[00:00:01]
>> WE'D LIKE TO WELCOME EACH OF YOU TO THIS EVENING'S BOARD MEETING,
[1. Opening Items]
AND IT IS 6:04.WE'RE GOING TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AT THIS TIME.
WE NEED TO RECONVENE INTO OPEN SESSION.
CAN I PLEASE GET A MOTION TO MOVE FROM CLOSED SECTION TO OPEN?
>> I'LL MOVE THAT WE MOVE INTO OPEN SESSION.
>> SO CARRIED. WE WILL BEGIN OUR MEETING WITH THE GOOD FOLKS FROM GREENSBORO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WILL YOU PLEASE COME FORWARD? LET US ALL STAND.
>> WONDERFUL. PLEASE DON'T LEAVE JUST YET.
WE WANT TO WELCOME YOU HERE ESPECIALLY.
I SEE GREEN SHIRTS AND I SEE BLUE SHIRTS.
I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SHIRTS AND ABOUT YOURSELF.
>> PRESIDENT WAYMAN, WE ARE HERE FROM GREENSBORO AND WE REPRESENT THE HONEY BEES AND THE YOUNG GENTLEMAN CLUBS THAT ARE PART OF OUR GROUP THERE IN GREENSBORO.
>> I WILL SAY THAT OUR HONEY BEES HAVE BEEN IN OPERATION FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND AS IS OUR GENTS, AND WE ALSO HAVE A PLEDGE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY THIS EVENING THAT'S.
>> WHAT I'D LIKE US TO DO IS GUYS TO SAY OUR PLEDGE AND SOME GENTS, AND THEN FOLLOWED BY THE HONEY BEES IF THAT WOULD BE OKAY.
GENTLEMEN, LET US SAY OUR PLEDGE.
>> TODAY I PLEDGE TO BE THE BEST I CAN BE.
TODAY, I PLEDGE TO TREAT OTHERS WITH RESPECT AND COURTESY.
TODAY, I PLEDGE TO BE HELPFUL TO OTHERS.
TODAY, I PLEDGE TO BE POSITIVE ROLE MODEL.
TODAY I PLEDGE TO BE [INAUDIBLE] [LAUGHTER] [APPLAUSE]
>> BEFORE THE HONEY BEES, CAN THE YOUNG MEN INTRODUCE THEMSELVES?
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH YOUNG MEN, YOU DID A FINE JOB. [APPLAUSE]
>> LADIES [INAUDIBLE] COME TOGETHER AS A GROUP.
TODAY I PLEDGE TO BE THE BEST I CAN BE.
TODAY, I PLEDGE TO TREAT OTHERS WITH RESPECT AND COURTESY.
TODAY, I PLEDGE I WILL DEMONSTRATE I'M A YOUNG LADY. [APPLAUSE]
>> CAN YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELVES AND TELL US YOUR GRADE.
[00:05:09]
>> WONDERFUL. [APPLAUSE] WE'RE SO GLAD TO HAVE YOU.
GREENSBORO IS REPRESENTED VERY WELL.
CAN WE HAVE THEM INTRODUCED, PLEASE?
>> I WOULD LIKE FOR THEM TO ALSO INTRODUCE, BUT WE HAVE COACHES.
>> [INAUDIBLE] AND THE GUYS. I ACTUALLY WILL HAVE LADIES GO FIRST.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE LEARNED. [LAUGHTER]
>> I'M JENNIFER HADLEY, ONE OF THE COACHES.
>> THE PRINCIPAL, AND MS. KERR PRINCIPAL.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TONIGHT.
I'M VERY, VERY PROUD OF THESE TWO GROUPS OF FUTURE LEADERS.
>> THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR PARENTS FOR COMING OUT THIS EVENING.
I KNOW THAT FAMILY SUPPORT IS SO IMPORTANT, AND WE THANK YOU FOR COMING IN.
AS YOU LEAVE, I BELIEVE THERE ARE SOME LITTLE COOKIES, ESPECIALLY FOR YOU.
>> WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS [INAUDIBLE].
>> I'M GOING TO TAKE A COUPLE OF PICTURES.
I DON'T WANT YOU TO MOVE AFTER THAT BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S CAMERAS BEHIND YOU.
[LAUGHTER] ONE MORE DON'T MOVE.
>> THANK YOU LADIES FOR COMING.
>> THAT'S RIGHT. [BACKGROUND].
>> THANK YOU GENTLEMEN. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> HAVE A GOOD EVENING. ARE WE GOOD?
>> I THINK WE'RE GOOD. [LAUGHTER]
[00:10:08]
>> THAT'S A REAL GENTLEMAN, I TELL YOU. [BACKGROUND]
>> OUR MEETING THIS EVENING, FIRST OF ALL, HAVING APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA FOR THE EVENING. CAN I GET A MOTION?
>> I'LL MAKE A MOTION. WE APPROVED TONIGHT'S AGENDA WITH ONE ALTERATION.
I'D LIKE TO DO AWAY WITH THE BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS FOR TONIGHT ON AN EFFORT TO SAVE SOME TIME BECAUSE IT IS A LONG AGENDA.
>> IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED THAT WE ACCEPT THE AGENDA WITH THE AMENDMENT THAT WAS MADE, ALL IN FAVOR.
>> OPPOSE? SO CARRIED. THANK YOU.
WE WILL BEGIN WITH OUR PUBLIC RECOGNITIONS AND FIRST ON
[2. Public Recognitions / Comment]
THE AGENDA IS THE 24TH AWARD, MARYLAND'S EMERGING SCHOLARS.>> GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT WAYMAN, DR. SIMMONS, AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
I COME BEFORE YOU TONIGHT TO RECOGNIZE A VERY SPECIAL COLONEL RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, KELLY HARDING.
SO I'D LIKE YOU TO COME UP AS I READ A LITTLE BIT.
IF ABBY WHITMAN WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US AS WELL.
ABBY IS THE PROGRAM SPECIALIST FOR NEXT GENERATION SCHOLARS, WHICH VERY MUCH HAS TO DO WITH THIS AWARD.
SO THE MARYLAND BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE FOR EDUCATION HONOR STUDENTS WITH THIS ABSOLUTELY PRESTIGIOUS AWARD CALLED THE 24TH MARYLAND'S EMERGING SCHOLARS.
THE AWARD RECOGNIZES EXCEPTIONAL TALENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF MARYLAND'S HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT LEADERS.
THIS AWARD CELEBRATES STUDENTS, KELLY, WHO NOT ONLY EXCEL ACADEMICALLY, BUT ALSO EXCEL IN THE COMMUNITY AND AS SCHOOL LEADERS.
STUDENTS WHO EARN THIS HONOR HAVE DEMONSTRATED A COMMITMENT TO MAKING A DIFFERENCE THROUGH THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THE NEXT GEN SCHOLAR AND CAREER READINESS PROGRAMS. STUDENTS FROM ACROSS MARYLAND WHO HAVE HIGH ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND I HAVE TO SAY I DID LOOK UP KELLY'S GPA, AND I WASN'T EVEN SURE THAT WE COULD GO THAT HIGH.
BUT ON BEHALF OF CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, KELLY, WE WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON THIS [INAUDIBLE].
[APPLAUSE] I'M NOT SURE IF YOU HAD ANYTHING.
>> REAL QUICKLY. I WOULD LOVE TO SHARE WITH EACH OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
THIS IS OUR AWARD PROGRAM THAT WE HAD AT OUR RECEPTION BACK IN FEBRUARY FOR THE 24TH AWARDS.
IT'S ORGANIZED ALPHABETICALLY BY COUNTY.
BUT YOU CAN READ SHORT PROFILES OF ALL THE [INAUDIBLE].
>> THE 24 AWARDS RECOGNIZE ONE OUTSTANDING STUDENT FROM EACH OF MARYLAND'S COUNTY.
KELLY IS OBVIOUSLY OUR CAROLINE WINNER, AND I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER FOR HER.
SHE IS REALLY AN OUTSTANDING STUDENT.
SHE'S DONE SO MUCH WITH MBRT AS A STUDENT AMBASSADOR.
SHE'S DONE SO MUCH ACADEMICALLY, LIKE ACTUAL STAR.
THE 24 AWARD ACTUALLY DOES LIKE TO RECOGNIZE STUDENTS SPECIFICALLY IN STEM AS WELL AND THAT GOES FOR KELLY.
SHE IS A BIOMEDICAL STUDENT AND SHE WANTS TO BECOME A PHYSICIAN'S ASSISTANT WHICH I THINK IS A REALLY COOL PROGRAM.
>> I AM SUPER EXCITED THAT WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE THE TIME TODAY TO RECOGNIZE HER BECAUSE KELLY WAS UNFORTUNATELY NOT ABLE TO ATTEND OUR MAIN RECEPTION BACK IN FEBRUARY.
[00:15:04]
SHE HAD A PRIOR ENGAGEMENT, BUT IT WAS A VERY COOL RECEPTION.WE ACTUALLY WERE IN ANNAPOLIS.
WE HAD THE FIRST PART OF THE DAY.
WE WERE IN THE STATE HOUSE, ACTUALLY THE SAME DAY STAY OF THE STATE.
STUDENTS GOT TOUR THE STATE HOUSE, THEY GOT SEE REPRESENTATIVES, SEE ALL THE HUBBUB AT THE PREPARATION FOR STATE OF THE STATE, AND THEN WE MOVED TO A RECEPTION CENTER AT THE WEST IN ANNAPOLIS AND WE GOT TO HEAR SOME REMARKS FROM MARYLAND SENATE PRESIDENT, BILL FERGUSON, AND WE ALSO GOT TO RECOGNIZE ALL THE WINNERS.
AMAZING DAY, AMAZING PROGRAM, AMAZING AWARD, AMAZING STUDENT.
CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN, KELLY. [APPLAUSE]
>> ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, WE CERTAINLY WANT TO RECOGNIZE YOU AND CONGRATULATE YOU ON SUCH AN HONOR.
I KNOW YOUR MOM. IS THAT YOUR MOM?
>> IS SUPER PROUD. I KNOW THAT COLONEL RICHARDSON IS SUPER PROUD, AND WE ARE TOO. YES.
>> WE'VE HAD TWO GREAT STARTS TO OUR MEETING TONIGHT: THE GREENSBORO GROUP AND THEN KELLY, AND WE'RE KEEPING IT UP WITH THE CARSON SCHOLARS.
>> GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT WAYMAN, DR. SIMMONS, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
THE CARSON SCHOLARS FUND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AWARDS $1,000 FOR KYLE SCHOLARSHIPS TO STUDENTS IN GRADES 4-11 WHO EXCEL ACADEMICALLY, ARE DEDICATED TO SERVING THEIR COMMUNITIES.
STUDENTS MUST ATTEND AN ACCREDITED K-12 INSTITUTION IN THE UNITED STATES AND BE NOMINATED BY AN EDUCATOR AT THEIR SCHOOL TO BE ABLE TO COMPETE FOR A CARSON SCHOLARSHIP.
IN ORDER FOR A STUDENT TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE AWARD, THEY MUST HAVE A GPA OF 3.75 OR HIGHER AND PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITIES.
THIS EVENING, WE ARE CELEBRATING 11TH GRADE, NORTH COROLINE HIGH SCHOOL, CHRISTIAN LAHNEMAN, AND ABBY BEAUCHEMIN, EIGHTH GRADE, LOCKERMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT.
CAN YOU PLEASE COME FORWARD SO YOU CAN RECEIVE YOUR CERTIFICATE? ANYBODY HERE?
[APPLAUSE] CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH OF YOU.
>> I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO PUT ALL THE PICTURES TOGETHER.
>> WE WILL MOVE RIGHT ON ALONG TO OUR STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE REPORTS?
[00:20:05]
>> I'M SORRY. EXACTLY. DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS?
>> DR. JAMES STEWART SIGNED UP FOR A PUBLIC COMMENT.
>> WE WOULDN'T WANT TO SKIP. DR. JAMES STEWART.
>> [INAUDIBLE] I'M HERE THIS EVENING ON BEHALF OF A RETIRED CAROLINE COUNTY TEACHER WHO TAUGHT AT LOCKERMAN FOR SEVERAL AGO AND WHO PASSED AWAY ON JANUARY 17 OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR.
HER NAME WAS MRS. CAY CUTRIGHT, AND I AM HERE TO DEDICATE A COPY OF A BOOK THAT SHE WROTE TO DEDICATE THIS BOOK TO THE CENTRAL OFFICE.
THE NAME OF THE BOOK IS STARTING OVER, AND THERE ARE SOME THINGS ABOUT THIS BOOK THAT MAKE IT EXTRA INTERESTING, ESPECIALLY TO THOSE WHO HAVE WORKED FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND LIVED IN THIS AREA.
THE STORY REVOLVES AROUND TWO CHILDREN.
THIS IS MATTHEW, WHO WAS 12 IN THE BOOK, AND HE HAD A SISTER, MATTY, WHO WAS SEVEN, AND WHO LIVED WITH A SINGLE MOM AND WHO REALLY STRUGGLED TO EXIST.
IN FACT, THEY GOT EVICTED FROM THEIR APARTMENT.
THERE WAS A LOT OF WEIGHT ON THEIR SHOULDERS.
WHAT MAKES THIS BOOK EXTRA INTERESTING FOR ALUMNI OF CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL REFERENCES TO PEOPLE AND PLACES IN THE DENTON AREA OR THOSE WHO WORKED AT LOCKERMAN.
FOR EXAMPLE, THERE IS A PAROCHIAL SCHOOL REFERRED TO IN THIS BOOK, THE ST. LUKE'S ACADEMY.
OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE ST. LUKE'S CHURCH JUST DOWN THE STREET.
CAY WAS A MEMBER OF THAT CHURCH AND VERY ACTIVE THERE.
THERE IS A REFERENCE TO AN ART TEACHER IN THIS BOOK WHO WAS VERY CREATIVE, BUT HELPED THE SISTER MATTY WITH HER ARTWORK.
THE NAME OF THAT TEACHER WAS MRS MONICA AGAPALOGLOU.
THERE'S ALSO REFERENCE TO A SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR IN THE BOOK, A MRS WAYMAN WHO WAS VERY HELPFUL TO THIS FAMILY.
MRS WAYMAN, YOU'RE ON PAGE 70, REFERRED TO IN THIS BOOK.
I'LL JUST SAY THAT MRS CUTRIGHT DISTINGUISHED HERSELF AS AN ENGLISH TEACHER, AND MIKE, HER HUSBAND, ACTUALLY COACHED SEVERAL STUDENTS IN OUR AREA, INCLUDING BRIAN SPARING.
THE CUTRIGHTS HAD TWO CHILDREN WHO ATTENDED OUR SCHOOLS AND GRADUATED FROM NORTH CAROLINE, BOTH KIM AND CASSIE.
CAY WAS KNOWN FOR ALL THE PLAYS SHE DID FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, WHICH STARTED AT LOCKERMAN, BUT THE PLAYS GOT SO ENORMOUS OVER TIME THAT THEY MOVED TO THE NORTH CAROLINE HIGH SCHOOL STAGE.
CAY WAS SELECTED AS TEACHER OF THE YEAR IN THE MID-90S.
I ALSO HAD THE HONOR OF SELECTING CAY AS A TEACHER SPECIALIST, AND THERE WERE ONLY SEVEN AT THE TIME.
CAY ALSO WAS HUGELY INVOLVED, AND I MENTIONED THIS PREVIOUSLY AT ST. LUKE'S CHURCH, DOING WONDERFUL THINGS FOR STUDENTS AS THEY WENT OFF TO COLLEGE OR THE MILITARY.
I DEDICATE THIS BOOK ON BEHALF OF THE CUTRIGHT FAMILY IN MEMORY OF A WONDERFUL PERSON AND PROFESSIONAL WHO IS PART OF AN EVEN LARGER GROUP OF INCREDIBLE FOLKS WHO ARE PART OF THIS AWESOME SCHOOL SYSTEM.
I'D LIKE TO DEDICATE THIS BOOK TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, AND I CAN TALK WITH STAFF ABOUT HOW EXACTLY TO DO THAT.
ARE THERE FOLKS HERE WHO HAVE ALREADY READ THIS BOOK?
[00:25:05]
IT'S ONLY BEEN OUT RECENTLY, BUT IT IS AN INTERESTING READING.THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL I HAVE TO SAY AT THIS TIME.
>> DR. [INAUDIBLE] BREAK PROTOCOL.
MRS WAYMAN ASKED ME TO NOT SPEAK ON PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE SAID, AND I COULDN'T AGREE MORE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WONDERFUL DONATION.
THANK YOU FOR THE AMAZING WORDS ABOUT MRS CUTRIGHT.
ALL THAT I'VE EVER HEARD ARE WONDERFUL CONTRIBUTIONS THAT SHE'S MADE FOR HER KIDS IN THE COMMUNITY.
I KNOW SEVERAL OF OUR CCPS FOLKS REALLY TOUGH TIME WITH HER LOSS, AND REALLY APPRECIATE THE DONATION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU. WOW. WHAT A START TO OUR BOARD MEETING.
WE WILL NOW CONTINUE WITH OUR STUDENT REPS, VANESSA, FROM COLONEL, AND CADINE, GOT IT RIGHT THAT TIME, FROM NORTH CAROLINE.
>> [INAUDIBLE] MISS CLATER IS A SUPPORT STAFF FOR THE YEAR FINALIST.
I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
I KNOW HER DAUGHTER AND I'VE SEEN HER BEFORE, AND SHE'S A REALLY SWEET WOMAN.
THEY HAD THEIR SPRING PICTURES.
THEY'RE STARTING THE KIDS' HEART CHALLENGE, RAISING MONEY AND AWARENESS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR ISSUES.
THE SCHOOL BUDDIES TEAMED UP TO BUILD LEPRECHAUNS ON ST. PATRICK'S DAY.
THEY DID THEIR BREAKFAST WITH BUDDIES FOR KINDERGARTEN THROUGH SECOND GRADE WHERE THE KIDS COULD HAVE BREAKFAST AT SCHOOL AND BRING THEIR PARENTS OR ANYBODY THEY WANTED.
THEN THEY CELEBRATED READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY BY DRESSING UP BY THEIR FAVORITE BOOK CHARACTERS.
COMING UP NEXT MONTH, THEY'LL HAVE A SCIENCE CLUB MEETING, THE BREAKFAST WITH BUDDIES FOR GRADES 3-5.
THEY'LL CELEBRATE EARTH DAY, AND THEY'LL ALSO CELEBRATE EVERY KID HEALTHY WEEK.
AT FEDERALSBURG ELEMENTARY, MISS BOHAN SAYS, FES IS STEPPING INTO APRIL WITH A STRONG FOCUS ON MCAP AND A COMMITMENT TO ONGOING CLASSROOM SUCCESS.
LAST MONTH, DEVON BECK AND DJ UNIQUE PRESENTED HIP HOP HISTORY WITH THIRD THROUGH FIFTH GRADE.
THEY ANNOUNCED THEIR ONE SCHOOL, ONE BOOK CHOICE, A WHOLE NEW BALL GAME.
