRAM.

ALL RIGHT, SO THIS YELLOW LINE HERE, THIS IS THE BASE YEAR PROFILE TREND FROM JULY TO JUNE.

AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE COMPARING EVERY YEAR AGAINST.

AND SO FAR, THE TREND IS BEING VERY POSITIVE SO FAR WITH ROYAL USE REDUCTION OF 18%.

SO 18% OF THAT, 75% OF THAT 1.3 MILLION.

SO IT SHOULD BE A PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL SAVINGS.

AND LIKE I SAID, ONE OF THE QUICKEST THOUGHTS THAT I'VE SEEN.

SO THE WAY WE DO THIS AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LOOKING BACK IN THE PAST, THIS PROFILE HERE IS INTERVAL DATA.

SO THIS IS EVERY SINGLE DAY.

SO YOU'VE GOT A FIVE DAY WORK WEEK AND THEN A WEEKEND, FIVE DAY WORK WEEK WEEKEND.

SO THIS IS THE TREND BEFORE WE STARTED THE PROGRAM.

SO WE CAN SEE [INAUDIBLE].

ALL RIGHT. SO RIGHT HERE.

ALL RIGHT. NOW, ONE WAS IN THE BUILDING, SLIGHT REDUCTION IN USE, WHICH IS TYPICALLY WHAT WE DO SEE.

BUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS MASTER THAT.

RIGHT? SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SETTING BACK FOR ALL THESE INDIVIDUAL BREAKS, IMPROVING THE BASELINE OF THE WEEKENDS, AND THEN TRY TO OPTIMIZE THE OCCUPIED TIME DURING THE WEEK.

AND YOU MIGHT NOTICE THAT WE'VE CUT OFF THE TOP PEAK OF THE USE, RIGHT?

[01:00:08]

RIGHT. SO IF WE CAN REDUCE THOSE THOSE PEAKS LIKE THAT PEAK THERE COULD HAVE SET YOUR PEAK PEAK DEMAND FOR THE WHOLE YEAR, WHICH MEANS THE UTILITY IS GOING TO CHARGE YOU MORE BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS BOARD OF ED OR AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MAY NEED THAT KIND OF ENERGY AT ANY GIVEN TIME.

ALL RIGHT. SO LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

THIS ONE'S A GREAT ONE, TOO.

SO ANOTHER ONE FOR COLONEL RICHARDSON MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL.

YOU CAN SEE AGAIN THE BASE YEAR CONSUMPTION AND THE TREND THAT WE'RE DOING THAT WE'RE SEEING TODAY.

YOU SEE YOU'LL NOTICE A LOT OF THESE GOING INTO THE NEGATIVE.

THESE ARE BECAUSE WE HAVE THE SOLAR IN ON THESE SCHOOLS.

SO NOW THAT WE'RE REDUCING THE TOTAL USE OF THIS BUILDING, THE SOLAR IS ACTUALLY OUR GENERATING AND NOW PUTTING A LOT OF THAT ENERGY BACK INTO THE GRID.

NEXT. ALL RIGHT.

SO IT'S A LITTLE EARLY TO DETERMINE HOW OUR CURRENT HEATING USE IS GOING TO BE.

THIS IS THE TREND FOR THE BASE YEAR FOR PROPANE AND OIL.

I'M SORRY, THIS WAS JUST PROPANE.

AND AS WE GET MORE PROPANE DELIVERIES, THEN WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO OBVIOUSLY TRACK WHERE WHERE THAT DATE IS GOING TO LAND.

SO TO KIND OF CUT THIS OUT EARLY, WHAT WE DID IN OCTOBER, I THINK IT WAS OCTOBER, RIGHT AROUND HALLOWEEN, WE BOUGHT IN.

I BOUGHT IN OUR BOILER TECHNICIAN.

SO HE WENT AROUND WITH JOSH TO GO THROUGH ALL THE BOILERS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE DISTRICT.

WE ACTUALLY TURNED THEM ON FOR THE PURPOSE, I BELIEVE, AND WE WERE ABLE TO TO TUNE THOSE BOILERS.

AND I DID THAT NICE AND EARLY SO THAT WE CAN HOPEFULLY REAP THE BENEFIT OF THAT FOR THE ENTIRE WINTER SEASON.

SO I'LL BE KEEPING A VERY CLOSE EYE ON HOW THIS TRENDS AS WE GET MORE USAGE DATA AND DELIVERIES BROUGHT INTO THE DISTRICT.

BUT RIGHT NOW, EARLY DATA, IT'S ONLY NOVEMBER, OCTOBER, BUT WE'RE ALREADY SEEING A REDUCTION IN USE THERE.

ALL RIGHT. AND A COUPLE OF WINS FOR THE DISTRICT AND THE PROGRAM.

WE HAVE A COUPLE OF SPECIAL SAVINGS WHERE WE FOUND NOW, NOW THAT WE'RE COMPILING THIS DATABASE, WE'RE LOOKING A LOT MORE CLOSELY AT THE BILLS.

WE'RE EVALUATING ALL THE BILLS.

AND WE'RE NOW GATHERING MORE HISTORIC DATA TO COMPARE IT AGAINST.

SO IF YOU GET A BILL, SAY, AT HOME, YOU DON'T REALLY KEEP ALL THE OLD ONES TO LOOK TO SEE HOW HAVE YOU BEEN DOING? SO THIS ONE WAS AN INTERESTING ONE BECAUSE THERE WAS ACTUALLY A HISTORIC USE OF SPIKE OR HISTORIC PATTERN OF HIGH USE.

AND WE WENT OUT TO THE BUILDING TO DO THE INVESTIGATION, LOOKING FOR A WATER LEAK, DOING ALL THE THINGS THAT WE RECOMMEND.

THERE WAS NO FLOW. WE COULDN'T FIND ANY KIND OF INDICATION OF A WATER LEAK AT THIS PARTICULAR SCHOOL.

SO LOOKING BACK AT THE HISTORICAL DATA A LITTLE BIT MORE, WE FOUND THAT SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE THERE WAS A WATER METER CHANGE WHICH MESSED UP THE CALCULATION.

I THINK IT WAS THE INCORRECT MULTIPLIER, WHICH ENDED UP JUST GREAT AND PURSUING THAT AND LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO BE GIVEN $42,000 CREDIT JUST BECAUSE OF THAT WATER METER.

ANOTHER WATER METER, ONE ADJUSTMENT ON THAT ONE.

SORRY. YEAH, GO AHEAD. AND JOSH WORKED WITH THE TOWN AS WELL.

AND I BELIEVE BILL MAY HAVE WORKED WITH THE TOWN.

IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A CREDIT.

THEY LITERALLY WILL BE RETURNING A CHECK TO US IN ORDER.

EVEN BETTER. YEAH.

IN ORDER FOR US TO HIT A $14,000 WATER CREDIT, THEY WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO TRACK IT FOR ABOUT A DECADE.

FOR THAT. YEAH, FOR THAT BUILDING.

YOU'RE RIGHT. IN UNDERSTANDING HOW MUCH OVER CALCULATING IT WAS, IT'S ABOUT TEN YEARS WORTH OF WATER USAGE PROBABLY AT OUR CURRENT.

