Future Potential Student Impact by High School Zone

This was another document given to the School Allocation Subcommittee on 3/27/13, and that I had requested from the commissioners during a public meeting on school allocations in March.  Finally got an electronic version to post.  Please review...it will make your head spin! 

It is beyond belief that anyone in their right mind, after reviewing this document, would go ahead and grant additional school allocations BUT, that is what three of our current commissioners have done!  Shameful!

HERE

Redistricting public hearings set for April 22, 23

The Board of Education of Charles County is holding two public hearings to gather community input on the high school redistricting proposals, which will create an attendance zone for St. Charles High School and alleviate overcrowding at the county's six high schools. Complete descriptions of the proposals are located at http://www2.ccboe.com/parentscomm/transportation/hsredistricting.cfm.
Public hearings are set for 6:30 to 9 p.m., Monday, April 22 at North Point High School, and 6:30 to 9 p.m., Tuesday, April 23 at La Plata High School. The Board is limiting speakers to commenting at one of the two hearings in order to maximize speaking opportunities for the highest number of people.
In order to allow proper time for all interested speakers, the following guidelines have been established for the public hearings:

• Any person wishing to speak during the public hearings must sign the sign-in sheet in advance. The sign-up sheet will be available outside of the school auditorium beginning 45 minutes prior to the start of the hearing. No one arriving after 6:30 p.m. will be allowed to sign in or speak.
• Speakers will be issued a number and will be called to the podium by their assigned number.
• Speakers should limit their comments to the redistricting proposals.
• Comments should be concise and to the point, and speakers will be limited to three minutes. A screen showing the time provides warnings when speakers have one minute and 30 seconds left to speak. The Board chairman will ask the speaker to stop at the three-minute mark in order to provide equal opportunity to all who would like to comment.
• Engaging in active debate with the Board of Education, staff or audience members will not be allowed. All comments must be directed to the Board.
• Note cards will be available for audience members to provide questions for staff. A list of questions received and their answers will be posted on the high school redistricting page of the school system website.
• Board members are there to listen to comments and gather information for use in their decisions on redistricting. Members will not answer questions or comment to speakers during the hearing.
• Remarks must be respectful, courteous, free of name-calling and personal attacks. Inappropriate language will not be tolerated.

The Board appreciates the cooperation of community members in honoring these guidelines, and looks forward to hearing from the public.

Following the public hearings, the Superintendent will develop recommendations to the Board for each high school based on review of the plans and public comments. The Superintendent can recommend one of the proposals or modified versions. A separate public hearing on the Superintendent's recommendations will be held 6:30-9 p.m., Monday, May 20, at Westlake High School. The Board will take a final vote on the high school redistricting on June 11 at its regular monthly meeting.Residents may also mail or e-mail comments. E-mail comments to redistrict@ccboe.com or mail to Redistricting, Charles County Public Schools, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646.  For a complete overview of redistricting, fact sheets outlining the proposals for each schools, a redistricting school locator and other information, visit http://www2.ccboe.com/parentscomm/transportation/hsredistricting.cfm.

#NSBACONF - Diane Ravitch

National School Board Association Conference 2013 - San Diego

 

Diane Ravitch

 

Diane Ravitch is a research professor of education at New York University and a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC. Internationally acclaimed for her expertise on past and present education, her most recent book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education, makes the case that public education today is in peril and offers a clear prescription for improving public schools.

 

March 14, 2013: Diane Ravitch talks with American School Board Journal
Senior Editor Lawrence Hardy.

#NSBACONF - National Best Practices STEM Curriculum to Improve STEM Literacy

National School Board Association Conference 2013 - San Diego

The practices, strategies and programming utilized within The STEM Academy (K–16 Program) were developed from identified national best practices by the National Academy of Engineering and National Science Foundation. The curriculum features dual-credit agreements with over 180+ post-secondary institutions. Instructors may earn up to nine graduate school credits through the STEM 101 professional development program.