THE BOOK IS ABOUT HOW TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN SCHOOL AND ON THE BASKETBALL COURT.
MORE STUDENTS BECAME PROFICIENT IN THEIR MULTIPLICATION FACTS AND EARNED DOG TAGS, AND MISS LISA DAYTON IS A TEACHER OF THE YEAR FINALIST.
COMING UP NEXT MONTH, THEY'LL HAVE MCAP TESTING AND THEIR WILLY WO SPRING FESTIVAL.
AFTER THE LAST ONE, I REALLY WANT TO GO TO THAT.
COLONEL RICHARDSON MIDDLE, LAST MONTH, THEY HAD THE TRANSITION FROM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO MIDDLE SCHOOL FOR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN SO THEY CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT CHANGES ARE COMING UP BY GOING TO MIDDLE SCHOOL.
I SAW SOME PICTURES FROM THAT, AND THEY HAD LOTS OF GOOD LOOKING PIES.
THE STUDENTS WENT TO THE JA CENTER FOR A TRIP.
THEY GOT TO PARTICIPATE IN HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES WITH BUSINESS LEADERS FROM RIGHT HERE ON THE EASTERN SHORE.
SOME CAREER COACHES BROUGHT STUDENTS TO PRESTON AUTO WHO ARE INTERESTED IN MECHANICS TO DO SOME HANDS ON STUFF.
COMING UP NEXT MONTH, THEY'LL HAVE A SOCCER INTEREST MEETING, WHICH IS INCREDIBLE.
WHEN I MOVED HERE, I REALLY WANTED TO PLAY SOCCER AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE A SOCCER TEAM AT COLONEL.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY COOL THAT THEY'RE STARTING A PROGRAM.
THEY'LL HAVE THEIR SPRING DANCE, OFFSHORE BAND PERFORMANCES, AND NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY WILL HAVE INDUCTIONS.
AT COLONEL HIGH SCHOOL, NOT TOO MUCH LAST MONTH, BUT THERE WAS LOTS OF SUCCESS FOR SPRING SPORTS, AND JUNIORS TOOK THE SAT AND ASVAB.
COMING UP THIS MONTH, WE'LL HAVE PROM, CONTINUING SPRING SPORTS, AND THE PRODUCTION OF JOSEPH NEXT MONTH.
I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE REALLY GOOD TO SEE.
>> FROM THE NORTH SIDE OF OUR COUNTY, STARTING WITH DENTON, DR. KREBS SAID THAT MARCH IS COMING TO AN END, BUT WE CERTAINLY ENJOYED IT AT DES.
WE HOSTED OUR GRANDPARENTS DAY AND OUR SPRING ACADEMIC NIGHT AND BOTH WERE A HUGE SUCCESS.
SHE DIDN'T SEND ANY EVENTS FROM LAST MONTH, BUT THEIR UPCOMING EVENTS ARE THEY'RE GOING TO BEGIN MCAP TESTING THIS MONTH.
[00:30:06]
THEY WILL BE WORKING TO COMPLETE THEIR TESTING IN MAY.THAT'S NOT TOO LONG, ACTUALLY.
THEN SHE SAID THAT OUR STUDENTS' VOICE GROUPS ARE UP AND RUNNING.
I'M NOT TOO SURE WHAT THAT IS.
BUT I'M GUESSING IT'S STUDENT VOICE AT OUR SCHOOLS.
>> THEN SHE SAID OUR ONE SCHOOL, ONE BOOK INITIATIVE IS IN FULL SWING.
WE ARE READING EIGHT CLASS PETS PLUS ONE SQUIRREL, DIVIDED BY ONE DOG, EQUALS CHAOS. THAT SOUNDS LIKE CHAOS.
THEN LASTLY, SHE SAID, WE LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING OUR SUPPORT STAFF, MEDIA SPECIALISTS, BUS DRIVERS, AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS THIS MONTH.
SAME FOR ORIGINALLY. THEY DID NOT GIVE ME ANY LAST MONTH.
BUT UPCOMING, THEY HAVE THEIR FOURTH-GRADE FIELD TRIP TO THE SULTANA.
I REMEMBER GOING TO SULTANA WHEN I WAS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND IT'S VERY FUN.
>> IT'S SO FUN. THEN THEIR FIFTH-GRADE FIELD TRIP TO CHESAPEAKE ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER.
THEY'LL HAVE THEIR SECOND-GRADE FIELD TRIP TO ATKINS ABTORIUM.
APRIL 5, THEY'LL HAVE GRANDPARENTS DAY, AND THEN GRADES 3-5 WILL BEGIN THE MCAP TESTING ASSESSMENTS, AND THEY'LL HAVE THEIR SPRING BOOK FAIR ON APRIL 28 UNTIL MAY 2.
MISS [INAUDIBLE] ALWAYS SENDS ME A LOT, SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
LAST MONTH, THEY HAD THEIR READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY.
THEY ALSO HAD THEIR HERO PARENT NIGHT AT 5:30-6:00 PM.
THEN THEY HAD THE MARYLAND HEAR THE CRUNCH DAY.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HERE THE CRUNCH WAS UNTIL I CAME TO CAROLINE COUNTY AT ALL.
THEN I WOULD HEAR MR. SPIKER IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT SAYING, IT'S HERE THE CRUNCH, GET AN APPLE, AND I'M JUST LIKE, OKAY.
[LAUGHTER]. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THAT WAS.
THEN THEIR GRADE FIVE HAD MISA TESTING.
THEY HAD SPRING INDIVIDUAL PICTURES.
THEY HAD MONTHLY READING AND MATH INCENTIVES.
THEY HAD A BUDDY DAY, WHICH IS THEY HAD THIS PROGRAM WHERE THEY WOULD HAVE TUTORING AFTER SCHOOL AND STUFF, WHICH SOUNDS REALLY COOL.
THEN THEY HAD THEIR AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR THEIR FAMILY ENGAGEMENT NIGHT.
THEY HAD A RECREATION AND PARK SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION NIGHT.
THEY HAD A SPRING RUNNING CLUB, 5K EVENT, AND THEN THE HONEYBEES AND YOUNG GENTLEMEN'S CLUB HAD AN ICE CREAM SOCIAL, AND THEY WERE HERE TONIGHT, AND THEY WERE GREAT.
UPCOMING FOR APRIL, THEY'LL HAVE A TRIP FOR THEIR FOURTH GRADERS TO GO TO THE SULTANA.
THEN, FOR FOURTH GRADE, THEY'LL HAVE THEIR FIRST GRADE ZOO FIELD TRIP. I'M NOT SURE OF THAT.
THEN FOR FIFTH GRADE, THEY'LL HAVE THEIR PANORAMIC PICTURE, AND MCAT TESTING WILL BEGIN.
THEN THEY'LL HAVE A PLANETARIUM ASSEMBLY DURING SPECIALS.
[LAUGHTER]. THEN THEY'LL HAVE A THIRD-GRADE SKATING FIELD TRIP.
I WISH THAT HIGH SCHOOL STILL WENT ON FIELD TRIPS.
I CAN'T REMEMBER LAST TIME I WENT ON A FIELD TRIP, AND THIS SOUNDS VERY FUN.. [LAUGHTER].
THEN THEY'LL HAVE A CLASS PICTURE DAY AND AN EARTH DAY EVENT, AND THEN THEY'LL HAVE THEIR AFTER-SCHOOL FAMILY ENGAGEMENT NIGHT.
THEY'LL HAVE THEIR JC AND PRE-K PETTING ZOO.
THEN LASTLY, FIFTH GRADE WILL TAKE A TRIP TO WASHINGTON, DC.
LAST MONTH, SEVENTH GRADE, THEY HAD A FIELD TRIP TOO TO ATKINS AUDITORIUM.
THEN THEY HAD A TALENT SHOW, AND THEY ALSO HAD MCAP TESTING FOR ELA, WE TEST PREP.
THEN UPCOMING, THEY'RE GOING TO START THEIR MCAP TESTING.
THEN ONTO MY SCHOOL, MR. SPIKER SAID, THE FOURTH QUARTER IS STARTING AND WE ARE 75% OF THE WAY THROUGH THE '24-'25 SCHOOL YEAR.
IT'S TIME FOR EVERYONE TO LOCK IN AND WORK HARD.
LAST MONTH, WE HAD THE ASPHALT TESTING AND WE ALSO TOOK THE SATS, WHICH WAS NOT FUN AT ALL.
THEN WE HAD A NINTH GRADE INCENTIVE AND THEN THERE WAS A SCAC EVENT.
THEN UPCOMING EVENTS WILL BE TODAY, THE SENIORS PICKED UP THEIR CAP AND GOWNS AT LUNCHES.
TOMORROW IS A HALF A DAY BECAUSE IT'S THE END OF THE THIRD QUARTER.
APRIL 8TH, WE'LL HAVE AN INCH CHS BLOOD DRIVE.
APRIL 11TH, THERE'S A STUDENT ART EXHIBIT AND ART COUNCIL, APRIL 11TH AND APRIL 12TH, 24TH AND 26TH, THERE'S DRAMA CLUB SPRING SHOWTIMES.
THEN APRIL 30TH, WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A SPRING UNITY FAIR, WHICH SOUNDS REALLY COOL, AND WE'VE BEEN PLANNING IT,
[00:35:01]
AND I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT CULTURES AND STUFF.YOU GUYS SHOULD ALL DEFINITELY COME.
THERE'S GOING TO BE GOOD FOOD, AND SHOULD DEFINITELY COME.
THEN LASTLY, FOR CCTC, LAST MONTH, MR. HALE'S AMP CLASS GAVE THEIR FINAL PRESENTATIONS FOR THEIR BIRDHOUSE DESIGNS AND PRODUCTION.
FOUR CCTC STUDENTS WENT TO THE SKILLS USA STATE COMPETITION.
I KNOW THAT MS. ANDY SAID THAT ALABIEL WHO GOES TO NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL, SHE GOT FIRST PLACE IN THE NAIL CARE COMPETITIONS, SO CONGRATS TO HER, AND SHE'S MOVING ON TO NATIONALS.
THEN THEY HAD THEIR MICK TEACHER NIGHT AT THE DENTON MCDONALD'S AND THEY SAID IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS.
THEN THEY VISITED THE JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT EMPOWERMENT IN TALBOT COUNTY LAST WEEK.
SOME UPCOMING EVENTS IS ON APRIL 30TH, THEY'RE GOING TO PARTNER WITH NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE SPRING UNITY FAIR.
THEN APRIL 24TH, THERE'S A CTE PAC MEETING AT CHESAPEAKE COLLEGE.
>> THINGS ARE REALLY, REALLY BUSY AT SCHOOL AT OUR SCHOOLS AND PICKING UP AS SPRINGTIME COMES.
YOU LADIES HAVE A GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING.
>> WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT SOME FIELD TRIPS FOR HIGH SCHOOL.
REALLY START TROUBLE AND SAY, MAYBE THEY'RE HAPPENING AT COLONEL, JUST NOT AT NORTH. [LAUGHTER]
>> MAYBE MR. SPIKER CAN TAKE THEM TO THE ICE SKATING.
>> I DON'T KNOW THAT TO BE TRUE. IT JUST FELT GOOD TO THROW OUT SINCE MR. SPIKER IS STILL SITTING THERE.
>> YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD A FRIEND.
>> WONDERFUL START TO OUR MEETINGS.
NOW WE NEED A VOTE FOR OUR CONSENT AGENDA.
[3. Consent Agenda]
I HAVE IT HERE.>> I'LL MAKE A MOTION WE APPROVE TONIGHT'S CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
>> IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR?
>> OPPOSED? CARRY. WE'LL NEED THE APPROVAL.
>> WE'LL BREAK SOME MINUTES. OUR NEXT ITEM IS DR. WILLOUGHBY IS COMING OVER AND WE ARE GOING TO REARRANGE THE ROOM QUICKLY.
MS. BARRIS GOT IT. REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
[4. Individual Action Items]
SO MUCH THAT I JUST REALIZE I STEPPED ON YOU MS. WAYMAN, LITERALLY ANNOUNCING THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.THAT IS THE SUPPORT EMPLOYEES CONTRACT NEGOTIATION.
I DON'T WANT TO STEAL DR. WILLOUGHBY'S PREPARED WORDS.
I'LL LET HIM GO FIRST, BUT WE ARE REALLY EXCITED TO BE AT THIS POINT TONIGHT WITH OUR EMPLOYEE GROUP AND WITH REPRESENTATIVES HERE TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS. DR. WILLOUGHBY.
>> PRESIDENT WAYMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DR. SIMMONS.
IT'S A GREAT PLEASURE TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO ASK YOUR APPROVAL OF THE NEGOTIATED AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CAROLINE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE CAROLINE COUNTY EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT PERSONNEL DIVISION.
AS YOU KNOW, THIS AGREEMENT IS ONE THAT HAS BEEN LARGELY CLOSED FOR A PERIOD OF SEVERAL YEARS, AND BECAUSE IT WAS DUE TO EXPIRE THIS JUNE 30, THE ENTIRE AGREEMENT WAS UP FOR RENEGOTIATION.
THAT'S A DAUNTING TASK TO SAY THE LEAST, BUT THERE WERE ALSO A LOT OF UPDATES THAT NEEDED TO HAPPEN TO THE AGREEMENT.
WE WERE ABLE TO COME TO A TABLE AGREEMENT ON THE 24TH FEBRUARY AFTER, I BELIEVE, ONLY FOUR, MAYBE, SESSIONS.
THIS HAS REALLY BEEN A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS BETWEEN CCEA, ESP, AND THE BOARD'S NEGOTIATING TEAM.
I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE THE CCEA TEAM IT IS THE SECOND, BUT I JUST WANT TO PUBLICLY SAY, THIS WAS NOT A CONTENTIOUS PROCESS.
THIS WAS NOT SMOKE AND MIRRORS.
THIS WAS NOT SLIDING PAPERS ACROSS THE DESK.
THIS WAS COLLABORATION, AND IT WAS CONVERSATION.
THIS AGREEMENT NEEDED TO BE UPDATED.
QUITE FRANKLY, THE BOARD HAS BEEN SAYING IT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
WE'VE BEEN SAYING ONCE WE GET TO THIS POINT, THERE WERE THINGS WE'RE GOING TO DO.
I JUST WANT TO COMMEND THE BOARD AND THE SUPERINTENDENT ON THEIR LEADERSHIP THAT THE TIME GOT HERE AND THAT PRIORITY REMAINED THE SAME.
WE ARE GOING TO SIGN AN AGREEMENT TONIGHT, FOLKS, AND THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION IS NOT YET AT SINE DIE,
[00:40:04]
AND THAT'S UNHEARD OF IN CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.FOR THOSE WATCHING, WHAT THAT MEANS IS, WE DON'T YET KNOW 100% OUR FULL BUDGET NUMBERS FOR NEXT YEAR.
BUT WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT THAT IS GOING TO INVEST OVER $2.5 MILLION INTO OUR SUPPORT STAFF.
THAT'S BECAUSE THE BOARD OF ED HAS MADE THAT A PRIORITY AND SAID, WE'RE GOING TO FIGURE IT OUT.
WHEN WE GET THOSE FINAL NUMBERS, THAT'S FINE, BUT THIS BECOMES A COST OF DOING BUSINESS THAT COMES OFF THE TOP.
LIKE I SAID, THIS IS SUPER EARLY TO HAVE THIS AS AN AGENDA ITEM.
BUT IT JUST REFLECTS THAT COMMITMENT.
WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN THIS AGREEMENT IS SALARY INCREASES, OF COURSE.
THAT'S ALWAYS A TOP LINE FIGURE THAT PEOPLE GO TO.
THE EQUIVALENTS ARE ANYWHERE BETWEEN 12% FOR OUR LOWEST EARNING WORKERS TO 5% ACROSS THE BOARD.
EXPANDING ELIGIBILITY FOR FULL TIME INSURANCE BENEFITS BY MAKING THE ELIGIBILITY SIX HOURS OF WORK PER DAY INSTEAD OF SEVEN, WHICH IS GOING TO COVER MORE OF OUR EMPLOYEES FOR FULL TIME BENEFITS AND DRASTICALLY LOWER THEIR INSURANCE COSTS, A GROW-YOUR-OWN PROGRAM TO HELP CONTINUE THE WORK THAT WE DID WITH MARYLAND LEADS, TO DEVELOP FOLKS THAT COME TO WORK EVERY DAY AND LOVE OUR KIDS THAT WANT TO BE TEACHERS AND BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THEM THROUGH THAT AND KEEP THEM RIGHT HERE IN CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SALARY ADD-ONS FOR CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER CREDENTIALS AND BEING ABLE TO HONOR THAT ADDITIONAL WORK THAT GOES INTO THOSE CERTIFICATIONS AND CREDENTIALS, AND LARGELY, THE THEME OF THE WHOLE THING WAS ALIGNING LANGUAGE TO THE TEACHER AGREEMENT, SO THAT ACROSS THE BOARD, WHERE APPROPRIATE AND WHERE AVAILABLE, WE HAVE ONE SET OF RULES FOR ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES, WHETHER SUPPORT STAFF, TEACHERS OR ADMINISTRATORS.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE VERY PROUD OF.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT THIS WENT OUT FOR RATIFICATION.
THE ASSOCIATION HAD A TOWN HALL MEETING.
WHEN YOU HEAR THAT WE DO THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN CAROLINE COUNTY, LET'S JUST CALL IT, THE ASSOCIATION HAD A UNION MEETING AND INVITED ME.
THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN, BUT WE COLLABORATIVELY AND COLLECTIVELY WERE ABLE TO EXPLAIN THE CHANGES.
IT DID GO OUT FOR RATIFICATION, AND I'M HAPPY TO TELL YOU THAT THE VOTE FOR RATIFICATION WAS UNANIMOUS.
I DO WANT TO PUBLICLY THANK LIKE I SAID, CCEA.
MS. AMY BAUMAN, WHO IS THE PRESIDENT OF CCEA IS HERE.
I KNOW SHE HAS A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND OTHERS.
THEN THE NEGOTIATING TEAM, MS. SUSAN ALGIER, WHO'S AN INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANT AT GREENSBORO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MR. SHELDON NEAL, WHO IS ONE OF OUR MAINTENANCE HVAC EXTRAORDINAIRES, MR. NICK MARSHALL, WHO IS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF ESP, AND ALSO THE HEAD CUSTODIAN A GREENSBORO, MS. DARLENE SCHWAEBLE, WHO IS SECRETARY AT DENTON ELEMENTARY, AND MR. DENNIS YUN, WHO IS NETWORK AND COMMUNICATIONS EXTRAORDINAIRE.
THAT'S ACTUALLY YOUR JOB TITLE, RIGHT? [LAUGHTER] WHO WORKS OVER AT THE CENTRAL OFFICE ANNEX.
