[00:00:05]
FOR BALTIMORE COUNTY FOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2ND, 2026.
THIS EVENING'S BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING IS BEING BROADCAST THROUGH THE BCPS ONLINE LIVE MEETING BROADCAST, AND ON BCPS TV, XFINITY CHANNEL 1 0 7 3 AND VERIZON FIOS, CHANNEL 34.
IN ORDER TO EFFICIENTLY CONDUCT THIS MEETING, ALL VOTING ITEMS THIS EVENING WILL BE DONE BY ROLL CALL.
[A. CLOSED SESSION]
MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION AS PERMITTED BY THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT AS FOUND IN THE ANNOTATED CODE OF MARYLAND GENERAL PROVISIONS ARTICLE SECTIONS THREE DASH 3 0 5 B ONE AND B SEVEN TO DISCUSS THE APPOINTMENT, EMPLOYMENT ASSIGNMENT PROMOTION, DISCIPLINED DEMOTION, COMPENSATION FOR REMOVAL, RESIGNATION OR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF APPOINTEES, EMPLOYEES OR OFFICIALS OVER WHOM IT HAS JURISDICTION OR ANY OTHER PERSONNEL MATTER THAT AFFECTS ONE OR MORE SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS.AND CONSULT WITH COUNSEL TO OBTAIN LEGAL ADVICE.
MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL? VOTE PLEASE.
[B. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE/SILENT MEDITATION (6:30 p.m.)]
JANE LICHTER.I NOW CALL A ORDER OF THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF BALTIMORE COUNTY FOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2ND, 2026.
I INVITE YOU TO RECITE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG TO BE LED BY MS. FORESITE UNBE.
WE'LL THEN HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE AND RECOGNITION OF THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED EDUCATION IN BALTIMORE COUNTY TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
TONIGHT'S BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING IS BEING BROADCAST THROUGH THE BCPS ONLINE LIVE MEETING BROADCAST AND ON BCPS TV, COMCAST, XFINITY, CHANNEL 1 0 7 3, VERIZON FIOS, CHANNEL 34.
IN ORDER TO EFFICIENTLY CONDUCT THIS MEETING, ALL VOTING ITEMS THIS EVENING WILL BE DONE BY ROLL CALL VOTE.
[C. AGENDA (6:35 p.m.)]
ON THE AGENDA IS CONSIDERATION OF THE FEBRUARY 2ND AGENDA.DR. ROGERS, ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES TO TONIGHT'S AGENDA? MAY I HAVE A MOTION? OH, UH, MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADD AGENDA ITEM L, UPDATE ON THE VIRTUAL INCLEMENT WEATHER PLAN AND CHANGE AGENDA ITEMS. INFORMATION FROM L TO M BOARD COMMITTEE UPDATES FROM M TO N AND ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM N TO O.
CAN YOU JUST REPEAT THAT ONE? OH, OKAY.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADD AGENDA ITEM L, UPDATE ON THE VIRTUAL INCLEMENT WEATHER PLAN AND CHANGE AGENDA ITEMS. INFORMATION FROM L TO M BOARD COMMITTEE UPDATES FROM M TO N AND ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM N TO O.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND HAND.
ANY DISCUSSION? DO YOU WANNA SPEAK TO YOUR MOTION, MS. DOKI? YES.
UH, THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS ASKED AT THE NOVEMBER 18TH MEETING ABOUT THE INCLEMENT WEATHER PLAN AND, AND HOW WE WERE, YOU KNOW, FACILITATING THAT FOR ALL, MAKING IT, UM, EQUITABLE FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, K THROUGH 12 WITH THE NEW RATIOS OF, UM, UH, DEVICES.
AND, UM, I JUST WAS KIND OF LIKE HOPING WE COULD GET SOME MORE ANSWERS, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE JUST, YOU KNOW, ARE COMING OFF OF HAVING TO GO THROUGH IT.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? MS. STOLSKI? THANK YOU.
I JUST WOULD LIKE TO ADD, YOU KNOW, JUST GIVEN, UM, THE VARIETY OF FEEDBACK, UM, THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED, I JUST THINK THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT, UM, WEATHER CLOSING THE PROCESS, AND THEN THE PLANS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE FOR VIRTUAL LEARNING.
UM, I TOO WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE'RE SUPPORTING OUR SCHOOLS, HOW WE'RE SUPPORTING OUR FAMILIES.
UM, I UNDERSTAND SEVERAL SCHOOLS WERE SCRAMBLING TO, UM, PREPARE FOR THIS RECENT STORM.
AND, UM, GIVEN ANY LESSONS LEARNED WE HAD IN RESPONDING TO THIS STORM, IT'S THE FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY.
WE HAVE A LONG WAYS TO GO, UNFORTUNATELY, HOW WE PLAN TO, UM, IMPROVE OUR SUPPORT TO SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES FOR ANY FUTURE WEATHER INCIDENT.
[00:05:01]
IS, UM, EY JUST A COMMENT.UM, I AGREE WITH NEEDING THE INFO INFORMATION.
UM, I DO THINK THAT, UM, SOME OF THE INFORMATION IS READILY AVAILABLE.
SOME STAFF MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PREPARED TO PRESENT.
SO WITH AN UNDERSTANDING THAT IF QUESTIONS CANNOT BE ANSWERED TONIGHT, WE'LL GET AN UPDATE IN THE FUTURE.
MS. DOKI? YES, I THINK THAT'S ACTUALLY A GREAT POINT BECAUSE CERTAINLY THIS IS A FLUID, UH, EXPERIENCE.
ANYONE ELSE, MS. HEN? UM, YES.
AND ALTERNATIVELY, IF WE, UM, WISH NOT TO SUPPORT THIS AS A FULL AGENDA ITEM, IF DR. ROGERS PREFERS, AND I'D LIKE TO GET HER THOUGHTS ON THIS IN ADDRESSING IT IN HER UPDATE, I WOULD BE, UM, OPEN TO THAT AS A SUGGESTION AS WELL.
ROGERS' THOUGHTS ON THIS MOTION.
JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, DO YOU MEAN AT OUR, WE HAVE ANOTHER MEETING NEXT TUESDAY, SO YOU MEAN, UM, TONIGHT I, I SUPPORT THIS AND I SECONDED THIS MOTION.
UM, HOWEVER, I'D LIKE TO GET DR. ROGERS THOUGHTS ON IT, AND IF THIS IS A MOTION THAT THE BOARD, UM, I'D LIKE THE, MY COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT IT.
HOWEVER, AN ALTERNATIVE WOULD BE FOR DR. ROGERS TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE IN HER SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
UM, WE HAVE NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEBRIEF.
UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE'RE STILL IN THE MIDST OF THIS WINTER STORM, SO I WOULD BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE A FUTURE UPDATE AS REQUESTED.
MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE PLEASE.
MS. HARVEY, WE'RE VOTING ON MS. DO'S MOTION.
WHAT MS. HEN SAID IS NOT PART OF THAT MOTION.
CORRECT? I JUST WANNA GET CLARIFICATION, MS. HARVEY.
YEAH, I JUST WANTED A CLARIFICATION AS WELL.
UH, IF, IF THE UPDATE AS MS. HUMPHREY AND MS. LESKI SAID THE INFORMATION THAT WOULD BE PROVIDED WOULD BE THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE ON HAND, AND IF THERE IS NO, THERE'S INFORMATION THAT THE TEAM NEEDS A OPPORTUNITY TO COMPILE AND ASSESS, WE WOULD NOT BE EXPECTING TO HAVE THAT TONIGHT.
AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY SPECIFICS ON, ON WHAT PARTICULAR ITEMS WE'RE SEEKING TO UPDATE OR, OR ARE THERE SPECIFICS? THERE WERE ACTUALLY QUESTIONS THAT I BROUGHT UP AT THE NOVEMBER 18TH MEETING AS FAR AS WHAT OUR PLAN WAS FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, RULING OUT THE VIRTUAL, UM, UH, VIRTUAL LEARNING FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS AND HOW WE WERE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATE WITH OUR SCHOOLS AND MAKE SURE OUR TEACHERS WERE PREPARED AND OUR STUDENTS WERE PREPARED AND THEY HAD THE DEVICES THEY NEEDED OR THE PACKETS THEY NEEDED FOR THE VIRTUAL DAY TO BE A REPLACEMENT FOR A FULL DAY OF IN, IN, OF, OF, UM, IN CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION.
MS. N UM, YES, AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO CLARIFY WITH MY COLLEAGUE, MS. DOMINA GAVE THAT, UM, A FORMAL PRESENTATION IS NOT THE EXPECTATION THAT WOULD REQUIRE, UM, ADVANCED PREPARATION, BUT RATHER FOR HER, FOR THIS TO BE AN INITIAL DISCUSSION AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS.
MS. GOVER, NOW ROLL CALL VOTE PLEASE.
AND THEN, UM, YES, I APOLOGIZE MS. GOBER.
SO, UM, MS. GOBER, YOU'LL LET ME KNOW WHEN TO REFRESH MY SCREEN.
IN THE MEANTIME, WHERE WERE WE? OKAY, DR. ROGERS, IS THERE ANY OTHER ADDITIONS OR CHANGES TO TONIGHT'S AGENDA THAT YOU WOULD OKAY.
SO THE REVISED AGENDA IS APPROVED AND NOW THE AGENDA STANDS AS PRESENTED.
EARLIER THIS EVENING, THE BOARD MET ENCLO SESSION PURSUANT TO THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS TO DISCUSS THE APPOINTMENT, EMPLOYMENT ASSIGNMENT, PROMOTION, DISCIPLINED DEMOTION, COMPENSATION REMOVAL, RESIGNATION OR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF APPOINTEES, EMPLOYEES OR OFFICIALS OVER WHOM IT HAS JURISDICTION OR ANY OTHER PERSONNEL MATTER THAT AFFECTS ONE OR MORE SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS, AND CONSULT WITH THE COUNSEL TO OBTAIN LEGAL ADVICE.
THE CLOSED SESSION SUMMARY AND THE OPEN SESSION INFORMATION SUMMARY CAN BE FOUND ON BOARD DOCS UNDER THIS BOARD MEETING AGENDA DATE.
[D. SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS - RECOGNITION OF STUDENT ARTWORK (Dr. Grim and Mr. Tantleff) (6:40 - 6:45 p.m.)]
ON THE AGENDA IS A SPECIAL ORDER OF THE SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS RECOGNITION OF STUDENT ARTWORK IN THE FY 2025 ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT.[00:10:03]
GOOD EVENING.CHAIR LICHTER, VICE CHAIR, HARVEY, SUPERINTENDENT, DR. ROGERS AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
UM, AS YOU STATED, UH, WE'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE OUR STUDENTS WHO HAD ARTWORK DISPLAYED IN THIS YEAR'S FER.
EMMA WHITLOCK, GRADE SEVEN, COCKEYSVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL, DANIELLA CORONA, MARITA, SIXTH GRADE, COCKEYSVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL, GY SEVENTH GRADE MIDDLE SCHOOL VIRTUAL LEARNING PROGRAM.
GIA FORNO, EIGHTH GRADE, PERRY HALL MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND KENDALL KNEES, EIGHTH GRADE PERRY HALL MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND I WILL BE HONEST, WHEN WE READ THROUGH THAT LONG REPORT, IT DID GET GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF PLEASURE WHEN YOU WOULD HIT THOSE, UM, THOSE ART, THOSE PICTURES FROM OUR BUDDING ARTISTS.
SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT, AND THANK YOU TO OUR ARTISTS WHO, UM, SUBMITTED THOSE SELECTIONS.
OKAY, MISS
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS
[E. NEW BUSINESS - PERSONNEL MATTERS (Mr. McCall) (6:45 - 6:50 p.m.)]
PERSONNEL MATTERS.AND FOR THAT, I CALL MR. MCCALL.
TER, VICE CHAIR HARVEY, SUPERINTENDENT DR. ROGERS.
AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, I LIKE THE BOARD'S CONSENT FOR THE FOLLOWING
FOR THE FOLLOWING PERSONNEL MATTERS TONIGHT WE HAVE TERMINATIONS, RETIREMENT, RESIGNATIONS LEAVES, AND EDUCATOR LICENSURE APPOINTMENTS.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE PERSONNEL MATTERS AS PRESENTED IN EXHIBITS E ONE THROUGH E FIVE? SO MOVED.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND HAND.
ANY DISCUSSION? MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE PLEASE.
THE NEXT ITEM ON THANK YOU MR. MCCALL.
[F. NEW BUSINESS - ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS (Dr. Rogers) (6:50 - 7:00 p.m.)]
NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS, AND FOR THAT I CALL ON DR. ROGERS.THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR, LICHTER, VICE CHAIR HARVEY, AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
I'M BRINGING FORWARD THE FOLLOWING ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS FOR YOUR APPROVAL DIRECTOR, FACILITY SUPPORT SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF FACILITIES MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGIC PLANNING AND SPECIALISTS SCIENCE PRE-K THROUGH 12, OFFICE OF SCIENCE.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS AS PRESENTED IN EXHIBIT F1? SO MOVED.
ANY DISCUSSION? MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL? VOTE PLEASE.
OUR FIRST APPOINTMENT IS CRYSTAL ROMANOWSKI, PLEASE STAND.
CRYSTAL IS ATTENDING THIS EVENING AND IS BEING APPOINTED AS SPECIALISTS IN SCIENCE PRE-K THROUGH 12 IN THE OFFICE OF SCIENCE WITH 15 YEARS OF SERVICE WITH BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
HER PRIOR EXPERIENCES INCLUDE SCIENCE TEACHER AT CHESAPEAKE HIGH SCHOOL RESOURCE TEACHER IN THE OFFICE OF TITLE ONE VIRTUAL LEARNING PRO PROGRAM STAFFING DEVELOPMENT TEACHER WITH THE OFFICE OF VIRTUAL LEARNING PROGRAMS AND RESOURCE TEACHER IN THE OFFICE OF SCIENCE.
OUR SECOND APPOINTMENT IS SCOTT.
SCOTT IS ATTENDING THIS EVENING WITH HIS WIFE KARA, AND A YOUNG WELSH MEMBER BACK THERE.
UH, SCOTT IS BEING APPOINTED AS THE DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES SUPPORT SERVICES AND THE DEPARTMENT OF FACILITIES MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGIC PLANNING WITH EIGHT YEARS OF SERVICE WITH BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
SCOTT'S BCPS EXPERIENCE INCLUDES MAINTENANCE MANAGER IN THE OFFICE OF FACILITY SUPPORT SERVICES.
CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH OF YOU.
[G. PUBLIC COMMENT (7:00 - 7:40 p.m.)]
IS PUBLIC COMMENT.THIS IS ONE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THE BOARD PROVIDES TO HEAR THE VIEWS AND RECEIVE THE ADVICE OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
IF NOT SELECTED TO ADDRESS THE BOARD, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY SUBMIT THEIR COMMENTS TO THE BOARD MEMBERS VIA EMAIL@BOEATBCPS.ORG.
THE BALTIMORE COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT'S HOMELAND SECURITY UNIT AND OFFICE OF SCHOOL SAFETY HAS RECOMMENDED SAFETY AND SECURITY PROTOCOLS,
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WHICH ARE POSTED IN THE BOARDROOM AND AVAILABLE IN BOARD DOCS AND ON THE BOARD'S PARTICIPATION BY THE PUBLIC WEBSITE.WHILE WE ENCOURAGE PUBLIC INPUT ON POLICY PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THIS BOARD AND THIS SCHOOL SYSTEM, THIS IS NOT THE PROPER FORM TO ADDRESS SPECIFIC STUDENTS OR EMPLOYEE MATTERS OR TO COMMENT ON MATTERS THAT DO NOT RELATE TO PUBLIC EDUCATION IN BALTIMORE COUNTY.