HANDOUTS

#NSBACONF - One Voice, One Plan — Improving Results for All Students

National School Board Association Conference 2013 - San Diego

In an unprecedented move, the 12 districts in the Ingham Intermediate School District (enr. 44,541) service area made a long-term commitment to ensure each student reaches their maximum potential. Three years ago, these 12 joined forces to change the way they provided curriculum, instruction, and assessment with a focus on prevention and intervention. The boards of education and superintendents agreed to create a countywide multi-tiered system of support instead of each district operating independently. Just look at the successful data!

PRESENTATION

#NSBACONF - Getting It Right From the Start: Building and Maintaining a Successful School Board/Superintendent Partnership

National School Board Association Conference 2013 - San Diego

Learning about the process one school board undertook in gathering information about the characteristics sought for the new superintendent, about the hiring process, and how a successful partnership was formed with a new superintendent. Williamsburg-James City County (enr. 10,254) is sharing specific information and materials about the development of the school board's "Standard Operating Procedures," retreats focused on building and maintaining a strong partnership, and changes to the operation that have solidified a winning school board-superintendent team.

HANDOUTS

America's Most Challenging High Schools

According to the Challenge Index Scores as ranked by the Wasington Post's Jay Mathews .

About the challenge HERE.

DC LOCAL LISTS
I'll summarize for our Charles County High Schools.
For the complete local list click HERE.

RANK     SCHOOL
78    LaPlata
114  Westlake
119  North Point
123  Lackey
139  Thomas Stone
144  McDonough

National Ranking HERE

Bush, Obama focus on standardized testing leads to ‘opt-out’ parents’ movement

The Washington Post
Lyndsey Layton
April 14, 2013

A decade into the school accountability movement, pockets of resistance to standardized testing are sprouting up around the country, with parents and students opting out of the high-stakes tests used to evaluate schools and teachers.

From Seattle, where 600 high school students refused to take a standardized test in January, to Texas, where 86 percent of school districts say the tests are “strangling our public schools,” anti-testing groups argue that bubble exams have proliferated beyond reason, delivering more angst than benefits.

“Over the last couple of years, they’ve turned this one test into the all and everything,” said Cindy Hamilton, a 50-year-old mother of three in Florida who founded Opt Out Orlando in response to the annual Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, which starts again Monday. Her group is one of dozens of new organizations opposed to such testing.

The opt-out movement is nascent but growing, propelled by parents, students and some educators using social media to swap tips on ways to spurn the tests. They argue that the exams cause stress for young children, narrow classroom curricula, and, in the worst scenarios, have led to cheating because of the stakes involved — teacher compensation and job security.

READ MORE HERE

#NSBACONF - Engage Your Community and Generate Funds Through Your Foundation

National School Board Association Conference - San Diego

With school funding poor and getting worse, building the capacity of an educational foundation can have wide-ranging benefits, from passing referenda to raising funds. Learning how District 125 Adlai E. Stevenson High School (enr. 4,000) used a strong foundation to leverage community relationships and partnerships, and foster a sense of engagement and ownership in the district by the community. Topics include governance, best practices, hiring a director, board and organizational development, strategic planning, community engagement, and alumni relations.

HANDOUTS

#NSBACONF - Teachers Matter: How One School Division Builds Relationships Between and Among Its Teachers

National School Board Association Conference - SAn Diego

Chinook's Edge School Division (enr. 10,781) will share what has been a very successful process in their division entitled the Teachers Matter committee. The title validates the critically important role teachers play in achieving the mission and vision for their school division, hence the title, "Teachers Matter." The committee is comprised of more than thirty teachers who represent every school in the division, and their role is to participate at the committee gatherings, and communicate back with respective school staffs.

#NSBACONF - Keeping our Students and Staff Safe

National School Board Association Conference - San Diego

School safety must be a community focused effort. This requires the collaboration of federal, state, and local policymakers, those who govern and administer schools as well as law enforcement, and other emergency responders in planning and preparedness. The Missouri Center for Education Safety is a unique, public-private partnership of the Missouri Department of Public Safety, the Missouri Office of Homeland Security, and the Missouri School Boards' Association. The CES provides professional expertise and serves as a clearinghouse of resources designed to support local school districts in their efforts to ensure schools remain the safest places for their children.