THEN THE BOARD'S TEAM WAS MR. BILL MINGLE, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, MS. JILL HIGNUTT, CFO, WHO WERE JOINED BY MS. JENN YOST, WHO IS SUPERVISOR OF HEALTH SERVICES, MR. NEIL LAMBERT, WHO ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT COLONEL MIDDLE, MS. BETH BREWSTER, WHO IS SUPERVISOR OF FOOD SERVICES, MS. DEBBIE SIACHOS, COORDINATOR OF HR, AS WELL AS MR. CHUCK ACKERSON, WHO IS OUR BEHIND-THE-SCENES WIZARD.
THERE ARE SOME EFFICIENCIES IN HERE, WHEREAS WORK DAY CALENDARS AND STANDARDIZED HOURS AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO GET ACCOMPLISHED.
CHUCK WAS A HUGE HELP WITH THE SALARY PROJECTIONS OF THAT.
WITH THAT, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU AFTER THE UNION HAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THIS CONTRACT, YOU VOTE TO ALSO RATIFY IT AND THEN GO FORWARD WITH THE SIGNING HERE. THANK YOU.
BOARD MEMBERS, WE'VE HEARD OF THE EXCELLENT WORK THAT'S GONE ON TO MOVE THIS CONTRACT INTO A WONDERFUL SETTING.
I THINK EVERYONE AGREES TO THAT.
I KNOW YOU DO, AND WE DO AS WELL.
CAN I HAVE A MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT THE CONTRACT, PLEASE?
>> I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT THE CCEA CONTRACT AS IT'S WRITTEN.
>> IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.
ALL IN FAVOR LET'S CLAP OUR HANDS.
[00:45:02]
[APPLAUSE] MOTION CARRY.WE ALSO WOULD LIKE TO GIVE ATTENTION TO OUR FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD WHO WAS VERY MUCH A PART OF THIS CONTRACT WORK THAT IS GO ON, SO GOOD JOB. THE SIGNING.
>> THE SIGNING. WE'LL NEED DR. SIMMONS AND MS. WAYMAN.
>> AS WE'RE MOVING TO SIGN, I'LL ADD A FEW COMMENTS, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY, IF ANYBODY WANT TO SAY ANYTHING.
WE KNEW THIS NEEDED TO HAPPEN.
THE TEAM WAS ALSO PULLED TOGETHER.
THE BOARD HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OVER THE YEARS.
WE SPENT A COUPLE OF YEARS IN MAKING, DECLARE ITSELF IN POSITION TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS.
APPRECIATE TYING IN THERE AND BELIEVING IT WOULD HAPPEN.
I REALLY DO. I CAN'T SAY THAT ENOUGH.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME, IT'S IMPORTANT TO US THAT WE RECREATE THE FAMILY FIELD THAT HAD BEEN HERE, THAT HAD BEEN LOST.
I THINK WE'RE FINALLY REALLY AT THAT POINT, WHERE WE'VE GOT IT BACK.
WE'RE PUTTING THINGS IN PLACE THAT SHOW THAT EVERY PERSON WHO WORKS FOR US CARE.
I THINK WE HAVE SOMETHING TO HONOR THAT, AND WE CONTINUE TO HONOR THAT REGARDLESS OF WHO'S SITTING WHERE.
WE HAVE A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT, AND WE'RE CHANGING THE WAY THAT WE'RE DOING BUSINESS ABOUT WHAT THINGS WE NEED TO JUST NEED TO BE COST OF DOING BUSINESS YEAR AND FOR ALL EMPLOYEE GROUPS.
AGAIN, I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S HARD WORK AND DIG IT IN AND EXPLAIN THINGS TO PEOPLE BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF CHANGES AND THINGS AND HELPING FOLKS UNDERSTAND IT.
BUT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO US TO MAKE SURE WE GET IT RIGHT.
WE GET ONE CHANCE TO OPEN IT IF IT'S BEEN CLOSED FOR SO LONG AND WE REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE DID IT RIGHT.
WE DO NOT HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO MESS IT UP AND REDO IT AGAIN.
THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH FOR EVERYTHING.
>> I'M SORRY, SHE'S NOT HERE TONIGHT, BUT TERESA MILES, WHO IS THE UNISERVE REP.
I WORK WITH TERESA VERY CLOSELY FOR NOT ONLY THIS CONTRACT, BUT FOR OUR TEACHERS ASSOCIATION AS WELL, A GREAT PARTNER TO HAVE.
I KNOW WE'RE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE TABLE, BUT TERESA IS A FANTASTIC PERSON TO HAVE AS A PARTNER IN THIS WORK.
I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE HER AS WELL.
>> THANK YOU. [LAUGHTER] [APPLAUSE] GROUP PICTURES. RICK.
[00:51:30]
>> YES, IT DID. LONG TIME COMING.
>> WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR ETHICS PANEL, CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS ETHICS PANEL.
>> GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT WAYMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS AN ETHICS ADVISORY PANEL.
IT CONSISTS OF THREE MEMBERS RECOMMENDED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT AND APPOINTED BY THE BOARD.
WE HAVE AN OPENING ON OUR ETHICS PANEL.
MRS. SHEILA RICHARDSON, AFTER MANY YEARS OF SERVICE, IS STEPPING DOWN FROM HER POSITION ON THE ETHICS PANEL.
I BRING TO THE BOARD TONIGHT THE NOMINATION OF MISS SARA VISINTAINER TO FILL THAT ROLE.
MISS VISINTAINER BRINGS VAST EXPERIENCE IN COUNTY GOVERNMENT, AS WELL AS BEING INVOLVED IN STATE GOVERNMENT AS WELL WITH THE WORK SHE'S DONE THERE ON DIFFERENT COMMITTEES.
SHE'S VERY VERSED IN THE ETHICS WORK AND THE FORMS AND THE LEGISLATION ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
IN FULL DISCLOSURE, HER FAMILY HAS A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COUNTY FOR THE E-RATE PROGRAM.
THAT DOES NEED TO BE DISCLOSED.
MISS VISINTAINER DID DISCLOSE THAT.
I'VE SPOKEN TO COUNSEL AND BROUGHT THAT TO THE BOARD'S ATTENTION AS WELL, AND SHE WOULD NOT BE INVOLVED IN ANY MATTERS DEALING WITH THAT IF SOMETHING WERE TO COME TO THE ETHICS PANEL IN THOSE REGARDS.
BUT DO BELIEVE MISS VISINTAINER WOULD SERVE WONDERFULLY IN THAT ROLE, BRINGING HER EXPERIENCE IN AS A FORMER COUNTY CHIEF STAFF AND HER OTHER EXPERIENCES. I ASK FOR YOUR APPROVAL.
>> MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT MISS VISINTAINER WOULD BE A POSITIVE ADDITION TO THE ETHICS PANEL, BUT WE NEED A VOTE IN SUPPORT OF THAT.
>> SURE. I CAN MAKE A MOTION TO THE APPOINTMENT OF MISS SARA VISINTAINER TO THE ETHICS PANEL.
>> IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED THAT WE APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF MISS VISINTAINER TO OUR ETHICS PANEL. ALL IN FAVOR.
>> AYE. OPPOSED. CARRY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE HER ON BOARD.
WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE BID FOR THE PARTIAL ROOF.
>> HE'S DEFINITELY OUR ROOF GUY.
BUT THEN THERE'S THIS BUILDING.
>> GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT WAYMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DR. SIMMONS.
I COME TO YOU SEEKING APPROVAL FOR A ROOF THAT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR HEARTS.
IT'S THE ROOF OF THIS BUILDING.
A LITTLE BRIEF BACKGROUND ON THIS BUILDING IS THERE'S TWO SETS OF ROOFS ON THIS PARTICULAR BUILDING.
ONE IS THE SLOPED ASPHALT ROOF THAT HAS ALL OF OUR SOLAR PANELS ON IT.
THE OTHER ONE IS THE FLAT MEMBRANE ROOF THAT HAS ALL THE HVAC MECHANICS ON IT.
NINETY-FIVE PERCENT OF ALL FLAT ROOFS ARE PROBLEMATIC, AND THIS IS NO DIFFERENT.
THAT PART OF THE ROOF IS IN THE REAR OF THE BUILDING AND WRAPS AROUND ON THE OUTSIDE TO THE SPECIAL ED OFFICE AND PART OF CHUCK ACKERSON'S OFFICE IN FINANCE.
[00:55:01]
WE'VE HAD SOME LEAKS THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET IN CONTROL.ON MAY 7, WE BROUGHT OUT FOUR CONTRACTORS TO LOOK AT THE ROOF.
THEY ASSESSED IT AND THEY FOUND ALL KINDS OF ISSUES WITH IT.
OUR GENERAL CONTRACTOR IS GARLAND DBS THAT DOES OUR ROOFS.
THEY WENT OUT AND FIT THE BID, THEY SET THE BID ALL UP, RAN IT THEMSELVES, AND WE HAVE A WINNER WITH A LOW BID.
DO YOU HAVE THE BID SURVEY AVAILABLE, RACHEL?
>> I'M SORRY. I HAD A PRACTICE BECAUSE I BOTCHED A LOT.
RON RUFF ROOFING WAS A LOW BID.
SAY THAT THREE TIMES FAST, PLEASE, AT $164,780.
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT MAYBE DOWN IN THE BOTTOM, YOU'LL SEE THE BUDGET AMOUNT WAS $1.7 MILLION, AND THIS IS ACTUALLY ABOUT 10% OF WHAT THAT BUDGET WAS.
THE REASON WAS WE WERE ACTUALLY CONTEMPLATING DOING THIS ENTIRE ROOF.
WE DID SOME RESEARCH. I THOUGHT THE ROOF WAS MUCH OLDER THAN WHAT IT IS.
A BUNCH OF US ACTUALLY THOUGHT IT WAS MUCH OLDER THAN WHAT IT WAS.
THE ASPHALT IS ONLY 11 YEARS OLD.
DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL TO REDO A ROOF, IT'S GOT ANOTHER 15, 20 YEARS ON.
PLUS THE SOLAR PANELS REALLY HELPED TO PROTECT THE SHINGLED ROOF.
I FEEL CONFIDENT WE SHOULD GET A GOOD 15 20 YEARS OUT OF THIS PART OF THE ROOF.
THE MEMBRANE IS A DIFFERENT STORY.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE REPLACING.
THIS IS GOING TO BE FUNDED LOCALLY.
IT'S GOING TO BE FUNDED ACTUALLY OUT OF THE OPERATIONS BUDGET.
WE'RE GOING TO EXPIRE A LINE ITEM IN THE BUDGET AND MAX IT OUT, AND THEN THE FUND BALANCE WILL COME BEHIND AND PICK THAT UP.
YOU'LL SEE PROBABLY REFLECTED ANOTHER MONTH OR SO, A CERTAIN LINE ITEM WILL BE ZEROED OUT OR IN THE NEGATIVE.
IN ESSENCE, WE'RE GOING TO ZERO OUT THAT ONE PARTICULAR LINE ITEM AND BACK IT UP WITH THE FUND BALANCE.
WHAT I'M ASKING FOR IS REALLY THE BOARD'S APPROVAL TO AWARD TO SUBCONTRACTOR, RON RUFF ROOFING THIS AWARD FOR THIS ROOF.
JUST LET YOU KNOW THIS ROOF WOULD ALSO BE STARTING PROBABLY END OF APRIL, SHOULD LAST ABOUT 20-30 DAYS.
WE'RE HOPING TO BE DONE BY THE END OF MAY.
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND EVERYTHING ASIDE, WE'RE GOING TO BE DONE IN ABOUT 30 DAYS.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? [OVERLAPPING].
>> [INAUDIBLE] NAME AGAIN? [LAUGHTER] [OVERLAPPING].
>> I'LL WRITE IT AN A BOARD FOR YOU. IT'S A GOOD COMPANY.
>> JUST FOR THE BOARD'S UNDERSTANDING, AS WELL, WITH A ROOF PROJECT ON A BUILDING THAT IS NOT A STUDENT BUILDING, THAT DOESN'T QUALIFY FOR THE STATE FUNDING, AND THOSE OFFSETS.
THAT'S WHY THE BOARD HAS TO BEAR THE FULL COST OF ANY WORK DONE ON THIS BUILDING OR THE TECHNOLOGY BUILDING, OR THE OLD VFW SPORT SERVICE CENTER.
>> DR. SIMMONS, THE COMPANY IS?
[LAUGHTER]. I WAS ALMOST THERE.
>> ANY QUESTIONS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? THERE BEING NO QUESTIONS, CAN WE HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE OFFER FROM RON RUFF ROOFING? [LAUGHTER].
>> I MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT THE BID RESULT FROM RON RUFF ROOFING.
>> WHAT DO YOU SECOND? [LAUGHTER].
NEXT, WE HAVE DR. WILLOUGHBY BACK WITH SOME POLICIES.
>> PRESIDENT WAYMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DR. SIMMONS, THREE POLICIES FOR YOU THIS EVENING.
YOU HAVE ATTACHED THERE THE POLICIES AS MARKED UP WITH STRIKE-THROUGHS AND BOLD RED FOR ADDITIONS.
THE FIRST IS A SINGLE ADDITION TO OUR PURCHASING POLICY, AND THAT IS THE ADDITION OF ITEM D THERE ON THE SCREEN.
THAT JUST BRINGS US INTO THE SECTION OF ANNOTATED CODE OF MARYLAND.
THAT ALSO APPLIES TO BIDS THAT ARE COOPERATIVE PURCHASES OR PIGGYBACK BIDS THAT WAS NOT IN THE POLICY PREVIOUSLY, CLARIFICATION FROM LEGAL COUNCILS AS IT NEEDS TO BE.
A SINGLE ADDITION JUST TO BRING IT INTO FULL COMPLIANCE FOR THAT ONE.
[01:00:03]
ANY QUESTIONS ON PURCHASING? THEN THE OTHER TWO POLICIES THIS EVENING HAVE TO DO WITH HEALTH CARE AND SCHOOL NURSING.BOTH OF THESE POLICIES WERE LAST REVISED IN 1990.
WE ARE BRINGING UP TO CODE POLICIES FROM 35 YEARS AGO.
BOTH OF THESE POLICIES ARE GREAT EXAMPLES ABOUT WHY WE'RE DOING OUR POLICY WORK, BECAUSE THESE POLICIES ARE SO OUT OF DATE THAT THEY DO NOT REPRESENT EVEN WHAT WE DO ON A DAILY BASIS ANYMORE.
WE'RE OPERATING IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH MSDE AND MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.
BUT THESE POLICIES WERE JUST VERY OUT OF DATE AND NEEDED TO HAVE THAT REFRESH.
BECAUSE OF THAT, EXCUSE ME, THE CHANGES THAT ARE MADE HERE DON'T IMPACT THE WORK THAT WE DO ON A DAILY BASIS.
THERE'S GOING TO BE NO CHANGE IN OUR SCHOOL HEALTH CENTER OPERATION OR OUR SCHOOL NURSING PROGRAM, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT BECAUSE OF THESE ENACTMENTS, IT'S JUST BRINGING THEM UP TO DATE.
GENERAL AND EMERGENCY HEALTH CARE, YOU'LL SEE SOME UPDATES TO NAMES OF ENTITIES THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING GUIDANCE FROM.
YOU'LL SEE SOME UPDATES AND REFRESHES ABOUT WHO DOES DIFFERENT THINGS, AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A SCHOOL NURSE OR CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANT.
INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING A BOARD OF EDUCATION EMPLOYEE, NOW, WE WANT NURSES DOING THOSE THINGS.
YOU'LL SEE REFERENCES TO THINGS LIKE FIRST AID CENTERS TO ACTUALLY BECOME SCHOOL NURSING SUITES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE DON'T HAVE FIRST AID CENTERS IN OUR BUILDINGS, BUT EVERY BUILDING DOES HAVE A HEALTH ROOM.
[NOISE]. LIKE I SAID, YOU HAVE THE STRIKE THROUGH AND THE ADDITIONS AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU CAN READ THROUGH AND SEE WHAT THE CHANGES ARE.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT GENERAL AND EMERGENCY HEALTH CARE?
>> ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD?
>> THEN THE THIRD POLICY FOR TONIGHT IS COMMUNICABLE DISEASES.
I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE I'M SAYING THAT WORD WRONG WHEN I SAY IT.
IT SOUNDS WEIRD WHEN IT COMES OUT OF MY MOUTH, BUT THAT IS COMMUNICABLE DISEASES.
I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT IS. VERY SIMILAR TO GENERAL EMERGENCY HEALTH CARE.
IT'S A POLICY THAT IS 35 YEARS OLD THAT NEEDED EYES ON IT.
THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES TO FIRST OF ALL, EVEN THE DEFINITION OF WHAT STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SAYS IS A COMMUNICABLE DISEASE.
DOWN IN PART B UNDER PROCESS, YOU CAN SEE US STRIKE THROUGH OF THE LOCAL HEALTH OFFICER OR DESIGNEE OF THE PRINCIPAL AND A DESIGNEE FROM THE STUDENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, SO THAT THIS IS ALL HAPPENING THROUGH OUR SCHOOL NURSING SUPERVISOR REALLY.
THAT LIVES IN STUDENT SERVICES.
AGAIN, JUST LIKE GENERAL EMERGENCY HEALTHCARE, THESE POLICIES WILL HAVE REGULATIONS BEHIND THEM THAT HELP GOVERN THE DAY-TO-DAY.
MISS JEN YOST, WHO IS OUR SUPERVISOR OF SCHOOL NURSING, SHE DID THE UPDATES OF THESE POLICIES.
SHE'S ALSO DONE THE UPDATES TO THE REGULATIONS THAT ARE BEHIND THEM.
BUT AGAIN, JUST BRINGING THEM UP TO DATE AND THEY DON'T CHANGE A THING OF WHAT WE DO ON OUR DAY TO DAY.
IT'S JUST THAT THESE HAD BECOME SO OUTDATED THAT THEY NO LONGER REPRESENTED WHAT WE ACTUALLY DO ON OUR DAY TO DAY.
>> BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS? THEN, CAN WE GET A VOTE FOR ALL THREE OF THE SINGLE [INAUDIBLE] POLICIES?
>> I MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT THE CHANGES TO ALL THREE POLICIES THAT HAVE BEEN MENTIONED BEFORE US.
>> IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED THAT WE ACCEPT THE CHANGES THAT WERE NEEDED AND MADE IN THESE THREE OUTDATED POLICIES.
THANK YOU, DR. WILLOUGHBY, FOR THE WORK. ALL IN FAVOR?
APPRECIATE BRINGING THOSE UP TO DATE.
>> THAT'S AGAIN, IT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF WHY WE'RE TRYING TO GET THESE ON A FOUR-YEAR CYCLE, SO WE AVOID THINGS LIKE THIS IN THE FUTURE.
>> WE WILL MOVE INTO POLICY REVISION, THE THIRD READING. STUDENT DRESS CODE.
>> BEFORE THEY JUMP INTO TALKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES,
[01:05:02]
I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT FOR THE BOARD BECAUSE WE'RE AT A THIRD READ.THE VERSION YOU'RE REVIEWING TONIGHT THAT MR. HOWE AND DR.