INAPPROPRIATE PERSONAL REMARKS OR OTHER BEHAVIOR SUCH AS LANGUAGE THAT PROMOTES VIOLENCE AGAINST A-B-C-P-S EMPLOYEE OR THAT DISRUPTS OR INTERFERES WITH THE CONDUCT OF THIS MEETING ARE OUT OF ORDER, WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.
PERSONS WHO OTHERWISE DISRUPT OR DISTURB THIS MEETING WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE THEIR REMARKS AND WILL BE ESCORTED FROM THE MEETING.
PLEASE OBSERVE THE THREE MINUTE CLOCK, WHICH WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP.
THE MICROPHONE WILL BE TURNED OFF AT THE END OF YOUR TIME OR PRIOR TO THAT TIME AT THE DISCRETION OF THE BOARD CHAIR.
FIRST, WE'LL START WITH OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM AFFILIATED GROUPS, AND WE HAVE MS. KELLY OLDS FROM TAPCO.
BUT NEXT WE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY, LET, DON'T MOVE.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY SCHOOL SYSTEM AFFILIATED, BUT WE NEXT CATEGORY IS UNIONS, AND WE HAVE MS. KELLY HOLDS FROM TIME CO.
CHAIR LICHTER, VICE CHAIR HARVEY, DR. ROGERS AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
WE ARE HERE TO EDUCATE THE CHILDREN OF BALTIMORE COUNTY.
THEY'RE THE STUDENTS IN OUR SCHOOLS.
TEACHING IS AT ITS CORE VALUE, A VULNERABLE EVENT.
TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW, YOU MUST FEEL SAFE.
OUR ROLE AS EDUCATORS AND AS A SCHOOL SYSTEM IS TO ENSURE THAT CHILDREN FEEL SAFE SO THEY'RE READY TO LEARN.
IT IS NOT TO ENFORCE CIVIL IMMIGRATION LAW ANY MORE THAN IT IS TO ENFORCE CRIMINAL LAWS.
THIS LEADS ME TO TAB CO'S ADV ADVOCACY FOR NEW POLICY.
A POLICY THAT CLEARLY REMOVES SCHOOLS FROM IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AND ALSO ENSURES THAT ALL STAFF KNOW WHAT TO DO AND WHAT NOT TO DO SHOULD IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AGENTS COME TO OUR SCHOOLS.
IMMIGRATION IS A COMPLEX TOPIC, THOUGH OUR OPINIONS ON IT IN THIS SETTING IN AND AROUND SCHOOLS CAN BE SIMPLE.
TAB CO'S REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY, A GROUP OF DOZENS OF EDUCATORS VOTED TO DIRECT TABCO, INCLUDING ME AS TABCO PRESIDENT, TO WORK FOR THIS POLICY.
BCPS GUIDELINES ON IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT LARGELY AND APPROPRIATELY TAKEN FROM MSDE OVER OVERALL ARE GOOD.
MORE CRITICALLY, THESE GUIDELINES ARE NOT REGULARLY SHARED WITH OR INSTRUCTED TO STAFF THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM.
THE PRESENCE OF ENFORCEMENT AGENTS IN A COMMUNITY CAN BE A SOURCE OF STRESS AND FEAR IN A SPACE THAT SHOULD FEEL SAFE, ESPECIALLY IF THE ADULTS IN THOSE SPACES KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TO DO.
BUT IF THEY DON'T, IT CAN IMPACT THAT NEGATIVELY.
UH, THEY LEARN WHAT TO DO THROUGH TRAININGS AND REMINDERS.
CBP AND ICE WERE ACTIVE IN PARKVILLE ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 23RD, WHICH CAUSED A DISTURBANCE THROUGHOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH VARIOUS IMPACTS ON AT LEAST FIVE SCHOOLS IN THE VICINITY.
WHILE I RECOGNIZE THAT THIS ISSUE IS POLARIZING, IT SHOULD NOT BE IN THE SCHOOL SETTING.
KEEPING OUR SCHOOLS A SAFE SPACE FOR STUDENTS MEANS MAKING SURE THE ADULTS IN THE BUILDING KNOW WHAT THE PROTOCOL IS AND IS NOT WHEN PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY THREATEN THE FEELING OF SAFETY INSIDE THE SCHOOL.
FURTHER, WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IT IS CONTROVERSIAL TO SAY THAT SCHOOLS HAVE A JOB TO DO, AND THAT JOB IS TO EDUCATE OUR STUDENTS, NOT IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT.
PLEASE CONSIDER TAB CO'S PROPOSED POLICY.
IN THIS LIGHT, WE SEEK TO CODIFY LARGELY GOOD GUIDELINES WHILE ALSO MAKING SURE THE SUBSTANCE OF THE POLICY IS SHARED THOROUGHLY AND REPEATEDLY WITH SCHOOL STAFF.
A POLICY LIKE THIS ENSURES THAT WE CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER TO KEEP EDUCATING OUR STUDENTS, THE CHILDREN OF OUR COUNTY.
OUR NEXT CATEGORY IS INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS OR STUDENTS.
AND OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS MS. SHARON SOFF.
I'M GONNA BRIEFLY TOUCH ON WHAT I'VE BEEN TOUCHING ON FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF MEETINGS.
AS FAR AS THE SCHOOL BUDGET IS CONCERNED, WE SHOULD NOT BE WORK ELIMINATING SECONDARY READING SPECIALISTS, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE STATE IS FOCUSING ON SECONDARY LITERACY.
[00:20:01]
ALSO SHOULD NOT BE REPURPOSING OR GETTING RID OF LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALISTS FOR THAT SAME REASON.I'M GONNA FOCUS TODAY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SAFETY AND GIVE AN UPDATE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A PARENT AND AN ADVOCATE WHO'S LIVING THE SITUATION IN MY COMMUNITY, A PLOW NEVER CAME DOWN MY STREET.
HOWEVER, ON A NORMAL SCHOOL DAY, THREE BUSES COME DOWN MY STREET TWICE A DAY.
THEY DIDN'T COME DOWN TODAY BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T GET DOWN.
THERE WAS JUST NO WAY THEY COULD GET DOWN.
AND I LIVE AROUND THE CORNER FROM TIMBER GROVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
THERE ARE NO SIDEWALKS THAT ARE CLEAR.
THERE ARE SOME SIDEWALKS THAT ARE CLEAR ON MY STREET, BUT, AND SOME ON HAMMER SHIRE.
BUT OVERALL, IT WAS VERY UNSAFE FOR THE MAJORITY OF TIMBER GROVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO GET THEIR KIDS INTO THE BUILDING.
I HAVE BEEN AROUND ON STREETS AND I CAN TELL YOU HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO DRIVE SAFELY, HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO WALK SAFELY.
IF ANYBODY NOTICED, I HAVE A CANE WITH ME TODAY.
THE ONLY REASON I HAVE IT IS BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA FALL AS FAR AS COMMUNICATION WAS CONCERNED ABOUT VIRTUAL LEARNING.
I WAS IN AN IEP MEETING AT ONE OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WHEN THE PRINCIPAL CAME ON THE LOUDSPEAKER TO INSTRUCT THE TEACHERS AS TO WHAT TO DO.
THIS WAS THE FRIDAY BEFORE THE SUNDAY STORM, AND HE WAS INSTRUCTING THE TEACHERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY COPIED DOWN ALL THE, THE NUMBERS ON THE BACK OF THE COMPUTERS AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY GAVE THE COMPUTERS AND THAT THEY WERE CHARGED AT TWO O'CLOCK.
SO THAT FOUR O'CLOCK WHEN THE KIDS WENT HOME, THEY HAD THE COMPUTERS AVAILABLE.
HOW LONG HAVE WE KNOWN THE STORM WAS COMING? WE KNEW ABOUT IT ON WEDNESDAY.
WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN PREPARING ON WEDNESDAY, YET WE PREPARED AT THE LAST MINUTE AND TODAY WE'RE SENDING OUR STUDENTS BACK TWO HOURS LATE TOMORROW, WE'RE SENDING OUR STUDENTS BACK TWO HOURS LATE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS BS FARONE.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO SPEAK TO YOU AND, UM, TALK TO YOU ABOUT EDUCATION ISSUES.
FIRST OF ALL, I REALLY THANK YOU DR.
RAS FOR, UH, IMPLEMENTING THE ONLINE, UH, EDUCATION ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.
UM, OF COURSE, MY SMALL BUSINESS, I WORKED ON MONDAY ONLINE.
I WORKED ON TUESDAY IN MY CLINIC, MY STAFF WORK, AND I WATCHED, UM, MT AIR BUSES GOING AROUND, UH, LIMITED SERVICE, BUT NONETHELESS GOING AROUND, UH, WITHOUT A PROBLEM.
AND I WONDERED WHY THE SCHOOL SYSTEM CANNOT REALLY DO THE SAME.
NOW I UNDERSTAND THE RATIONALE SAFETY FOR CHILDREN.
UH, ONE CHILD ENJOYED THIS ONE TOO MANY, ET CETERA, AND THERE ARE LEGAL ISSUES, ET CETERA.
BUT THE WAY I SEE IT FROM MY END IS THAT THIS EXTRA, EXTRA CAREFULNESS IS A SYMPTOM OF A SYSTEM THAT DOES NOT REALLY HAVE ADEQUATE FUNDING, ADEQUATE PLANNING TO MEET THE CHALLENGES, WHETHER THEY WERE COID FIVE YEARS AGO, UH, OR WHETHER THEY ARE THE HEAVY SNOW.
UM, I WAS UNHAPPY THAT THE, UM, TEACHERS ALL OF A SUDDEN HAVE TO DO THE ONLINE EDUCATION AND THEY HAVE NOT REALLY TRAINED ON IT BEFORE.
SO, AS YOU KNOW, IN MY PAST HISTORY AS A SURGEON, YOU KNOW, I WOULD NEVER REALLY DO SOMETHING RIGHT THERE IN THE OPERATING ROOM WITHOUT TRAINING ON IT SOMEHOW BEFORE, WHETHER IT'S A MODEL
[00:25:01]
OR, UM, UH, OTHER TYPE OF TRAINING.UH, BUT NONETHELESS, UH, AGAIN, IT WAS A POSITIVE THING THAT WE SEE THE ADMINISTRATION IS MOVING IN THAT MONEY YOU DON'T HAVE.
I THINK THIS IS AN EXAMPLE WHERE THE BOARD NEEDS TO EXPLORE AREAS WHERE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM CAN BE GENERATING FUNDS INSTEAD OF JUST SUCKING TAXES.
UH, SOME SORT OF HYBRID, UH, UH, SYSTEM WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE MCDONALDS, YOU WOULD HAVE PANERA BREAD, UH, YOU WOULD HAVE SOME OTHER, UH, UH, SHOPS THAT WILL GENERATE FUNDS FOR YOU THAT CAN ADDRESS THE ISSUE THAT, UH, YOU NEED MONEY FOR, ADEQUATE SNOW PLOWING, RAISING SALARIES, UH, BY ANY BETTER COMPUTERS AND SO FORTH.
AND I KNOW THIS IS RADICAL, BUT I HAVE BEEN FOR SO LONG, SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.
WE HAVE NO SPEAKERS ON THE WAIT LIST, SO WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO COMMENTS ON OUR BOARD POLICIES.
THE FIRST BOARD POLICY IS POLICY 1110 PUBLICATIONS, RADIO, TELEVISION, AND DIGITAL MEDIA.
AND OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS SHARON SOFF.
CONSIDERING HOW HARD IT IS TO GET THE, UH, INFORMATION I'M SPEAKING ON, I AM JUST GOING TO SAY CONCERNING POLICIES WITH THE, THE MEDIA.
MEDIA FINDS IT VERY DIFFICULT TO GET INFORMATION FROM THIS SCHOOL SYSTEM, PARTICULARLY WHEN WE WANNA TALK ABOUT VARIOUS POLICIES, WHEN WE WANNA TALK ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE BUDGET, WE WANNA TALK ABOUT, UM, SPECIAL EDUCATION.
THE MEDIA SEEMS TO HAVE A PROBLEM AND I'M CONSTANTLY HEARING WE CAN'T GET A HOLD OF ANYBODY.
WELL, GUESS WHAT? I CAN'T GET A HOLD OF ANYBODY EITHER IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, SO YOU'RE, THEY'RE NOT ALONE.
BUT I JUST WANNA SAY THAT AS FAR AS COMMUNICATING TO THE MEDIA, WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB AND WE NEED TO HAVE A PLAN, AND I DON'T THINK WE REALLY HAVE ONE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER ON BOARD POLICY 1110 IS DR.
I THINK THIS POLICY IS REALLY GOOD.
UH, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I NOTICED THE FIRST PARAGRAPH THAT IT DOES NOT, UH, SPECIFY VERBAL COMMUNICATION WITH THE PUBLIC.
UH, I THINK THAT'S A MISSING AND I WISH THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER INCLUDING IT.
I WAS EXTREMELY HAPPY TO SEE THE WORDINGS, UH, ABOUT COMMUNICATION EFFECTIVELY, EFFICIENTLY AND RELIABLY.
UH, AND THE FIRST PARAGRAPH, UH, AS YOU KNOW, I HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH THE BOARD FOR A LONG TIME AND I REALLY RARELY RECEIVE, UH, A RESPONSE.
UH, FOR INSTANCE, I SPEND QUITE A BIT OF TIME ON SUNDAY TO LOOK AT THESE POLICIES, UM, AND I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT, UM, WITHOUT PAY.
UM, SO THESE BIG WORDS THAT IN THE POLICY MAKES ME WONDER WHEN AND WHETHER THE SYSTEM WILL TRULY IMPLEMENTING THEM.
SO I AM DOING MY BEST AS A CITIZEN TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE BOARD, THE ENTITY, THE BIG ENTITY, THE BOARD.
AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T GET ANY COMMUNICATION BACK.
AND SOMETIMES SOME MEMBERS MAKE THEMSELVES BUSY WITH THEIR PAPERS WHILE I SPEAK WITH THEIR LAPTOPS.
AND I THINK THAT'S, UH, A BIT RUDE.
UM, IF I SPEND MY PRECIOUS TIME TO PRESENT TO YOU IN THREE MINUTES
[00:30:02]
AND YOU GET PAID, WELL AT LEAST PAY ATTENTION.SO, UH, IF THIS POLICY PASSES THE WAY IT IS, I HOPE THAT YOU WOULD IMPLEMENT IT IF SOMEONE LIKE MYSELF OR SHARON OR OTHERS SEND YOU AN EMAIL OR MAKE THAT SPECIAL TIME TO COME IN AND ADDRESS SOMETHING WITH YOU THAT YOU WOULD RESPOND BACK, WHETHER IT'S EMAIL OR PERSON OR MESSENGER.
AND I PAY QUITE A BIT OF TAXES AND I'M HAPPY TO DO SO.
AT LEAST I GET A RESPONSE BACK, DR.
PHONE, YOU CAN STAY THERE FOR THE NEXT ONE.
IT'S OUR NEXT POLICY IS 54 70.