(More to come)

#NSBACONF - Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson

National School Board Association Conference 2013 - San Diego

Neil deGrasse Tyson

 

Educated in the public schools of New York City, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson took his passion for science to Harvard and Columbia and then went on to become one of the world’s most engaging and passionate science advocates. From PBS to NASA to Presidential Commissions, organizations have depended on Tyson’s down-to-earth approach to astrophysics. He has been a frequent guest on The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Real Time with Bill Maher, and Jeopardy! In his own words, he wants to reach “all the people who never knew how much they’d love learning about space and science.”

 

February 5, 2013: Neil deGrasse Tyson talks with American School Board Journal Senior Editor Lawrence Hardy.

#NSBACONF - BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) in the Classroom and Beyond

National Schol Board Association Conference 2013 - San Diego

Today's generation of students have been born into, and are growing up, surrounded by mobile devices. Prince William County Public Schools (enr. 83,551) has embraced the mobile device movement by implementing Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). Learning how to implement BYOD in our school district and how to avoid some of the potential pitfalls.

HANDOUTS

(didn't we just have this discussion at the last board meeting?)

#NSBACONF - Saving Money by Renovating Existing buildings to Support 21st Century Learning

National School Board Association Conference 2013 - San Diego

Times have changed and so has education, but school budgets are tighter than ever. Kids are learning differently. Technology has changed. 21st century learning is collaborative, flexible, adaptable, tech driven, and sustainable, and we are able to learn anywhere, anytime. Discovering the attributes of 21st century learning and seeing how they can work within an existing space, making the most of tight budgets and meeting changing needs for years to come.

HANDOUTS

#NSBACONF - Disappearing Ink: Moving from Textbooks to Digital Content

National School Board Association Conference 2013 - San Diego

Practical implementations have replaced theoretical conversations about the shift from print books to digital content. Imagine a high school without traditional textbooks for the past nine years; statewide collaboration to create a digital physics book by Virginia scholars; and a non-profit organization with the goal of reducing textbook costs through the OER (Open Education Resource) movement across all curriculum areas with "flexbooks."

(More to come)

#NSBACONF - Linking Compensation to Student Growth

National School Board Association Conference 2013 - San Diego

Panel discussion on enhanced compensation for staff members at the bargaining table.  Panel offering insights into the unprecedented agreement reached between the administration, teachers and support staff in Schaumburg Community Consolidated School District 54 (enr. 13,955) to enhance compensation based on rigorous student growth. Learnng about how educational reform is taking place in this large suburban school district responsible for educating pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade students in 27 schools.

HANDOUTS

#NSBACONF - Blended Learning Makes Sense - For You - Now

National School Board Association Conference 2013 - San Diego

It can be tough to make the decision to offer studemts an online learning option. How do you choose between the learning environment student's want and the rigor, engagement and teacher interaction we all crave?  We don't have to choose!  Blend!  Blended learning offers a solution that can deliver the student the success we all want.

(More to come)

#NSBACONF - Geena Davis - Spring into Action with a Little Inspiration

National School Board Association Conference 2013 - San Diego

 

 

From “Thelma and Louise” to “The Accidental Tourist,” Geena Davis is probably best known as an Academy Award-winning actress. But her work off the screen is even more impressive. A member of Mensa, she founded the non-profit Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. She works with film and television creators to reduce gender stereotyping and increase the number of female characters in media targeted for children 11 and under. Hear from Davis how media plays a key role in children’s development, and how her organization is making a difference.

December 4, 2012: Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media receives Google Global Impact Award.

February 19, 2013: Geena Davis talks with American School Board Journal Senior Editor Lawrence Hardy.