WILLOUGHBY WILL WALK THROUGH WITH THE BOARD DOES LOOK STRUCTURALLY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THE BOARD SAW LAST MONTH.
IT IS AN ACTION ITEM IN THE BOARD THAT'S WHERE IT FITS IN OUR POLICY AS A THIRD READER.
THE BOARD HAS THE DECISION TO PUT IT BACK OUT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME, I WOULD SAY SOME, SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL DIFFERENCES, OR THE BOARD CAN TAKE ACTION TONIGHT.
THAT IS THE BOARD'S DECISION TO MAKE AFTER LOOKING AT IT.
BUT I WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT ASKED TO MAKE A DECISION ON IF IT GOES TONIGHT.
YOU CAN DEFINITELY PUT IT BACK OUT FOR MORE COMMENT IF THE BOARD FEELS THAT IT'S APPROPRIATE TO DO SO WITH THE SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL CHANGES TO IT, BUT I WANT THE GENTLEMAN TO WALK THROUGH IT FIRST, BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE ASKED FOR WHEN WE GET TO THAT, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
>> I GET THE EASY JOB OF JUST SIMPLY INTRODUCING THIS AND THEN PASSING IT OVER TO MR. HOWE.
BUT AS DR. SIMMONS SAID, WE HAD A ROBUST DEBATE LAST MONTH.
WE HAD INPUT FROM MISS EISENBERG, OUR LEGAL COUNSEL.
THE INTENTION WITH THE POLICY IN THIS FORM WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE TYPICALLY DO, AND THAT'S OKAY.
AS I SAID LAST MONTH, THIS ONE HAS FEELS, AND IT HAS FEELS IN THE COMMUNITY, IT HAS FEELS AMONG OUR STAFF.
THE INTENTION HERE WOULD BE THAT THE POLICY WOULD BE AS WRITTEN, THERE WOULD BE NO REGULATION BEHIND IT.
THE POLICY HAS THE SPECIFICS IN IT NOW, WHICH WAS FEEDBACK THAT WAS GIVEN FROM THE BOARD LAST MONTH.
THIS WOULD BE A STANDALONE, A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FROM THE WAY THE REST OF THEM ARE, BUT TRYING TO INCORPORATE THAT FEEDBACK INTO IT.
IT HAS GONE THROUGH LEGAL REVIEW.
>> PRESIDENT WAB, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DR. SIMMONS.
WE DID TAKE THAT FEEDBACK AS DR. WILLOUGHBY SAID.
WE MADE THE AMENDMENTS THAT WERE SPECIFICALLY STATED, AND THEN ASK PK LAW TO PLEASE REVIEW THIS TO MAKE SURE IT'S UP TO SPEED WITH CURRENT VERBIAGE, REGULATION, LEGAL ASPECTS, ETC.
THE DECISION WAS MADE TO REFORMAT AND COMBINE BASICALLY THAT REGULATION AND POLICY INTO ONE DOCUMENT RATHER THAN TWO, WHICH MOST POLICIES HAS.
THAT IS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGE PART OF IT IS IN KEEPING WITH FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS AS WELL AS THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE BOARD AT THE LAST MEETING.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT BASED ON WHAT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO REVIEW? AGAIN, THIS IS AFTER THE FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED FROM OUR STUDENT GROUPS, THE PUBLIC COMMENT THAT WENT OUT, AS WELL AS OUR ADMINISTRATORS TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE HAD WAS PRACTICABLE, AS WELL AS IN KEEPING WITH THE LAW, AND YOUR DECISION TONIGHT WOULD SIMPLY BE DO WE MOVE FORWARD OR DO WE PUT IT BACK OUT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT?
>> I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST PENDING THE BOARD APPROVAL THAT WE PUT THIS BACK OUT FOR PUBLIC OPINION.
I THINK WE ALL AGREE WE'D LIKE TO SEE IT GO BACK OUT.
>> ARE WE ABLE TO SEND IT OUT LIKE WE LIKE THEY DID THE CALENDAR AS WELL, OR ARE WE NOT ALLOWED TO DO THAT?
>> I JUST FIGURE THERE'S SOMETHING BIG LIKE THIS, LIKE THE TO MAYBE WE SHOULD [BACKGROUND] [LAUGHTER]
>> IN ADDITION, WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH THIS TOPIC BECAUSE IT IS SO MEANINGFUL TO SO MANY DIFFERENT PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
THIS HAS BEEN A STANDING TOPIC WITH THE STUDENT GROUPS.
JUST FOR SOME BACKGROUND, THAT'S AT EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL IN CAROLINE COUNTY, INCLUDING CCTC FROM ELEMENTARY THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL GRADES 3 UP.
[01:10:01]
WE MEET MONTHLY, AND THIS HAS BEEN A STANDING ITEM FOR DISCUSSION.WE'VE ALSO ENCOURAGED SCHOOLS TO SEND THAT INFORMATION OUT IN THEIR NEWSLETTERS, WHICH WE WILL DO AGAIN.
SO IT'S AN ADDITIONAL PUSH TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE AWARE AND COMMENT TO GIVE US THAT FEEDBACK.
THE FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED WAS IMPLEMENTED IN WHAT WE'VE PROCESSED SO FAR.
>> WOULD COME BACK TO THE BOARD OF THE MAY 6 MEETING, I BELIEVE IT IS?
>> IT'S OUR FIRST TUESDAY, SO THE BOARD WOULD SEE IT BACK, MAY 6 WITH THE COMMENTS FOR YOUR REVIEW AND DECISION AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
>> IF THAT'S WHERE EVERYBODY IS. I THINK WE NEED TO.
>> I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE PUT THE DRESSCODE POLICY BACK OUT THROUGH OUR NORMAL WHAT WOULD YOU CALL IT FOR THROUGH NORMAL CHANNELS FOR POLICY? WORK AND SEE WHAT COMMENTS WE GET AND THEN TRY TO HAVE IT BACK BY THE NEXT MEETING TO GO AND [OVERLAPPING] TRY TO PUT IT BACK FOR AN OFFICIAL VOTE.
>> DEFINITELY NOT FOR BOARD SESSION.
>> IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED THAT THE PROPOSED DRESS CODE GO OUT FOR PUBLIC OPINION AND THAT WE HAVE IT RETURNED ON MAY 6 TO OUR BOARD MEETING FOR FINAL JUDGMENT.
ALL IN FAVOR? [LAUGHTER] WELL, USE A LITTLE BIT LAW HERE.
>> I WOULD ADD TO THAT. THANK YOU.
>> FOR GOING BACK AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE DEBATE WAS ABOUT LAST MONTH AND WORKING ON THAT AND COMING UP WITH SOMETHING THAT SO FAR EVERYBODY SEEMS TO BE.
>> I CAN'T SAY EVERYBODY, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT I'M HAPPY WITH ANY AS FAR AS WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE COMMENTS ANYWAY THAT PERIOD.
>> WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL.
>> STRANGE ACTION ITEM THAT WE HAVE TO DO EVERY YEAR, BUT WE DO.
THAT IS SETTING THE ACTUAL LAST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR THE SCHOOL CALENDAR YEAR.
I THINK WE'RE OUTSIDE OF THE SNOW WINDOW AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
WITH THE NUMBER OF SNOW DAYS WE HAVE USED AND THE CALENDAR ADJUSTMENTS BRINGS US TO THE 180TH DAY OF SCHOOL IS JUNE 17, 2025.
IT WOULD BE A HALF-DAY FOR STUDENTS.
THERE'S NO CHANGE IN TERMS OF THE CALENDAR DECISION THE BOARD MADE, I GUESS WAS TWO MONTHS AGO NOW IN RESPONSE TO THE WEATHER THAT TOOK PLACE, BUT WE HAVE TO OFFICIALLY MAKE A DECLARATION OF THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL.
I ASK FOR YOUR APPROVAL TO DECLARE JUNE 17 AS THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL IN DAY 180.
>> CAN WE GET A MOTION FOR THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL BE OFFICIALLY JUNE 17, HALF DAY FOR STUDENTS, ALL DAY FOR STAFF I PRESENT?
>> SURE. I CAN MAKE A MOTION FOR THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL TO BE A HALF-DAY ON TUESDAY, JUNE 17.
>> OPPOSE. OUR LAST DAY OF SCHOOL IS JUNE 17.
WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR PRESENTATION ON VIRTUAL INCLEMENT WEATHER DAYS.
[5. Reports and Presentations]
DR. SIMMONS.>> CERTAINLY. THANK YOU, MS. WAYMAN. THIS POINT IN THE MEETING.
WE HAD A DISCUSSION LAST MONTH AROUND VIRTUAL INCLEMENT WEATHER DAYS.
IN THAT DISCUSSION, MS. WAYMAN HAD ASKED US TO PUT TOGETHER A PRESENTATION THAT WALKED THROUGH WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE AND MARYLAND CODE REQUIREMENTS AS IT RELATES TO VIRTUAL INCLEMENT WEATHER DAYS.
WE'RE GOING TO WALK THROUGH OUR READ OF WHAT IS IN THE REQUIREMENT, AND WE'LL HAVE MEMBERS OF OUR TEAM, SHARON, AS WELL AS THEY WORKED ON IT WITH US AS WE PARSED OUT WHAT'S IN THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS AS IT PERTAINS TO THOSE VIRTUAL INCREMENT WEATHER DAYS.
THE STRUCTURE WE TRIED TO TAKE WITH THE PRESENTATION AS WE WALK THROUGH.
WE TRIED TO PLACE THE TOP OF EACH SLIDE, A CONDENSED VERSION OF SOME OF THE REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE WITHIN THERE THAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WOULD HAVE TO MEET IF CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS WERE TO ENTERTAIN VIRTUAL WEATHER DAYS.
WE WALKED THROUGH WHERE WE SEE SOME REAL TOUGH SPOTS FOR US TO WALK THROUGH TO GET TO THOSE POINTS.
AS WE WALK THROUGH THE SLIDES, AGAIN, OUR FOLKS WILL JOIN IN, AND I'LL HAVE TO SAY IF IT'S YOUR TURN AT YOUR SLIDE, YOU'LL HAVE TO COME TO THE PODIUM.
[01:15:01]
MR. PRETTYMAN CAN GRAB YOU ON THE MICROPHONE BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE THE CLOSEST ONE IS.BUT OUR TEAM DID A GREAT JOB OF PARSING THROUGH THE LEGALITIES OF THE REQUIREMENT.
THE FIRST SLIDE WE WILL GET TO WILL REALLY LOOK AT TECHNOLOGY.
MR. WILGASH WILL WALK THROUGH SOME OF THIS, BUT THERE IS THE REQUIREMENT FOR ALL SCHOOL SYSTEMS THAT IN ORDER TO QUALIFY TO IMPLEMENT A VIRTUAL WEATHER DAY, IT HAS TO CONSIST OF NOT LESS THAN FOUR HOURS OF SYNCHRONOUS INSTRUCTION.
SYNCHRONOUS INSTRUCTION IS LIVE INSTRUCTION VIDEO FEED WITH TWO PARTIES WITH BOTH PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES INTEGRATING.
YOU CAN HAVE A SYNCHRONOUS INSTRUCTION.
THAT'S A PACKET TYPE WORK DONE AFTER THE FOUR HOURS HAVE BEEN MET.
WE'LL WALK THROUGH THAT PIECE FIRST ON THE TECHNOLOGY FRONT IN TERMS OF WHERE WE STAND RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF INTERNET ACCESS AND SOME LESSONS LEARNED FROM OUR TIME DURING THE PANDEMIC. MR. WILGASH.
>> HOW ARE WE DOING FOLKS? I'M SORRY. I DON'T KNOW THE SEMANTICS.
I TRIED TO GET IT TONIGHT AS I SAT HERE.
BOARD AND BOARD MEMBERS, DR. SIMMONS.
THIS WAS A REAL STICKING POINT FOR ME IN PARTICULAR BECAUSE I WAS HERE FOR COVID.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE KIJIKE PROGRAM IS, IT'S A HOT SPOT.
KIDS ARE USING IT TO CONNECT TO THE INTERNET.
TYPICALLY IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT DIDN'T HAVE INTERNET, MAYBE OUR POORER COMMUNITIES WHERE THE FAMILY JUST COULDN'T AFFORD IT.
I'M SORRY, I'M HAVING SOME TROUBLE READING THIS BECAUSE OF MY EYES AND 44.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. CELLULAR SERVICE IS ONE OF OUR BIGGEST ISSUES IN THE COUNTY, AND WITH SOME OF US BEING IN FIRST RESPONDERS HERE, WE KNOW THAT EVEN WITH OUR FIRST RESPONDER RADIOS, WE HAVE TROUBLE IN CERTAIN AREAS.
WITH THE HOT SPOTS, IT MAKES VIDEO CALLING VERY DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE NUMBER OF HOT SPOTS OR THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE USING THESE DEVICES TO ALL USE VIDEO.
IT REALLY WEIGHS ON THE SYSTEM.
NOW, SOME OF THE PROVIDERS HAVE INCREASED THROUGHPUT, BUT IT'S STILL NOT ENOUGH IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THEY HAD SOME ISSUES IN SOME OTHER COUNTIES MORE RECENTLY WITH INTERNET DROPPING OFF.
WE GET TO THE SECOND POINT, WHEREAS WITH EVERYONE CONNECTING THE VIDEO, THE AUDIO CALLS, WE RAN INTO CONSTANT DROPPING OF CONNECTIONS.
SLOWING, MEANING THE CONNECTION WAS THERE, THE STUDENT IS SEEING FULL SERVICE ON THEIR LAPTOPS, AND THEY ARE GETTING NO THROUGHPUT.
IT CAN BE VERY FRUSTRATING FOR THOSE WHO MAY HAVE TRIED TO STREAM THE SHOW OR BEEN DOWN AT THE RIVER HERE IN DENTON, RIGHT AT MARKNECK, AND YOU TRY TO STREAM SOMETHING, YOU GET THAT BUFFERING, BUT YOU'RE LOOKING LIKE, HEY, I HAVE FULL SIGNAL OR TWO OR THREE BARS AND IT'S STILL NOT WORKING.
THEY WOULD EXPERIENCE SOME OF THESE THINGS.
ONE OF OUR BIGGEST ISSUES WAS CONTENT.
FOLKS, ALL OF A SUDDEN, WHO DIDN'T HAVE INTERNET ACCESS, HAVE A HOT SPOT, AND THEY WERE USING IT FOR GAMING, VIDEOS, AND THEY WERE EATING UP THE DATA THAT'S THERE.
CONSIDER IT LIKE A POT EVERY MONTH, AND THEY CONSIDER IT PREMIUM DATA.
THIS POT WOULD GO AWAY REALLY FAST WHEN YOU START PLAYING GAMES, AND WE WOULD GET CALLS FOR SUPPORT OVER COVID LIKE, HEY, THE ONLY THING I DID WAS USE THE VIBE, AND WHAT THEY HAD DONE IS DOWNLOADED THE GAME AND JUST RAN OUT OF DATA.
GOOGLE ROOMS IS ANOTHER ASPECT.
GOOGLE HAS HAD BREAKOUT ROOMS, IF ANYONE'S FAMILIAR WITH ZOOM AND BREAKOUT ROOMS. FOR GOOGLE, THEY HAVE REMOVED THAT FEATURE AND TAKEN OUT OF THE FREE GOOGLE WORKSPACE PROGRAM THAT WE ARE ENROLLED IN.
IN ORDER TO GET THAT FEATURE BACK, IT'S GOING TO COST CAROLINE COUNTY A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT, LOOKING SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 30 AND $50,000 A YEAR TO GET THAT PREMIUM GOOGLE ROOM ASPECT BACK.
MOVING ALONG, WITH ALL THE DISCONNECT ISSUES, THE INTERRUPTION IN INSTRUCTION NOT ONLY AFFECTED STUDENTS, BUT IT ALSO AFFECTED TEACHERS.
I DEALT WITH A NUMBER OF TEACHERS OVER THE COVID BREAK THAT JUST COULDN'T CONNECT AT HOME.
THEY WERE IN VARIOUS SITUATIONS WHETHER THEY WERE USING THEIR CELL PHONES AS A HOT SPOT OR A HOT SPOT ITSELF OR EVEN COMCAST PROVIDER.
YOU CAN IMAGINE TRYING TO KEEP A SCHEDULE OR STAY CONNECTED WITH THIS SYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATION, AND YOU HAVE A BREAK IN THAT COMMUNICATION BECAUSE YOU'RE THE TEACHER TRYING TO HOST A CLASSROOM OF STUDENTS.
WE'VE SEEN THAT VERY CONSISTENTLY OVER COVID AND SUPPORTING STUDENTS SINCE COVID.
[01:20:03]
>> I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE OLDER SIBLINGS, BUT I'M BETTING THAT IS DEFINITELY AN ISSUE AS SIBLINGS AND KIDS ALL GO TO SCHOOL TOGETHER.
I'M BETTING THAT'S AN ISSUE FOR SOME HOUSEHOLDS.
I COULD SEE IT IN MIND WHEN MY KIDS WERE YOUNGER.
ROUGHLY ESTIMATING 700 [INAUDIBLE] DEVICES BEING REQUESTED FROM OUR COMMUNITY WITH AN ADOPTION RATE OF ROUGHLY 5% TO 2% DEPENDING ON WHETHER IT'S A TEACHER OR STUDENT.
THE FIRST YEAR COSTS ARE ESTIMATED AT AROUND $164,000, AND THAT'S JUST FOR SERVICE, $35,000 FOR HARDWARE.
REALLY LOOKING AT THE DEVICE COUNT OVER FIVE YEARS WITH ADOPTION RATE AND THEN SOME OF THE PROVIDERS PROVIDING MORE SERVICE, WE'RE LOOKING AT A TOTAL INVESTMENT ABOUT 672,000 FOR SERVICE, 64,000 FOR HARDWARE WITH AN INVESTMENT TOTAL OF $736,000.
ON THE STAFF SIDE OVER FIVE YEARS, WE'RE LOOKING ROUGHLY $35,000 TO GIVE STAFF ACCESS TO INTERNET SERVICES AT HOME.
>> IS THAT ROUGHLY HOW MANY DEVICES YOU THINK IT WOULD TAKE, 700?
>> ROUGHLY 700 WOULD PROBABLY BE THE ASK.
WHAT WE FOUND IS A LOT OF FAMILIES WOULD TAKE THEM AND USE THEM FOR OTHER METHODS.
VERY LITTLE GOT ACTUALLY USED FOR SCHOOL-BASED INITIATIVES.
>> THAT MEANS CLOSE TO 8% OF OUR STUDENTS WOULD NEED THEM, SO IF THEY'RE HAVING THESE ISSUES THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, I'M SAYING THEY COULD BE THAT LARGE OF A PERCENT OF OUR STUDENTS THAT WOULD HAVE TROUBLE WITH ACCESS TO THE SAME QUALITY OF TEACHING THAT SOME OF THE OTHER STUDENTS HAVE THAT ALREADY HAVE THE HIGH SPEED INTERNET.