WELLNESS, 54 70 IS ABOUT SERVICES TO STUDENTS.
UM, SO THIS IS ABOUT NUTRITION AND ABOUT EXERCISE PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES.
SO I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT IN MY PRACTICE OVER THE PAST ALMOST 35 YEARS PLUS, I HAVE BEEN BOARD CERTIFIED IN SURGERY CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE, EVEN UNTIL NOW.
AND I USED TO BE ALSO BOARD CERTIFIED IN NUTRITION SUPPORT AND PRACTICING IT UNTIL ABOUT 2020.
SO IF I WAS CRITICAL HERE IN ANYTHING, IT DOES NOT REALLY MEAN I AM BEING NOT SUPPORTIVE OF EXERCISE OR NUTRITION.
SO IN LINE NUMBER 14, UH, TALKS ABOUT ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, AND HAS POSITIVE ACADEMIC OUTCOME, INCLUDING LOWER ABSENTEEISM, IMPROVED TEST SCORES, AND ENHANCED STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS.
SO HERE, HERE IS MY REALLY HONEST, HUMBLE QUESTION TO YOU.
OKAY? UM, WHEN I READ SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IT REALLY REMINDS ME WITH THE ADVERTISEMENT ON TV A WHILE BACK, WHERE IS THE BEEF? I ASK YOU, WHERE IS THE PROOF THAT IF WE CONCENTRATE ON APPROPRIATE NUTRITION AND EXERCISE, THAT IT LEADS TO IMPROVEMENT IN ACHIEVEMENT? WHERE, WHERE IS THE PROOF OF THAT? UM, I DON'T SEE IT WHEN I SEARCH.
I DON'T, I DIDN'T SEE IT WHEN, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE OVERWEIGHT AND THEY SIT BEHIND COMPUTERS AND THEY ARE SMART AND PRODUCTIVE.
UM, SO I, I LIKE TO SEE SOME SORT OF REFERENCES IN THE BOTTOM OF THIS POLICY AND EVERY POLICY THAT RELATES TO THIS STATEMENT TO WHERE IT CAME FROM OBJECTIVELY.
AND I DON'T REALLY SEE THAT IN MULTIPLE AREAS OF THIS POLICY.
AGAIN, I'M NOT REALLY, UM, AGAINST NUTRITION AND EXERCISE.
UH, THERE IS ANOTHER ONE TALKS ABOUT HELPING THE STUDENT DEVELOP SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, AND ATTITUDE NECESSARY TO ADOPT, MAINTAIN HEALTHY LIFESTYLE, UM, ATTITUDE.
I MEAN, THAT'S REALLY A STRETCH.
UH, I DON'T THINK SCHOOL SYSTEMS SHOULD DO THAT.
I THINK YOU SHOULD STICK TO THE FACT THANK, THANK YOU, UM, FOR 54 70.
UM, MS. SHARON SOFF, YOU GONNA PASS? OKAY, THANK YOU.
FRE, YOU CAN STAY THERE FOR BOARD POLICY.
SO KINDLY DON'T REALLY HATE ME FOR WHATEVER I'M GOING TO SAY.
THIS POLICY IS ABOUT INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES, IT'S ABOUT LIBRARIES, ABOUT LIBRARIANS BEING LICENSED, ABOUT THE LIBRARIANS SERVING AS TEACHERS AND OTHER SIMILAR THINGS.
[00:35:01]
AND I KNOW IT IS IN COMAR AND YOU ARE OBLIGED TO OBEY COMAR.HOWEVER, UM, WHEN I GO TO ANY SCHOOL TO VISIT, AND I REALLY LOOK AT THE SCHOOL LIBRARY, MY IMPRESSION, MY JUDGMENT ABOUT THAT SCHOOL AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, THAT IT IS REALLY A BACKWARD SYSTEM, A SYSTEM BEHIND THE TIME.
AND I KNOW THERE ARE SOME ON THE BOARD AND OUTSIDE PEOPLE WHO LOVE CONVENTIONAL TEACHING AND CRITICIZE SCREEN TIME COMPUTERS, BUT THIS IS AN ERA OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
THIS IS AN ERA OF SOFTWARE AND WE CANNOT REALLY HAVE LIBRARIANS AND LIBRARIES IN AN OLD FASHIONED WAY.
EVERY TEACHER SHOULD BE A LIBRARIAN.
THE STUDENTS NEEDS TO BE ADEPT AND THEY ARE ALREADY ADEPT.
DESPITE US, THE ADULTS, THE PARENTS, THEY ARE ADEPT WITH INTERNET.
THEY ARE ADEPT IN SEARCHING THINGS.
UH, MY KIDS BASICALLY TALK ABOUT CHAD, GGBT FAR MORE THAN, UM, I DO.
AND MY GRANDDAUGHTER IS THE SAME.
SHE'S MORE EDUCATED IN THAT THAN EVEN MYSELF.
SO WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS WHAT I SEE THAT THIS POLICY, ALTHOUGH IT'S COMPLIANT WITH COMAR, ET CETERA, IT REALLY TELLS ME THAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IS NOT FOCUSED ON ADVANCING INTO HIGH TECHNOLOGY.
YOU KNOW, IF THE UNITED STATES NAVY AIR FORCE WOULD USE THE SAME TECHNIQUE THAT THE BOARD USE OLD FASHIONED, LESS HIGH TECH, THEY WOULD NOT ACCOMPLISH WHATEVER ACCOMPLISHING.
WE, WE REALLY NEED TO THINK HIGH TECH.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER ON POLICY 6,200 IS SANTINA GENNADI.
GOOD EVENING, CHAIR LICHTER, VICE CHAIR HARVEY, UH, SUPERINTENDENT DR. ROGERS, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
MY NAME IS SANTINA GENTI AND I'M A-B-C-P-S PARENT, UH, AND A LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST.
I'M HERE TONIGHT TO URGE YOU TO APPROVE REVISIONS TO POLICY 6,200 SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND TO HIGHLIGHT HOW THESE UPDATES ALIGN BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH STATE LAW PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND POLICIES ALREADY ADOPTED BY OTHER MARYLAND SCHOOL SYSTEMS. AS OUTLINED IN THE POLICY ANALYSIS, THE REVISED POLICY 6,200 REFLECTS A STATEWIDE SHIFT TOWARD TREATING SCHOOL LIBRARIES AS INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS GOVERNED BY COMMAR, THE MARYLAND SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA STANDARDS, THE A LA BILL OF RIGHTS, AND THE MARYLAND FREEDOM TO READ ACT.
MANY MARYLAND DISTRICTS, INCLUDING MONTGOMERY, PRINCE GEORGE'S, FREDERICK HOWARD COUNTY, AND BALTIMORE CITY HAVE ADOPTED POLICIES THAT EXPLICITLY AFFIRM INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM, PROHIBIT CENSORSHIP, AND PROTECT LIBRARY PERSONNEL WHEN PERFORMING THEIR DUTIES CONSISTENT WITH PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND STATE LAW.
THE REVISED POLICY REFLECTS APPROACHES USED IN OTHER MARYLAND DISTRICTS SUCH AS MONTGOMERY AND PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY.
BY AFFIRMING THAT LIBRARY COLLECTIONS ARE SELECTED AND REVIEWED THROUGH CLEAR ESTABLISHED PROCEDURES, ALIGNED WITH STATE REQUIREMENTS AND IMPLEMENTED BY TRAINED PROFESSIONALS.
THIS ALIGNMENT STRENGTHENS CONSISTENCY ACROSS MARYLAND AND REDUCES LEGAL AND PROCEDURAL RISK.
THE REVISIONS ALSO ALIGN WITH PEER DISTRICTS BY RECOGNIZING THE NEED TO MAINTAIN AND UPGRADE LIBRARY FACILITIES.
EFFECTIVE LIBRARY PROGRAMS DEPEND NOT ONLY ON APPROPRIATE COLLECTIONS AND STAFFING, BUT ALSO ON FUNCTIONAL SPACES THAT SUPPORT INSTRUCTION, COLLABORATION, AND ACCESS TO PRINT AND DIGITAL RESOURCES BY INCLUDING LANGUAGE ABOUT MAINTAINING AND UPGRADING LIBRARY SPACES.
POLICY 6,200 REFLE A COMPREHENSIVE MODERN APPROACH TO SCHOOL LIBRARY PROGRAMS. IMPORTANTLY, MANY COMPARABLE DISTRICTS DISTRICT POLICIES RECOGNIZE THE ESSENTIAL ROLE OF LICENSED MEDIA SPECIALISTS.
DISTRICTS SUCH AS CHARLES WICOMICO AND FREDERICK COUNTY EXPLICITLY IDENTIFY MEDIA SPECIALISTS AS RESPONSIBLE FOR INSTRUCTION, COLLECTION, DEVELOPMENT, AND PROGRAM OVERSIGHT.
THE REVISED POLICY 6,200 SIMILARLY RECOGNIZES MEDIA SPECIALISTS AS TEACHERS, CO-TEACHERS, INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERS, AND PROGRAM ADMINISTRATORS,
[00:40:01]
ROLES THAT REQUIRE FULL-TIME LICENSED STAFFING BY ALIGNING WITH POLICIES ALREADY IN PLACE ACROSS MARYLAND.THE REVISED POLICY 6,200 POSITIONS BALTIMORE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AS A LEADER COMMITTED TO INSTRUCTIONAL EXCELLENCE, EQUITY, AND COMPLIANCE WITH STATE LAW.
AND FOR THESE REASONS, I STRONGLY SUPPORT ADOPTION OF THE REVISED POLICY 6,200 AND I URGE THE BOARD TO ENSURE ITS IMPLEMENTATION, INCLUDES STAFFING, SCHOOL LIBRARIES WITH LICENSED FULL-TIME MEDIA SPECIALISTS SO THAT THE POLICIES ALIGNMENT WITH STATE LAW AND PEER DISTRICTS IS FULLY REALIZED.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND COMMITMENT TO BCPS STUDENTS.
AND OUR LAST SPEAKER IS MS. NAVIN.
I LIKE TO THROW YOU GUYS FOR A LOOP WITH OUR NAMES.
UH, GOOD EVENING CHAIR, LICHTER, VICE CHAIR HARVEY, SUPERINTENDENT ROD DR. ROGERS, AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
MY NAME IS ADE NAVIN AND I'M A-B-C-P-S PARENT AND A LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST.
I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SHARE MY STRONG SUPPORT OF THE PROPOSED REVISIONS TO POLICY 6,200 SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND TO AFFIRM THEIR ALIGNMENT WITH COMAR REQUIREMENTS.
THE MARYLAND SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA STANDARDS, THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION'S BILL OF RIGHTS, THE MARYLAND FREEDOM TO REDACT, AND THE BLUEPRINT FOR MARYLAND'S FUTURE.
THE REVISED POLICY CORRECTLY RECOGNIZES THAT SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA PROGRAMS ARE INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS COVERED BY STATE LAW AND PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS.
COMAR ESTABLISHES CLEAR EXPECTATIONS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL LIBRARY PROGRAMS WHILE MARYLAND LIBRARY MEDIA STANDARDS EMPHASIZE INQUIRY BASED LEARNING INFORMATION AND MEDIA LITERACY, ETHICAL USE OF INFORMATION AND EQUITABLE ACCESS TO DIVERSE RESOURCES.
THESE SKILLS ARE ALSO CENTRAL TO THE BLUEPRINT FOR MARYLAND'S FUTURE, WHICH CALLS FOR RIGOROUS STANDARDS ALIGNED INSTRUCTION THAT BUILDS STUDENTS' LITERACY, CRITICAL THINKING, INQUIRY, AND RESEARCH SKILLS ACROSS ALL CONTENT AREAS.
IT EMPHASIZES COLLEGE AND CAREER READY COMPETENCIES, INCLUDING THE ABILITY TO EVALUATE SOURCES, USE INFORMATION ETHICALLY, AND ENGAGE IN INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING.
THESE COMPETENCIES ARE EXPLICITLY TAUGHT AND SUPPORTED BY LICENSED LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALISTS.
AS TEACHERS, CO-TEACHERS, INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERS AND INFORMATION SPECIALISTS, MEDIA SPECIALISTS PROVIDE DIRECT INSTRUCTION AND COLLABORATE WITH CLASSROOM TEACHERS TO INTEGRATE LITERACY AND RESEARCH SKILLS INTO THE CURRICULUM.
THESE RESPONSIBILITIES CANNOT BE MET THROUGH PART-TIME OR INCONSISTENT STAFFING.
FULL-TIME MEDIA SPECIALISTS ARE NECESSARY TO ENSURE CONSISTENT IMPLEMENTATION OF COMAR STATE STANDARDS AND BLUEPRINT.
BLUEPRINT ALIGNED INSTRUCTION ACROSS ALL SCHOOLS.
THE MARYLAND FREEDOM TO READ ACT IN THE A LA BILL OF RIGHTS FURTHER UNDERSCORE THE NEED FOR TRAINED LICENSED LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALISTS AND SCHOOL.
THESE FRAMEWORKS REQUIRE SCHOOL SYSTEMS TO UPHOLD INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM, AGAIN, PROVIDE ACCESS TO DIVERSE VIEWPOINTS AND FOLLOW ESTABLISHED PROCEDURES WHEN MATERIALS ARE CHALLENGED.
CONSISTENT LAWFUL IMPLEMENTATION DEPENDS ON PROFESSIONAL JUDGMENT AND ONGOING OVERSIGHT BY FULL-TIME LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALISTS.
EQUITY IS ESSENTIAL TO THESE REVISIONS WHEN LIBRARIES ARE NOT FULLY STAFFED WITH A LICENSED FULL-TIME LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST.
DISPARITIES BETWEEN SCHOOLS INCREASE UNDERMINING STUDENTS' ACCESS TO INSTRUCTION INFORMATION AND THE PROTECTIONS GUARANTEED BY STATE LAW.
FOR THESE REASONS, I URGE THE BOARD TO ADOPT THE REVISED POLICY 6,200 AND TO ENSURE ITS IMPLEMENTATION INCLUDES STAFFING EVERY SCHOOL LIBRARY WITH A LICENSED FULL-TIME LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
[H. NEW BUSINESS - ACTION TAKEN IN CLOSED SESSION (Board Counsel) (7:40 - 7:45 p.m.)]
ON THE AGENDA IS ACTION TAKEN IN CLOSED SESSION.AND FOR THAT I CALL MR. BURNS.
GOOD EVENING, CHAIR LICHTER, VICE CHAIR HARVEY.
DR. ROGERS MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UH, THIS EVENING ENCLOSED SESSION.
YOU ALL, YOU, UH, CONSIDERED APPEAL HEA 26 18 AND VOTED ON ACTION FOR IT.
NOW WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TIME TO AFFIRM YOUR CONSIDERATION.
MAY HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ACTIONS TAKEN ENCLOSED SESSION ON HEARING EXAMINER'S CASE HEA 26 18 AND AUTHORIZED MS. GOVER TO SIGN FOR THOSE BOARD MEMBERS NOT PHYSICALLY PRESENT.
MAY I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND HARVEY.
ANY DISCUSSION? MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL? VOTE PLEASE.
[I. NEW BUSINESS - BOARD POLICIES (Ms. Pumphrey) (7:45 - 7:55 p.m.)]
[00:45:01]
ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS NEW BUSINESS REPORT ON BOARD POLICIES.THIS IS THE FIRST READER FOR THESE POLICIES AND FOR THAT I CALL ON MS. CHRISTINA PUMPHREY, CHAIR OF THE POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE.