I BELIEVE IT WAS ABOUT THAT 8 TO 10 YEARS PROBABLY.

SO YEAH, SO THAT'S COMING BACK TO THE DISTRICT.

SO THANK YOU, JOSH. AND THEN WE HAD A SOMEWHAT SIMILAR SITUATION.

THIS ONE WASN'T A METER ISSUE IN ITSELF.

IT WAS A SPIKE IN USE, SPIKING COSTS ON THE ACTUAL BILL ITSELF.

THE BILL ITSELF DIDN'T HAVE ANY BACKGROUND MATH, WHICH SOME UTILITIES DO PROVIDE.

SO JOSH ACTUALLY WENT OVER TO THE TOWNSHIP AND ASKED THEM DIRECTLY, HOW IS THIS CALCULATED? AND TURNS OUT FOR THAT PARTICULAR BILLING PERIOD, THERE WAS A CALCULATION ISSUE WITH THAT BILL.

[01:05:06]

WE CALL IT SPECIAL SAVINGS BECAUSE WE DON'T ADD THAT TO OUR COST OF ATTENDANCE.

SO WHEN I PRESENT HOPEFULLY IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS HERE, WHEN I ACTUALLY COME UP WITH THE SOLID NUMBER OF HOW MUCH WE'VE SAVED, THAT WILL NOT INCLUDE THESE FIGURES HERE. ALL RIGHT.

AND WE HAVE THIS EXECUTIVE APP.

SO THIS IS THE GOAL.

THIS IS WHAT I WAS PLANNING ON DELIVERING TODAY.

SO THIS IS JUST A SIMPLE APP THAT'S FOR THE EXECUTIVE ITS DESIGNED FOR BOARD MEMBERS, SUPERINTENDENTS, PEOPLE LIKE BILL, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.

ANYONE THAT WANTS TO JUST HAVE A QUICK LOOK THROUGH AND SEE HOW THIS PROGRAM IS GOING.

IT'LL HAVE A LIVE COST AVOIDANCE, COST AVOIDANCE PERCENTAGE OF BENCHMARK BUILDINGS SO IT CAN RANK THEM BY COST PER SQUARE FOOT OR JUST BY COST ITSELF OR ENERGY USE.

AND THEN YOU CAN ALSO KIND OF DO A LITTLE SPYING ON JOSH HERE AND SEE WHAT KIND OF AUDITS HE'S BEEN UP TO.

AND THAT'S DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ENERGY PROGRAM AT ALL OR ANYTHING THAT YOU'VE SEEN OUT THERE THAT YOU'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT? BOARD MEMBERS QUESTIONS.

KUDOS TO JOSH.

YES. YOU'RE ALLOWED TO DO THAT.

YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE MIGHT SAY THAT THE TOWN OF GREENSBORO SAYING, DARN, THEY CAUGHT US.

THEY WOULDN'T DO THAT. THEY'RE NOT LIKE THAT.

IT'S GREAT THAT THEY RECOGNIZED HIM WHEN HE BROUGHT IT TO THEIR ATTENTION AND GOT THAT CORRECTED.

IT'S TERRIFIC. AND YOU'D BE SURPRISED AT HOW COMMON LIKE LOOKING IN ALL THESE DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

HOW MANY UTILITY ISSUES DO YOU COME ACROSS? NO POINT IN BLAMING, POINTING FINGERS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

WHAT'S THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM AND HOW CAN WE SOLVE IT? UTILITIES ARE A HUGE CHALLENGE FOR SMALL TOWNS TO MANAGE FOR ANY MUNICIPALITY, BUT CERTAINLY IN SMALL TOWNS, THEY HAVE TO JUGGLE A LOT OF BALLS.

AND SO THEY PROBABLY APPRECIATE HAVING THAT POINTED OUT BECAUSE THEN THEY CAN CORRECT WHATEVER ISSUES ARE CAUSING THAT MIGHT BE CAUSED TO HAPPEN TO OTHER PEOPLE AS WELL.

RIGHT. YES. SO MY QUESTION MIGHT BE MORE FOR JOSH OR THE OTHER STAFF THAT; WHAT ARE THE TOP COMPLAINTS YOU'VE GOTTEN FROM PEOPLE? BECAUSE I KNOW I'VE HEARD SOME PEOPLE MOANING AND GROANING.

YOU KNOW, THE WIDE MEMBERSHIP THING KIND OF BACKFIRED ON ME BECAUSE I RUN INTO MORE STAFF PEOPLE WHEN I'M AT THE Y NOW.

AND ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I WAS GETTING EARLY IN THIS PROCESS WAS WHO CAME UP WITH THAT IDEA? SO WHAT ARE THE TOP COMPLAINTS OR ARE YOU SEEING THEM OR YOU'VE SEEN THEM SPIKE? I'D LIKE TO SEE A GRAPH OF COMPLAINTS.

AND THEN ANYWAY.

IT'S EARLY ON IT WAS COMFORT COMPLAINTS WHEN WE WERE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE BUILDINGS AND HOW THEY WOULD RECOVER FROM A SETBACK, BECAUSE OUR SETBACK IS I DON'T WANT TO CALL IT AN EXTREME SETBACK.

IT GOES FROM 60 DEGREES DOWN TO 55 DEGREES.

RIGHT. WE'VE GOT THAT UNDER CONTROL, I BELIEVE, UNLESS IT'S AN EXTREME EVENT, LIKE A 90 DEGREE DAY.

BUT I THINK THAT WE'VE GOT IT TO WHERE WE RECOVER MINUTES BEFORE THE THE STUDENTS ARRIVE IN THE BUILDING.

SO BUT MOSTLY THAT'S WHAT IT'S BEEN HAS BEEN COMPLAINTS.

SOME OF THE CUSTODIANS HAVE BEEN MAD BECAUSE I'VE BEEN BEHIND THEM SHUTTING LIGHTS OFF AND THEY KIND OF DO A THING WHERE THEY TURN THE LIGHTS ON UNTIL THAT ROOM IS DONE AND THEY SHUT THAT LIGHT OFF. SO THEY KNOW.

SO I'VE HAD TO WORK WITH THEM AND TRY TO EXPLAIN SOME OF THE THINGS.

BUT I HAD A COUPLE OF CUSTODIANS THAT WERE READY TO DO HARM TO MY VEHICLE OR MY BODY.

NOT. NOT TRUE. I KNOW.

YOU'RE KIDDING. YEAH, THERE WAS, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT.

COMFORT AND THEN JUST WHAT IT ENTAILS ASKING PEOPLE TO DO EXTRA BEFORE THEY GO HOME.

WELL, THE CHARTS, THE GRAPHS JUST TELL SUCH A WONDERFUL STORY.

THE REDUCTIONS, JUST SO EASY TO SEE THAT.

AND I'M HESITANT TO PUBLICLY SHARE MY NAPKIN MATH BECAUSE AS A HISTORY MAJOR LIKE ROUND NUMBERS.

MATH WAS NOT MY STRONG SUIT, SO I CAN'T GUARANTEE MY NUMBERS ARE GOOD AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE OFFICIAL NUMBERS FROM SYNERGISTIC AS THEY AND I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THE SOLAR METER CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE AND YOU GUYS ARE WORKING ON.