THE ONES THAT AREN'T USING THAT, I GUESS.
BASICALLY, THE ONES THAT HAVE ACCESS TO OTHER TYPES OF INTERNET AND THAT SORT OF THING.
>> WHAT WE FOUND IS THE WHOLE TRAILER PARKS WIRED FOR COMCAST.
COMCAST INTERNET SERVICES IF YOU DON'T TAKE THE BUDGET PLAN OR THE INCOME-DRIVEN PLAN, WHICH SOME FAMILIES JUST DIDN'T DO, THEY STILL WOULD ASK FOR [INAUDIBLE]
>> IT COULD BE HIGHER THAN THAT, REALLY, THE ONES THEY'RE SEEING.
FAMILIES THAT HAVE INTERNET ARE NOT ASKING FOR [INAUDIBLE] BUT STILL HAVE TROUBLE WITH SLOWER INTERNET.
I'M TRYING TO FIGURE WHAT THE DISRUPTION IS.
>> MY EXPERIENCE WORKING AT [INAUDIBLE] FOR MANY YEARS, SOMETIMES THE FAMILY MAY HAVE INTERNET ACCESS, BUT THIS IS AN OPTION THEY WILL TAKE AND USE OR MAYBE THAT TAKES THE KIDS OFF OF THROTTLED INTERNET ACCESS THAT THEY HAVE AT HOME TO REDUCE COST.
THE 750 MAY BE A LOWER NUMBER, BUT YOU CAN'T PARSE OUT THE REQUEST BECAUSE YOU JUST DON'T KNOW.
>> THERE'S NO WAY TO BLOCK THE USAGE THAT ONCE THEY HAVE THE [INAUDIBLE] THEY COULD USE IT FOR WHATEVER.
YOU CAN BLOCK OUT CERTAIN THINGS, CORRECT?
>> WELL, WE DO. THERE'S A FILTERING TECHNOLOGY IN THE [INAUDIBLE] BUT KIDS ARE QUITE INVENTIVE.
THEY GET AROUND THOSE FILTERS QUITE OFTEN. I CALL IT WHACK-A-MOLE.
[LAUGHTER] EVERY DAY, SOMEONE HAS FOUND A DIFFERENT WAY TO GET AROUND FILTERING AND KEEPING THINGS LOCKED DOWN.
>> THIS VERY WELL COULD BE A WAY FOR SOME JUST TO TRY AND GET A LITTLE BIT FASTER INTERNET SO THEY CAN [OVERLAPPING]
>> PLAY GAMES OR WATCH MOVIES OR SOMETHING.
>> I HAVE A QUESTION. IT'S ACTUALLY FOR DR. SIMMONS.
ON THE VERY FIRST LINE, IT SAYS NOT LESS THAN FOUR HOURS OF SYNCHRONOUS INSTRUCTION AND ASYNCHRONOUS INSTRUCTION, SO THAT'S BOTH.
>> ASYNCHRONOUS IS IN ADDITION.
>> IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ASYNC, BUT THE FOUR-HOUR SYNCHRONOUS, YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE.
THE CONCEPT OF A PACKET CAN BE GIVEN AFTER YOU'VE HIT THE FOUR-HOUR MARK, BUT YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE FOUR HOURS OF INSTRUCTION.
>> JASON, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'LL KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER PLATFORMS OTHER THAN GOOGLE ROOMS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE THAT OFFER BREAKOUT OR THAT KIND OF TECHNOLOGY, THINGS LIKE SCHOOLOGY OR OTHER PROGRAMMING THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN PLACE? I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ALL ARE, BUT I KNOW WE HAVE SOME THINGS.
>> WE HAD AND PAID FOR ZOOM AT ONE POINT,
[01:25:03]
BUT IT IS A PAID SERVICE AS WELL.IT WOULD BE A PER SEAT CONTRACT.
>> ZOOM. SORRY. [LAUGHTER] BUT NOT A PROGRAM THAT WE ALREADY HAVE LIKE A SCHOOLOGY PROGRAM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
DURING THE PANDEMIC, WERE THESE PROGRAMS AS EXPENSIVE AS THEY ARE NOW OR WAS IT BECAUSE WE WERE GETTING FEDERAL MONEY TO PAY FOR IT?
>> YES. DURING THE PANDEMIC, ZOOM WAS A RISING COMPANY, SO ZOOM, THEY WEREN'T SEEING PROFITS, PROBABLY LIKE THEY DID TOWARDS THE END OF THE PANDEMIC.
THE [INAUDIBLE] MONEY WE RECEIVED HELPED COVER THE COST OF ZOOM.
UNTIL NOW, WE'RE OUT OF THE PANDEMIC ERA, THAT MONEY IS GONE.
THAT FEATURE HAS MOVED INTO THE FOR PAY.
THAT'S BEEN A SHIFT GOOGLE HAS BEEN WORKING TOWARDS BECAUSE MOST SCHOOL SYSTEMS WENT WITH THE FREE VERSION OF GOOGLE THAT WAS AVAILABLE, MOVING INTO A PAY PLATFORM FOR QUITE A BIT OF THEIR STUFF.
>> WE'LL MOVE ON. THE NEXT SLIDE AND THIS WILL REALLY BE HIGHLIGHTED BY MS. [INAUDIBLE] MS. MCDONALD, AND MR. HOWE.
COMPONENT WITHIN THE REQUIREMENT OF THE LEGISLATION IS THAT WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT ALL STAFF AND STUDENTS, INCLUDING STUDENTS OF DISABILITIES, HOMELESS STUDENTS, ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS HAVE THE NECESSARY DEVICES AT HOME FOR VIRTUAL EDUCATION DAYS, INCLUDING ACCESS TO WIFI.
MS. [INAUDIBLE] IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO OUR ML STUDENTS.
>> I WAS IN THIS POSITION AS WELL DURING THE PANDEMIC, AND WE HAVE A LOT MORE STUDENTS NOW THAN WE DID BACK IN 2020.
FROM KINDERGARTEN TO 12TH GRADE, IF WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO TRANSLATE IF THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO READ THE DOCUMENTS IN ENGLISH, AND TRANSLATING, WHETHER IT'S VIRTUAL OR IN-PERSON, IT TAKES TIME BECAUSE THE TEACHERS HAVE TO REFORMAT, THAT CAN REQUIRE RETYPING NOTES OR WHATEVER MATERIALS THAT THEY ARE USING FOR INSTRUCTION.
BUT WE'RE REQUIRED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TRANSLATING INTO LANGUAGES FOR STUDENTS AS PART OF OUR [INAUDIBLE] AND OUR REQUIREMENTS.
[NOISE] WE ALSO HAVE ACCOMMODATIONS AND SCAFFOLDS THAT WE PROVIDE, MUCH LIKE SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE GETTING EQUITABLE ACCESS.
AGAIN, A LOT OF TIME HAS TO GO INTO PLANNING AND BEING PREPARED AHEAD OF TIME.
I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD WANT WHATEVER VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION THAT'S TAKING PLACE TO BE MEANINGFUL, WHICH MEANS WE CAN'T JUST THROW THINGS TOGETHER AHEAD OF TIME.
WE WOULD REALLY WANT TO HAVE THAT TIME TO PREPARE, PLAN, AND MAKE SURE OUR TEACHERS ARE COLLABORATING.
>> I WAS NOT IN THIS POSITION DURING COVID, BUT I WAS A TEACHER DURING COVID, SO I DO HAVE THAT PERSPECTIVE AS WELL.
IF I HAVEN'T MET YOU, YET, I'M ERICA MCDONALD, SUPERVISOR OF SPECIAL EDUCATION.
WE ARE TIED WITH THE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS WE HAVE IN CAROLINE COUNTY WITH OUR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS.
CURRENTLY, WE HAVE 569 STUDENTS WITH IEPS, AND THOSE ARE FROM PRE-K3 UP TO AGE 21 IN OUR TRANSITION CENTER.
I REALLY WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT OUR STUDENTS WHO REQUIRE DIFFERENT ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY, SUCH AS COMMUNICATION DEVICES.
SOME OF OUR STUDENTS USE SWITCHES TO RESPOND DURING INSTRUCTION, OR IF THEY HAVE THEIR IPAD THAT HAS LAMP, WHICH IS THE COMMUNICATION DEVICE THAT GIVE STUDENTS WORDS THAT THEY'RE NON-SPEAKING.
WE'D HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THOSE IN ADVANCE, AND ALSO WE WOULD REALLY HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S SOME FAMILY TRAINING DONE, SO WHOEVER'S SUPPORTING THEM AT HOME DURING THE VIRTUAL DAYS WOULD BE ABLE TO RESPOND APPROPRIATELY TO THAT LIVE INSTRUCTION.
MUCH LIKE THE ML DEPARTMENT, OUR INSTRUCTION IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN REALLY DO ON THE FLY, IT HAS TO BE VERY MUCH PLANNED AHEAD OF TIME, AND IT HAS TO BE INDIVIDUALIZED FOR STUDENT NEEDS.
[01:30:03]
WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE A LOT OF ADDITIONAL PREP AND PLANNING FROM OUR TEACHERS.LIKE THE TECHNOLOGY SLIDE, WE DO HAVE MANY STUDENTS WHO REQUIRE ADULT SUPPORT FOR ACADEMICS AND EVEN BEHAVIORAL, JUST AN EXTRA INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANT IN THE ROOM WITH THEM DURING THE REGULAR SCHOOL DAY.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO DUPLICATE THAT IN A VIRTUAL SETTING, ESPECIALLY IF THERE ARE FAMILIES WHO ARE WORKING OR IF THERE ARE OLDER SIBLINGS AT HOME WHO ARE STRUGGLING TO HELP THEIR YOUNGER SIBLING WHO HAS A DISABILITY.
I REALLY ALSO WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, FOR OUR STUDENTS WHO HAVE MORE SIGNIFICANT BEHAVIOR NEEDS AND WE ADDRESS THEM THROUGH A BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLAN AT SCHOOL, A LOT OF THOSE STUDENTS, AND I CAN SPEAK FROM A TEACHER PERSPECTIVE.
IT'S VERY HARD TO KEEP STUDENTS ENGAGED, ESPECIALLY FOR FOUR HOURS OF SYNCHRONOUS INSTRUCTION WITHOUT THAT IN-PERSON REINFORCEMENT, REALLY MAKING SURE THEY HAVE THOSE TANGIBLE MOTIVATING THINGS THAT CAN KEEP THEM ENGAGED DURING INSTRUCTION, AND IT CAN LEAD TO THAT INCREASED FRUSTRATION.
CLOSING THE LAPTOP, WALKING AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER, AND THEN IT PROVIDES THAT INTERRUPTION AND INSTRUCTION AND IT'S HARD TO GET THEM BACK ON THE SCREEN.
>> BACK AGAIN. IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE OUR STUDENTS OR FAMILIES WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
THEY ARE ALSO REPRESENTED IN OUR ML AND SPECIAL ED FAMILIES.
CURRENTLY, WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 116 FAMILIES.
THIS NUMBER FLUCTUATES MONTH TO MONTH.
WE AVERAGE OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, ABOUT 138, THE HIGH WAS ABOUT 175, AND AGAIN, THIS CAN CHANGE AT ANY TIME.
THEY HAVE SOME CHALLENGING SITUATIONS, AND OUR CHARGE IS TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ELIMINATE THESE OBSTACLES.
WE MAY BE CLOSED DUE TO A WEATHER EMERGENCY OR SITUATION, BUT THE REST OF THE WORLD MAY BE FUNCTIONING.
WELL, SOME OF THE PLACES WHERE OUR FAMILIES ARE RESIDING, THEY CANNOT REMAIN THERE DURING THE WORKDAY AND THERE MAY BE SITUATIONS WHERE THEY HAVE TO LEAVE WHERE THEY ARE.
THERE COULD BE A SITUATION, IF THEY'RE LIVING IN CARS OR MULTIPLE FAMILY RESIDENCES, THAT COULD BE AN ADDITIONAL CHALLENGE IF YOU HAVE THREE, FOUR FAMILIES IN ONE LOCATION.
WE MAY BE REQUIRED THEN TO ELIMINATE THOSE BARRIERS THAT COULD INCLUDE FINDING A LOCATION, WHICH WOULD ALSO THEN POSSIBLY INCLUDE SUPERVISION FOOD AS WELL AS ACCESS TO THE VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION.
IT'S JUST ANOTHER LAYER THAT WE'VE GOT TO CONSIDER.
UNFORTUNATELY, THIS DOES BECOME A LARGER POPULATION THAN WE INITIALLY LIKE TO THINK ABOUT OFTENTIMES, AND UNFORTUNATELY, THEY DON'T HAVE AS MUCH ABILITY TO DETERMINE THESE FACTORS IN ADVANCE.
THEY WILL HAVE TO MAKE THESE ADJUSTMENTS ON THE FLY.
THIS RESPONSE WHEN WE WERE IN COVID, I HAPPENED TO GO THROUGH THIS BOTH AS A BUILDING PRINCIPAL AND AS A DISTRICT LEADER THROUGH THAT PROCESS, IT WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY CHALLENGE IN RESPONSE IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, BUT AS MR. WILGASH PRESENTED, WE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT OUR CAPACITIES AT THE TIME.
>> IF IT'S POSSIBLE, I'D LIKE TO COMBINE THESE TWO SLIDES BECAUSE THE NEXT ONE DEALS A LOT WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION AS WELL.
AS MS. MCDONALD IS THERE, AND IF IT'S OKAY WITH THE BOARD, IF WE GO THROUGH THIS ONE AND THEN HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THOSE WHO ARE WORKING WITH OUR AT-PROMISE POPULATION.
>> THIS IS JUST AN EXTENSION OF MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S EQUITABLE ACCESS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, ENSURING THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS AND SUPPORTS VIRTUALLY.
SOMETIMES THAT CAN BE VERY TRICKY IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT MANIPULATIVES THAT STUDENTS ARE USING HANDLING.
SOMETIMES OUR STUDENTS REQUIRE SENSORY BREAKS, DIFFERENT ADAPTIVE DEVICES OR EQUIPMENT, THAT CAN PRESENT SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES FOR OUR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS VIRTUALLY.
AGAIN, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE PROPER METHODS FOR ADDRESSING THOSE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL NEEDS AND ACADEMIC NEEDS IN A VIRTUAL SETTING, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE MULTIPLE CHILDREN WHO ARE SCHOOL AGE OR YOUNGER.
I ALSO WANTED TO JUST HIGHLIGHT RELATED SERVICES AND PROVIDING THOSE VIRTUALLY.
IT WAS DONE DURING COVID, SPECIFICALLY OCCUPATIONAL AND PHYSICAL THERAPY, BUT IT IS VERY HARD TO DO THAT VIRTUALLY BECAUSE THOSE ARE SUCH HANDS-ON, PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES THAT ARE GUIDED FROM A PHYSICAL OR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST.
I KNOW FROM SPEAKING WITH OTHER DISTRICTS WHO HAVE ADOPTED VIRTUAL DAYS THAT THOSE SERVICES DO NOT HAPPEN ON DAYS WHEN IT'S A VIRTUAL DAY AND THEY DO HAVE TO BE MADE UP, NO ONE LIKES TO MAKE UP THE SERVICES.
[01:35:04]
WE DO HAVE A PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS IN OUR DISTRICT WHO REQUIRE IN-PERSON SPEECH LANGUAGE THERAPY.THEY DON'T SUCCESSFULLY ACCESS VIRTUAL SPEECH.
THOSE SERVICES WOULD HAVE TO BE MADE UP WHEN THE STUDENTS ARE BACK IN THE BUILDING AS WELL.
COORDINATING VIRTUAL RELATED SERVICE SESSIONS, AND NOT CONFLICTING WITH THE FOUR HOURS OF THE SYNCHRONOUS INSTRUCTION THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN AND OTHER RELATED SERVICES ARE VERY HARD TO MANAGE AND SCHEDULE WITH LITTLE TO NO NOTICE FOR A VIRTUAL DAY.
IT'S JUST HAVING MORE SERVICES THAT WOULD NEED TO BE MADE UP.
THEN I ALSO WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT CO-TEACHING VIRTUALLY.
IT IS REALLY TRICKY TO HAVE THAT REAL-TIME SCAFFOLDING AND DIFFERENTIATION WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SMALL GROUP SUPPORT, IF WE DON'T HAVE GOOGLE ROOMS, OR WE DON'T HAVE A WAY TO PROVIDE A BREAKOUT SESSION FOR THAT SMALL GROUP SUPPORT, THAT COULD BE A CHALLENGE FOR MAKING SURE THAT THEY GET THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED.
JUST IN GENERAL, VIRTUAL PLATFORMS CAN WORK, BUT THERE REALLY IS A LOT OF THOUGHT THAT HAS TO GO INTO MAKING SURE THOSE STUDENTS HAVE THOSE HANDS-ON MANIPULATIVES THAT THEY NEED PRIOR TO A VIRTUAL DAY.
MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S THAT REAL-TIME PROMPTING AND REALLY ENGAGING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES CAN BE A CHALLENGE.
>> ANY QUESTIONS FOR MRS. HARKLE AND MRS. MCDONALD, OR MR. HOWE REGARDING PROMISED POPULATIONS?
>> IF THERE IS A SNOW DAY, WHAT DO YOU DO IF, I GUESS, MORE OR LESS NAIL, IF THEY HAVE THE PHYSICAL THERAPY OR SPEECH LANGUAGE THEY JUST HAVE TO MAKE IT UP EITHER WAY AGAIN.
>> OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION HANDBOOK CURRENTLY SAYS THAT IF IT IS AN INCLEMENT WEATHER DAY, THAT SESSIONS DO NOT HAVE TO BE MADE UP.
HOWEVER, IF WE'RE OPEN FOR A VIRTUAL DAY AND SERVICES CAN'T HAPPEN, WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE THEM UP.
>> NO. I GUESS THE ONE THING IS, IF WE'RE CLOSED FOR A SNOW DAY, YOU DON'T MAKE THE DAY UP, BUT THEY GET THOSE SERVICES I GUESS PROBABLY AT THE END OF THE YEAR WHEN THE COMPLETE DAY IS MADE UP, IS THAT? OUR SNOW DAY IS GETTING PUSHED TO [INAUDIBLE].
WOULD THEY GET THOSE SERVICES ON THAT DAY OR JUST LATER IN THE YEAR?
>> YEAH. WE HAVE A TRACKING SYSTEM BECAUSE WE BILL FOR MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT, AND SO THAT'S THE BEST WAY FOR US TO GO IN AND SEE.
IF THERE WAS AN INCLEMENT WEATHER DAY, IT'S NOT BILLABLE, BUT IT'S STILL ENTERED IN THERE AS IT WAS A SERVICE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PROVIDED THAT DAY.
WE TRY TO MAKE UP MISSED SESSIONS WITHIN SIX WEEKS.