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, THE POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE ASKS THAT THE BOARD ACCEPT THIS REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE FOLLOWING BOARD POLICIES, BOARD POLICY 1 1 1 OH PUBLICATIONS, RADIO, TELEVISION, AND DIGITAL MEDIA BOARD POLICY 54 70 WELLNESS AND BOARD POLICY 6,200 SCHOOL LIBRARIES.
THESE POLICIES ARE PRESENTED TO YOU ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA AS EXHIBITS I ONE THROUGH I THREE.
BOARD MEMBERS, ARE THERE ANY SEPARATION? MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD POLICY REVIEW OF THE BOARD'S POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE FOR BOARD POLICIES 11 10 54 70 AND 6,200? SO MOVE 10.
NO SECOND IS NEEDED SINCE THE RECOMMENDATION COMES FROM THE COMMITTEE.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? CHECK.
MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE PLEASE.
[J. REPORT - FY2025 ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT (Mr. Tantleff) (7:55 - 8:15 p.m.)]
ON THE AGENDA IS THE REPORT ON THE FY 2025 ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT.AND FOR THAT, I, THEY'RE HERE I CALL MR. TANIFF AND DR. GRAHAM AND, UH, MS. CHEN FELDER.
UH, GOOD EVENING BOARD CHAIR, UH, LICHTER DR. ROGERS BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, TONIGHT WE'RE GONNA PRESENT THE ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT OR FER.
GRIM IS MS. CHEN FELDER, WHO'S OUR DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING, OR OUR CONTROLLER, UM, SHERRY AMOS, WHO'S OUR PRINCIPAL AT OUR EXTERNAL AUDITOR.
CLIFTON LARSON ASSOCIATES, OR CLA MADE A DETAILED PRESENTATION TO THE JANUARY 14TH AUDIT COMMITTEE AND ANSWERED COMMITTEE MEMBER QUESTIONS.
MS. AMOS HAD A PRIOR COMMITMENT AND WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND THE RESCHEDULED BOARD MEETING TONIGHT.
A SUMMARY OF HER PRESENTATION IS AS FOLLOWS.
BCPS RECEIVED AN UNMODIFIED AUDIT OPINION, WHICH IS A CLEAN GOOD AUDIT.
CLA DID EXPERIENCE A DELAY IN RECEIVING REQUIRED INFORMATION.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE DUE TO THE MARYLAND STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, MSDE ON SEPTEMBER 30TH.
BCPS DID NOT COMPLETE ITS SAC FOR UNTIL DECEMBER 29TH, WHICH IS ABOUT THREE MONTHS LATE.
IF IT HAD BEEN ANY LATER, IT MIGHT HAVE, UH, CAUSED BALTIMORE COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO DELAY THE COMPLETION OF THEIR FER.
UH, BUT WE DID GET IT IN TIME THAT IT DID NOT CAUSE THEM ANY DELAYS.
BCP S'S UNMODIFIED AUDIT OPINION IS THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF ASSURANCE THAT CLA CAN PROVIDE A SCHOOL SYSTEM, THAT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE NOT MATERIALLY MISSTATED AND WAS CONSISTENT WITH OPINIONS OF THE PAST FEW YEARS.
MS. AMOS NOTED THAT FINANCIAL STATEMENT TO THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MANAGEMENT.
IN TERMS OF COMPARISON TO THE PRIOR YEAR, THERE WAS ONE CHANGE IN ACCOUNTING POLICY RELATED TO COMPENSATED ABSENCES.
THIS IS A RESULT OF NEW GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTING STANDARDS BOARD STATEMENTS THAT WAS ISSUED AND APPLICABLE FOR THIS YEAR.
FY 2025 BCPS DID NOT HAVE ANY SIGNIFICANT OR UNUSUAL TRANSACTIONS NOTED.
CLA HAD NO DISAGREEMENT WITH MANAGEMENT OVER THE COURSE OF THE AUDIT.
CLA DID NOT FIND ANY MATERIAL WEAKNESSES OR SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCIES IN, IN INTERNAL CONTROL.
AND AS NOTED IN MY OPENING BC PASS, RECEIVES AN UNMODIFIED AUDIT OPINION, WHICH IS A CLEAN, GOOD AUDIT OPINION, THE BEST CASE THAT WE COULD HOPE FOR.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS, MS. NOKI? YES.
UM, I NOTICED THAT THIS GOVERNANCE, UM, LETTER WAS JUST ADDED TODAY OR TO, TO BOARD DOCS FROM CLIFTON LAWSON EXPLAINING SOME OF THE, THE CORRECTED STATEMENTS.
WAS THAT JUST WHEN DID WE RECEIVE THAT? UH, THAT WAS RECEIVED, UH, AT THE SAME TIME AS OUR AFER WAS FINALIZED IN LATE DECEMBER.
AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'RE SEEING IT WHEN IT WAS UPLOADED TODAY AROUND LIKE FOUR O'CLOCK.
UM, THERE WAS ONE CASE THAT IT, IT SAID ABOUT, UM, MANAGEMENT ESTIMATED AND MINIMUM PAYOUT RELATED TO CURRENT LEGAL CASE TOTALING $543,000 FOR CAPITAL PR, UH, CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT TO ME? UH, YES.
[00:50:01]
A SETTLEMENT THAT WAS, UM, DEFINED, BUT WE WERE GOING TO RECEIVE, UH, INSURANCE PAYOUT TO, UH, OFFSET THAT.SO THEY WERE NOTING IT, IT WAS NOT A FINDING, UH, BUT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE DIDN'T FEEL NEEDED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE ACT FOR.
SO IN THEIR MANAGEMENT WORKING PAPERS, THEY JUST NOTED THAT.
SO WHY WAS IT LABELED AS A LEGAL FEE IF IT FOR CAPITAL IS WAS IT NOT PART OF CAPITAL OUTLAY CAPITAL, UH, MS. CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT BETTER? IT, IT WAS, IT WAS AN UPDATED, UH, LEGAL SETTLEMENT THAT CAME IN WHEN, UM, SO THE AUDITORS ASKED FOR AN UPDATED LETTER FROM OUR LAW OFFICE.
WE WORKED WITH CLA TO DETERMINE THAT WE DIDN'T NEED THE BOOK, THAT LIABILITY, BECAUSE IF WE WOULD'VE BOOKED A LIABILITY, WE WOULD'VE HAD TO BOOK THE REVENUE.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, THERE WAS NO NET EFFECT TO THE DOLLARS.
THE REVENUE AND THE EXPENSES WOULD'VE BALANCED OUT TO ZERO.
I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY IT WOULD BE CALLED A LEGAL CASE.
IT IT WAS PART OF A LEGAL SETTLEMENT AS PART OF THE A UNDER CAPITAL.
CAN IT NOT BE DISCLOSED WHAT IT WAS FOR OR? I DON'T, SO THE LEGAL LETTERS HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION, SO I MAY NEED TO GO BACK AND DOUBLE CHECK AND GET YOU THE SPECIFICS OF IT, BECAUSE WE HAVE MANY THAT ARE NO, YEAH.
AND THEN THE, THE 22.5 MILLION, UM, THAT WAS LIKE, THAT WAS LIKE THE FIRST ONE.
UM, THE STARTING FUNDS I GUESS WEREN'T ALIGNED.
WHERE IS IT? UM, UNCORRECTED MISSTATEMENTS AUDIT, THE GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES WHERE COULD JUST, IT'S, UH, PAGE 11.
CAN YOU JUST EXPLAIN THAT ONE TO ME? SURE.
UM, UH, THERE WAS A NEW ACCOUNTING STANDARDS RULE THIS YEAR WHERE WE NEEDED TO ACCOUNT ON OUR BALANCE SHEET FOR OUR SICK LEAVE LIABILITY.
NOW, THE REALITY IS WE DON'T HAVE ANY SICK LEAVE, UH, LIABILITY FROM A CASH STANDPOINT.
IT'S SIMPLY A BALANCE, UH, SHEET TRANSACTION THAT WE NOTED, BUT THAT WE WERE REQUIRED TO IDENTIFY IT THIS YEAR.
WE DON'T PAY OUT SICK PAY WHEN EMPLOYEES LEAVE, AND THERE'S NO CASH IMPACT DURING THE YEAR BECAUSE, UH, IF AN EMPLOYEE'S GETTING SICK LEAVE, IT'S JUST IN, IN LIEU OF THEIR NORMAL PAY.
SO IT WAS SIMPLY AN ACCOUNTING RULE THAT CAME INTO EFFECT THIS YEAR WHERE WE NEEDED TO IDENTIFY IT NOTED ON THE BALANCE SHEET, BUT THERE'S NO, UH, CASH IMPACT TO THAT AT ALL.
SO IS THAT A FUND THAT WE HAD AND DIDN'T USE OR, OR THAT WE ROLLED OVER TO TO BE I JUST EXPL.
I I JUST, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A CASH IMPACT.
YOU CAN THINK OF IT AS, AS WE'RE JUST NOTING IT AS, UH, A BALANCE SHEET ACCOUNT.
SO THERE'S NOT ACTUALLY ANY MONEY SET ASIDE.
IT WAS JUST AN ACCOUNTING RULE THAT WE NEEDED TO DO THAT.
UM, WHY, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T, UH, EXPLAIN THE LOGIC WHY THEY CAME UP WITH THAT RULE, BUT THERE'S, IT'S JUST A NOTATION HOW MUCH, IN THEORY, OUR SICK PAY LIABILITY WOULD BE AT THE END OF THE YEAR IF WE HAD TO PAY IT ALL OUT.
WE WOULD NEVER PAY IT ALL OUT.
WE DON'T PAY IT WHEN PEOPLE LEAVE.
SOME DISTRICTS MIGHT NATIONALLY, MAYBE THAT WAS THE GENESIS OF THE RULE, BUT, UM, WE DON'T DO THAT.
AND LIKE I SAID, WHEN SOMEONE TAKES SICK LEAVE, IT'S JUST IN LIEU OF REGULAR PAY.
BUT DOES THAT GET INCORPORATED INTO OUR TOTAL BUDGET WHEN WE'RE DOING BUDGET LANDING? IT'S NOT A CASH IMPACT.
IT'S REALLY NO, I I SO IT'S JUST STATED ON OUR BALANCE SHEET.
IT'S NOT IN OUR OPERATING BUDGET AT ALL.
IT'S NOT IN THE OPERATING BUDGET AT ALL.
OTHER QUESTIONS, MS. HEN? THANK YOU.
UM, SO OTHER PENDING, UM, LEGAL SETTLEMENTS.
SETTLEMENTS WOULD BE RECORDED AS LIABILITIES ON THE BALANCE SHEET, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S NO CASH IMPACT, BECAUSE THOSE WOULD BE PAID OUT OF OUR INSURANCE POOL.
UH, YES, I BELIEVE THAT'S A GOOD SUMMARY OF IT.
SORRY, DID YOU WANNA ADD SOMETHING? YEAH, FEEL FREE.
IT, IT'S BASED OFF OF, UM, THE LALA AND WHAT OUR, OUR LAW OFFICE DETERMINES AS THE STATUS OF THAT CASE.
BUT GENERALLY THOSE ARE RECORDED ON THE BALANCE SHEET AS LIABILITIES.
GENERALLY WE DON'T HAVE TO BECAUSE THEY ARE COVERED BY INSURANCE.
SO IT, IT DEPENDS ON THE SITUATION.
IT, IT DEPENDS ON WHICH ONE YOU'RE, YOU'RE SPEAKING OF.
SO IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, LIKE SPECIAL ED, LIKE THE SPECIAL ED CASES, THOSE ARE BOOKED LIABILITIES 'CAUSE WE BUDGET FOR THEM.
AND THIS WAS A, A CAPITAL, UM, IT'S DISCLOSED, IT'S A CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND THAT, CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY THIS WAS NOT, OR WHY GENERALLY THESE WOULD NOT BE, I'M TRYING TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS UNIQUE ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR CASE WHERE THERE WAS A, A DISAGREEMENT OR WHY WE DIDN'T RECORD IT AS A LIABILITY, BUT THE AUDITORS FELT THAT IT NEEDED TO BE.
IS IT, IS THIS STANDARD PRACTICE AND
[00:55:01]
HAVE WE CHANGED ANYTHING ABOUT HOW WE WOULD RECORD THIS TYPE OF NO THING IN THE FUTURE? THERE, THERE WASN'T A DISAGREEMENT.THEY AGREED WITH US THAT WE DIDN'T, IT'S JUST A MANAGEMENT NOTE SAYING THAT IT WAS A DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD AND WE CAME TO AN AGREEMENT.
THEY WEREN'T SAYING THAT WE NEEDED TO, THEY'RE IN AGREEMENT WITH US DECIDING NOT TO BOOK IT BECAUSE IF WE WOULD'VE BOOKED THE LIABILITY ON THE REVERSE SIDE, WE WOULD'VE THEN HAD TO BOOK THE EXPENSE.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT WOULD'VE BEEN THE SAME AMOUNT AND THEN THAT EFFECT WOULD'VE BEEN ZERO.
SO SINCE WE, THIS WOULD GENERALLY NOT BE A CASH EXPENSE, CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY WE, UM, WHY WE DO NOT RECORD SOME AS LIABILITIES ON THE BALANCE SHEET? YOU MENTIONED WE RECORD SOME AND NOT OTHERS.
IS THAT SOMETHING YOU CAN SPEAK TO? FOR MY OWN UNDERSTANDING, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHY WE, IF I MAY.
UM, SO I BELIEVE, UH, ONE OF THE RESPONSES WAS THAT THE OFFICE OF LAW MAKES THIS DETERMINATION.
SO AS A FOLLOW UP, I THINK IT WOULD BE MOST APPROPRIATE THAT WE WOULD REFER THIS QUESTION TO THE OFFICE OF LAW FOR A THOROUGH RESPONSE AND I'LL PROVIDE IN THAT UPDATE.
OTHER QUESTIONS FOR BOARD MEMBERS? LEMME JUST CHECK TEAMS FOR A SEC.
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS JUST MAKING SURE I GOT THE, WITH THE CHANGES.
[K. WORK SESSION #1 - SUPERINTENDENT'S PROPOSED FY2027 OPERATING BUDGET (Dr. Rogers, Dr. Grim, and Mr. Tantleff) (8:15 - 8:50 p.m.)]
ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS WORK SESSION NUMBER ONE.UM, OUR WORK SESSION NUMBER TWO WILL BE ON NEXT TUESDAY.
SO WORK SESSION NUMBER ONE ON THE SUPERINTENDENT'S PROPOSED FY 2027 OPERATING BUDGET.
AND FOR THAT, I CALL ON DR. ROGERS, DR.
GRIN, AND MR. TIFF AND THE OTHER CHIEFS.
BOARD CHAIR, LTER, VICE CHAIR HARVEY, AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
UM, AS YOU NOTED, THIS IS WORK SESSION NUMBER ONE, ALL QUESTIONS THAT WERE RECEIVED BY FRIDAY, JANUARY 23RD.
UH, THOSE RESPONSES HAVE BEEN POSTED ON BUDGET 1 0 1, UH, FOR THE PUBLIC AND, UH, INCORPORATED IN THIS PRESENTATION.
AND THE TEAM IS PREPARED TO RESPOND, UH, TO THOSE.
IF WE COULD PULL UP THE SLIDES PLEASE.