I COMPLETELY GET IT. BUT I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THAT BECAUSE THAT WILL HELP PEOPLE SEE THE FRUITS OF THE EFFORT.

MR. BARTON, I WAS HERE IN THE COMFORT COMPLAINTS AS WELL.

JOSH WAS TALKING ABOUT, ESPECIALLY IN THE SUMMER, AND THE SUMMER IS WHEN THIS WAS LIKE BRAND NEW, FRESH OUT THERE AND WE HAD SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO MAKE ON OUR

[01:10:09]

WE HAD SOME OPERATING THINGS TO WORK THROUGH.

OUR MAINTENANCE GUYS WORKING INCREDIBLY HARD, BUT THERE'S A HANDFUL OF THEM TO OPERATE TEN SCHOOLS PLUS ALL THE OTHER BUILDINGS, AND THEY'RE HOPPING NONSTOP.

AND BECAUSE THERE ARE SMALLER STAFF, THEY DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE TIME TO GO DEEP INTO FIXING SOMETHING WHOLLY VERSUS FIX THAT TO GET IT THROUGH. AND THAT CAN CARRY YOU FOR A WHILE.

AND SOMETIMES IT CAN'T.

AND WHEN IT CATCHES YOU, PROBLEM CAN BE A LITTLE BIT BIGGER.

WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY SOME MAINTENANCE ISSUES THAT NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED AND SOME EQUIPMENT, AND THAT'S HELPED A LOT.

SO I THINK WE WILL BE IN A MUCH BETTER POSITION WHEN WE GET TO THE OPPOSITE END.

AND WE'RE IN SEASON NOW.

WHEN WE FLIP BACK OVER TO COOLING SEASON, I THINK WE WILL BE IN A MUCH BETTER PLACE WITH TEMPERATURE WISE AS WELL AS HUMIDITY WISE WITH SOME OF OUR ROOMS. WE HAD TO MAKE SOME TWEAKS TO SOME OF OUR SETBACKS, OUR OWN LEARNING.

SOME PLACES CAN HANDLE THEM MORE.

AND I'LL USE JOSH'S TERM EXTREME SETBACK.

AND IT'S NOT REALLY THAT EXTREME, BUT SOME PLACES IN OUR BUILDINGS CAN HANDLE THAT.

THERE ARE SOME PLACES THAT HAVE MORE ORGANIC MATERIALS IN THEM THAT CAN ROOMS THAT HAVE WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS, MEDIA CENTERS FILLED WITH BOOKS SOME.

AREAS OF BUILDINGS CAN HANDLE THE ADJUSTMENT MORE SO THAN OTHERS.

SOME NEED A CYCLING A LITTLE BIT MORE OFTEN.

I LEARNED MORE ABOUT HVAC THAN I PROBABLY EVER NEEDED TO KNOW, BUT I GOT IT.

SO YOU GUYS DID A GREAT JOB EXPLAINING IT.

BUT THERE ARE JUST THOSE LEARNING THINGS THAT WE HAD TO WORK THROUGH AS WELL AND THAT PUT US IN A MUCH BETTER SPOT AS WE FLIP THE SWITCH AND GO BACK INTO THE COOLING SEASON.

I THINK WE'LL BE IN A MUCH BETTER SPOT.

BUT AGAIN, I THINK HAVING THAT DATA WILL REALLY HELP PEOPLE SEE AS WE'RE WORKING, WALKING INTO BUDGET DEVELOPMENT OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS, THE COST AVOIDANCE, THE SAVINGS WILL THEY'RE GOING TO TRANSLATE GOING RIGHT BACK INTO THE BUDGET TO HELP US GET MORE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO WORK WITH OUR KIDS AND STAFF.

VERY GOOD. ANYTHING ELSE? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. EXCELLENT REPORT.

APPRECIATE IT. LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT PRESENTATION WITH SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS.

YES, ME, TOO. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

NEXT UP IS AN ENGAGEMENT SURVEY RESULTS, I BELIEVE.

YES, MR. MARTIN. THAT IS ME TO WORK THROUGH KIND OF A SUMMARY OF THE ENGAGEMENT SURVEY FOR EVERYBODY HERE.

AND BEFORE WE DIG IN TO THE PRESENTATION, TO THE INFORMATION THAT'S PRESENTED, I DO APPRECIATE STAFF TAKING THE TIME TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY.

OUR COMPLETION RATE WAS STILL GOOD BY SURVEY RESULT WISE, BUT WAS IT? EVERYBODY KNOW AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET MORE PARTICIPATION RATE WILL CONTINUE TO GROW WITH THAT.

BUT WE REALLY DO LOOK AT THE RESULTS.

OR DOES I DO FOLKS IN THIS ROOM, DO OTHER LEADERS WITHIN THE SYSTEM DO AS WELL? WE REALLY DO LOOK AT THE RESULTS.

WE LOOK AT THE WRITTEN COMMENTS AND WE DO REALLY PARSE THROUGH AND TRY TO THEME OUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP TO IMPROVE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.

SO WE DO APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S HONESTY BOTH ON THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING WELL AND THE THINGS THAT WE CAN IMPROVE UPON.

SO TO DIVE INTO THE PRESENTATION, WE HAVE BEEN DOING THE SURVEY WITH NEW MEASURES.

QUALTRICS IS THE PLATFORM AND WE HAVE DONE IT THROUGH NEW MEASURES FOR FOUR ITERATIONS NOW.

IT'S BEEN OFFERED FOUR TIMES.

I CAN'T REALLY SAY FOUR YEARS BECAUSE IT'S BEEN THREE AND ONE HALF YEARS BECAUSE WE MOVED UP TO OCTOBER TO GET A LITTLE BIT QUICKER READ, TO BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING WITH THE RESULTS IN THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR, THAT SURVEY THAT WE USE TO NEW MEASURES LOOKS AT EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT IS WHAT IT FOCUSES IN ON.

SO THERE'S THREE THREE THEMES THAT MAKE UP EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT.

IT'S EMPLOYEE ACTIVE COMMITMENT.

SO DO EMPLOYEES PLAN TO STAY AND WHAT THEY RECOMMEND US TO OTHERS? CAN WE GROW OUR OWN AND GET THEM TO RECRUIT PEOPLE HERE? PERSONAL SIGNIFICANCE IT MEASURES FOR OUR EMPLOYEES FEEL VALUED, AND IF THEY'RE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THEIR WORK AND HOW CONFIDENT THEY ARE IN THE FUTURE OF OUR ORGANIZATION AND WHERE WE ARE HEADING.

SO THESE ARE THE MAIN AREAS THAT IT DOES FOCUS IN ON.

SO IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, AT LEAST WE'LL DO A REAL QUICK DIVE INTO WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF PARTICIPATION RATE.

IT WAS AN ELECTRONIC SURVEY OPENED ON HALLOWEEN ACTUALLY, BUT IT REALLY WAS OPEN IN THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS.

AS THE BOARD IS AWARE AND SEVERAL STAFF ARE AWARE, THERE WAS A CALCULATION OR A FORMATTING ISSUE WITHIN THE SURVEY WHEN IT INITIALLY WENT OUT IN NOVEMBER THAT THE THE WAY IT HAS RESPONSE ITEMS.