#NSBACONF - NSBA's 1st Annual Technology Innovation Showcase

National School Board Association Conference 2013 - San Diego

This session is introducing new approaches to old problems from emerging companies identified by NSBA's Technology Leadership Network.  Each company will has only five minutes to tell what they are solving and give a snapshot of their solution.  Great interactive session designed for those who embrace technology and innovation. :)

(More to come)

#NSBACONF - Digital Conversion for Student Achievement

Nationl School Board Association Conference 2013 - San Diego

Five years ago, the Mooresville Graded School District implemented a six-year strategic plan with the philosophy that public education should be about every child , every day.  At the heart of this plan was the Digital Conversion utilizing 21st Century resources in all classrooms with a focus on academic achievement, engagement, opportunity and equity.  Mark Edwards, recently voted Superintendent of the Year by the Amercan  Association of School Administrators, is sharing his districts story along with the data outlining the phenomenal results that show that his district is realizing its motto of Every Child, Every Day.

(Handout link to be added later)

Notes from Board of Education Meeting, 4/9/2013

The Board of Education Meeting on Tuesday, April 9 will be re-broadcast on Comcast Channel 96, Verizon FIOS Channel 12 and is available via webstream at http://www.ccboe.com/ . To view the full agenda and the various reports, please visit BoardDocs.

The below notes are my personal notes and are not intended to be all-inclusive or official minutes for the Board of Education meetings and are provided as a request from my supporters and the general public in a personal effort to be more transparent. Although I have diligently tried to make these notes as unbiased and accurate as possible, I am only human and do make mistakes.

Executive session – 12 p.m.

Call to order – 1 p.m. - Pledge of Allegiance, La Plata High School’s JROTC unit

Superintendent’s update - See report
Correspondence/Board Member updates

• Pedersen--Gwynn Center Ribbon Cutting, MESA, Senior Citizens Prom
• Bowie--Gwynn Center Ribbon Cutting, Thanks for patronizing the library, Westlake Student Recognition, Parent - Thank you for Principal Holstein at Barnhart, Parent - impressed with McDonough, Bus Driver - invite new Supt and Board Members to ride
• Abell--APFO Subcommittee Public Forum tomorrow night at Stone at 6:30, Gwynn Center Ribbon Cutting, C.C. Early Childhood Advisory Council
• Lukas--Senior Citizens Prom, History Fair, Science Fair, Dr. Mudd History Night, Regional Destination Imagination Night
• Wise--Lackey Career Fair, Stone / McDonough Military Ball

Education Association of Charles County update - see report

Student Board Member update - see report

Policy #6000 - Instruction - see report

Sadlier grammar workshop and SpringBoard reading and mathematics - see report

Library media program - see report

Legislative update -

• HB1168 - PASSED-Minority Teacher Recruitment Reporting
• HB667 - PASSED - Representation Fee $$
• HB207- PASSED-Chronically Absent Students
• HB331 - PASSED - Open Meeting Act Violations
• HB139 - PASSED - Open Meeting Act Trainings
• HB1107 - PASSED - PG adds members to BOE, direct appt of Supt by County Exec, etc.
• SB 740 - PASSED - College Ready Assessment
• HB 1161 - PASSED - Commission Special Education Improve Service
• HB 1286 - PASSED - Similar
• HB 860/SB 743 - PASSED - School Construction Baltimore City
• HB103/SB243 - PASSED - Solar Technology
• HB229/SB277 - PASSED - Net Taxable Income Bill
• SB143 - PASSED - Evaluations Emergency Management Plan
• HB453 - PASSED - Maryland Center for school Safety Resources -  Bowie State
• HB396/SB1092 - PASSED - Computer Harassment
• HB269 - DID NOT PASS - School Safety - Will provide $$ to school safety

Cell phone rule - See report

• Sorry, very passionate discussion from students and board members....I believe the final consensus was for it to come back next month after consulting with principals on after-school guidelines.

Action item

• Approval of new superintendent

Motion to appoint Kim Hill as the next Superintendent by Wade; Second by Pedersen

Yes=Bowie, Cook, Lukas, Pedersen, Wade, Wise; No=Abell

• Abell- My vote is not a lack of confidence in Ms. Hill’s ability to perform the duties of Superintendent. On the contrary, we had three very highly qualified and capable candidates and while Ms. Hill was not my top choice, she is very qualified, capable, and will have my full support in leading and guiding Charles County Public Schools. My practice has always been to cast the same vote in public as I do in private so the public knows exactly where I stand and my position. I look forward to working with Mrs. Hill and moving Charles County Public Schools forward. 