WE WANT TO WALK, UH, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS AND OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH, UM, SOME SLIDES TO PROVIDE SOME CRITICAL CONTEXT AND INFORMATION, UH, REGARDING SOME INQUIRIES THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED.
AS A REMINDER, UH, THIS SLIDE DEPICTS THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS SPENDS ON ITS BUDGET.
UM, 82% OF EVERY, UM, 82% OF OUR BUDGET, OR 82 CENTS OF EVERY DOLLAR IS SPENT ON EMPLOYEE SALARIES AND WAGES.
UH, THAT AMOUNT IS THE DARKER GREEN, UH, SECTION IN THE, UM, GRAPHIC FOR YOU AND THE REMAINDER OF THE 18 CENTS.
IDENTIFY THE SPECIFIC CATEGORIES, UH, WHERE FUNDING IS ALLOCATED.
WE ALSO WANT TO CALL TO EVERYONE'S ATTENTION.
UM, WHILE WE HAD TO MAKE SOME, UH, TOUGH DECISIONS IN THE PROPOSED, UH, BUDGET FOR THE BOARD'S DELIBERATION.
UH, THE PRIOR PRIORITIZATION WAS BASED ON STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK AND INPUT THAT WAS VERY CLEAR.
UH, THE PROPOSED BUDGET PRIORITIZES RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION BY HONORING BOTH YEAR TWO AND YEAR THREE OF THE COMPENSATION PACKAGE FOR ALL MEMBERS OF TEAM BCPS.
AND IT ALSO HONORS THE TARGET OF THE 2% ABOVE LAST YEAR'S, UH, SPENDING THAT WAS PROVIDED TO US BY THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE.
AS A REMINDER TO EVERYONE, THIS SLIDE DEPICTS OUR COMPENSATION COSTS TO ADD THE SECOND HALF OF YEAR TWO WITH THE FULL YEAR THREE.
THAT IS THE TOTAL OF $93 MILLION ON THIS SLIDE.
UM, EVERY UNION AND NON-REPRESENTED STAFF MEMBERS, UH, THEIR SHARE IS INCLUDED.
WE HAVE BEEN SHARING THAT, UM, BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, LIKE OTHER SCHOOL SYSTEMS IN MARYLAND, IS PLANNING FOR ADDITIONAL
[01:00:01]
REVENUE THIS UPCOMING YEAR.UM, THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE THAT WE'RE PLANNING FOR FROM BOTH THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS APPROXIMATELY $46 MILLION.
UH, WHAT THIS GRAPH DEPICTS IS WITH DECLINING ENROLLMENT AND INCREASED COSTS OF WAGES AND BENEFITS, UH, WHEN YOU COMPARE THE COST OF COMPENSATION TO THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE, UM, THE INCREASES SIMPLY DO NOT KEEP UP WITH THE RATE OF INCREASED COMPENSATION, THEREBY CREATING THE GAP.
THIS GAP SIMPLY DEPICTS, UM, COMPENSATION ONLY.
WE WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR, UH, TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AGREES, UM, THAT, UH, REDUCING POSITIONS IN OUR BUDGET MUST BE A LAST RESORT.
IT IS NOT OUR DESIRE TO, UM, INCREASE CLASS SIZE.
AND, UH, IN ACTUALITY, WE HAVE SPENT THE LAST, UH, THREE YEARS DOING EVERYTHING NOT TO INCREASE, UH, CLASS SIZES.
UH, $169 MILLION WORTH OF REDUCTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE WITH 69, UH, SPECIFIC CENTRAL OFFICE SUPERVISORY POSITION REDUCTIONS.
THERE WERE ADDITIONAL POSITIONS, UM, AS YOU KNOW, BUT 69 AT THE SUPERVISORY LEVEL.
THE FIRST YEAR WHEN WE DEALT WITH THE ESSER FUNDING CLIFF.
UM, AND WE NEEDED TO ADD, UH, EXTREMELY NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE TO MOVE BCPS FORWARD.
WE FIRST STARTED BY ELIMINATING THE VACANT FUNDED POSITIONS THAT WERE A PART OF THE OPERATING BUDGET FOR PREVIOUS YEARS.
UH, MADE A SIGNIFICANT, UH, SALARY TURNOVER ADJUSTMENT.
AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE RIGHT SIZED RESPONSIBILITY FACTORS IN OUR SECONDARY SCHOOLS.
WE MADE THE FIRST STEP IN CENTRAL OFFICE REDUCTIONS AND STARTED ZERO BASED BUDGETING.
YEAR TWO, WE WERE FACED WITH ANOTHER, UH, CHALLENGING YEAR.
WE MADE MORE, UH, SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN CENTRAL OFFICE.
WE REDUCED OUR BASELINE SPENDING.
WE, UH, SENT POSITIONS OFFSET TO OUR GRANTS.
AS A REMINDER, NEARLY 8% OF OUR BUDGET IS IN FEDERAL GRANTS.
UM, WE HAVE WELL OVER 1100 POSITIONS THAT ARE GRANT FUNDED.
UM, UH, MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THOSE POSITIONS ARE, THAT INFORMATION IS POSTED ON BUDGET 1 0 1.
THE BENEFIT OF, UM, MOVING POSITIONS OVER TO GRANTS IS FEDERAL FUNDING IS PROVIDED TO US ONE YEAR IN ADVANCE.
AND SO AS LONG AS THE MONEY THAT IS APPROPRIATED TO SCHOOLS IS DISPERSED, UH, WE DO HAVE SOME LEAD TIME AND PLANNING.
WE REMAIN IN VERY CLOSE COMMUNICATION WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ALL WATCHING CLOSELY.
AND WE HAVE CONTINGENCY PLANS, UH, BASED ON CHANGES WITH FEDERAL GRANTS.
UH, WE ALSO ALIGNED ALLOCATIONS TO FORMULAS.
LAST YEAR WE DID NOT INCREASE ANY CLASS SIZES AGAIN FOR A SECOND YEAR IN A ROW IMPLEMENTED ZERO BASED BUDGETING AND A NON-SCHOOL BASED POSITION HIRING FREEZE.
AND FOR YEAR THREE, UH, WHAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US ARE, UH, ADDITIONAL CENTRAL OFFICE REDUCTIONS, 36 POSITIONS.
CENTRAL OFFICE IS NOT GROWING AN INCREASED USE OF FUND BALANCE, UH, MUCH AT THE URGING OF OUR COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS DURING LAST BUDGET SEASON.
A 73.5% REDUCTION OF NEW SPENDING REQUESTS.
UH, WE HAVE EVALUATED CONTRACTS AND OUR STAFFING LEVELS, UH, AS COMPARED WITH, UH, SIMILARLY SITUATED DISTRICTS.
UM, ZERO BASED BUDGETING AGAIN, AND WE CONTINUE TO BE IN A NON-SCHOOL BASED POSITION, HIRING FREEZE.
WANT TO, UH, SHED SOME LIGHT ON STAFFING ALLOCATIONS.
UM, UH, YOU WILL RECALL THAT LAST JANUARY WE DEBUTED A NEW TOOL.
UM, WE MOVED FROM USING EXCEL SPREADSHEETS TO MONITOR STAFFING ALLOCATIONS TO AN ACTUAL TOOL FOR ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR ENTIRE SYSTEM THAT ALLOCATED BASED ON OUR FORMULAS.
UM, WE SHARED AT THAT TIME, UH, WHAT THAT STAFFING ALLOCATION TOOL LOOKS LIKE.
AND WHAT'S HIGHLIGHTED FOR YOU IN YELLOW ARE THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF STAFFING THAT IS PROVIDED IN THE STAFFING ALLOCATION SPREADSHEET.
AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A REDUCTION IN THE CLASSROOM TEACHER ALLOCATIONS, UH, WE ARE NOT INCLUDING OTHER POSITIONS IN THE CLASSROOM.
TEACHER ALLOCATIONS, YOU WILL SEE ON THE SLIDE HIGHLIGHTED FOR YOU IN YELLOW, THAT POSITIONS, UH,
[01:05:01]
ARE DELINEATED IN TERMS OF HOW THEY ARE ASSIGNED TO SCHOOL BY GRADE BAND.UH, BY TITLE ONE, SPECIAL EDUCATION IS SEPARATE.
UH, MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS ARE SEPARATE.
AND, UM, YOU HAVE, UH, ELECTIVES THAT ARE SEPARATE.
UM, ALL OF THESE POSITIONS ARE SEPARATE LINE ITEMS. SO THERE IS NO CO-MINGLING OF STAFFING ALLOCATIONS WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, UH, CLASS SIZES IN THAT FORMULA LINE ITEM.
WE ALSO WANT TO BE CLEAR, UM, DR. JONES IN A FEW MOMENTS, UH, WILL STEP US THROUGH AN EXAMPLE ABOUT FACTORS THAT IMPACT CLASS SIZES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS.
THOSE NUMBERS ARE USED TO CREATE A MASTER SCHEDULE FOR STUDENTS.
UM, IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THERE'S VERY LITTLE VARIABILITY, BUT IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS, CLASS SIZES ARE BASED ON STUDENT ENROLLMENT.
IN SPECIFIC COURSES, UH, NEAR THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR, STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY WITH THEIR FAMILIES TO SELECT COURSES THAT THEY WANT TO ENROLL IN FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR.
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION THEN MUST CONSIDER THE IMPACT OF RUNNING SOME CLASSES AND IDENTIFY PRIORITIES IN COLLABORATION WITH THEIR INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP TEAM.
UM, WHAT HAS AN IMPACT ON CLASS SIZES ARE SMALL CLASSES THAT ARE RUN IN THE MASTER SCHEDULE.
ADDITIONAL RELEASE PERIODS THAT ARE PROVIDED TO STAFF MEMBERS.
WHEN I SAY RELEASE PERIODS, I MEAN, UH, FREE PERIODS.
IF A STAFF MEMBER'S JOB DESCRIPTION DOES NOT INCLUDE FREE PERIODS, THEY ARE, UH, SLATED TO TEACH SIX OUT OF EIGHT PERIODS AND A DECISION IS MADE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL TO PROVIDE THEM WITH ONE OR MORE ADDITIONAL RELEASE PERIODS SO THAT THEY CAN ENGAGE IN OTHER ACTIVITIES RELATED TO, UM, STUDENTS THAT CAUSES AN IMPACT ON THE MASTER SCHEDULE AND CLASS SIZES.
AND LASTLY, EXTERNAL PRESSURES.
MANY OF OUR PRINCIPALS ARE FACED WITH EXTERNAL PRESSURES WHEN THEY TRY TO MAKE DIFFICULT DECISIONS BASED ON ENROLLMENT AND INTEREST IN COURSES PEOPLE WANT IN THE COMMUNITY FOR THEM TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH SPECIAL CLASSES, SPECIAL PROGRAMS, FAVORITE CLASSES.
SOMETIMES THEY'RE FACED WITH LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGNS AND PRESSURE FROM EXTERNAL, UM, SOURCES ASKING THEM TO, UH, CONTINUE TO RUN THE CLASS DESPITE THE IMPACT THAT IT MIGHT HAVE ON OTHER SECTIONS IN THE SCHEDULE.
WE ASK THE DATA WAREHOUSE TO PULL, UM, OUR DATA FROM THE MASTER SCHEDULES WHERE OUR STUDENTS RIGHT NOW IN ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS ARE SITTING TO PROVIDE ACTUAL INFORMATION, UM, FOR OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
UH, THE FIRST SLIDE IS, OR THE FIRST, UH, TABLE IS IN REFERENCE TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
UH, WHAT YOU'LL NOTE THAT'S HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW IS THE PERCENT OF CLASSROOMS FOR GRADE ONE THROUGH FIVE THAT HAVE 25 OR FEWER STUDENTS IN THEM TODAY.
UM, YOU'LL NOTE, UM, VAST MAJORITY OF CLASSES HAVE, UH, THOSE NUMBERS IN THEM TODAY.
WHEN WE LOOK AT MIDDLE SCHOOL, UH, WE WILL SEE BY, UM, SPECIFIC AREA THOSE, UH, COURSES THAT HAVE WHAT THE AVERAGE CLASS SIZE IS, IS THE FIRST COLUMN.
THEN THE PERCENT OF COURSES IN THAT AREA THAT HAVE, UH, FEWER THAN 20 STUDENTS ENROLLED IN A SECTION.
NOW THE PERCENT OF COURSES WITH 20 TO 25 AND THE PERCENT OF COURSES, UM, WITH ABOVE 25 STUDENTS.
YOU ALSO SEE IN BETWEEN THAT, UH, THE PERCENT OF COURSES 25 AND BELOW HAS BEEN ADDED, UM, FOR ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT COURSE AREAS.
UM, WHAT YOU'LL NOTE IS, UH, FOR SPECIFIC AREAS, NAMELY BUSINESS AND MARKETING, COMMUNICATION AND AUDIO, VISUAL, UM, ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE AND, UH, PUBLIC PROTECTIVE AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES COURSES.
THAT IS WHERE WE HAVE THE SMALLEST COURSES IN OUR SCHOOLS.
UM, TYPICALLY IN MIDDLE SCHOOL WE HAVE AN AVERAGE CLASS SIZE OF 26 IN ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY.
UM, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, THAT AVERAGE CLASS SIZE IS 27, EXCUSE ME, 25 WITH 51% OF THOSE CLASSES ABOVE, UH, 25 STUDENTS.
UM, LIFE AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES, WHILE THE AVERAGE IS 23 STUDENTS, YOU HAVE APPROXIMATELY HALF 51% OF THOSE CLASSES WITH MORE THAN 25 STUDENTS.
[01:10:01]
PHYSICAL EDUCATION, SOCIAL STUDIES AND ARTS, EXCUSE ME, PHYSICAL EDUCATION, SOCIAL STUDIES, AND, UM, ARTS AND WORLD LANGUAGES ARE THE AREAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, UH, WITH PERCENTAGES ABOVE 25 STUDENTS, UH, THAT WE HAVE HIGHLIGHTED FOR YOU.UM, PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND, UH, WORLD LANGUAGES HAVING THE HIGHEST AT 71% AND 64% RESPECTIVELY, CURRENTLY SITTING IN OUR HIGH SCHOOLS.
THESE ARE THE NUMBERS OF STUDENTS SITTING IN OUR COURSES.
UH, THE TABLE IS SET UP IN THE SAME WAY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL.
UM, YOU'LL NOTE THAT WE HAVE EXTREMELY SMALL CLASSES THAT ARE RUNNING IN OUR HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE PROGRAMS HIGHLIGHTED IN GREEN ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTION, COMMUNICATION AND AUDIO, VISUAL TECHNOLOGY, UH, HEALTHCARE SCIENCES, HOSPITALITY, EXCUSE ME, HUMAN HOSPITALITY AND HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM, HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM, MILITARY SCIENCE, UH, PUBLIC PROTECTIVE AND GOVERNMENT S SERVICES.
AND LASTLY, TRANSPORTATION, DISTRIBUTION AND LOGISTICS.
UH, FOR THE LARGER AREAS, UH, WHILE THE AVERAGE CLASS SIZE IS 22, BUSINESS AND MARKETING, AVERAGE CLASS SIZE 24, ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY, UH, YOU HAVE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, UH, FOR WITH 22 PHYSICAL EDUCATION, UM, 52% OF THOSE CLASSES ARE ABOVE 25, UH, STUDENTS.