[01:15:03]

AND WE HAD SOME EMPLOYEE GROUPS THAT WERE LEFT OUT OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS, AND SO THAT'S WHY WE REOPENED IT IN DECEMBER.

NEW MEASURES WAS ABLE TO IDENTIFY THOSE STAFF MEMBERS.

WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO BECAUSE IT'S AN ANONYMOUS SURVEY ON OUR END.

THEY HAD THE ABILITY TO OPEN THE SURVEY BACK UP AND RESEND IT TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS FOR THOSE QUESTIONS THAT WERE MISSING.

AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT DATA AS WELL.

SO WE APPRECIATE THOSE PEOPLE FOR BEING PATIENT AND RESUBMITTING A FEW QUESTIONS THAT WOULD HELP US OUT.

WE HAD A 74% PARTICIPATION RATE.

AND WHAT THAT MEANS IN THEIR CALCULATIONS IN THEIR WORLD IS THAT WHEN WE SEE PERCENTAGE POINTS IN THE SURVEY, IT MEANS THERE'S A CONFIDENCE INTERVAL OF TWO POINTS.

SO PLUS OR MINUS TWO POINTS THAT IF 90 THAT IF EVERYBODY TOOK IT, THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD FALL WITHIN TWO POINTS OF THAT OVERALL OVERALL RATING, WE'VE HOVERED RIGHT AROUND 74, 75% IN EVERY ITERATION OF THE SURVEY.

AND OBVIOUSLY WE'LL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT WAYS WE CAN TRY TO ENCOURAGE AND GET MORE TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY AS WELL.

BUT 74 IS HIGH RATE BY SURVEY POINTS.

SO STRENGTHS THAT WERE IN THE SURVEY AND THIS INFORMATION, THE STRENGTHS AND OPPORTUNITIES REALLY COMES FROM NEW MEASURES, INFORMATION THAT THEY GLEAN FROM THE SURVEY.

SO THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE AND THOSE AT HOME, NEW MEASURES NOT ONLY IMPLEMENTS THE SURVEY, BUT THEY ALSO DO A LOT OF THE DATA CRUNCHING THE ANALYSIS OF THE SURVEY RESULTS AND HELPING US UNDERSTAND WHAT WHAT IT'S TELLING US.

THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE'LL PICK UP ON, BUT THEY DO A GREAT JOB OF PULLING THIS TOGETHER.

THEY ARE EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELD.

THIS IS THEIR THIS IS THEIR SCHTICK.

SO WE RELY ON THEM A LOT TO HELP US MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ACCURATELY INTERPRETING THE DATA THAT WE DO RECEIVE COMING IN.

SO THE STRENGTHS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED BY NEW MEASURES IN THE SURVEY SAID OVERALL ENGAGEMENT IS TRENDING UPWARDS.

SO IF WE GO BACK TO THE FIRST SLIDE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK.

BUT THE TRENDS ALONG ENGAGEMENT, THESE ITEMS ARE TRENDING UPWARDS FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, WHICH IS A GOOD THING.

IS IT WHERE WE WANT TO BE KNOW THAT WHERE WE WANT TO END UP, BUT IT'S MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

THE TRAIN IS ON THE TRACKS, MOVING TOWARDS THE DESTINATION WHERE WE WANT TO GET TO.

WE'RE JUST NOT THERE YET AND WE NEED TO KEEP WORKING TILL WE GET THERE.

ANOTHER STRENGTH OF THE SURVEY WAS EMPLOYEES REASONS FOR WHY THEY'RE STAYING WITH CPS.

THE MAIN REASON WHY OUR EMPLOYEES STAY, NUMBER ONE IS STUDENTS.

THERE'S A STRONG FEELING OF OUR EMPLOYEES REALLY APPRECIATING OUR STUDENTS.

SECOND WAS OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, WHICH IS VERY UNDERSTANDING IN EDUCATION.

AND THIRD WAS OUR LOCATION IN PROXIMITY TO WHERE THEY LIVE.

AND GEOGRAPHICALLY, LOOKING AT THE EASTERN SHORE.

THESE KINDS OF THINGS MAKE SENSE.

DOES CONNECT A LITTLE BIT WITH SOME TRENDS WE SAW LAST YEAR THROUGH OUR HIRING PROCESS AND THROUGH THE AIR TIME PERIOD AS GAS PRICES WENT UP TO THREE $54 A GALLON, PROXIMITY TO HOME REALLY BECAME A MAJOR IMPORTANT FACTOR FOR A LOT OF EMPLOYEES WHO WERE EITHER COMING HERE OR WHO WERE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES CLOSER TO THEIR HOME. I'D SAY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WE HAVE COMMUTING AN HOUR OR MORE COMING TO CAROLINE COUNTY HAS DIMINISHED IN THE LAST YEAR, WHERE BEFORE THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A REGULAR OCCURRENCE.

SO I'M NOT SURPRISED THAT THAT SHOWED UP A LITTLE BIT HIGHER FOR PEOPLE.

THAT BEING WHEN PEOPLE'S MINDS.

ANOTHER STRENGTH THAT SHOWED UP WAS THERE'S A QUESTION THAT COMES ABOUT DISTRICT LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATING AND MOTIVATING, MOTIVATING AND INSPIRING VISION FOR THE FUTURE.

EMPLOYEES READINESS IS HIGH FOR IMPORTANT, AND IT DID IMPROVE 14 POINTS FROM MARCH OF LAST LAST SCHOOL YEAR.

SO, YES, PERSONALLY, I'M HAPPY ABOUT THAT.

I'M GLAD THAT THAT.

WE'RE CONNECTING WITH FOLKS ABOUT A BETTER DAY AND A BETTER FUTURE IN CAROLINE COUNTY.

BUT AGAIN, WE STILL HAVE SOME WAYS TO GO WITH THAT.

BUT THAT WAS A HUGE SPIKE TO SEE IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO GROW ON THAT.

AND TWO OTHER QUESTIONS THAT SCORED VERY HIGH.

AND ACCORDING TO NEW MEASURES, I BELIEVE THEY CALLED IT BEST IN CLASS SCORING.

EMPLOYEES KNOW WHAT IS EXPECTED OF THEM ON THEIR JOB.

93% FAVORABLE RATING.

AND THEN UNDERSTAND HOW THE WORK THEY DO CONTRIBUTES TO THE GOALS OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.

AND THAT WAS AT A 91%, BOTH VERY HIGH.

SO FROM THE STRENGTH SIDE, WE HAVE SOME THINGS TO BE TO BE HAPPY ABOUT AND THINGS TO KIND OF HONE IN ON AND BUILD FROM OPPORTUNITIES WISE.

AND THESE ARE AREAS THAT ACCORDING TO NEW MEASURES, THEY LOOK AT OUR DATA RESULTS TO COME IN.

AND WHEN DATA COMES IN, IT COMES IN AT THREE LEVELS FAVORABLE, NEUTRAL AND UNFAVORABLE.

AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM IS LOOKING AT YOUR NEUTRAL OR FOR ANY ORGANIZATION LOOKING AT THOSE WHO ARE NEUTRAL IN EITHER FAVORABLE OR UNFAVORABLE KIND OF THAT UNDECIDED CATEGORY.