• Approval of new superintendent contract

Motion to approve the new superintendent contract by Pedersen; Second by Wade

Yes=Abell, Bowie, Cook, Pedersen, Wade, Wise; No=Lukas

• Lukas - during these tight budetary times, I don't agree with some of the benefits afforded in the contract.

Redistricting proposals - See report

Unfinished business - none

New business - none

Future agenda items - none

Recognition – 4:30 p.m.

• Students - De'ja Brown, 5th grade, Academic Achievement, Indian Head Elementary School, Principal: Toni Melton-Trainor; Kiersten Walker, 5th grade, Personal Responsibility, Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy Elementary School, Principal: Kristen Shields; Aisac Accad, 8th grade, Career Readiness, Theodore G. Davis Middle School, Principal: Wendell Martin; Alyssa Kepner, 12th grade, Academic Achievement, Westlake High School, Principal: Chrystal Benson
• Employees - Shayna Pounds, fourth grade teacher, Indian Head; Lisa Sweeney, technology facilitator, Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy; Mildred Alexander-Moses, school counselor, Davis; Holly Dolan, resource, Westlake
• Resolutions:Teacher Appreciation Week - Accepting: Paige Baker, special education teacher, Dr. Thomas Higdon Elementary School; Administrative Professionals' Week - Accepting:      ;School Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week - Accepting: Crystal Sopher, Supervisor of Food Services; Michael Clarry, Food Service Field Operations Manager; National Physical Education and Sport Week - Accepting: Bradley Jones, physical education teacher, C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School; Diana Gyuras, physical education teacher, J.C. Parks Elementary School; and Chris Brown, physical education teacher, Matthew Henson Middle School

Public Forum – 6 p.m.

• Elridge Proctor - James & Jessica children in attendance; Davis MS, got to stay there during last year's redistricting.  Husband got deployed and never would have been able to do it otherwise.  Natural disasters and accidents and emergencies should be considered about distance from homes.  Consideration for Plan B.
• Lourdes Saigon - Also thanks for leaving him at Davis MS.  Wants to continue to stay there.  Plan B.
• Dawn Sutherland - Mother of 5.  Support Plan B.  Dismay in redistricting again.  Continued housing development.  Do not allocate any more school seats.