AND YOU ALSO HAVE SOCIAL STUDIES WHERE 42% OF THOSE CLASSROOMS HAVE ABOVE, UH, 25 STUDENTS.
UM, WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, CLASS POSITIONS THAT ARE FULL-TIME POSITIONS WHERE THEY DO NOT INCLUDE RELEASE PERIODS AND DECISIONS ARE MADE AT THE LOCAL SCHOOL LEVEL TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL RELEASE PERIODS.
AND CURRENTLY IN OUR SCHEDULES YOU'LL SEE THE BREAKOUT FOR ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH, THE NUMBER OF, UH, POSITIONS THAT ARE SLATED TO HAVE A FULL LOAD.
AND CURRENTLY IN THE MASTER SCHEDULE, THEY DO NOT HAVE A FULL LOAD.
WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS THIS INFORMATION AS TO WHERE THE VARIABILITY COMES FROM AND WHAT ARE THOSE FACTORS THAT IMPACT CLASS SIZES DIRECTLY.
TURNING IT OVER TO MS. CHARLIE GREEN.
THANK YOU DR. ROGERS AND GOOD EVENING MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
UM, I WANTED TO START BY GROUNDING US IN SOME FISCAL REALITIES.
REGRETTABLY, OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, UH, WE'VE LEARNED AND HEARD ABOUT THE FISCAL CLIFF CREATED BY THE DRYING UP OF ESSER FUNDS.
THOSE FUNDS, WHEN THEY WERE BOUNTIFUL, ALLOWED US TO FUND A NUMBER OF THINGS IN OUR SCHOOLS THAT WERE MISSION CRITICAL.
UH, SAFETY ASSISTANCE, FOR EXAMPLE, BEING ONE, THE SUDDEN CEASING OF THOSE FUNDS CREATED A FISCAL REALITY THAT WE HAD TO MEET.
AND MANY OF THOSE THINGS WERE OFFLOADED ONTO THE OPERATING BUDGET TO CONTINUE THEIR USE.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT THE MARYLAND BLUEPRINT, UH, THE BLUEPRINT FOR MARYLAND'S FUTURE, THE FUNDING THAT WAS PROMISED DIDN'T QUITE COME IN AT THE RATE THAT WE THOUGHT IT WOULD.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE FACED A NUMBER OF PRESSURES DEPICTED ON THIS HEADLINE, ON THESE HEADLINES RELATED TO SHORTAGES AROUND THE NATION.
THIS FISCAL REALITY CREATED FOR US THE NEED TO MAKE SOME VERY DIFFICULT DECISIONS AROUND HOW WE WERE GOING TO CONTINUE TO FUND MISSION CRITICAL, UM, SUPPORTS FOR OUR SCHOOLS.
I SHARE THIS WITH YOU JUST TO TAKE YOU BACK AND TO GROUND YOU IN THE REALITY THAT WE FACED FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS, AS DR. ROGERS WALKED US THROUGH SOME OF THOSE DIFFERENT CHANGES.
WE STARTED INITIALLY WITH LOOKING AT VACANT POSITIONS.
WE MOVED IN TO ZERO BASED BUDGETING, MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE USING A SCALPEL APPROACH TO MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE FUNDING ALL OF THE NEEDS OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM RATHER THAN GOING THROUGH AND SLASHING PROGRAMS, TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MAKING THE BEST USE OF THE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE.
THE OTHER THING THAT I'D LIKE TO GROUND YOU IN, IN ADDITION TO, UH, THE FISCAL REALITIES THAT WE FACED, I ALSO WANNA REMIND EVERYONE OF ANOTHER REALITY, AND THAT IS THE NEGOTIATED AGREEMENTS.
THESE ARE THE BOARD'S AGREEMENTS WITH OUR VARIOUS ASSOCIATIONS.
AND THESE AGREEMENTS, EVER SINCE 1996, HAD LANGUAGE IN THEM THAT SAID THAT WE HAD NO FURLOUGHS, NOR DO WE HAVE ANY LAYOFFS THAT PROTECTS ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF TEAM VCPS.
FROM DRASTIC CUTS TO PROGRAMS AND TO OFFICES, WE ESSENTIALLY OWE THE FOLKS WHO ARE PROTECTED BY THESE AGREEMENTS A POSITION.
AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CHART THAT IS DEPICTED ON THIS SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE CUTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE IN VARIOUS POSITIONS IN CENTRAL OFFICE OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS.
IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE CHIEFS, WE'VE SEEN A 22% REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF CHIEFS.
UH, YOU ALSO SEE A 22% REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF EXECUTIVE
[01:15:01]
DIRECTORS AND A 42% REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF DIRECTORS.THAT'S IMPORTANT INFORMATION BECAUSE MANY OF THESE FOLKS, MOST OF THOSE FOLKS ARE NOT COVERED BY MASTER AGREEMENTS.
THEY ARE NON-REPRESENTED EMPLOYEES.
HOWEVER, IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT ANY OF THOSE EMPLOYEES WHO MIGHT BE CERTIFICATED EMPLOYEES, WE DO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTINUE.
WE OWE THEM A POSITION, ESSENTIALLY, TO CONTINUE HONORING THEIR CERTIFICATION AND THEIR EXPERTISE.
AND SO I SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU BECAUSE IT MIGHT BE FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND FOR BOARD MEMBERS WHO LOOK AT THE, UM, THE BUDGET CRUNCH THAT WE ARE IN, IT MIGHT BE VERY EASY TO IDENTIFY POSITIONS OR THINGS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY PERHAPS IN THE MIND OF THE PUBLIC CLOSE TO SCHOOLS, AND IDENTIFY THOSE AS PLACES FOR CUTS.
UM, A NUMBER OF REASONS WHY THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR ONE CLIMATE AND MORALE.
YOU KNOW, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE LOOKING VERY CAREFULLY AND VERY CLOSELY POSITIONED BY POSITION AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE MAKING CUTS THAT SUPPORT, UM, THE WORK THAT WE NEED TO DO IN OUR SCHOOLS, BUT ALSO HONOR THE EXPERTISE IN OUR BUILDING.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE NEGOTIATED AGREEMENTS DON'T ALLOW US TO DO THAT.
ESSENTIALLY, IF YOU ARE CUTTING POSITIONS NINE TIMES OUTTA 10, IF YOU LOOK AT THE FOLKS WHO ARE REPRESENTED, THEY ARE OWED A POSITION SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE ORGANIZATION.
AND SO I SHARE THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S A REALITY THAT WE NEED TO GRAPPLE WITH AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THINKING ABOUT WHERE IS THERE OPPORTUNITY TO REALIZE SAVINGS IN THIS BUDGET? WE OWE POSITIONS TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE REPRESENTED.
THAT IS PART OF THE PROMISE AND THE AGREEMENT THAT WE'VE MADE.
WE WANT TO ALIGN THAT WORK, THAT WE OWE THOSE POSITIONS, THAT WE OWE THEM WITH THEIR AREAS OF EXPERTISE.
AND SO IN SOME CASES, THERE ARE FOLKS WHO ARE WORKING IN AN AREA OF EXPERTISE AND THE POSITION THAT THEY ARE IN MAY BE THE VERY BEST POSITION FOR THE ORGANIZATION.
I SHARE THAT AS WE HAVE OUR CONVERSATION TONIGHT.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE GROUNDED IN NOT ONLY THE FISCAL REALITY, BUT THE REALITY CREATED BY OUR NEGOTIATED AGREEMENT, AND THEN ALSO THE REALIZATION THAT EVEN IF AN INDIVIDUAL IS NON-REPRESENTED, IF THEY ARE CERTIFICATED, THEY DO HAVE CERTAIN RIGHTS AND EXPECTATIONS THAT WE HAVE TO MEET.
AND SO WITH THAT FRAMEWORK, THAT CRITICAL CONTEXT, UM, I'D LIKE TO WALK YOU THROUGH AND BEGIN WALKING YOU THROUGH, AND THE TEAM WILL, WILL CONTINUE, UH, THE VARIOUS OFFICES SO THAT YOU CAN SEE, UH, SOME OF THE ADJUSTMENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE JUST TO HIGHLIGHT AND ELEVATE A FEW.
SO I PULL UP THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE, AND IF YOU LOOK AT THAT OFFICE, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE ARE NO CHANGES IN STAFFING.
AND JUST VERY QUICKLY, IF YOU TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT IT, UH, THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE, JUST FOR THE, UH, THE BENEFIT OF THE VIEWING PUBLIC INCLUDES THE OFFICE OF LAW.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DEPICTED THERE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE ARE NO CHANGES IN STAFFING AND NOAL NOMINAL CHANGES IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING.
MOST OF THOSE TIED TO WAGES AND BENEFITS.
CHIEF OF STAFF, THAT IS MY OFFICE.
AS YOU TAKE A LOOK, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN REDUCTIONS IN STAFFING.
JUST TO WALK YOU THROUGH VERY QUICK, UH, VERY QUICKLY, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE GONE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, FROM 47 FTES TO 35.
YOU'LL ALSO NOTICE THAT THERE ARE INCREASES IN CONTRACTED SERVICES AND OTHER SERVICES.
THOSE SERVICES ARE, UH, REALLY THE RESULT OF A REDIRECT, A REDIRECT OF INFORMA, UH, REDIRECT OF SERVICES THAT CAME OVER FROM IT TO THE CHIEF OF STAFF'S OFFICE.
SO TAKING A LOOK HERE, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN REDUCTIONS IN STAFFING REDIRECTS, AND THEN ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL CHARGES REALLY RELATE TO THE INCREASED COST OF PAPER.
AND TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST, THE INCREASED COST OF TRANSLATION SERVICES.
AS YOU KNOW, IN VCPS, WE SERVE MYRIAD FAMILIES WHO, UH, WHO SPEAK MULTIPLE LANGUAGES AT HOME.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IN THE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE IS ENSURING THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS WERE ABLE TO CON COMMUNICATE WITH THE SYSTEM IN THEIR, UH, LANGUAGE OF ORIGIN.
AND SO THOSE TRANSLATE, UH, THOSE TRANSLATION COSTS HAVE BEEN RISING.
AND SO I WILL TURN IT OVER TO, UH, DR. JONES TO WALK US THROUGH THE CHIEF OF SCHOOL'S OFFICE.
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND DR. ROGERS, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THE DIVISION OF SCHOOLS.
AND THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE, WHICH INVOLVES APPENDIX E CHIEF OF SCHOOLS.
UM, AS NOTED ON THE SLIDE, THERE ARE NO REDUCTIONS, UM, TO PPWS, NO INCREASES IN HEALTH SERVICES AND NO REDUCTIONS IN SECONDARY MEDIA SPECIALISTS.
AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE, UM, ALLOCATIONS FOR MEDIA SPECIALISTS.
THE NEW SPENDING INVOLVES, AS DR. ROGERS PRESENTED IN HER, UM, IN HER BUDGET PRESENTATION INVOLVED THE, UM, THE TWO CHARTER SCHOOLS, UM, WHICH INVOLVES 30 FTES AT A COST OF 3.46 MILLION.
PUBLIC INFORMATION REGARDING STAFFING CAN BE FOUND IN OUR, UH, BUDGET BOOK AND ALSO ON OUR WEBSITE.
I'LL START WITH THE FIRST SNAPSHOT THAT IS BEFORE YOU, WHICH IS, UM, APPENDIX A SCHOOLS.
THIS IS, UM, IN THE BUDGET BOOK ON PAGE ONE 19, AND IT SPEAKS OF SCHOOL ALLOCATION RATIOS.
THE, UM, TO SUMMARIZE THIS INFORMATION, CLASSROOM TEACHERS ARE
[01:20:01]
ALLOCATED BASED ON ENROLLMENT, USING GRADE LEVEL TEACHER TO STUDENT RATIOS.IN FY 27, KINDERGARTEN IS A ONE TO 22 RATIO, AND FIRST THROUGH 12TH GRADE IS ONE TO 25.
ADMINISTRATIVE AND CLERICAL COUNSELING AND PARAEDUCATORS STAFFING INCREASE WITH ENROLLMENT.
UM, DEPARTMENT CHAIRS ASSIGNED PER MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL, A PRINCIPAL MEDIA SPECIALIST AND A NURSE IS ASSIGNED TO EACH SCHOOL.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, BASED ON ENROLLMENT, OTHER POSITIONS COME INTO PLAY.
THE NEXT SCREENSHOT HAS, UM, INFORMATION AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING ENROLLMENT, SCHOOL ENROLLMENT IN OUR COUNTY.
UH, THE PROJECTIONS ARE CONSIDERED IN MULTIPLE WAYS, DEMOGRAPHIC, HOUSING AND PROGRAMMATIC, UH, FACTORS COME INTO PLAY.
THE, UM, ENROLLMENT FORECAST FOR BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS WHERE YOU SEE THE, UM, GREEN AND THE LIGHT BLUE BARS ACTUALLY SPEAK TO THE ACTUAL ENROLLMENT FOR FY 24, 25, AND 50 26.
AND THEN THE LIGHT BLUE BARS ARE, UM, OUR ENROLLMENT FORECASTED FOR FY 27, AND THEN OF COURSE, THREE SUB SUBSEQUENT YEARS THROUGH FY 30.
THE LAST, UM, SCREENSHOT IS A SCHOOL PROFILE.
IT'S ACTUALLY, UM, OUR BEAUTY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
BUT IF YOU GO ON OUR WEBSITE AND YOU, UM, CLICK ON OUR SCHOOL PROFILES, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING, UM, OUR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT DATA.
UM, SCHOOL, UM, STAFF, SCHOOL COUNTS, I'M SORRY.
AND THEN ALSO THE, UM, THE STAFFING RATIOS THERE.
IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT, AS DR. ROGERS SAID, TO KEEP IN MIND THAT IN FY 26 BCPS, WE DID NOT, UM, INCREASE CLASS SIZES IN SCHOOLS.
THE, THIS SLIDE IS THE EXAMPLE THAT DR. ROGERS SPOKE TO EARLIER, AND IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE PROCESS THIS TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, THE WORK THAT I DO WITH, UM, OUR, OUR PRINCIPALS IN THIS PARTICULAR SCENARIO, 125 STUDENTS, UM, ARE LET'S SAY, ENROLLED IN A SCHOOL.
SO IF YOU HAVE 125 STUDENTS, THERE ARE FIVE TEACHERS THAT ARE ALLOCATED BASED ON THE, THE STAFFING RATIO.
IF A SCHOOL DECIDES TO TAKE THAT 125 AND ALLOCATE THE TEACHERS EVENLY, THEN YOU HAVE CLASS SIZES, FIVE SECTIONS OF 25 STUDENTS.
IF ANOTHER DECISION IS MADE BASED ON THE UNIQUE CONTEXT OF THE SCHOOL OR SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, WAS SHARED EARLIER, YOU HAVE 125 STUDENTS.
AND IN THIS CASE, YOU HAVE 22 STUDENTS THAT, UM, WERE PULLED OUT.
AND THEN YOU DIVIDE THE REMAINING NUMBER, 103 DIVIDED BY THE REMAINING CLASSES, WHICH CREATES A VARIANCE.
UM, YOU'D HAVE TWO CLASS SIZES OF 11, A CLASS SIZE, SOME CLASS, TWO CLASS SIZES OF 34, AND THEN ANOTHER CLASS SIZE OF 35.