THERE IS A TIMELINE FOR HOW LONG THE MISSED SESSION CAN BE MADE UP TO GET REIMBURSED BY MEDICAID, BUT WE ARE JUST CONSTANTLY IN AN EFFORT TO CONTINUE MAKING UP ANY MISSED SESSIONS.
THERE'S NOT A TIMELINE, BUT WE DO HAVE BEST PRACTICE AND EXPECTATIONS FOR MAKING THEM UP.
IF SOMEONE, AN SLP OR AN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST OR PHYSICAL THERAPIST SAYS, I DON'T THINK I CAN MAKE THIS UP BEFORE THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, THEN IT'S A BIGGER CONVERSATION TO HAVE WITH MYSELF AND THE SCHOOL BASED TEAM, BUT WE DO TRY TO MAKE THEM UP AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
ALSO IT DEPENDS ON JUST FOR OT AND PT, ESPECIALLY, WE DO SHARE THEM WITH THE MID SHORE SPECIAL ED CONSORTIUM AND SOME OF THEM ARE IN OTHER COUNTIES, SO THAT DOES CREATE A BARRIER FOR JUST MAKING SURE THAT THEY CAN MAKE IT UP WHEN THEY SPLIT THEIR TIME BETWEEN COUNTIES.
I'LL STAND HERE IF YOU HAVE MORE SPECIAL ED QUESTIONS.
>> I DON'T HAVE SPECIAL ED. I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HOMELESS SHELTER HERE IN TOWN.
I CAN ATTEST TO WHAT MR. HOWE SAID.
TYPICALLY WHEN IT'S INCLEMENT WEATHER DAY, WE DO TRY TO KEEP THEM IN BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T WANT TO TRAVEL IN THE SNOW EITHER.
HOWEVER, HAVING INTERNET ACCESS FOR DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON COULD OBVIOUSLY POSE A PROBLEM AS WELL.
THAT WAS INTERESTING FACTS RIGHT THERE.
[01:40:01]
I'M GOING TO TAKE THAT AND PUT IN MY POCKET.I WONDERED ABOUT HOW MANY STUDENTS WERE IN THE COUNTY THAT WERE ACTUALLY MCKINNEY-VENTOS.
>> VERY INFORMATIVE. THANK YOU.
>> I THINK NEXT IS DR. WILLOUGHBY.
DR. WILLOUGHBY WILL HAVE THE REMAINING TWO SLIDES.
>> THANK YOU, GUYS. TWO OTHER PROVISIONS, AND I'LL PULL THEM TOGETHER AS DR. BLAKE IS TALKING ABOUT IT.
ONE IN TERMS OF SETTING UP TO BE ABLE TO DO A VIRTUAL DAY, THERE'S SOME NEGOTIATION COMPONENTS THAT DR. WILLOUGHBY IS GOING TO SPEAK TO ON THE FIRST SLIDE.
THE SECOND SLIDE SPEAKS TO A COMPONENT WITHIN THE LAW.
THAT FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES ON THAT DAY AND WHAT WE MUST CONSIDER FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES.
>> SURE. PRESIDENT WAYMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DR. SIMMONS.
WE'RE GOING TO DIVE IN HERE A LITTLE BIT.
I'LL SAY AS I GET NERVOUS TALKING ABOUT NEGOTIATIONS LIKE THIS BECAUSE I TRY NOT TO GIVE AWAY IDEAS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT OUR TEACHERS WORK REALLY HARD AND WE ALL KNOW THAT OUR TEACHERS WORK OUTSIDE OF HOURS.
I THINK A LOT OF US HAVE JUST COME TO ACCEPT THAT COMES WITH THE JOB AND THINGS LIKE THAT. WE KNOW THAT.
HOWEVER, THE LAW DOES SAY THAT WE MAY NEGOTIATE THESE THINGS WITH OUR TEACHERS UNION.
THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO COME AND TO NEGOTIATE AND TO SAY, IF THERE'S EXTRA WORK HERE, WE'D LIKE EXTRA COMPENSATION FOR THAT.
I'VE TRIED TO DIG INTO THIS FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE, COMING TO THE TABLE WITH SOME AS MAY BE, SO JUST AS WE GO THERE.
YOU CAN SEE THE THINGS THAT WE'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT, AND SOME OF THEM ARE JUST LOGISTICAL.
WHAT ARE THE HOURS OF OUR FOUR HOUR SYNCHRONOUS? IS IT 8:00 - 12:00? IS IT 9:00 - 1:00? THAT'S NEGOTIABLE UNDER THE LAW.
THE AMOUNT OF PLANNING TIME THAT THEY NEED.
IF YOU WILL, LET ME JUST FOR A SECOND.
WE KNOW WE HAD A STORM THIS YEAR THAT LASTED FOR ONE WEEK.
LET'S JUST TAKE THAT AS AN EXAMPLE.
WE KNOW THAT WHEN WE BUILD THE CALENDAR, WE'RE ALLOWED TO BUILD IN A NUMBER OF SNOW DAYS THAT'S EQUAL TO THE AVERAGE THAT WE'VE HAD OVER.
LET'S JUST SAY THE AVERAGE WE BUILT IN WAS THREE.
WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN IN THE SCENARIO WE HAD THIS PAST YEAR, MONDAY, TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY WOULD HAVE BEEN OUR THREE SNOW DAYS.
THEY ARE NOT WORK DAYS FOR OUR TEACHERS, BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE THEM UP AT THE END.
WE CAN'T GO TO A VIRTUAL DAY UNTIL WE'VE EXHAUSTED OUR BUILT IN SNOW DAYS.
IF YOU REMEMBER THAT STORM, ONCE WE GOT TO WEDNESDAY, WE WERE LIKE, IS THURSDAY MAYBE ON THE BOOKS? CAN WE GET THERE? NO, WE CAN'T. GREAT. IS FRIDAY MAYBE ON? NO, WE CAN'T. IT WASN'T NECESSARILY KNOWN AHEAD OF TIME.
WE GET TO THURSDAY MORNING, WE WAKE UP, WE CAN'T DO SCHOOL, AND DR. SIMMONS SAYS, WELL, IT'S A VIRTUAL DAY.
HE MAKES THAT CALL AT 5:30 IN THE MORNING, AND SYNCHRONOUS INSTRUCTION BEGINS AT 8:00.
EVEN 9:00. LET'S SAY WE NEGOTIATE 9:00 - 1:00.
THERE'S PROBABLY AN ARGUMENT THERE THAT THE PREPARATION FOR THAT FIRST VIRTUAL DAY HAS TO HAPPEN WELL IN ADVANCE.
THE BEST COMPARISON I CAN GIVE YOU IS EVERY YEAR WE ASK OUR TEACHERS TO WRITE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF EMERGENCY LESSON PLANS.
IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN INVOLVED WITH EMERGENCY LESSON PLANS, THAT MEANS I'M WRITING A LESSON PLAN.
I'M A SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER, I'M GOING TO WRITE A LESSON PLAN THAT I CAN PUT IN FRONT OF KIDS, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHEN I'M PUTTING IT IN FRONT OF KIDS.
I MAY HAVE WRITTEN A LESSON PLAN AND I MAY BE TEACHING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
I DON'T KNOW THAT'S WHEN I'M GOING TO NEED IT.
I'M GOING TO WRITE A GENERAL LESSON PLAN THAT CAN GO ANYWHERE.
THAT MAY NOT BE SPECIFIC TO THE CONTENT THAT I'M ACTUALLY TEACHING AT THE TIME FOR THAT FIRST ONE.
BUT THERE'S GOT TO BE TIME TO PUT THAT TOGETHER.
AS YOU'VE HEARD FROM THE OTHER PRESENTERS, I NOW NEED TO LOOK AT MY CLASS LIST.
I NEED TO SEE HOW I'M GOING TO ACCOMMODATE MY KIDS.
I NEED TO BUILD A SLIDE SHOW THAT MAY BE INTERACTIVE.
I CAN SEE THERE BEING A POINT OF NEGOTIATION FOR THAT FIRST VIRTUAL DAY WHERE WE WAKE UP AND WE GET THE PHONE CALL, I GOT TO HAVE THAT ONE ALREADY DONE.
THAT MEANS THERE'S PLANNING TIME THAT I ALREADY HAVE TO TAKE.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S A FAR OUT CRY.
I MEAN, THERE IS A LOT OF WORK.
I ALSO WASN'T IN THIS ROLE DURING COVID, BUT I WAS A BUILDING PRINCIPAL.
THE WORK THAT WAS DONE TO CREATE
[01:45:01]
THIS LESSONS I STILL SOMETIMES DON'T KNOW HOW WE DID IT, TO BE VERY HONEST WITH YOU.BEST CASE SCENARIO IN OUR CONTRACT, WE HAVE A $28 AN HOUR CURRICULUM WRITING RATE.
I HAVE NO CLUE IF THE UNION WOULD LET ME GET AWAY WITH PAYING EVERYBODY A FLAT $28 AN HOUR TO WRITE THESE LESSONS AND SAY IT'S CURRICULUM WRITING BECAUSE THEY'D PROBABLY SAY, NO, IT'S LESSON PLANNING, AND THEY NEED TO GET THEIR PER DIEM RATE.
BUT $28 WOULD BE THE BEST CASE SCENARIO, ABOUT 175 TEACHERS AT AN HOUR OF PLANNING AT 28 BUCKS IS $13,300 PLUS FIXED COSTS, WHICH IS USUALLY ABOUT 15% OF THAT.
THAT'S SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER MATH, BUT THAT'S BEST CASE SCENARIO.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE ACTUAL PER DIEM RATE OF A STEP ONE TEACHER, IT'S ABOUT $39 AN HOUR.
THAT RIGHT THERE TAKES IT TO 18,500 BUT AS YOU GO THROUGH OUR SALARY SCALE, OUR TEACHERS MAKE BETWEEN $39 - $67 AN HOUR.
IF WE WERE NEGOTIATING AND THEY SAID, NO, YOU GET YOUR HOURLY RATE, IT'S GOING TO BE MORE THAN THAT WHEN YOU GET THERE AND THAT'S PER HOUR.
I'LL JUST TELL YOU, LIKE I SAID, I WAS A PRINCIPAL DURING COVID.
MY WIFE'S A TEACHER DURING COVID.
WE HAVE INTERNET AND WE WERE BOTH ZOOMING AT THE SAME TIME AND ON DIFFERENT FLOORS, AND THAT WAS CHALLENGING.
THERE MAY BE AN ARGUMENT IT TAKES MORE THAN AN HOUR TO PLAN THIS FIRST LESSON.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WOULD BE A BAD ARGUMENT.
I'M GOING TO BE VERY HONEST WITH YOU.
THAT'S JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT, ESPECIALLY AS YOU'RE PLANNING CO-TEACHING AND ACCOMMODATIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THEORETICALLY ON THE SECOND DAY.
WE DO SYNCHRONOUS FROM 8:00 - 12:00.
NOW THIS IS A WORK DAY FOR TEACHERS.
THEORETICALLY THEN THEY HAVE 12:00 TO 3:30 TO GET THEIR 7.5 HOURS TO PLAN THE NEXT SYNCHRONOUS.
THIS IS FOR THAT FIRST ONE THAT REALLY COULD COME AT ANY TIME.
THEN YOU GET INTO CONVERSATIONS.
AGAIN, I KNOW I'M NOT IN INSTRUCTION RIGHT THE SECOND, SORRY, DR. DOWNS, BUT WE GET IN CONVERSATIONS.
IF I'M MAKING THAT EMERGENCY LESSON PLAN, HOW MEANINGFUL IS IT WHEN I HAVE TO PLUG IT IN WHEREVER IT GOES? THAT'S JUST OUR CONSIDERATION.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT POTENTIAL NEGOTIATIONS AND PLANNING AND PAYMENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT? ROUGH NUMBERS BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE WOULD NEGOTIATE, BUT THAT GIVES YOU AN IDEA.
THEN THE SECOND THING IS, IF THE COUNTY BOARD OF ED PROVIDES A DAY, WE HAVE TO OFFER ALL PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEES WHO ARE NOT ASSIGNED TO WORK DURING THE DAY AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE UP THE LOSS WORK THROUGH OTHER DUTIES BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
IN OTHER WORDS, IT CAN'T HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON ANYONE'S PAY.
IN A FOUR HOUR SYNCHRONOUS DAY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO FIT EVERYTHING IN THAT WE HAVE IN A 7.5 HOUR TYPICAL DAY.
IN LOOKING AT OTHER COUNTIES AND SOMETIMES, WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT MAYBE DON'T GET INCLUDED? WELL, YOU MAY NOT USE ALL OF YOUR TEACHERS.
RIGHT THERE YOU MAY NOT HAVE SPECIALS AS PART OF YOUR FOUR HOUR SYNCHRONOUS DAY.
YOU MIGHT SAY, WE'RE DEVOTING THIS TO READING AND MATH AND SOCIAL STUDIES AND SCIENCE.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE JUST IN THE GROUP OF TEACHERS, YOU MAY HAVE SOME TEACHERS THAT DON'T WORK THAT DAY.
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? TEACHER SPECIALISTS OR PPWS, THE LIST JUST CONTINUES TO GO ON.
INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANCE, WILL YOU HAVE PRE-K IAS ON VIRTUALLY? THEIR JOB IS VERY HANDS ON IN THE PRE-K ROOM.
IF YOU GO TO A PRE-K IT'S VERY HANDS ON.
IF THEY'RE VIRTUAL, ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE THEM ONLINE? WHAT'S THAT LOOK LIKE? WILL YOU USE ALL OF YOUR SPECIAL EDUCATION AND MLIAS? I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW WE WOULD PLAN THAT.
IF SO, HOW WOULD THEY BE ASSIGNED AND IS THEIR EQUITY ACROSS? BUS DRIVERS, WELL, THAT WAS THE REASON WE'RE HAVING A VIRTUAL DAY, BECAUSE WE CAN'T RUN THE BUSES.
OUR BUS DRIVERS HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE UP THAT TIME. THINK ABOUT THAT.
WE HAVE A DAY WE DON'T TRANSPORT KIDS, BUT THEY HAVE TO MAKE UP THAT TIME DOING SOMETHING ELSE MEANINGFUL.
WE'LL HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT IS.
COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PERSONNEL, CAFETERIA WORKERS, SCHOOL NURSES AND HEALTH ROOM ASSISTANTS.
APPROXIMATELY 250 EMPLOYEES IS BASICALLY WHAT IT IS THAT WE'VE GOT.
ABOUT A QUARTER OF OUR WORKFORCE AT LEAST AT THIS POINT WITHOUT SITTING DOWN AND REALLY MAPPING IT OUT, HAVE A BIG QUESTION MARK.
WE HAVE TWO CHOICES. WE EITHER HAVE TO TACK ON A DATE OF THEIR CALENDAR.
WELL NOW YOU'VE GOT FOLKS COMING TO WORK, WE'VE GOT TO HAVE THINGS FOR THEM TO DO.
A BUS DRIVER COMES TO WORK, BUT THERE'S NO KIDS THAT DAY.
WHAT ARE THEY DOING? A CAFETERIA WORKER COMES TO WORK,
[01:50:03]
BUT THERE'S NO KIDS THAT DAY.IF IT'S NOT MEANINGFUL, WE JUST KNOW WHAT THAT DOES FOR MORALE AND JUST CLIMATE AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
OR WE WOULD HAVE THE OPTION TO SIMPLY PAY THEM FOR NOT WORKING.
I WOULD JUST SAY, AGAIN, I'M GOING BACK TO COVID AND MAYBE THAT'S SOME PTSD THAT WE'VE GOT.
IF YOU GUYS REMEMBER, WE'RE GOING TO BE OUT FOR TWO WEEKS, WE'RE JUST GOING TO PAY EVERYBODY.
I'M NOT QUESTIONING THAT AT ALL.
BUT AS TWO WEEKS BECAME FOUR AND FOUR WEEKS BECAME EIGHT AND EIGHT BECAME THE REST OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, I WOULD JUST TELL YOU AS A PRINCIPAL THAT WAS TRYING TO KEEP MY STAFF ENGAGED AND THINGS LIKE THAT, YOU STARTED TO HEAR, I'M WORKING, AND THIS PERSON ISN'T, AND HOW IS THAT EQUITABLE AND HOW IS THAT FAIR? YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT SAME THING.
YOU EITHER HAVE TO BRING THEM IN AND GIVE THEM SOMETHING MEANINGFUL TO DO, WHICH IS CHALLENGING, OR YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY THEM AND THEN YOU'VE GOT INEQUITIES AND JUST EVERYBODY GETS PAID THIS DAY IF YOU'RE WORKING, YOU'RE NOT OR WHATEVER THAT CASE IS.
AGAIN, THIS NOT HARD AND FAST NUMBERS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT WOULD BE SLIT ACROSS AT A NEGOTIATION SESSION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT THEY'RE JUST THINGS WE'VE GOT TO THINK ABOUT.
BOTH A MONETARY COST, BUT ALSO A HUMAN CAPITAL MORALE CLIMATE COST, DEPENDING ON THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THOSE TWO?
>> THANK YOU, DR. WILLOUGHBY. THIS DOES CONCLUDE THE PRESENTATION OF US WALKING THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE PIECES THAT'S WITHIN THE LAW.
WE'VE LOOKED LONG AND HARD AT IT IN TERMS OF WHAT IS REQUESTED IN TERMS OF WHAT WOULD NEED TO BE DONE TO PULL OFF VIRTUAL DAYS.
LOOKING AT THE ENORMITY OF OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME.
THIS YEAR IT WOULD HAVE SAVED US THREE DAYS EXTENSION ON THE SCHOOL YEAR IF WE COULD FIND THE ANSWERS TO ALL OF THESE TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL KIDS HAVE ACCESS.
>> IT'S NOT WHERE I WOULD BE LEANING TO PUT TOGETHER A ROBUST PLAN TO PULL TOGETHER FOR A VIRTUAL INCLEMENT WEATHER PLAN FOR OUR KIDS.
IN TERMS OF THE CHALLENGES IT WOULD PRESENT TO US AS A SCHOOL SYSTEM, BOTH IN TERMS OF EQUITY AND ACCESS FOR EVERY ONE OF OUR KIDS.
THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS ARE THAT WE DO THIS FOR ALL.
FOR A COUNTY, IT SITS ABOUT 60-65% OF OUR KIDS' FREE AND REDUCED MEALS.
YOU'VE SEEN THE NUMBER FOR AT-PROMISE POPULATIONS.
WHILE THERE HAVE BEEN GREAT ADVANCEMENTS IN CONNECTIVITY ACROSS THE COUNTY, THERE HAS BEEN.
IT'S AVAILABLE IN A LOT MORE GEOGRAPHIC AREAS THAN IT WAS, IT'S AWESOME.
THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES THAT ARE ACTUALLY UPTAKING IT IS NOT AS HIGH AS THE AVAILABILITY THAT'S THERE, AND ESPECIALLY AMONGST SOME OF OUR KIDS WHO WE SERVE.
WE KNOW THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACED COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC, AND YES, WE DO THINGS BETTER NOW.