Action items

• Minutes

Motion to accept the minutes by Cook; Second by Pedersen

Yes=Abell, Bowie, Cook, Pedersen, Wade, Wise  Abstain=Lukas

• Personnel

Motion to accept personnel by Wade; Second by Pedersen

Yes=Abell, Bowie, Cook, Lukas, Pedersen, Wade, Wise

• 2014-15 calendar

Motion to accept 2014-15 calendar by Pedersen; Second by Lukas

Yes=Abell, Bowie, Cook, Lukas, Pedersen, Wade, Wise

• Revision of student transfer rule #5126

Motion to accept student transfer rule #5126 by Cook; Second by Pedersen

Yes=Abell, Bowie, Cook, Lukas, Pedersen, Wade, Wise

Kimberly Hill named next Superintendent of Charles County Public Schools

Kimberly Hill, principal of North Point High School, will be the next superintendent of Charles County Public Schools. The Board of Education of Charles County at its meeting today agreed to the appointment of Hill and a four-year contract with an annual salary of $200,000.
Hill's term as Superintendent begins July 1, and follows that of longtime Superintendent James E. Richmond, who is leaving at the end of the 2012-13 school year after 17 years at the helm and 47 years with Charles County Public Schools.
About Kimberly HillHill, 50, is a lifelong educator with 27 years experience as a teacher, vice principal and principal. She is a product of Charles County Public Schools, having graduated from Maurice J. McDonough High School in Pomfret where she also began her career as a social studies teacher in 1986. She then moved to administrative positions in Charles County as a vice-principal and principal at the high school level. Hill is the 2013 Principal of the Year for Charles County Public Schools and the recipient of the Washington Post's 2013 Distinguished Educational Leadership Award.
Hill currently serves as the principal of North Point High School in Waldorf. As the leader of the district's largest high school, Ms. Hill's focus is on high expectations for student achievement and the significance of each teacher's ability to "be the difference" in a student's life. North Point High School students have attained the highest graduation rate, the highest grade-point average and the highest attendance rate in the district. She says she strongly believes in the power of relationships based on honesty, transparency and trust. These core values drive her decision-making and empower others to engage in the vision of the organization, Hill said.
Hill earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and history from High Point University in North Carolina and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of Maryland, College Park. She is a doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership and Policy at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Her research interests center around teacher effectiveness and the principal's role in the teacher evaluation process.
The Superintendent SearchBoard Chairman, Roberta Wise said, "Kim Hill is a talented educator who will work for all of Charles County's students. Charles County has made tremendous progress during the past 17 years, and Kim Hill is the right person to make our school system even stronger. She has an exceptional background in developing partnerships with the community and businesses, and she has a proven record of promoting academic achievement and excellence for all children. We looked nationwide for the candidate who can best take Charles County Public Schools to the next level, and we are delighted that Mrs. Hill has accepted the position."
Wise said selecting the superintendent is the single most important Board responsibility. During its national search, the Board focused on selecting an innovative, energetic and visionary candidate who will lead a high achieving school system by implementing strategies to promote continued academic growth. The Board was looking for a superintendent who will be a passionate advocate of children and who will work with the community to improve student achievement while embracing technology and working to narrow the achievement gap. Based on input from community forums held in October, the Board also looked for a candidate who understands the challenges of a growing rural/suburban and economically and culturally diverse school system. Mrs. Hill has the principles and skills that best meet the goals the Board hopes to achieve," Wise said.
Five goalsHill, along with two other finalists, recently met with focus groups ranging from students to principals to community and business leaders. During that time, Charles County's next superintendent shared the framework of a 90-day plan focusing on five goals: unsurpassed student achievement; positive, student-centered district culture; investment in stakeholder trust; optimizing effectiveness and efficiency; and trust and collaboration with Board members. For each goal, Hill outlined action steps for improvements. "It is important for us to celebrate our successes while constantly looking for ways to build upon them," Hill wrote. "This 90-day action plan provides an outline for where we can begin."
Hill said she plans to concentrate efforts to ensure students graduate high school prepared for success in college or in a career, and will analyze student achievement data to understand patterns and gaps as well as align curriculum to Common Core standards and implement it uniformly across schools.
Additionally, Hill says starting the first day in July she will meet with principals, parents, community leaders and others to build stakeholder trust and confidence and to nurture relationships that put children first.
"We face tremendous challenges as we implement the educational reforms that are taking place in our state. Among these are implementing the Common Core State Standards, adding student growth measures to our teacher and principal evaluation systems, and implementing new assessments under the Partnership for Readiness for College and Careers... As we face these significant challenges, we must rely on our greatest asset – our people... I am committed to the strength of our people and their ability to be the difference in the life of a child," Hill wrote in her 90-day plan.
Community focus groupsWise thanked employees and the community for support during the superintendent search. The Board conducted a search process with the help of consultants from the Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE). The process involved the community in October through a series of five open public forums to gather input from staff, students and the community about what characteristics the public thought the Board should look for in a superintendent and what challenges the public believes the new superintendent will face. Public comments were used to develop the criteria used to assess candidate qualifications. In March, the Board announced three finalists for the position, and each candidate met with various staff, student and community groups. The Board combined and considered comments from the groups while making its hiring decision.
"I want to thank everyone who participated in the initial forums and those who served on the focus groups. Their feedback made our work as a Board easier as we learned what the public feels the experience, skills and abilities of the next superintendent need to be in order to build upon the successes of the past 17 years while moving forward to meet our school system's challenges and opportunities", Wise said.
Reception for Mrs. HillThe Board of Education invites members of the community to meet Hill at a meet-and-greet reception 4-6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 29, at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building on Radio Station Road in La Plata.
Maryland law requires Boards of Education to award a four-year contract, and the new superintendent's term begins July 1, 2013 and ends June 30, 2017.

