Notes from Board of Education Meeting,1/9/18

The Board of Education Meeting on Tuesday, January 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.

Call to order – 1 p.m. - Pledge of Allegiance, Maurice J. McDonough High School

Recognition of 2018 Maryland General Assembly Student Pages

Election of Chairman 

• Lukas nominates Palko; Second by Marshall

Unanimous Vote

Palko is 2018 Chairman

Election of Vice Chairman

• McGraw nominates Abell; Second by Marshall

Unanimous Vote

Abell is 2018 Vice Chairman

Superintendents update - Report

Correspondence/Board member updates

• McGraw - Congratulations; events attended; senior portfolios; EACC Legislative Reception; Scholorships application is online this year
• Crawford - Congratulations; Women at Risk event on January 18th; Challenge everyone to forgive and practice humility.  Quoted bible and Dr. Martin Luther King
• Kelly - Congratulations; Westlake tour; Thanks to all organizations and community for your assistance and support during the Bell investigation.
• Marshall - Congratulations
• Lukas - EACC Legislative Reception; CSM Luncheon
• Abell - thank you to fellow board members for your vote and support
• Palko - Maryland Independent Meet & Greet; EACC Recpetion; School visits; Senior Portfolios; Dreambox

Education Association of Charles County update - Report

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees update - Report

Student Board member update - Report

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) anti-bullying efforts - Report

• Kelly - Repeatedly?  Need to document twice before action?
• Hollstein - No
• McGraw - Reporting Form - follow-up and conferences documented?
• Hollstein - Yes
• Marshall - CCPS is not only educating in academics but we are eeducating the WHOLE student.
• Lukas - Reporting form just for students.  Staff has a different form.
• Palko - Still need a work group?
• Consensus of the board is to wait.

Student discipline programs - Report

• Increase in students with mental health issues
• Four programs implemented to address behavioral changes and discipline concerns
• Restorative Programs
• Aspire Program - K-2
• Therapeutic In-School Intervention Programs - HS
• Parent Shadowing - MS and HS
• Marshall - how do we collaborate with other agencies regarding the mental health issues of our students.
• Hollstein - We are exploring all options and making it a priority to find additional resources.  We have a partnership with Tri-County Youth Services and the Health Department.
• Crawford - parent shadowing - what happens at end of day if parent is not supportive and is defensive of their student
• Hollstein - It opens up the communication between the parent and teacher/administration
• McGraw - Timeline for Aspire program from start to end.  
• Hollstein - Approximately 45 days but individualized for each student
• Kelly - Aspire program works with parents as well for reinforcement of strategies.
• Palko - PASS program is no longer implemented?

Inclement weather procedures - Report

SMECO rebate should be $253,400

Proposed FY2019 operating budget - Presentation and Report

• Beacon Study proves that for every dollar CCPS spends, $1.81 is returned by in-county spending.
• Highest enrollment growth in the state.  Greatest for CCPS since 2005.   Plan for 460 additional students.
• Special Education student enrollment is increasing by 2.7%
• FARMS rate is 35.9%
• State funding will increase by $8.7M
• County funding request is 7% increase ($12.3M)
• Fund balanced decreased by $1M jeopardizing reserves as best practice ($3.2M)
• Lunch prices will remain the same:  Elementary $2.65 and Secondary $2.90 
• Operating cost per pupil $13,724
• Starting teacher salaries in Charles = $45,253, Calvert = $45,496, St. Mary's = $46,500
• Wellness program is successful
• $2M increase in health care cost
• Increase: 18 additional teachers to maintain 25:1 student teacher ratio
• Increase:  ASPIRE Program and Instructional Assistants
• State mandates replacement of 25 buses. (15 year life)
• Federal mandate to support teachers' pension ($8.1M)
• Various other mandatory costs
• Kelly - Narcan Nasal Spray Mandate - shouldn't it be included in the request.; OPEB why is that not included as a solid line item
• Sotomayer - OPEB is budgeted at $4M. 
• Lukas - not as high as a priority
• Crawford - MABE Insurance increase; are we locked in? Is this increase what you would expect to see
• Sotomayor - yes.  and this cost is minimal compared to if we were individually insured.
• Abell - thank you for the very informative and easy to comprehend presentation
• Palko - Board members send any budget questions to Chair for staff response prior to January work session

Legislative update

• Session starts tomorrow
• Sick Leave Bill - will be addressed this year.  We are against.
• state budget going in with a deficit; inlikely it will affect education
• recent federal tax bill may affect us is state reduces taxes
• Hogan announced new initiative on public education - hire a public school investigator to investigate schools around the state.
• Kelly - Hogan's announcement about changing 65% to 80% on accountability for schools
• Schwartz - Hogan would like to see it increased.  

Unfinished business

• Environmental scan update - survey is now live
• Kelly - tour of Billingsley
• Kelly - Updated Bullying Data
• Kelly - Eligibility Policy questions - send to staff
• Palko - The Green Sheet, Kirwan Commission
• Palko - Questions from NAACP

New business  

Future agenda items

• Kelly - Be the Difference Award and Nominees.  Subcommittee?
• Palko - Members to participate Kelly, McGraw and Lukas
• Palko - MABE Legislative Luncheon
• Hill - Online scheduling (Feb?)
• Lukas - Farming for Hunger Presentation
• Palko - Infants and Toddlers Program

Executive session – 11:15 a.m.

Motion to go into executive session by Abell:  Second by Kelly

Yes= Abell, Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, Marshall, McGraw, Palko

Public Forum – 6 p.m.  - NONE

Action items

• Minutes

Motion to approve the minutes by Abell:  Second by Kelly

Yes= Abell, Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, Marshall, McGraw, Palko

• Personnel

Motion to approve the Personnel by Abell:  Second by Lukas

Yes= Abell, Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, Marshall, McGraw, Palko

• John Hanson Middle School grant of access 

Motion to approve Grant Access by Kelly:  Second by Lukas

Yes= Abell, Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, Marshall, McGraw, Palko

Adjournment