AND WHERE ARE THEY? WHERE IS THAT REALLY LARGE AND WHERE CAN YOU PUT SOME EFFORT INTO MOVING THOSE PEOPLE, MOVING THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND HONING YOUR EFFORTS TO MOVE IT TO A FAVORABLE RATING?

[01:20:04]

THERE WAS A HIGHER FAVORABILITY RATING THAT WE COMMUNICATE REALLY WELL WITH THOSE CLOSEST WITH.

AND WHEN IT LEAVES OUR TEAM WITHIN OUR SCHOOL, THE FEELING THAT WE COMMUNICATE WELL REALLY DIMINISHES WHEN YOU LEAVE THE PEOPLE YOU'RE CLOSEST WITH THAT YOU WORK WITH IN A GRADE LEVEL TEAM OR EVEN WITHIN A SCHOOL.

AND IT'S OTHER SCHOOLS, THAT LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION DROPS OFF.

THAT IS A PERCEPTION THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON AS AN OPPORTUNITY.

THE OTHER ONE THAT CAME UP AND THIS WAS A VERY INTERESTING ONE TO COME UP WITH BECAUSE WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO BREAK THE DATA DOWN BY EMPLOYEE GROUP MEETING, CERTIFICATED INDIVIDUALS, TEACHERS, OUR SUPPORT STAFF, OUR ADMINISTRATORS.

AND THE OTHER OPPORTUNITY WAS CONFIDENCE IN ACHIEVING CAREER GOALS.

IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE AND THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE WE CAN BUILD UPON THAT.

AND WHAT WE NOTICED IN LOOKING AT OUR TRENDS, BY AND LARGE ARE CERTIFICATED EMPLOYEES ARE TEACHERS TEND TO SEE A MORE NATURAL PROGRESSION TRAJECTORY FOR ADVANCEMENT. AND YOU THINK ABOUT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, THOSE THINGS ARE MORE NATURAL.

YOU SEE THINGS LIKE TEACHER TO TEACHER, SPECIALIST TEACHER, SPECIALIST TO SUPERVISOR OR COORDINATOR OR ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL OR PRINCIPAL, OR THERE'S A HIERARCHY THAT ALREADY EXISTS IN THE TEACHERS.

WHERE WE'RE NOT CLEAR ON THAT IS IN OUR SUPPORT SERVICES STAFF.

MR. MCGILL HIGHLIGHTED IN HIS PRESENTATION TONIGHT ABOUT PROMOTING FROM WITHIN SOMEBODY FROM CUSTODIAL POSITION AT ONE SCHOOL INTO A SUPERVISORY ROLE AT ANOTHER SCHOOL.

IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY OF IT.

THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DO A BETTER JOB TO DEVELOP THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STAFF ON THE SUPPORT SIDE AND THEN WHERE THEY DO EXIST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MAKING SURE PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF HOW TO MAKE THOSE MOVES AND HOW TO MAKE THOSE SHIFTS, HOW TO GROW WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION.

BUT THE TRENDS REALLY SHOWED UP IN THE DATA WHEN YOU BROKE IT OUT BY SUPPORT STAFF VERSUS TEACHING RANKS.

AND THAT'S AN AREA OF OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO LOOK AT AND ALSO TO BUILD AND DEVELOP AND TO GROW IN THAT AREA.

AND LASTLY, THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN EMPLOYEE PERCEPTION OF SUPPORT OF FOR HEALTH AND WELLBEING.

I THINK THINGS LIKE THE YMCA HAVE HELPED.

LAST YEAR WE WERE COMING OFF THE HEELS OF A COVID YEAR AS WELL.

BUT THERE IS STILL AN OPPORTUNITY AND A REASON WHY ON THE OPPORTUNITY SIDE, THAT WAS GAINS.

BUT WE'RE NOT WHERE WE NEED TO BE.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS PROPPING IT UP IS THIS GRANT FUNDING.

SO HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO HAVE A FOCUS ON WELLBEING AND EMPLOYEE HEALTH MOVING FORWARD? SO THOSE WERE OPPORTUNITIES THAT NEW MEASURES SAW WITHIN THEIR DATA.

LOOKING AT THE DATA QUESTIONS AS WELL AS THE THE WRITTEN QUESTIONS.

SO, RACHEL, THE NEXT SLIDE IS THE STEPS FORWARD AND KIND OF ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHT OF IN TERMS BETWEEN NOW AND MOVING FORWARD FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR, THINGS THAT I'LL BE WORKING ON AND FOLKS WITHIN MY TEAM WILL BE WORKING ON THAT WE WILL BUILD.

AND ONE OF THOSE CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNICATION OPPORTUNITIES WITH STAFF FROM DISTRICT LEADERSHIP.

WE NEED TO BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT NOT ONLY ONE WAY COMMUNICATION EMAILS.

WE'RE ALL GOOD SENDING EMAILS.

ARE WE BEING JUST AS INTENTIONAL WITH TWO WAY COMMUNICATION WITH ACTUALLY GIVING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO TALK WITH FOLKS? ARE WE GETTING OUT TO SCHOOLS? ARE WE GETTING OUT TO PLACES THAT AREN'T JUST SCHOOLS AND LITERALLY INTERACTING IN BEING FORWARD, FACING WITH WITH WITH FOLKS THAT WE WORK WITH AND BEING VERY PRACTICAL IN THAT WAY? AND THE OTHER PART IS, OF COURSE, HELPING PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE WHY FOR DECISION MAKING.

WHEN WE MAKE A DECISION WHETHER IT'S POPULAR OR NOT POPULAR, PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHERE THE WHY IS COMING FROM.

FOLKS ARE MORE LIKELY TO GET BEHIND A DECISION IF THEY UNDERSTAND THE WHY.

I DON'T HAVE TO FULLY LOVE THE DECISION, BUT IF I KNOW WHY WE GOT TO IT, IT MAKES IT MORE PALATABLE.

IT MAKES ME KIND OF UNDERSTAND THAT IT WASN'T JUST SOMEBODY MAKING A CRAZY, HAREBRAINED IDEA ON A WHIM ONE DAY BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW, THE WIND WAS BLOWING SEVEN MILES AN HOUR, AND THAT'S JUST WHAT IT FELT LIKE.

SO BEING INTENTIONAL ABOUT ABOUT THAT PIECE AND I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH THE TWO WAY COMMUNICATIONS, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THAT WE ARE OUT AS A COLLECTIVE.

WE WERE OUT WITH FOLKS THAT WE ARE.

IT PUTS AN EXTRA BURDEN ON THE LEADERSHIP TO DO THAT.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THAT IS THE BLESSING AND THE BURDEN OF LEADERSHIP, THE BLESSING AND THE CURSE.

[01:25:04]

YOU HAVE TO PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE AND WALK IT WITH.

AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT WAYS TO STRENGTHEN, STRENGTHEN THAT WITH ALL THE FOLKS WHO WE WORK WITH AND THE FOLKS WHO WERE BLESSED TO LEAD.

ANOTHER STEP FORWARD IS OBVIOUSLY CONTINUING OUR FOCUS ON OUR VISION, MISSION AND CORE VALUES AND GOALS THAT ARE OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.

WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THIS AS WE'RE BUILDING OUR BLUEPRINT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN THAT WILL BE COMING TO THE BOARD AT THE FEBRUARY WORK SESSION.

WE KNOW THE BLUEPRINT WILL BE TAKING OVER A LOT OF THE EFFORT.

IT'LL ENHANCE A LOT OF THIS.

BUT KEEPING THAT AT THE FOREFRONT AS WE'RE DEVELOPING THAT PLAN AND THE GO BACK TO THE WHY AND THE WORD CHOICE THAT NEW MEASURES USE WAS CRITICAL MESSAGES.

FOR ME. CRITICAL. I UNDERSTAND THEIR WORD CHOICE.

SO I LEFT IT HERE.

BUT FOR ME, IT REALLY REVOLVES AROUND THE WHY.

LOOKING AT OUR SURVEY RESULTS, THE SURVEY RESULTS WERE KIND OF CLEAR THAT.

THEY FELT FOLKS SEEMED TO RESPOND TO THE SURVEY WITH THEIR PERCEPTION WAS MESSAGES COMING DIRECTLY FROM DISTRICT LEADERSHIP PROVIDED CLARITY OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE WHY.

IT'S NOT AN ABSOLUTE, BUT THERE WAS A HIGHER FAVORABILITY OF THE WHY BEING CLEAR COMING DIRECTLY FROM DISTRICT LEADERSHIP AND RIGHT OR WRONG, I FEEL I OWN THAT AS SUPERINTENDENT WHERE THERE TENDS TO BE.

OPPORTUNITIES I THINK TO STRENGTHEN THAT IS AM I PERMEATING OR IS DISTRICT LEADERSHIP PERMEATING THE WHY OR THE CRITICAL MESSAGE THROUGH EVERY LEVEL OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM DOWN TO EVERY SAY DOWN.

BUT IT IS A HIERARCHY STRUCTURE, BUT LITERALLY REACHING EVERYBODY WITHIN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.

AM I BEING INTENTIONAL? ARE WE BEING INTENTIONAL ABOUT COMMUNICATING MESSAGING TO EVERYONE, NOT JUST THE TEACHING STAFF? ARE WE BEING CRITICAL AND SMART ABOUT COMMUNICATING MESSAGING TO EVERYBODY ELSE? ARE WE BEING OPEN WITH COMMUNICATION TO EVERYBODY WITHIN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING THAT CRITICAL MESSAGE THROUGH ALL LEVELS AND ALL LAYERS ABOUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT AND WHY WE'RE DOING THINGS? AND IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BUILD AND GROW UPON THAT, AND WE'LL BE WORKING ON THAT.

OBVIOUSLY, WE'LL CONTINUE WITH THE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT SURVEY.

I KNOW THE BOARD HAS FOUND IT VERY VALUABLE.

I FIND IT VERY VALUABLE AND IT AS A GROUP, WHEN WE LOOK AT IT, WE FIND IT VERY VALUABLE.

AND ONE THING THAT WE WILL BE DOING THIS YEAR BY HAVING THE DATA AT THE MIDYEAR POINT.

I WILL BE MEETING WITH WE ALL WILL BE WORKING WITH AND MEETING WITH OUR DIRECT REPORTS TO GO OVER THE SURVEY DATA FOR OTHER FOLKS WHO ARE IN LEADERSHIP IN TERMS OF HOW THEIR SURVEY DATA LOOKS AND LOOKS FOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR MAINTAINING OUR STRENGTHS AND WHERE DO WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW FROM.

THAT IS A DIFFERENT STEP THAT WE'RE TAKING THIS YEAR.

BUT BY HAVING THE SURVEY IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER, IT ALLOWS US THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A REFLECTIVE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THE DATA IS TELLING US.

EVERY ONE OF US HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE, INCLUDING MYSELF.

NONE OF US ARE PERFECT, AND IT GIVES US THAT OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE AN HONEST CONVERSATION ABOUT, HEY, THIS IS WHAT'S WORKING WELL, THIS IS WHY IT'S WORKING WELL.

WHAT ARE WE CONSCIOUSLY DOING TO MAKE SOMETHING IMPROVE? AND THEN WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THE AREAS THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT LOWER AND REALLY BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT TRYING TO BUILD THAT PROCESS FORWARD? WE CAN'T JUST ADMIRE THE DATA.

WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING WITH IT IN ORDER TO STRENGTHEN US TO MOVE FORWARD.

SO I'LL BE STARTING THAT WITH MY FOLKS AND THEN GOING DOWN AT OUR NEXT MEETING IN JANUARY.

WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THE SURVEY DATA AND THAT WILL BE THE KICKOFF.

THEN FOR LEADERSHIP FOLKS BELOW US, WE'D HOPE TO START THIS PROCESS A LITTLE BIT SOONER.

BUT WITH NEW MEASURES NEEDING TO REDO THE SOME SURVEY QUESTIONS AND LITERALLY THEY GAVE US THE DATA I THINK, THE DAY AFTER WE LEFT FOR CHRISTMAS BREAK.

PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THE NICEST THING FOR ME TO DO TO SEND TO ALL ADMINISTRATORS.

OH, HERE'S YOUR SURVEY DATA.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE, BECAUSE I KNOW THEY WOULD HAVE DONE LIKE I WOULD HAVE DONE AND JUST.

GLUED TO IT AND RIPPED IT ALL THE HARDER TO BREAK AND THEY NEEDED TIME WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND I TOTALLY RESPECT THAT AND GET IT.

SO WE'RE JUST STARTING ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER THAN ORIGINAL INTENT TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE SURVEY DATA.

WE'VE HAD A LOT OF POSITIVE THINGS WITHIN THE SURVEY AND IT'S.

THERE ARE SOME SOME VERY GOOD MOMENTUM GOING FORWARD THAT WE HAVE AS A SCHOOL SYSTEM ABOUT GROWING AND BUILDING OUT AND STRENGTHENING OUR SCHOOL FAMILY AND REALLY GROWING FROM WITHIN.

BUT WE NEED TO BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT IT'S NOT A ONE TIME GAME.

WE NEED TO BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER TO CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN THE SYSTEM AND MOVE FORWARD.

[01:30:03]

IT'S NOT A QUARTER BY QUARTER.

IT IS A LONG GAME FOR US THAT WE NEED TO STAY FOCUSED ON.

SO SORRY IF I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.

QUESTIONS. BOARD MEMBERS.

SO IS THIS POWERPOINT SHARED WITH.

INDIVIDUAL STEPS.

THIS POWERPOINT WILL BE.

IT HASN'T YET. I WANT TO SHARE IT WITH THE BOARD TONIGHT.

THIS INFORMATION WILL BE SHARED OUT TO BE SHARED OUT IN THE NEXT NEWSLETTER THAT I SEND OUT TO ALL STAFF.

AND THEN ALL OF OUR ADMINISTRATORS WHO HAVE DIRECT REPORTS WILL GET ACCESS TO THEIR SURVEY RESULTS, THEIR INDIVIDUAL SURVEY RESULTS, SO THEY CAN LOOK AT INFORMATION FOR THEIR DIRECT REPORTS.