AGAIN, VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND, AND WE'VE SHARED THIS, UM, WITH OUR PRINCIPALS, THE IMPORTANCE OF THINKING ABOUT THE STAFFING ALLOCATIONS AND THEN THE SCHEDULING DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE, AND SOME THAT ACTUALLY, UM, MAKE SENSE AND ACTUALLY SPEAK TO THE NEEDS OF THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY.
BUT WE WANTED TO SHOW YOU WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE IF, UM, DIFFERENT THINGS CAME INTO PLAY BASED ON THE NEEDS OF THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY.
AND NEXT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO DR.
THE, UH, SLIDE THAT YOU SEE DISPLAYED BEFORE YOU IS OUR CHANGES FOR THE DIVISION OF OPERATIONS AS PROPOSED IN THE FY 27 BUDGET.
YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A REDUCTION IN OUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF, BUT THERE IS, UH, INCREASES IN OUR SUPPORT STAFF.
AND THOSE INCREASES ARE REPRESENTED BY ADDITIONAL SQUARE FOOTAGE AT SCHOOLS THAT WE ARE EXCITED TO OPEN NEXT YEAR, INCLUDING THE ADDITION AT DUNDAS SCHOLARS, THE NEW DEER PARK ELEMENTARY, AND THE NEW LANDSDOWN HIGH SCHOOL.
OUR ALLOCATIONS IN, UH, BUILDING SERVICES, FOR EXAMPLE, AND IN GROUNDS IS BASED ON THE SQUARE FOOTAGE ARE THE SIZE OF THOSE FACILITIES.
UM, OTHER INCREASED, UM, REQUESTS THAT WE HAVE ARE DUE TO SOME CHANGES.
FOR EXAMPLE, FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE'VE BEEN BUYING, UH, FILTERS THROUGH ESSER FUNDS.
THOSE FUNDS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE TO US, SO WE HAVE TO, UH, PIVOT.
UM, WE STILL NEED THOSE FILTERS FOR OUR HVAC.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE THAT COST INCREASE THERE.
UM, THE OTHER FUNDS REPRESENT SOME CONTRACTED SERVICES THAT WE'RE REQUESTING IN LIEU OF, UH, FTES THAT HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED FROM THE DIVISION.
AND WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO DR.
THIS SLIDE REPRESENTS THE DIVISION OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION.
WE HAVE HAD A REDUCTION IN STAFFING OF PROFESSIONAL STAFF, UM, FROM THE GENERAL BUDGET.
WHAT I DO WANNA NOTE IS THAT WE HAVE HAD AN INCREASE OF 14 PROFESSIONAL FTES AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL.
THESE REPRESENT OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL CAREER COACHES.
THEY'RE FUNDED THROUGH THE BLUEPRINT FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
[01:25:01]
UM, AND THIS IS WHAT, THIS IS, THE ONLY WAY THAT THIS FUND CAN BE USED IS FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CURRENTLY IN OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS.WE ALSO HAVE A NEW SPENDING REQUEST FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION THAT'S 20 FTES AND $1.7 MILLION.
THIS IS TO COVER SLP CASELOADS AND REDUCE THEM TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE MEETING THE STANDARDS THAT HAVE BEEN SET.
IT ALSO COVERS, UM, THE EXPANSION OF OUR SCLS, OUR CLS PROGRAMS TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING CONTINUING SERVICES FOR OUR STUDENTS.
I BELIEVE I'M TURNING IT OVER TO MR. THE CALL.
GOOD EVENING CHAIR, TER, VICE CHAIR HARVEY.
AND, UH, DR. ROGERS MEMBERS OF THE BOARDS.
UM, HUMAN RESOURCES WAS NOT EXEMPT FROM ACTUALLY, UH, MAKING TOUGH DECISIONS AROUND CREATING GREATER EFFICIENCIES AND, UH, ELIMINATING REDUNDANCIES, UH, AS A OF, OF, UH, CREATING A COST SAVINGS.
AS SUCH, WE PROPOSE AN FY 27, UH, TO ELIMINATE THREE PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS AS WELL AS TWO SUPPORT POSITIONS.
IN ADDITION, WE HAVE DECREASED OUR SPENDING, UH, ON CONTRACTUAL SERVICES, SUPPORT SALARIES BY ROUGHLY $300,000 IN REALIGNING THE WORK WITHIN THE DIVISION.
SO AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO TURN OVER TO MR. TIFF.
UH, SO THERE'S A FEW, UH, POINTS IN THE BUDGET WHERE SEES A LOT OF QUESTIONS, AND DR. ROGERS WANTED TO, UH, GIVE, GIVE, UH, THE BOARD SOME EXPLANATIONS.
UM, SO THE FIRST THING IS FIXED CHARGES.
FIXED CHARGES IS A REPORTING CATEGORY THAT IS DEFINED BY MSDE.
IT'S CHARGES OF RECURRING NATURE, WHICH ARE NOT READILY ALLOCATABLE TO OTHER EXPENDITURE CATEGORIES.
AND IT'S BASICALLY ALL OF OUR FRINGE BENEFITS.
THAT'S THE SIMPLEST WAY, UH, TO DEFINE IT.
THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT'S BEEN INCREASING THINGS LIKE OUR OTHER POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS OR OPE.
UM, THE STATE'S BEEN INCREASING OUR LOCAL SHARE OF STATE RETIREMENT OVER THE PAST DECADE AND SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE ARE ABOUT 7.5% OF THE TOTAL SALARIES IN THE BUDGET.
UM, IF YOU GO TO THE VERY LAST PAGE OF THE BUDGET BOOK, YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THE FIXED CHARGES IN ONE PLACE.
AND THE HIGHLIGHTS ARE, ARE SIMPLY, UM, ITEMS THAT ARE, UH, GOING UP JUST, UH, IN THE NORMAL COURSE OF THINGS.
YOU CAN SEE OPEP, UH, THE, FORTUNATELY THEY'RE ONLY GOING UP 4 MILLION THIS YEAR, BUT THAT'S FOLLOWING 14 MILLION LAST YEAR.
AND THOSE ARE ACTUARILY DETERMINED.
HEALTH INSURANCE HAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE JUST, UH, SIMILAR TO OTHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE, THAT REALLY IS JUST GOING UP WITH THE COMPENSATION CHANGES.
SINCE OUR HEAD COUNT'S GOING DOWN, IT'S MORE THAN OFFSET BY THE DOLLAR VALUE OF ALL OUR SALARY INCREASES THAT DR. ROGERS SHOWED YOU EARLIER IN THE PRESENTATION.
UM, OUR ACTUAL FIXED CHARGES FOR FY 25 ARE AT THE PROGRAM AND SCHOOL LEVEL AS REQUIRED BY BLUEPRINT.
BUT OUR BUDGETED CHARGES IN FY 26 AND 27 ARE CENTRALLY BUDGETED, BUT WILL BE BUDGETED AT THE PROGRAM AND SCHOOL LEVEL FOLLOWING ORACLE IMPLEMENTATION.
SO, HISTORICALLY, IN THE GENERAL FUND, ALL FRINGE BENEFITS WERE BUDGETED CENTRALLY, AND THE ACTUALS HIT SET CENTRAL CENTRALLY.
BUT AS PART OF BLUEPRINT WHERE THE DOLLARS ARE FOLLOWING THE CHILDREN AND ALL, UH, THERE'S MINIMUM SCHOOL FUNDING, ALL OF THOSE EXPENSES HAVE TO FOLLOW THE CHILD, AND ALL OF THE EXPENSES SHOULD GO TO THE SCHOOL.
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF ON RAMPING TO THAT.
SO WE'RE ABLE TO MOVE OUR EXPENSES AT YEAR END, BUT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO BUDGET EVERYTHING AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL.
SO WE KNOW WHERE THOSE EXPENSES ARE, BUT IT DOESN'T ROLL UP IF YOU WANNA THINK ABOUT IT THAT WAY, IN THE BUDGET BOOK.
BUT FOR THE BUDGET MODULE, WE'LL, WE'RE DEVELOPING IN ORACLE, WE'VE TAKEN THAT INTO ACCOUNT.
SO WHEN THAT GOES LIVE, WHICH WILL BE FOR THE FY 28 SEASON, SINCE WE'RE IN 27 NOW, SO IT'LL BE LIVE, UH, FOR NEXT YEAR IN THE 28TH BUDGET, WE SHOULD HAVE EVERYTHING TYING.
SO YOU WON'T SEE WHERE YOU HAVE A HUGE BUDGET, BUT THE ACTUALS ARE SPREAD OUT.
SO THE TOTALS ARE IN LINE, BUT YOU'D SEE THEM SPREAD OUT.
UM, THERE'S ALSO A QUESTION WE GET SOMETIMES LISTED BETWEEN FIXED CHARGES AND OTHER CHARGES.
OTHER CHARGES IS SIMPLY A GROUPING OF OBJECTS AS DEFINED BY MSDE.
ALL FIXED CHARGES ARE WITHIN OTHER CHARGES, BUT OTHER CHARGES ARE NOT JUST FIXED CHARGES.
SO ESSENTIALLY, UM, FIXED IS A SUBSET OF OTHER CHARGES.
UH, SO OTHER OFF BESIDES FIX INCLUDES UTILITIES, INSURANCE, TRAVEL, PROFESSIONAL DUES, REIMBURSEMENTS, AND INTERDEPARTMENTAL TRANSFERS.
THERE'S ALSO, UM, IF YOU JUST LOOK AT ANY OFFICE, YOU MIGHT TAKE THE FTES DIVIDED BY THE SALARIES, AND YOU SEE, UH, WILDLY VARYING SALARIES.
[01:30:01]
SALARIES THAT DON'T MAKE SENSE.THAT IS BECAUSE WHEN WE SAY SALARIES AND WAGES, IT IS NOT JUST FTE SALARIES.
SO YOU MIGHT HAVE AN FTE, BUT YOU MIGHT HAVE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS IN THE SALARY BUDGET.
AND YOU CAN SEE THEM ALL, UH, LISTED HERE.
STIPEND, SUBS, ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE, HOME AND HOSPITAL TUTORS, MANY, MANY THINGS.
AND IN THIS SIMPLE EXAMPLE WE GAVE IS THE, UH, BUDGET FOR THE BOARD.
THERE'S ONLY ONE FTE, BUT ALL OF THE BOARD STIPENDS THAT YOU'RE PAID ARE IN SALARY.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE A DISPROPORTIONATE SALARY RELATIVE TO THE NUMBER OF FTES.
AND, AND THIS OCCURS THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET.
UH, SO YOU CAN'T TAKE THE SALARIES AND DIVIDE IT BY THE FTES WITHOUT KNOWING ALL THE DETAILS BEHIND IT AND COME UP WITH, UH, AN ANSWER THAT MAKES ANY SENSE.
UH, ALWAYS A FUN TOPIC OF DISCUSSION, BUT IN THE END FUND BALANCE IS THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT EXCEEDS EXPENSES IN THE PRIOR YEAR.
IT ACCUMULATES IN OUR FUND BALANCE.
THINK OF IT AS, UH, WHATEVER WE HAVE LEFT OVER AT THE END OF THE YEAR GOES INTO THE BANK AND IT CAN BE REUSED THE NEXT YEAR.
IT INCLUDES SALARY AND NON-SALARY.
NET UNDERSPENDING, UM, FUND BALANCE CAN ONLY BE ACCESSED WITH THE APPROVAL OF THIS BOARD AND THE BALTIMORE COUNTY COUNCIL.
IF SOMETHING GOES INTO FUND BALANCE, WE CANNOT ACCESS IT IN ANY OTHER WAY OTHER THAN RUNNING A SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION, WHICH WE HAVE DONE THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
SO THE BOARD, UH, HAS SEEN THAT, AND THEY'LL SEE ANOTHER ONE LATER THIS YEAR.
UM, APPROPRIATE FUND BALANCE, APPROPRIATE FUND BALANCE IS A MATERIAL PART OF THE BUDGET EACH YEAR.
UH, WE HAD, AND I'LL SHOW YOU ON A LATER SLIDE, UM, WE HAD A SIGNIFICANT BALANCE AS A RESULT OF COVID UNDERSPENDING WHEN WE REMOTE, WHEN WE REMOTE, WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO PUT A LOT OF EXPENSES INTO ESSER.
BUT WE'RE, UH, E UM, DRAWING DOWN THAT BALANCE NOW.
SO WE HAVE TO REALLY LEVEL OUT HOW MUCH WE'RE SPENDING.
AND WE HAVE A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES JUST TO GIVE YOU A FEEL FOR THAT.
'CAUSE SOMETIMES THERE MIGHT BE, UH, THE THOUGHT, ESPECIALLY FROM THE PUBLIC, HEY, YOU HAVE THIS MUCH MONEY IN THIS FUND BALANCE, LET'S USE IT ALL THIS YEAR.
AND THEN WE CAN DO LOTS OF GREAT THINGS.
BUT THE UNFORTUNATE THING IS THAT WOULD PUT US AT A MAJOR DEFICIT THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
UM, SO CARE MUST BE TAKEN, TAKEN TO USE A SUSTAINABLE AMOUNT.
THAT'S THE KEY THING, AND THAT'S WHAT DR. ROGERS AND WE ARE ALWAYS FOCUSED ON, IS MAKING SURE IT'S SUSTAINABLE.
UH, SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
SO WE HAVE $45.3 MILLION IN SALARY TURNOVER IN THE BUDGET THIS YEAR.
THAT'S ABOUT 3.5% OF OUR TOTAL SALARY BASE.
WE SPREAD IT THROUGHOUT, UH, THE BUDGET.
AND ONE THING TO REALLY, AND YOU CAN SEE THE SIMPLE CALCULATION THERE, HOW WE COME UP WITH THREE POINT A HALF PERCENT.
BUT ONE THING TO REALLY KEEP IN MIND IS BECAUSE WE'VE REALLY ABOLISHED A LOT OF VACANCIES OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, OUR, UH, VARIANCE IN SALARIES IS LIKELY TO GET TIGHTER AND TIGHTER AS THE YEAR GOES, GOES ON, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE LESS AND LESS VACANCIES BECAUSE WE'VE REMOVED THOSE POSITIONS.
UH, HERE YOU CAN SEE A FUND BALANCE.
ON THE LEFT SIDE IS OUR NON-SUSTAINABLE EXAMPLE.
AND WE HAVE A SUSTAINABLE EXAMPLE, WHICH TIES TO THIS YEAR'S BUDGET ON THE RIGHT SIDE.
SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE, UH, OUR STARTING BALANCE.
SO THROUGH FY 26, IT'S THE SAME ON BOTH SIDES.
SO YOU CAN SEE OUR STARTING BALANCE OF FUND BALANCE, HOW MUCH WE USED.
THERE WAS ONE YEAR WHERE THE COUNTY HAD US MOVE MONEY TO SUPPORT THE CAPITAL BUDGET.
UM, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE OUR VARIANCE.
SO THAT'S OUR NET UNDERSPENDING FOR THE YEAR, AS WELL AS IF WE HAVE OLD ENCUMBRANCES FOR PRIOR YEARS AND THEY'RE NOT NEEDED ANYMORE, WE'RE ALLOWED TO LIQUIDATE THEM.
YOU CAN'T USE THOSE IN THE CURRENT YEAR.
BUT THAT DOES FALL INTO FUND BALANCE.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, UM, YOU HAD A PURCHASE ORDER, YOU HAD A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, ONLY $20,000 WAS RECEIVED.
YOU DECIDE YOU DON'T NEED THE REST OF IT, OR THEY'RE UNABLE TO DELIVER.