High School Redistricting Proposals

Redistricting committee members plan to present two possible high school redistricting proposals to the Board of Education, 3 p.m., April 9 during the Board's monthly meeting at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building in La Plata. The public may comment on the proposals at one of two public hearings, scheduled for April 22 and April 23.


The 16-member redistricting committee developed two rezoning alternatives for each high school in order to develop an attendance zone for St. Charles High School, which opens in August 2014, and to reduce overcrowding at the other county high schools. Superintendent James E. Richmond asked the committee to give due consideration of anticipated growth while reducing student enrollment at each high school to at or below state-rated capacity. Three county high schools, North Point, La Plata and Westlake, are over state-rated capacity.

Both proposals allow for growth at St. Charles, according to the committee report. Proposal A transfers more students than Proposal B, moving 1,398 ninth and tenth graders in A versus 1,233 in B. Proposal A offers the most immediate relief to North Point High School, the county's most overcrowded high school. The Board is completing redistricting a year in advance, and it does not take effect until August 2014 when St. Charles opens. Click Here, for more complete descriptions of the alternatives and maps.

St. Charles High School
St. Charles High School is under construction and will open in August 2014 with grades 9, 10 and 11. It will include a senior class in school year 2015. Located on Piney Church Road in Waldorf and next to Regency Furniture Stadium, the committee is proposing creating an attendance zone for the new school by moving portions of the existing La Plata, Maurice J. McDonough and Thomas Stone high school zones. State-rated capacity is 1,600, and both proposals allow for future growth.

Proposal A would open St. Charles with 963 students in grades 9 through 11, with 651 students transferring in from other high schools. The student population would increase to 1,275 students in 2015 with the addition of a senior class.

Proposal B opens the school with 956 students, with 648 transferring in from other schools. The student population increases to 1,262 the next year.

Henry E. Lackey High School
Henry E. Lackey High School is located in Marbury and could see a decrease in enrollment due to redistricting. Proposals A and B both move areas of the Lackey attendance zone to Maurice J. McDonough High School. Both proposals decrease the student enrollment to 1,104 in 2014.

La Plata High School
La Plata High School is located on Radio Station Road in La Plata and is over its state-rated capacity of 1,162. Both proposals reduce the attendance zone by moving areas to St. Charles High School. Proposal A decreases La Plata's student enrollment to 1,184 in 2014 and proposal B would reduce enrollment to 1,194. The school enrollment would be at or below state-rated capacity in the 2015 school year.

Maurice J. McDonough High School
McDonough is located in Pomfret with a 1,200 state-rated capacity. Redistricting proposals create a new attendance zone for McDonough by including areas from Lackey, North Point and Westlake high schools. The proposals also move students from McDonough to the new high school. Proposal A would decrease student enrollment by 4 percent to 1,081 and Proposal B would reduce student population by 14 percent to 969 students.

North Point High School
Located off Davis Road in Waldorf, North Point is at 141 percent of its 1,600 state-rated capacity with 2,240 students. Both plans immediately reduce overcrowding by moving attendance areas from North Point to Westlake and McDonough high schools. Proposal A reduces enrollment to 1,772 in the first year and to 1,462 in 2015. Proposal B would decrease enrollment 19 percent to 1,832 in 2014 and to 1,602 in 2015. Students accepted in the Science, Technology and Industry programs are not included in the redistricting.

Thomas Stone High School
Located in Waldorf off Leonardtown Road, Thomas Stone's student enrollment is under its state-rated capacity of 1,513. Proposal A would increase student enrollment, while Proposal B decreases the number of students. Both proposals move students from Thomas Stone to St. Charles and students from Westlake zones to Thomas Stone. Proposal A would increase the student enrollment to 1,360 students, while Proposal B would decrease enrollment to 1,307 students.