AND THE BOARD KNOWS THIS.

BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE ANYBODY WATCHING OR OUT OF HERE KNOWS.

WHEN WE LOOK AT THE SURVEY DATA, THERE IS AN N SIZE.

THERE'S A GROUP SIZE THAT IF A GROUP IS TOO SMALL, YOU CAN'T PULL THE DATA OUT.

SO I CAN'T PARSE THE DATA SOLO TO GO.

IF I'M AT A SMALLER SCHOOL, I WANT TO SEE A TEACHER WHO IS A 30 PLUS YEAR VET AND TEACHES HISTORY AT THIS SCHOOL.

CAN'T DRAW THE SURVEY WILL NOT LET US GET THAT POINT.

THAT'S WHY WE'RE USING AN OUTSIDE VENDOR.

SO WHEN OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM AND OUR INDIVIDUAL LEADERS ARE LOOKING AT THE DATA, THEY'RE REALLY SEEING MORE OF AN AGGREGATE.

THEY CAN GO TO SUBGROUP, BUT THE SUBGROUP IS STILL GOING TO BE LIMITED, SO THEY CAN'T GET SMALL ENOUGH TO FIGURE OUT WHO SAID WHAT OR WHO WROTE WHAT OR WHO.

THE ONLY WAY WE WOULD KNOW WHO WROTE WHAT IS IF YOU WROTE IN A COMMENT YOUR NAME, I'M TELLING YOU, IT'S ME WHO WROTE IT.

AND THIS IS WHAT I SAID.

AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY DID THAT IN THE SURVEY.

I DON'T THINK SO. I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT THE CRITICAL MESSAGES THAT THEY WANTED TO HEAR GETTING TO EVERYONE.

YES. SO, YEAH, WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KICK IT OFF WITH THE MESSAGE IT'S GETTING FROM HERE TO.

AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT I'M LOOKING AT AND THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IS WHEN I SAY WE AS OUR EXECUTIVE TEAMS HERE IS HOW DO WE GET THE MESSAGE FROM OUR ROOM WHEN WE MEET.

TO ALL PRINCIPALS, TO ALL TEACHER SPECIALISTS, TO ALL SUPPORT STAFF, TO ALL, HOW DO WE BRING IT DOWN THAT LINE? AND JUST BECAUSE WE SET IT IN THERE INSTEAD OF EMAIL DOESN'T MEAN IT MADE IT ANYWHERE EXCEPT FOR THOSE WHO READ THAT.

AND IT'S JUST FINDING WAYS TO BE MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT GETTING THOSE CRITICAL MESSAGES.

YOU'RE RIGHT OUT. NEWSLETTER IS ONE WAY, BUT IT CAN'T BE THE ONLY WAY, RIGHT? IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME BRAINSTORMING TO COME UP WITH WAYS FOR REACHING EVERYONE.

REQUEST. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? BOARD MEMBERS.

ONE THAT I'LL HIGHLIGHT IS THAT THERE WAS AN INTENTIONAL DECISION, AS YOU POINTED OUT, TO DO THIS EARLIER, AND THAT WAS A KEY CHANGE.

EVEN IF YOU'RE STILL A COUPLE OF WEEKS BEHIND WHERE YOU'D LIKE TO BE.

THAT ENABLES ADJUSTMENTS, KIND OF MIDYEAR ADJUSTMENTS.

AND SO PEOPLE CAN SEE THE RESULTS, SEE THE OPPORTUNITIES, IF YOU WILL, AND AT LEAST YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THAT CHANGE.

SO THAT WAS A CONSCIOUS LEADERSHIP DECISION TO DO THAT.

AND I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT AND AND APPLAUD.

THAT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

SO THANK YOU. AS IT'S GIVING YOU SOME RESULTS NOW AND YOU CAN SEE THINGS STEPS FORWARD.

THOSE STEPS FORWARD MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN WHAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN PAST HERE AND WOULD HAVE BEEN IN MAY.

WELL, IN MAY THE STEPS FORWARD.

SO STEPS FORWARD WOULD HAVE BEEN HOW TO PLAN WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO IN THE SUMMER.

SO THIS IS MUCH BETTER.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

IF NOTHING FURTHER, THEN WE'LL GO ON TO THE 2024 BUDGET SUMMARY.

[8. Discussion of Items for Future Board Action]

AND RACHEL, I REALLY ONLY WANT TO GO TO THE FIRST SLIDE, WHICH IS THE BUDGET TIMELINE.

AND I JUST WANT TO UPDATE THE BOARD AS I HAD MY EMAIL, BUT ALSO TO UPDATE EVERYBODY ELSE.

WE HAVE MOVED THROUGH THROUGH THE NOVEMBER PHASE OF THE TIMELINE.

WE DID GET OUR REQUESTS SUBMITTED FROM OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR DEPARTMENTS AND AS THE BUDGET COMMITTEE MET AND WORKED ON ALL OF THAT, WE HAD OUR ROUNDTABLE IN DECEMBER AND WE HAVE WORKED THROUGH WITH OUR TEAM TO BASICALLY TAKE ALL OF THE BUDGETED ITEMS AND TO PRIORITIZE THEM INTO CATEGORIES OF WHAT CAN WE TRY TO GET OUT OF YEAR END FUNDING IF WE HAVE THAT AVAILABLE, WHAT ARE THINGS WE HAVE TO DO NOW? IT MAY HAVE JUST SHOWN UP ON THE BUDGET SHEET IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER, BUT WE CAN'T WAIT UNTIL NEXT NEXT YEAR.

[01:35:05]

WE SHARED THAT WITH THE BOARD LAST MONTH IN TERMS OF WHERE THE PRIORITIES FALL RIGHT NOW FOR THE REQUESTS.

WHERE I'M AT NOW, AT THIS POINT, I'M STARTING MY MEETINGS WITH ALL OF OUR SCHOOL STAFF, SCHOOL STAFF DURING THEIR STAFF MEETINGS, REVIEWING SORT OF HOW THE BUDGET PROCESS WORKS AND AS WELL AS WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF BUDGETARY REQUESTS THAT EXIST TO GET FEEDBACK FROM OUR SCHOOLS.

AS I MAKE MY ROUNDS, I HAD MY FIRST ONE SCHEDULED FOR THIS AFTERNOON.

WE DID POSTPONE THAT WITH THE WITH THE ESCORT THAT TOOK PLACE THIS AFTERNOON.

SO I'LL BE BRINGING MORE TIME BACK INTO THE SCHEDULE.

I HAVE THREE SCHOOLS TOMORROW STARTING ELEMENTARY IN THE MORNING, I THINK AT DENTON, COL HIGH AND FEDERALSBURG TOMORROW, RIGHT? YEAH. WELL, THAT'S TOMORROW.

THANK YOU. SO WE HIT THREE SCHOOLS TOMORROW AND HAVE PRETTY MUCH ALL OF THEM BE DONE BY BY THE FEBRUARY BOARD MEETING.

WE'LL GET OUT THE STAFF, I'LL BE MEETING WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ADVISORY OR SCHOOL SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL AND CITIZENS ADVISORY COUNCIL THIS MONTH AS WELL.