I FEEL WE WOULD DO THINGS BETTER IF OPPORTUNITIES CAME BUT I THINK FOR MANY OF US LOOKING BACK AT WHAT HAPPENED WITH STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, OVER THE TIME THAT WE WERE CLOSED, HAD WE KNOWN WHERE THINGS WERE GOING TO MOVE WITH OUR KIDS, I'D LIKE TO THINK THE STATE AND OTHERS MAY HAVE MADE OTHER DECISIONS DURING THE PANDEMIC, BECAUSE OF THE LEARNING LOSS THAT DID OCCUR THAT WE'RE STILL DIGGING OUT OF.
THE NUMBER OF TIMES THAT WE RUN INTO CALENDARS WHERE WE USE UP MORE THAN OUR SNOW DAYS IS FEW AND FAR BETWEEN.
I COULD BE EATING THOSE WORDS NEXT YEAR.
>> YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID THAT.
>> I COULD BE THOSE WORDS NEXT YEAR.
THIS COULD BE WHERE WE HAVE THE DOUBLE BACK-TO-BACKS LIKE '01 AND '10 OR THE '10 AND '11.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE ALL THOSE KIDS.
WE HAVE A BUBBLE OF KIDS. WE WERE FIGURING THIS OUT THE OTHER DAY OF WHY ARE THE EIGHTH-GRADE CLASSES SO BIG AT BOTH MIDDLE SCHOOLS? [LAUGHTER] WE LITERALLY WERE YESTERDAY HAVING THIS CONVERSATION.
BECAUSE THE BUBBLE IS NOW MOVING TO THE HIGH SCHOOLS.
THEY'RE LIKE, HE HAD THE TWO BLIZZARDS.
[LAUGHTER] NOT ONLY THE CHALLENGES THAT PRESENT, I DON'T SEE HOW, AS A COUNTY, WITH THE RESOURCES WE HAVE RIGHT NOW THAT THIS PUTS US IN A GREAT POSITION TO BE ABLE TO HIT ALL THE MARKS TO BE ABLE TO PULL THIS OFF EFFECTIVELY TO MEET ALL REQUIREMENTS.
I APOLOGIZE IF IT FELT LIKE AD NAUSEAM FOR FOLKS, BUT I REALLY WANTED TO WALK THROUGH BECAUSE I DO UNDERSTAND EVERYBODY'S THOUGHTS, I 100% DO.
JUNE IS NOT A FUN TIME TO BE GOING TO SCHOOL, IT'S NOT.
BUT WE CAN CONTROL ENGAGEMENT IN OUR CLASSROOMS IN JUNE AT A BETTER RATE THAN WE CAN ENGAGEMENT ON VIRTUAL IF WE CAN'T GET ALL THE KIDS ON.
[01:55:02]
IT PRESENTS DIFFERENT CHALLENGES IN JUNE, TRYING TO ENGAGE KIDS, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT AS WELL, BUT I THINK WE HAVE A MUCH BETTER, MUCH BETTER OPPORTUNITY FOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT TO DO IT THAN TO NOT BE ABLE TO GET IT DONE SUCCESSFULLY ON THE VIRTUAL PIECE.>> DO WE HAVE A PLAN FOR AN EXTENDED WEATHER OR A PLAN FOR THE NEXT PANDEMIC?
>> YES. WE HAVE A PANDEMIC PLAN IN A CAN, IN ESSENCE.
THE STATE DID REQUIRE ALL OF US TO HAVE AN ON-THE-SHELF IF THE STATE CLOSES US FOR GREATER THAN TWO WEEKS.
THE BEST SCENARIO THAT WE USED WHEN THINKING THROUGH IT IS WHAT IF THERE'S A SEVERE WEATHER EVENT, AND I'LL MENTION IT BECAUSE SOME OF US ON THE SOUTHERN END LAST NIGHT GOT AN ALERT ABOUT A TORNADO THAT COULD HAVE BEEN IN THE AREA.
WE TRIED TO THINK ABOUT IT IN THAT REGARD OF WHAT IF A SCHOOL WAS HIT WITH A SEVERE WEATHER ISSUE THAT TAKES THAT BUILDING OUT FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME? WE DO HAVE THAT PLAN ON A SHELF TO PULL OFF, AND THOSE HAVE DIFFERENT RULES THAN THIS [BACKGROUND]
>> CORRECT. WELL, THE LEGISLATORS GAVE US TWO VERY DIFFERENT PLAYBOOKS WITH BOTH.
BUT YES, WE HAVE THAT ONE ON THE SHELF READY TO GO.
HEAVEN FORBID, I HOPE WE NEVER HAVE TO USE IT, AND WE HAVE TO REFRESH IT EVERY TWO YEARS.
>> ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, FOR MEMBERS?
>> I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION BECAUSE IT'S ANSWERED A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT I KNOW I'VE HAD PERSONALLY, AS WELL AS A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ASKED ME QUESTIONS, I HAVE NOW TANGIBLE INFORMATION TO GIVE THEM BECAUSE IT'S DEFINITELY BEEN A VERY HOT TOPIC, SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT.
>> VERY VALUABLE INFORMATION FOR THE COMMUNITY AND FOR US.
>> IS THAT SOMETHING YOU COULD SHARE?
>> IT'S ONLINE. WE DEFINITELY CAN.
>> [BACKGROUND] PUT THIS AWAY IN CASE WE DO HAVE A LARGE SNOW EVENT IN THE FUTURE.
>> WE KNOW WHERE ALL THE HICCUPS ARE [FOREIGN]
>> TO POST THAT ON OUR SITE ON A SNOW DAY.
>> FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE BUSES, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE GOT [LAUGHTER]
>> BUT THEY ALL GOT TO BE ELECTRIC, MR. PLUTSCHAK.
>> I THINK AS MUCH AS WE ALL HATE TO SEE JUNE 17TH AS THE ENDING DATE, WE REALIZE THAT WE'RE NOT IN A POSITION TO MEET ALL OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS, AND SO WE HAVE TO DO THE BEST WE CAN IN THE 180 DAYS THAT WE HAVE.
>> THANK YOU, AND FOR ALL OF YOU FOR SHARING VALUABLE INFORMATION.
THEN WE'LL GO TO OUR FINANCE REPORT, MS. HIGNUTT.
>> GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT WAYMAN, DR. SIMMONS, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
BEFORE YOU TONIGHT IS THE FINANCE REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31ST, 2025.
WE ARE NOW NINE MONTHS INTO THE FISCAL YEAR AND HAVE SPENT OR ENCUMBERED ABOUT 84% OF OUR BUDGET, WHICH IS IN LINE WITH WHERE WE HAVE BEEN IN PAST YEARS.
TONIGHT, I HAVE TWO NEW OVERAGES TO PRESENT TO YOU.
GOING DOWN TO PUPIL PERSONNEL SERVICES, YOU'LL SEE THERE IS NOW AN OVERAGE IN THE CONTRACTED SERVICES ACCOUNTS.
THAT IS RELATED TO OUR ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM HAS GONE SLIGHTLY OVER BUDGET, NOT BY TOO MUCH, THOUGH.
THEN, GOING DOWN TO THE CAPITAL OUTLAY CATEGORY, THERE IS NOW AN OVERAGE UNDER EQUIPMENT.
THIS IS RELATED TO UNBUDGETED BUILDING EXPENSES RELATED TO HVAC REPAIRS AND LIGHTING REPAIRS.
YOU CAN'T REALLY FORESEE THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, SO THEY COME UP, AND THAT LINE ITEM IS MAINLY RELATED TO LEASE PAYMENTS, SO THAT'S WHAT WE BUDGET FOR, AND NOT THESE UNFORESEEABLE EXPENSES.
WE ARE GETTING CLOSER TO THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, AND WE'LL BE TRYING TO PREPARE FOR YEAR-END PURCHASES, ONE-TIME PURCHASES, AND I HOPE TO BRING THAT TO YOU EITHER NEXT MONTH OR IN JUNE.
>> WE ARE PREPARING TO BE IN A POSITION, BOARD, TO BRING YOU AT THE APRIL WORK SESSION, THE FY26 BUDGET SUMMARY DOCUMENT.
AS WE KNOW IT AT THAT POINT IN TIME,
[02:00:01]
TO START DOING OUR REALLY DIG-IN AS A BOARD AND WITH ME THROUGH THE BUDGET.WE ARE ALMOST AT KNOWING OUR REVENUE NUMBER.
TONIGHT, I FIGURE WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF THE REVENUE PICTURE.
LITERALLY, TONIGHT, I BELIEVE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN TONIGHT, THE SENATE WAS SUPPOSED TO DO THEIR THIRD VOTE ON SENATE BILL 429.
WHICH IS THE GOVERNOR'S EDUCATION BILL, WHICH HAS ALL THE FUNDING PIECES WRAPPED UP IN IT FOR FUNDING EDUCATION.
THE HOUSE APPROVED THEIR VERSION.
THE SENATE AMENDED THEIR BILL, AND THE SENATE AMENDED THE HOUSE BILL TO MAKE THE HOUSE BILL REFLECT THEIRS.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE TONIGHT, I BELIEVE.
I FIGURED BY TONIGHT, IT WOULD BE VOTED ON FOR ITS THIRD READ, I BELIEVE.
THIRD READ, YES, THEN IT GOES BACK TO THE HOUSE.
BUT WE'VE GOT A PRETTY GOOD BID ON WHERE OUR REVENUE NUMBERS WILL FALL BETWEEN THE TWO HOUSES.
IF THE HOUSE AND SENATE VERSION ARE DIFFERENT, THEY WILL GET TOGETHER IN CONFERENCE COMMITTEE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, AND BY APRIL 7TH, THEY'VE GOT TO HAVE AN ANSWER BY MONDAY.
I'M OPTIMISTIC, IT'LL BE SOONER THAN THAT, AT LEAST ON THE EDUCATION BILL, BUT BY MONDAY, THEY HAVE TO HAVE AN ANSWER.
WHERE WE'RE SITTING RIGHT NOW, AND I THINK THE SENATE BILL, THIS IS JUST ME HEDGING, THE SENATE BILL GIVES US A GOOD PICTURE OF WHERE OUR REVENUE NUMBERS LIKELY ARE GOING TO FALL.
WHAT I'VE TRIED TO PULL TWO PIECES TOGETHER IS THE TOP PART OF THIS IS WITH THE SENATE'S BILL; THOSE ARE WHAT OUR REDUCTION NUMBERS ARE.
IF BLUEPRINT WAS FUNDED FULLY AS WRITTEN, WHICH IT'S NOT GOING TO BE, OUR REDUCTION FOR WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED IS 863,000 LESS IF THEY GO WITH THE SENATE BILL.
AGAIN, THE SENATE BILL WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF WHERE THE GOVERNOR'S PROJECTION WAS AND THE HOUSE BILL WAS.
NOT A BIG SETBACK FOR CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT SPOT THAN OTHER COUNTIES.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE.
WHAT HELPS US, OUR ENROLLMENT IS UP, AND OUR SPECIAL POPULATIONS, OR AT-PROMISE POPULATIONS, ARE UP.
WE ARE BECOMING A LITTLE BIT MORE DIVERSE THAN OUR NEIGHBORS, WHICH IS WHY OUR REVENUE NUMBER IS HOLDING WHERE IT POTENTIALLY IS.
WE WERE EYEING UP A FULL FUNDING, 104,338 COMING IN THIS YEAR.
WE WERE AT 97 MILLION ROUGHLY THIS YEAR.
NEXT YEAR, WE'RE LOOKING AT AN ACTUAL ABOUT 103.
WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT AN INCREASE OF CLOSE TO SIX MILL, BETWEEN 5-6.
SOME OF THAT IS CONCENTRATION OF POVERTY FUNDING, SO THAT'S RESTRICTED, BUT WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT A DECENT INCREASE AS A SCHOOL SYSTEM.
WHAT I TRIED TO INCLUDE UP TOP ALSO IS BECAUSE EVERYBODY HERE DOES INTERACT WITH OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
WE ARE IN THE LOCAL SHARE PART OF FUNDING FOR BLUEPRINT.
IF THE SENATE BILL IS PASSED, THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' CONTRIBUTION TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM DOES GO DOWN $232,000, ALMOST 233.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, NOT TO GET LOST IN THAT CONVERSATION, THERE'S TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS BEING PUSHED BACK ON THE COMMISSIONERS ON MANY FRONTS TO HELP SOLVE THE STATE'S BUDGET ISSUES.
IT'S A HELP TO THEM, AND I GET IT.
I'M NOT RECOMMENDING WE GO OVER THERE AND SAY, NO, GIVE US THE 230.
THEY'VE GOT A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT BEING THROWN ON THEM TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT.
OUR STATE REDUCTION IS ABOUT 630,000.
THE SENATE BILL IN YEAR 1 DOESN'T STING AS BAD, WHERE IT STARTS TO STING A LITTLE BIT IS FY29, WHERE THE REDUCTION IN REVENUES BASED ON THEIR ADJUSTMENTS TO THE FORMULA WILL BE CLOSER TO 3.7 MILLION LESS IN REVENUES.
BUT WHAT I WILL SAY AS WELL IS, FY27, 28, AND 29, ASSUME WE HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF ENROLLMENT WE DO NOW. IT HOLDS IT CONSTANT.
BY AND LARGE, THOSE ARE STILL GOOD REVENUE NUMBERS FOR CAROLINE COUNTY, WHETHER IT'S THE ACTUAL OR THE FULL COMPARED TO HISTORICAL CHANGES YEAR OVER YEAR, CAROLINE COUNTY WILL STILL BE OKAY.
I'M NOT WORRIED, PANICKED, OR NOTHING LIKE THAT WITH SEEING A REVENUE STREAM OF THAT MOVING UPWARDS.
AGAIN, WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT SPOT THAN EVERYBODY ELSE.
BUT REVENUE-WISE, WE'RE NOT SITTING IN A BAD SPOT.
MY GOAL AND OUR TEAM'S GOAL IS TO STILL PRESENT TO THE BOARD AT THE WORK SESSION THE BUDGET THAT CONSISTS OF OBVIOUSLY COVERING OUR EXPENSES FOR COSTS OF DOING BUSINESS, WITH THE INCREASES WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO SEE WITH ELECTRIC GOING UP.
WE SIGNED THE AGREEMENT TONIGHT FOR SUPPORT SERVICES.
OBVIOUSLY, THAT WILL BE INCLUDED, THE ENHANCEMENT THAT WE'RE WORKING ON WITH OUR TEACHERS RIGHT NOW, WITH THEIR AGREEMENT AND WITH OUR ADMINISTRATORS' ASSOCIATION.
IT IS VERY LIKELY YOU WILL SEE A BUDGET THAT WILL NOT SHOW ANY INCREASE IN POSITIONS ACROSS THE COUNTY.
WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH OUR CURRENT OPENINGS.
[02:05:01]
WE WILL BE READJUSTING ANY POSITIONS TO FILL THOSE.AS I NOTED EARLIER, WE'VE OBVIOUSLY BEEN LOOKING AT ENROLLMENTS AND SEEING THAT BUBBLE IN EIGHTH GRADE AND LOOKING BEHIND THAT IN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS TO SEE ABOUT WHERE OUR SIZES ARE GOING TO LEVEL OUT.
WE'RE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON STAFFING AT OUR SECONDARY SCHOOLS WITH THOSE SHIFTS HAPPENING AND LOOKING AT OTHER POSITIONS TO SEE IF, THROUGH ATTRITION, IF THINGS OPEN UP, THAT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE SOME POSITIONS AROUND TO FILL THAT OUT.
ALL IN ALL, NOT A BAD REVENUE PICTURE.
AGAIN, WE LOOK DIFFERENT THAN OTHERS, WE ALL HAVE OUR OWN STORY.
BUT IF THE SENATE BILL COMES TRUE, WE'RE OKAY.
THE HOUSE BILL WAS FULL-FUNDING THE BLUEPRINT, I DON'T SEE THAT HAPPENING.
BUT THE SENATE BILL DOES SIT PRETTY. IT'S OKAY.
THE GOVERNOR'S BILL STUNG A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT THAT ONE IS ONE WE CAN LIVE WITH.
ANY QUESTIONS ON HOW OUR REVENUE PICTURE IS LOOKING? ALL IN ALL, NOT BAD. IT'S DEFINITELY GOING TO HELP US WITH THOSE ENHANCEMENTS.
>> WE HAVE THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE NEXT.
>> I'LL BE BRIEF ON THIS TO KEEP OUR TIME.
I KNOW MR. PLUTSCHAK AND MR. JONES HAVE BEEN ON THE NATIVES LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE.
REALLY, EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW THAT'S BEING DISCUSSED IS THIS BIG EDUCATION BILL THAT WAS THE GOVERNOR'S BILL IN THE SENATE.
IT IS GOING TO GO TO CONFERENCE COMMITTEE, I'M SURE.
WE'RE GOING TO HANDLE AND WORK THROUGH SOME DIFFERENCES.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE FUNDING PIECE, BUT I DO WANT TO SHARE A COUPLE OF INTERESTING COMPONENTS THAT'S IN THE BILL, AND I KNOW PZAM WILL BE ENGAGED AS BEST AS YOU CAN BE TO SUPPORT SOME THINGS.
THE HOUSE PASSED A VERSION OF THIS BILL THAT ANY DISTRICT, SORRY, I PUT MY HAND UP AT THE WRONG TIME [LAUGHTER] THE HOUSE PASSED THE VERSION CONCERNING COMMUNITY SCHOOLS THAT SAID THAT ANY SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT HAD 10 COMMUNITY SCHOOLS COULD USE A PORTION OF THOSE FUNDS TO COVER DISTRICT-LEVEL COSTS AND DISTRICT-LEVEL SUPPORT FOR THOSE BUILDINGS IN TERMS OF DOING THINGS LIKE CONTRACTS, AND THE BUDGETING, AND THE PURCHASING.
>> THE HOUSE SET THE NUMBER 10, WE HAVE NINE.
NEXT YEAR, WE WILL HAVE NINE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS.
WE'LL HAVE 100% OF OUR SCHOOLS COMMUNITY SCHOOLS.
WE JUST MISSED THE HOUSE MARK.
THE SENATE BILL. THERE WAS SOME CONVERSATION THAT TOOK PLACE TO THINK ABOUT SMALL SCHOOL SYSTEMS LIKE CAROLINE THAT HAS 100% OF THEIR SCHOOLS.
THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING. WHERE THEY LANDED WAS AT LEAST 10 SCHOOLS OR 35% OF THE TOTAL SCHOOLS IN YOUR SCHOOLS POPULATION, OUR COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, THEN YOU CAN TAKE A PORTION OFF.
AS LONG AS IT INCLUDES 100%, I'M HAPPY.
I COULD CARE LESS WHERE ELSE IT FELL, BUT THAT'S IN THE SENATE BILL, SO WE'RE HOPING THAT HOLDS.
IT DID? AWESOME. VERY COOL. THANK YOU FOR CHECKING.
>> I KNEW IT WAS HAPPENING SOMETIME WHILE WE WERE SITTING HERE.