Westlake High School
Westlake is located on Middletown Road near the intersection of Smallwood Drive in Waldorf, and is over its state-rated capacity of 1,203. Both proposals reduce student enrollment; however, the school population does not decrease to state-rated capacity or below until the second year. The new attendance zone, in both proposals, would include areas from North Point and move areas to Thomas Stone and McDonough.


Proposal A decreases enrollment by 11 percent to 1,269 students in 2014 and to 1,127 students in 2015. Proposal B transfers less students and reduces student enrollment by 7 percent to 1,331 in 2014 and to 1,200 in 2015.

How to comment on the proposals

The Board and Superintendent receive the Redistricting Committee report at the April 9 meeting, and have scheduled two evenings – April 22 and April 23 – to accept public comment on the proposals. The first public hearing is 6:30-9 p.m., April 22, at North Point High School. The second hearing is 6:30-9 p.m., April 23, at La Plata High School. The Board is limiting speakers to commenting at one of the two hearings in order to maximize speaking opportunities for the highest number of people. Speakers have three minutes to comment. Following the public hearings, the Superintendent will develop recommendations to the Board for each high school based on review of the plans and public comments. The Superintendent can recommend one of the proposals or modified versions. A separate public hearing on the Superintendent's recommendations will be held 6:30-9 p.m., Monday, May 20, at Westlake High School. The Board will take a final vote on the high school redistricting on June 11 at its regular monthly meeting.

Residents may also mail or e-mail comments. E-mail comments to redistrict@ccboe.com or mail to Redistricting, Charles County Public Schools, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646.

Committee Members

The 16-member redistricting committee includes 10 parents, three community members and three school principals. Parent representatives include one from each high school, two from middle schools and two from elementary schools. High schools accepted applications and selected representatives by random drawing. Middle and elementary schools accepted interest from all parents, held a random drawing and each submitted one parent name to the Board of Education. The Board selected two middle and two elementary parent representatives by random drawing during its October meeting. Community members also applied to serve on the committee and were selected by the Board in a random drawing.

Once formed, the committee divided into two independent groups to develop an alternative. The committee members met eight times before submitting their proposals to the Superintendent. The committee first met at the Board's Nov. 5 redistricting information meeting in order to hear community questions and comments.

More information

Maps and more complete descriptions of each proposal are posted on the school system website at www.ccboe.com. Click on the High School Redistricting link under resources.

The school system is mailing a fact sheet outlining the redistricting proposals to parents of ninth and tenth graders and all middle school students. Elementary schools will send the fact sheet home with students the week of April 8.

Board meetings are televised live and aired on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12. The meetings also stream live on the school system website at www.ccboe.com.

REMINDER: Board of Education Meeting, 4/9/13

The Board of Education’s next monthly meeting is Tuesday, April 9, at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building on Radio Station Road in La Plata. The public portion of the meeting begins at 1 p.m. and student and staff recognition starts at 4:30 p.m. The meeting is televised live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12 and is rebroadcast throughout the week. The meeting is also streamed live on the Charles County Public Schools Web site. Visit http://www2.ccboe.com/boe/live/ to watch the meeting.

Executive session – 12 p.m.

Call to order – 1 p.m. - Pledge of Allegiance, La Plata High School’s JROTC unit

 

Superintendent’s update

 

Reports of officers/boards/committees

• Correspondence/Board Member updates
• Education Association of Charles County update
• Student Board Member update
• Policy #6000 - Instruction
• Sadlier grammar workshop and SpringBoard reading and mathematics
• Library media program
• Legislative update
• Cell phone rule

Action item

• Approval of new superintendent contract

Announcement of new superintendent

 

Reports of officers/boards/committees

• Redistricting proposals

Unfinished business

New business and future agenda items

Recognition – 4:30 p.m.

• Students
• Employees
• Resolutions: Teacher Appreciation Week; Administrative Professionals Week; Child Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week; and National Physical Education and Sports Week.

Public Forum – 6 p.m.

Action items

• Minutes
• Personnel
• 2014-15 calendar
• Revision of student transfer rule #5126