AND THEN WE HAVE OUR BUDGET WORK SESSION WITH THE COMMISSIONERS IN JANUARY AS WELL.

SO JANUARY WILL BE A BIG MONTH FOR US GETTING INFORMATION AND FOR US ALSO REALLY REFINING AND HONING DOWN, USING THAT INFORMATION FOR WHAT OUR EVERY REQUEST THAT HAS COME IN AS A REALISTIC REQUEST SO FAR FROM EVERY ONE OF OUR ADMINISTRATORS.

IT TRULY IS.

BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT IN ORDER TO FUND EVERYTHING THAT'S ON THE VERY LAST SLIDE OF THIS IS PROBABLY I WON'T PUT ERIN ON THE SPOT, BUT I GUESS IT'S SEVEN 8 MILLION MORE DOLLARS, NEW DOLLARS PROBABLY AT LEAST HIT EVERYTHING.

THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. IT'S NOT LIKELY.

SO THEN THAT BECOMES THE PIECE BEFORE I BRING YOU THE BUDGET IN FEBRUARY, WHICH IS MY BUDGET, THAN PASSING OVER TO YOU ALL IS WHAT IS THE REALISTIC PICTURE BASED ON THE FUNDING AND PRIORITIZING THOSE NEEDS.

THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH MONEY TO GO AROUND AND IF WE HAVE TO TICK DOWN THE LIST, MY ABSOLUTE BEST ASSUMPTION OF WHERE THAT FALLS AND THEN IT BECOMES YOUR BUDGET FOR US TO TALK ABOUT AS WE GET NUMBERS IN OR PRELIMINARY NUMBERS THEN AND THEN IF THE BOARD WISHES TO MOVE SOME PRIORITY ITEMS AROUND AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS, WE HAVE THAT FUND.

MR. BLUE CHECK WOULD BE YOUR FIRST TIME GOING THROUGH THIS.

AND THEN WE WE WORK TO HAVE THE BUDGET APPROVED IN JUNE, HOPEFULLY BY THE JUNE BOARD MEETING.

WORST CASE, WE HAVE A JUNE WORK SESSION AND WE APPROVE THE BUDGET.

WE HAVE TO HAVE AN APPROVED BUDGET BY THE END OF JUNE AND TO THE COMMISSIONERS BY BY JULY.

BY LAW, WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT DONE.

SO THAT IS THE THAT IS THE TIMELINE.

SO THIS MONTH, A LOT, A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY, A LOT OF THINGS BE MOVING AROUND.

BLESS YOU. A LOT OF THINGS BE MOVING AROUND.

AND WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT IT ALSO AT OUR COMMISSIONERS WORK SESSION IN TWO WEEKS.

I'M THINKING THAT THE CENTER DISTRICT SAVINGS ARE GOING TO PROVIDE ALL THAT EXTRA MONEY THAT IF THEY SHOW THE CLASSROOMS WOULD BE 38 DEGREES.

BUT I MEAN, JUST AND IT'S WHAT STICKS IN YOUR HEAD, I BELIEVE SINCE THE MIDDLE OF FY 22, THE ELECTRICITY RATE IS INCREASED ABOUT 52%. WE BUY OUR RATE IN FUTURES.

WE SET IT THROUGH A TRUST.

AND OUR ELECTRICITY RATE AS A SCHOOL SYSTEM IS LITERALLY GOING UP LIKE 57%.

AND SINCE FY 22, IT'S GONE UP THREE TIMES, I THINK, SINCE THEN.

WE'RE LOCKED INTO THIS RATE FOR A YEAR AND A HALF MORE, TWO YEARS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, PROVIDED THERE'S NOT A CATASTROPHIC EVENT PROBABLY.

BUT BUT YET WITH THE RATE GOING UP THAT MUCH AND YOU SEE THAT USAGE CHART, REALLY THOSE THOSE ARE GOOD THINGS WE WANT TO SEE.

AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE DOLLAR AMOUNT FOR WHAT IT HAS REALLY COST AVOIDED US.

I WAS THINKING THAT WHEN HE WAS TALKING THAT THE COST AVOIDANCE, THE SAVINGS MAY GET EATEN UP BY THE INCREASES IN THE PRICES.

BUT AS I THINK MR. RANGEL WAS SAYING, YOU CAN'T CONTROL PRICES.

WE'LL GIVE YOU CREDIT FOR THAT QUOTE ANYWAY.

LIKE BEN FRANKLIN GETS HIS QUOTE.

CAN'T CONTROL PRICES. YOU CAN CONTROL USE.

SO, YES, WITH WITHOUT IT, I WOULD HATE TO SEE WHAT WE WOULD BE BUDGETING FOR.

TRUE. SO MOVING AHEAD IN OUR AGENDA, WE HAVE UPCOMING MEETINGS AND

[10. Upcoming Meetings and Events]

THERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS ON THERE, BUT CERTAINLY DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THAT ONE IN PARTICULAR.

[01:40:02]

SO THE MEETING THAT MEETING, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, LIKE LAST YEAR, THE MEETING STARTED A LITTLE BIT LATER.

IT WASN'T A 6:00 START, BUT WE MET AT SIX TO EAT.

IT WASN'T A CLOSED SESSION THEN.

IT JUST WASN'T A MEETING.

AND WE JUST HAD TIME TO MEET.

AND THEN THE MEETING KICKED OFF, I THINK IT WAS 630 OR SOMETHING.

YOU STARTED THE MEETING AFTER ABOUT A HALF HOUR OR TIME TO GRAB DINNER? SURE. EVERYTHING WENT FROM THERE.

YEAH. AND THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT ONE IN PARTICULAR BECAUSE WE HAVE TWO NEW COMMISSIONERS, AND WHILE THEY KNOW US AND WE KNOW THEM, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE TO CONTINUE THIS RELATIONSHIP. AND THERE ARE THINGS COMING, NOT JUST BUDGETARY ISSUES, BUT BLUEPRINT AND OTHER THINGS COMING ALONG.

AND THE LEGISLATURE WILL CERTAINLY ALWAYS PROVIDE AN INTERESTING SUBJECT AND A NEW GOVERNOR AND A NEW COMPTROLLER.

SO THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS WITH TWO NEW MEMBERS.

THE LEADERSHIP OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND IS CHANGING.

AND SO THAT'S CERTAINLY AFFECTS WHAT'S GOING TO BE COME DOWN THE LINE, IF YOU WILL, TO THE COMMISSIONERS THAT THEY HAVE TO LIVE WITH AND DEAL WITH, AND IT AFFECT US AS WELL. SO THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMMISSIONER IS IMPORTANT, AND I THINK I HAVE EVERY REASON TO BELIEVE, AS I THINK ALL OF US DO, THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE.

WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THAT. BUT YOU DON'T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED.

SO THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT MEETING TO HAVE GREAT DISCUSSION.

SO. ALL RIGHT, ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE GOOD OF THE GROUP AND THE BOARD MEMBERS? IF NOT, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.

NOT ALL AT ONCE. WE HAVE A MOTION FROM DONNA AND SECOND FROM MARK.

ALL IN FAVOR.

ALL RIGHT. VERY GOOD.

THANK YOU, EVERYONE. GREAT MEETING MARK.

ARE WE GOOD?

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.