THE SENATE BILL IS PASSED, SO NOW THEY GET TO FIGHT IT OUT IN THE COMMITTEE.
INTERESTING PIECE IN BOTH BILLS, IT MOVES A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS WORK TO MSDE BY ITSELF, NOT THE AIB, AND THAT'S IN BOTH BILLS.
THE PERSON LEADING THE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS WORK AT MSDE, DEREK ANDERSON HAS BEEN WONDERFUL TO WORK WITH.
GLAD TO SEE THAT POTENTIAL SHIFT.
IT'S ALSO NICE WHEN YOU ONLY HAVE TO, WITH A PROGRAM TO HAVE TO WORK WITH ONE PARENT. THAT'S A HELPFUL MOVE.
AN INTERESTING SHIFT THAT I REALLY HOPE HOLDS, AND IT'S ONE THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE SOME OF YOU WERE ON THE BOARD AND DEFINITELY TALKED ABOUT IT SINCE THEN.
THERE WAS AN AMENDMENT IN THE SENATE BILL THAT WAS BROUGHT IN AROUND MINIMUM SCHOOL FUNDING.
NEXT YEAR IS WHEN THE DOLLAR HAS TO FOLLOW THE KID TO THE SCHOOL LEVEL AND WE HAVE TO REPORT ON IT AT THE 75% IN EVERY CATEGORY FOR EVERY SCHOOL.
AT RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL, THEY'LL HAVE TO REPORT ON HOW MUCH MONEY IN COMP ED THEY'RE SPENDING ON CERTAIN THINGS, HOW MUCH IN SPECIAL ED, HOW MUCH IN ML.
THE WORLD DOESN'T WORK THAT PERFECTLY WHEN YOU HAVE A SCHOOL AS DIVERSE AS OURS.
IN THE SENATE BILL, THEY'RE GOING TO ALLOW AGGREGATE REPORTING AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL, 75% OF THE TOTAL FUNDS THAT GO TO THE SCHOOL, WE HAVE TO REPORT ON HOW WE SPEND IT THERE, NOT PARSING EACH PART OUT.
THE CODE STRAND THAT HAS TO BE USED FOR EXPENDITURES WOULD BE A LOT LESS SIMPLE.
STILL NOT AS SIMPLE AS WE WOULD LIKE IT, BUT A WHOLE LOT LESS SIMPLE AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL, WHICH IS WHERE THE REAL CHALLENGE WOULD GET INTO FOR US.
THAT'S A WONDERFUL AMENDMENT THAT HOPEFULLY HOLDS THROUGH CONFERENCE COMMITTEE BECAUSE IT'LL SAVE A LOT OF HEADACHE.
IN MOST SCHOOL SYSTEMS, MOST CFOS CAN LIVE WITH THAT AMENDMENT.
THAT'S A GOOD GIVE IF WE CAN GET THAT TO HELP.
[02:10:02]
[LAUGHTER] THE AMENDMENT, WE'VE JOKINGLY ALL NAMED IT AFTER ONE OF THE CFOS WHO'S BEEN LOBBYING FOR THIS FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS FROM ANOTHER SCHOOL SYSTEM, WHO'S WONDERFUL.THERE ARE SOME INTERESTING PROGRAM PIECES THAT ARE IN THAT GOVERNOR MOORE PUT IN THE BILL THAT ARE STILL IN BOTH.
THAT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE.
THE STATE IS LOOKING TO AS A STATE REALLY WORK ON NATIONAL TEACHER RECRUITMENT, BRING TEACHERS TO MARYLAND. THAT'S IN BOTH.
BOTH VERSIONS OF THE BILL SLOW DOWN COLLABORATIVE PLANNING TIME.
ONE CALLED IT A PAUSE, ONE CALLS IT A PACE, BUT EITHER WAY, THEY'RE SLOWING IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
THAT'S HOW THEY'RE FINDING A REDUCTION IN FUNDING IS SLOWING THAT PIECE DOWN.
BOTH BILLS INCLUDE SOMETHING CALLED AN ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE PROGRAM.
WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY TO HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM MSDE HERE TODAY VISITING WITH DR. DOWNS, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS.
IN ESSENCE, IT'S A STATEWIDE COACHING PROGRAM THAT WOULD HAVE MSDE HELP PROVIDE ACADEMIC COACHING FOR SCHOOL SYSTEMS AND AREAS THAT WE MAY NEED, ESPECIALLY FOCUSED AROUND LITERACY OR MATHEMATICS.
THE STATE IS LOOKING AT THE FACT THAT NOT ALL SCHOOL SYSTEMS HAVE THE SAME ACCESS TO THE SAME AMOUNT OF RESOURCES.
ACADEMIC COACHES IS ONE OF THOSE THAT HAS COME UP A LOT IN CONVERSATION.
THERE ARE SOME SCHOOL SYSTEMS THAT HAVE NONE.
THERE'S A SCHOOL SYSTEM BASED ON THEIR BUDGET ISSUES.
THEY MIGHT BE HAVING TO CUT ALL OF THEM NEXT YEAR.
THERE ARE SOME THAT HAVE SEVERAL.
I SAW AN ARTICLE TODAY THAT SHOWED RATIOS OF, I THINK, LIKE 1:40 IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM OF COACHES TO HELP COACH TEACHERS. WE'RE NOT THERE.
STATE IS LOOKING TO HELP PROVIDE A MODEL WHERE THEY TRAIN UP COACHES AND GET A UNIFORM COACHING MODEL ACROSS THE STATE. INTERESTING CONCEPT.
THAT'S STILL IN BOTH. TO GROW YOUR OWN CONCEPT IS IN BOTH TO CONTINUE TO GROW YOUR OWN PROGRAM, VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE STARTED.
IN THE SENATE VERSION, THERE IS INCLUSION JUST LIKE THE GOVERNOR'S BILL OF ADDING MARYLAND TO THE INTERSTATE TEACHER MOBILITY COMPACT WITHOUT GETTING LOST IN ALL THE DETAILS.
IT IN ESSENCE ALLOWS RECIPROCAL LICENSING OF TEACHERS.
IF YOU HAVE A LICENSE IN CERTAIN STATES, YOU CAN COME TO MARYLAND WITHOUT HAVING AS MANY HOOPS TO JUMP THROUGH, WOULD BE REALLY WONDERFUL WITH THE WAY THAT SOME LAWS HAVE CHANGED LATELY FOR TEACHER LICENSING TO HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY WITH US BEING SO CLOSE TO DELAWARE.
WE STILL DO GET A RIGHT GOOD AMOUNT FROM PENNSYLVANIA.
INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH IN BOTH BILLS, BOTH BILLS TALK ABOUT EXPLORING AND DIGGING INTO THE SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING MODEL.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION THAT CFOS HAVE HAD AND SUPERINTENDENTS HAVE HAD THAT IF YOU LOOK AT THE FORMULA, THE WAY OUR MONEY BREAKS DOWN, WE DO NOT GET ENOUGH MONEY THAT ACTUALLY COVERS THE COST OF SPECIAL EDUCATION FOR WHAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO BY LAW.
WE'RE ACTUALLY PROBABLY ABOUT $1 MILLION SHORT IN THE FORMULA.
WE'RE NO DIFFERENT THAN EVERY DISTRICT.
IT HAS TO DO WITH FEDERAL, AS WELL AS STATE, BUT WHEN YOU PUT IT ALL TOGETHER, WE'RE PROBABLY ABOUT 1 MILLION SHORT, AND THAT'S ABOUT IF YOU DID IT BY RATIO, WE WOULD ALL BE IN THE SAME BOAT.
IF WE HAVE TO REPORT MONEY SPENDING AT THE DOLLAR LEVEL, OUR FORMULA IS ALREADY OFF IF WE'RE 1 MILLION SHORT IN ONE CATEGORY.
THEY GIVE US RULES TO TAKE IT FROM OTHER CATEGORIES, BUT WHEN I TAKE IT FROM THERE, THEN I'M SHORT ON THOSE CATEGORIES.
SEEMS TO BE BOTH HOUSES SEEM TO BE AGREEING THAT THEY NEED TO STUDY THE MODEL THAT'S BEING USED.
THERE HAS BEEN SOME CONVERSATION AND SOME LOBBYING TO LOOK AT DELAWARE HAS A MODEL BY WHICH THEY LOOK AT THE INTENSITY OF NEED OF STUDENTS AND FUND IT BASED ON THE INTENSITY OF THE NEED OF THE STUDENTS.
MARYLAND, IT'S THE SAME DOLLAR AMOUNT FOR THE KID.
WE'RE HOPING THAT THEY LOOK AT MODELS THAT DON'T HAVE TO BE DELAWARE, BUT LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE OTHER MODELS BECAUSE A STUDENT WITH INTENSIVE NEEDS IS GOING TO HAVE THINGS THAT COST A LOT MORE THAN A STUDENT WHO IS A LEARNING DISABLED STUDENT IN AN INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM, SO FACTORING THAT PIECE IN.
IT'S GOING TO BE AN INTERESTING COUPLE OF DAYS AS IT WORKS THROUGH CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.
BUT SOME REALLY INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOME THINGS TO HELP CONTINUE TO MOVE EDUCATION FORWARD IN TERMS OF THE PROGRAMMING AND THINGS THEY'RE LOOKING AT MOVING THROUGH.
THE THING THAT PEOPLE WILL PAY THE MOST ATTENTION TO IS THE COSTS.
WHAT I WILL SAY, THERE WAS A WONDERFUL ATTEMPT BY SENATOR CARROZA, EASTERN SHORE SENATOR FROM SOUTHERN END ATTEMPTED AN AMENDMENT TO THE SENATE VERSION OF THE BILL WHEN IT WAS IN COMMITTEE TO HAVE THE STATE SET UP A WORK GROUP, THAT WOULD INCLUDE LOTS OF STAKEHOLDERS TO BASICALLY TAKE THE SUMMER AND THE FALL TO REALLY SIT DOWN AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT THE AFFORDABILITY OF IT AND SAY, WHAT CAN WE SLOW DOWN, WHAT DO WE NEED TO RETHINK,
[02:15:01]
AND IT DID NOT MAKE IT OUT OF COMMITTEE.I WILL GIVE SENATOR CARROZA, SHE HAS LISTENED AND WORKED REALLY WELL WITH ME.
SHE SEEMS TO HAVE LISTENED REALLY WELL WITH THE SUPERINTENDENTS AND SOME OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS, WHETHER SHE HAS FULLY AGREED OR NOT, WHAT SHE'S REALLY TRIED TO ARTICULATE AND I GET IT.
I KNOW SHE'S NOT OURS, BUT SHE HAS REALLY HELPED IN THIS. OURS HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL TOO.
BUT SHE HAS REALLY BEEN ONE OF TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE VOICE OF BOARDS AND SUPERINTENDENTS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING TASKED WITH PUTTING THIS IN PLAY ARE HEARD FROM.
I APPRECIATE THAT. THAT WAS THE ATTEMPT WITH THE WORK GROUP.
IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. MAYBE IT WILL SHOW UP.
OTHER TRYING TO FINISH THIS THING UP, BUT THEY DON'T SEEM TO BE MAKING ANY LARGE SCALE SHIFTS ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
ONCE THEY GET THROUGH THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE, FY27 WILL PROBABLY BE REAL FUN AS THEY WORK TO FIGURE IT OUT, ESPECIALLY ON THE FISCAL SIDE.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE?
>> THANK YOU. I ALWAYS THINK I LOVE LEGISLATIVE SESSION UNTIL ABOUT APRIL 1 HITS, AND THEN YOU'RE JUST WORN OUT FROM IT.
>> THANK YOU. WE'LL GO RIGHT ON INTO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
>> I'LL BE BRIEF SINCE YOU GUYS BEFORE GONE DECIDED NOT TO DO YOURS TONIGHT.
[LAUGHTER] I WOULD HAVE FOR MINE, EXCEPT WE HAD PULLED TOGETHER JUST A SLIDE TO HIGHLIGHT.
>> REALLY WANT TO HIGHLIGHT OUR FINALISTS FOR TEACHER OF THE YEAR AND SUPPORT EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR.
REALLY WANT TO THANK THOSE WHO WERE ON THE COMMITTEE TO WORK THROUGH THIS AND PULL THIS TOGETHER.
I APPRECIATE THE BOARD MEMBERS WHO COULD JOIN US.
WE HAVE SOME INCREDIBLE STAFF.
LITERALLY, WHEN EVERYTHING CAME IN, WE HAD A GREAT NUMBER OF FOLKS [NOISE] WHO CAME IN. BLESS YOU.
>> WE'VE GOT SO MANY, LIKE WE JUST GOT TO DO FIVE.
WE GOT TO DO FIVE OF EACH, AND WE DID, WHICH WAS GREAT.
JUST WHERE WE WERE ALL OVER THE COUNTY.
IT WAS GREAT WATCHING THEIR REACTIONS.
WHEN WE WALKED IN, NOT KNOWING, ONE TEACHER, LITERALLY WAS, AS WE WERE HEADING DOWN, OH, MY GOD I GOT TO CALL MY MOM AND DAD.
YOU COULD ALSO NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE WHEN YOU WALK INTO A SECONDARY CLASSROOM, ESPECIALLY A HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM AND LET SOMEBODY KNOW.
MOST OF THE KIDS SEEMED TO JUST WANT TO HIDE, [LAUGHTER] AND ELEMENTARY, THEY'RE ALL RUNNING UP TO GIVE BIG HUGS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
BUT WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT SPORT EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR FINALIST, MS. CLAYTOR AT PRESTON, MS. ENNALS AT CRHS, MS. FAZENBAKER AT DENTON, MS. KORRELL AT NORTH CAROLINA, AND MR. MARSHALL, WHO IS HERE TONIGHT AT GES.
THEN OUR TEACHER OF THE YEAR FINALIST, MR. BUFFENMYER POINTED THIS OUT, I APPRECIATED IT.
THE MALE TEACHERS AT NORTH CAROLINA DECIDED TO WEAR COLONEL COLORS THAT DAY [LAUGHTER] AND THE MALE TEACHER AT COLONEL HIGH DECIDED TO WEAR NORTH CAROLINA COLORS THAT DAY.
HE APPRECIATED THE INTERCUNTY LOVE THAT HAPPENED [LAUGHTER] WITHOUT KNOWING IT.
I APPRECIATED HIS SENSE OF HUMOR.
BUT MR. BUFFENMYER, NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL, MR. CHEEZUM, COLONEL RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL, MS. DAYTON AT FEDERALSBURG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WE GOT TO CATCH MS. DAYTON IN THE HALLWAY WHILE SHE WAS TAKING HER KIDS TO LUNCH OR SPECIALS.
MS. MIELKE AT NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL AND MR. MOYER AT NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL.
ON APRIL 10TH, WE WILL HAVE OUR EVENT WHERE WE NAME OUR SUPPORT AND TEACHER OF THE YEAR.
GREAT TIME. LOOKING FORWARD TO SHARING IN THAT MOMENT WITH ALL OF OUR STAFF AND WITH THE BOARD.
THEY WERE WONDERFUL, THEY DO AMAZING THINGS EVERY DAY, AND IT WAS AWESOME TO BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE AT LEAST 10 OF THEM THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
>> THAT WAS A LOT OF FUN. I THINK SEVERAL OF US PARTICIPATED THAT DAY AND IT WAS REALLY FUN.
THEY WERE REALLY JUST SURPRISED AND HAPPY AND EXCITED, SO THANK YOU.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE DR. WILLOUGHBY BACK UP AGAIN.
>> WELL ACTUALLY, I'LL GRAB THIS MS. WAYMAN, IF IT'S OKAY.
[6. Discussion of Items for Future Board Action]
>> THE SUGGESTION BY THE BOARD BY A COUPLE OF BOARD MEMBERS, I APPRECIATE THE SUGGESTION, WHICH WAS ADDING AN ADVANCED NOTICE OF THE POLICIES THAT ARE COMING FOR THE BOARD.
WE POPULATED THE REMAINING TWO MONTHS OF THE SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR OF THE POLICIES THAT ARE COMING.
TYPICALLY, WE WORK THROUGH THE UPCOMING YEARS PROCESS DURING THE BOARD RETREAT FOR WHICH POLICIES ARE COMING.
WE'LL START POPULATING FROM THERE.
JULY TENDS TO BE THOSE POLICIES THAT LEGISLATION HAPPENED.
WE HAVE TO HAVE A POLICY IN PLACE BY NEXT YEAR.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT LIST YET FOR JULY,
[02:20:02]
BUT SOMETIMES THAT'S WHEN THOSE POP UP THE JULY, AUGUST LIST.BUT WE ARE PUTTING THOSE THERE TO GIVE ADVANCE NOTICE FOR THOSE POLICIES.
DR. WILLOUGHBY WILL BE WORKING WITH OUR FOLKS.
MAY IS A LOT OF OUR FISCAL POLICIES THROUGH MS. HIGNUTT THAT SHE'S WORKED THROUGH A LOT OF THOSE, AND WHAT CHANGES COULD BE COMING FOR THOSE POLICIES AND THEN WE'LL MOVE INTO JUNE.
BUT WE WILL KEEP THAT UPDATED EVERY MONTH TO MAKE SURE WE KEEP THAT LIST CURRENT.
>> THAT'S GREAT. I NOTICED A RELIEF THERE WHEN I CALLED YOUR NAME BY MISTAKE.
[LAUGHTER] WE'LL MOVE ON TO UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS.
[8. Upcoming Meetings and Events]
I THINK WE HAVE A LIST HERE THAT EVERYONE CAN CHECK, AND THAT'S JUST APRIL.OF COURSE, MAY, WE GET INTO ANOTHER PROM AND GRADUATION AND AWARD NIGHT, SCHOLARSHIP NIGHTS.
>> I THINK MAY 2ND KICKS OFF THE SPRING CONCERTS.
APRIL AND MAY ARE GOING TO BE HOPPING.
>> LOTS OF GREAT THINGS HAPPENING.
>> OF COURSE, WE DON'T PUT THE ATHLETIC EVENTS ON THERE.
I KNOW A LOT OF YOU GUYS VISIT THOSE, SO AGAIN, IT'S APPRECIATING THE SCHOOLS, OBVIOUSLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS BEING THERE FOR THOSE AS WELL.
>> WE WISH SAFE TRAVELS FOR THOSE WHO ARE TRAVELING TO THE NATIONAL SCHOOL BOARD CONVENTION, THURSDAY IN ATLANTA AND SAFE RETURNS HOME AND GET BACK IN TIME FOR OUR WORK SESSION, WHICH IS APRIL 15TH AT 8:30 IN THE MORNING.
OUR NEXT REGULAR MEETING IS MAY 6 AT 6:00 PM SAME PLACE, SAME TIME.
WE'LL BE RIGHT HERE. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, COMMENTS? THEN I NEED A MOTION FOR THE MEETING TO BE ADJOURNED.
>> I MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING.
>> I DIDN'T THINK THAT WOULD TAKE LONG.
[LAUGHTER] THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[LAUGHTER]
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.