THEN THAT $80,000 FALLS INTO FUND BALANCE.
THE OFFICES CAN'T REUSE THAT MONEY.
IT'S NOT IN THE CURRENT YEAR'S BUDGET.
IT JUST DROPS INTO FUND BALANCE WHEN WE CLOSE THE BOOKS FOR THE YEAR.
SO YOU CAN SEE IN, UH, NO, YEAH, JUST STAY THERE FOR A SECOND.
UH, AND THE NEXT TWO SLIDES ARE JUST THESE TWO ON THEIR OWN PAGE.
UM, SO YOU CAN SEE IN 26 OR 27, YOU CAN SEE WE'RE USING 50 MILLION.
SO WE DID BOOST UP VERSUS WHAT WE'VE USED, UH, THE PRIOR YEAR.
AND WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO START, UH, DRAWING THAT DOWN, UM, IN THE COMING YEARS.
SO IF, UH, AND ACTUALLY LET ME GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
IT'S A LITTLE EASIER TO LOOK AT.
SO HERE'S OUR NOT SUSTAINABLE EXAMPLE.
SO THIS, THIS IS JUST SAYING, HEY, WE'RE USING 50 MILLION THIS YEAR.
AND THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN, OKAY, LET'S INCREASE IT TO 60 OR 70.
'CAUSE THEN WE'LL BE OUTTA BUSINESS REALLY QUICK.
YOU CAN SEE BY 2030, WE DON'T HAVE 50 MILLION TO EVEN USE ANYMORE.
[01:35:01]
USE LESS THAN THE PRIOR YEAR IS A GAP IN THE BUDGET THAT CAN ONLY BE CLOSED THROUGH EITHER EXTRA REVENUE OR CUTTING EXPENSE.IT'S A VERY SIMILAR PHENOMENON TO THE ONGOING EXPENSES WE HAD IN, UH, THE ESSER BUDGET FROM COVID, WHICH WE TALKED JUST A SMIDGE ABOUT EARLIER.
BUT WHEN THAT WENT AWAY, WE, THE BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT DETERMINED THERE WERE SOME THINGS WE HAD TO KEEP DOING.
TO CONTINUE THOSE THINGS, WE NEEDED TO HAVE A COMBINATION OF MORE REVENUE AND LOWER EXPENSE.
SO, UH, WE WANT FUND BALANCE TO BE SUSTAINABLE.
AND IF YOU DON'T, IT CAUSES A REVENUE GAP, AS I, UH, MENTIONED.
AND IN THIS EXAMPLE, WE'RE ABOUT ALMOST $30 MILLION SHORT IN 2030.
AND THERE'S A VERY SIMPLE EXAMPLE GRANT THAT IT'S HARD TO KNOW EVERY YEAR WHAT OUR VARIANCE IS GONNA BE.
A LOT OF DIFFERENT VARIABLES IN THERE.
IT'S JUST TO KIND OF DEMONSTRATE THE IDEA OF USE OF FUND BALANCE.
SO HERE YOU CAN SEE WE'RE PLANNING TO SLOWLY DRAW DOWN OUR USE OF FUND BALANCE TO GET TO ABOUT A $30 MILLION RUN RATE AND PRE COVID.
THAT IS ABOUT WHAT WE USED EVERY YEAR, 30 TO 32 MILLION FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, NOT EVERY YEAR.
AND THAT'S REALLY A SUSTAINABLE AMOUNT.
IT'S ABOUT WHAT WILL GENERATE IN POSITIVE VARIANCE EACH YEAR BETWEEN LIQUIDATED ENCUMBRANCES AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, UH, EXPENSE AND REVENUE.
WE THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT EVEN WITH OUR, UH, LOWER VACANCIES AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, SO THAT'S REALLY IT IN A NUTSHELL.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND FUN BALANCE.
IT CAN BE A CONFUSING TOPIC, BUT, UH, THAT WRAPS UP WHAT WE WERE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IN THE PRESENTATION.
SO FIRST, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION AND TRYING TO MAKE SOME OF THE MORE COMPLEX PIECES A LITTLE BIT MORE UNDERSTANDABLE.
BEFORE I GET STARTED, OR BEFORE WE START WITH QUESTIONS, I'M SORRY, DR. ROGERS, DID YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING AT THE END? NO.
UM, MS. LESKI, YOU HAD A MOTION TO MAKE SURE? YES.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A MOTION TO EXTEND BOARD MEMBER COMMENT TIME TO THREE MINUTES.
IS THERE A SECOND TO SECOND HAND? THANK YOU.
ANY DISCUSSION? WE HAVE A ROLL CALL.
WHO WOULD LIKE TO GET US STARTED, MS. HARVEY? THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
I JUST HAVE A, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, AND IF YOU COULD, UM, COULD YOU ANSWER THEM AS IF I AM? I WALKED UP TO YOU IN THE COFFEE SHOP AND ASKED YOU THIS QUESTION.
I'M NOT A EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL, NOR AM I AN ACCOUNTANT THAT LEAVES
SO, UM, MY FIRST QUESTION IS, UM, THE REDIRECTS.
COULD YOU EXPLAIN IN PLAIN LANGUAGE WHEN YOU SAY THAT POSITIONS OR FUNDS WERE REDIRECTED BECAUSE THEY WERE MOVED FROM ONE OFFICE TO ANOTHER? DOES THAT MEAN THAT THE, THE LINE ITEM WAS TAKEN FROM THE OLD OFFICE AND THE FUNDS MOVED, IT WASN'T LEFT THERE? IS THAT THE CORRECT UNDERSTANDING OF THAT? YES, THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
IT'S BUDGET NEUTRAL MOVEMENT FROM POINT A TO POINT B.
UH, MY SECOND QUESTION IS, UM, ON PAGE 17, WHERE YOU GAVE THE EXAMPLES OF HOW CLASS SIZES CAN BE AFFECTED BY SLIDE 17.
OH, I'M SORRY, SLIDE 17, NOT BUDGET.
UM, YOU GAVE THE EXAMPLE OF THE INSTANCES, UM, THE, THE CLASSROOM SIZES WHERE IT WOULD BE FIVE, A HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE STUDENTS, FIVE TEACHERS, IF IT'S ALL, EVEN EVERYBODY GETS 25 STUDENTS.
BUT DECISIONS CAN BE MADE TO PULL OUT, UM, STUDENTS FOR SOME REASON OR ANOTHER, WHICH WOULD IMPACT SOME CLASS.
WELL, IT WOULD IMPACT ALL THE CLASS SIZES.
SO CAN YOU GIVE SOME SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF WHAT WOULD BE INSTANCES WHERE THERE WOULD BE THESE, THESE PULLOUTS? YES.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND GET YOU STARTED.
AND DR. JONES, YOU CAN JUMP RIGHT IN AFTER, UM, WE SEE A LOT OF THESE PULLOUTS FOR SPECIAL PROGRAMS. UM, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE ROBUST RELATIONSHIPS WITH CCBC FOR HIGHER LEVEL COURSES.
[01:40:01]
DID A RANDOM SAMPLING, AND WE HAVE MANY AP, UH, CALCULUS, AB AND BC CALCULUS COURSES, UH, WHICH LARGELY HAVE, UM, 10 TO 15 STUDENTS IN THOSE COURSES.UM, MAJORITY OF STUDENTS WHO ARE TAKING THOSE CLASSES ARE COLLEGE AND CAREER READY, WHICH MEANS THE TUITION IS FREE FOR THOSE STUDENTS TO ACCESS TO CCBC.
AND THERE'S A VARIETY OF WAYS TO ACCESS THE COURSES.
UH, BUT WHEN THERE IS THAT REQUEST AT THE SCHOOLHOUSE FOR THE, UH, PRINCIPAL TO HAVE, UH, THE COURSES AND IT'S NOT COMBINED DIFFERENT LEVELS IN ONE SECTION, YOU THEN MIGHT SEE CONVERSELY A LOWER LEVEL MATHEMATICS CLASS INFLATE.
UM, YOU ALSO SEE THOSE IN, UH, MANY OF THE SPECIAL PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, UH, SOME OF OUR PRINCIPALS HAVE BEEN SPEAKING TO US ABOUT, UH, MAGNET, UH, PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD TO, UM, UH, SUNSET BASED ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, UH, SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS, YOU MIGHT HAVE, UH, SEVEN STUDENTS ACROSS THE ENTIRE SCHOOL THAT ARE SIGNING UP FOR A MAGNET.
UH, AND IF YOU HAVE ONE, UH, SECTION OF THAT COURSE, THE CHANCES OF, SO WE CALL THAT A SINGLETON.
WHEN YOU'RE BUILDING A MASTER SCHEDULE, THE CHANCES OF ALL OF THOSE STUDENTS BEING ABLE TO FEED INTO THAT SECTION, YOU END UP WITH A SECTION OF THREE OR FOUR STUDENTS.
UM, BUT WE HAVE TO TAKE TIME TO SUNSET THOSE PROGRAMS. THOSE ARE MANY OF THE PLACES, THOSE FAVORITE CLASSES, THOSE SPECIAL CLASSES, MOST OF THE TIMES THEY ARE HIGHER LEVEL.
I WANT TO UNDERSCORE, UH, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR STUDENTS RECEIVING SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES, AS WAS PRESENTED, THAT ALLOCATION IS SEPARATE.
SELF-CONTAINED ALLOCATION IS SEPARATE.
MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS ALLOCATION IS SEPARATE.
EVEN OUR INCLUSION STUDENTS, THAT ALLOCATION IS A SEPARATE LINE ITEM IDENTIFIED AS CONTINUUM OF SERVICES.
SO THIS IS PURELY AROUND INTEREST WHERE WE HAVE A LOT OF THESE SMALLER CLASSES.
IF YOU HAVE OTHER EXAMPLES THAT YOU'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT, DR. JONES, PLEASE DO SO.
I THINK YOU, HONESTLY, I THINK DR.
ROD JUST COVERED IT, UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL NO, JUST SO, SO JUST SO I'M CLEAR, THE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PULLOUTS THAT MAY TAKE, UH, THE AVERAGE CLASSROOM SIZE, MAY LOWER SOME CLASSROOM SIZES AND INCREASE OTHERS, THAT THOSE ARE CONSIDERED SPECIALS, UH, THAT ARE BASED ON INTEREST, BUT DON'T INCLUDE SPECIAL EDUCATION IN THOSE TYPES OF SERVICE CLASSES.
UH, ON SLIDE 25, UM, MR. TANIFF MADE A STATEMENT, UM, THAT YOU CAN'T TAKE THE SALARIES AND DIVIDE IT BY THE FTES AND COME UP WITH A NUMBER THAT IS A VIABLE ACTUAL NUMBER.
CAN YOU JUST EXPLAIN, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE ALL SIT DOWN AND DO BASIC MATH, WE, THAT'S WHAT WE DO.
AND SO FOR THE PUBLIC'S KNOWLEDGE, UH, AND EDIFICATION, CAN YOU JUST EXPLAIN WHAT THAT MEANS AGAIN,
IT'S SIMPLY BECAUSE THE, THE SALARIES, UH, LINE ITEM INCLUDES NOT JUST FTE SALARY.
SO IF THERE WAS A BREAKOUT AND IT JUST HAD THREE FTES AND EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE PAID, THEN OF COURSE IT WOULD WORK.
WE COULD HAVE THAT THROUGHOUT THE BOOK, BUT THE BOOK WOULD JUST BECOME VOLUMINOUS.
AND IT'S PRETTY LARGE AS YOU KNOW NOW.
SO ALL OF SALARIES WHICH ARE DEFINED, UH, IN THE CATEGORY DEFINED BY MSDE, IT INCLUDES A LOT OF OTHER ITEMS, STIPEND SUBSTITUTES, ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE, SO TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES, ANYONE WHO'S NOT AN FTE, BUT IT'S COMPENSATION THAT GOES TO THE EMPLOYEES.
THERE'S MANY OTHER THINGS INCLUDED IN THAT BUCKET.
SO YOU HAVE YOUR BASE SALARIES THE FTES ARE MAKING, BUT THEN YOU'RE GETTING OTHER SALARY ITEMS THAT ARE THERE.
THERE'S SOME, UM, DEPARTMENTS, THERE MIGHT NOT BE ANYTHING ELSE, AND IT MIGHT ACT BE A PERFECT CALCULATION 'CAUSE THERE'S NOTHING EXTRA IN THERE.
THERE'S OTHERS WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT STIPENDS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
SO JUST, JUST AS PRESENTED, YOU'D NEED TO PEEL BACK THE ONION TO HAVE THE DETAILS YOU'D NEED.
SO, JUST SO I'M CLEAR, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A DEPARTMENTAL BUDGET ALLOCATION FOR SALARIES, IF IT INC INCLUDES FTES, WHICH IS FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS, JUST SO WE USE A LOT OF JARGON AND I WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT'S OUR FULL-TIME, UH, STAFF.
IF THE DEPARTMENT INCLUDES PEOPLE WHO ARE ON STIPENDS, PEOPLE WHO, UH, HAVE, ARE SUBSTITUTES, THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE OVERALL CALCULATION.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU CAN'T DO WE HAVE 10 TEACHERS, $10,000, EVERYBODY GETS A THOUSAND
[01:45:01]
DOLLARS? YES, THAT'S CORRECT.AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION, MAY I HAVE A TIME CHECK PLEASE? 40 SECONDS.
MY LAST QUESTION IS, UH, FUND BALANCE.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN AGAIN WHY USING ALL OF THE FUND BALANCE WOULD PUT BCPS IN A DEFICIT NEXT FISCAL YEAR? SURE.
UM, SO IF WE USED EVERYTHING WE HAD THIS YEAR, WHICH IS, UH, ABOUT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, THERE WOULD BE THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD BE LEFT NEXT YEAR WOULD BE OUR POSITIVE VARIANCE FOR THIS YEAR.
SO OUR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REVENUE AND EXPENSE, LET'S JUST SAY THAT CAME IN AT $30 MILLION.
WE'D HAVE A HUNDRED MILLION IN THE BUDGET THIS YEAR, AND THAT SAME REVENUE SOURCE WOULD ONLY HAVE 30 MILLION NEXT YEAR.
SO WE WOULD HAVE AN IMMEDIATE GAP OF $70 MILLION IN OUR BUDGET.
SO JUST TO HAVE EQUAL SPENDING TO THIS YEAR, NOT TALKING ABOUT ANY CHANGES IN COMPENSATION, ANY INCREASES IN FRINGE BENEFITS, ANY OTHER INFLATION, WE WOULD HAVE TO FIND $70 MILLION BETWEEN MORE REVENUE AND LOWER EXPENSE JUST TO BE FLAT TO THIS YEAR BEFORE WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT ANYTHING NEW, WHETHER IT'S AN INITIATIVE, COMPENSATION INCREASES, ET CETERA.
THINK OF IT AS A PRECIOUS THING, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S, UM, REPEATABLE AND SUSTAINABLE.
AND LIKE ANY OTHER PRECIOUS RESOURCE, IF YOU USE IT ALL UP AND IT'S GONE WELL, THEN YOU'RE OUTTA LUCK.
SO IF WE USE IT THIS YEAR, THEN WE'RE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ANY PROGRAMMING THAT THOSE FUNDS COVERED NEXT YEAR OR ANY BUDGET ALLOCATIONS, NOT WITHOUT A LARGE CUT.
SO SOMETHING WOULD HAVE TO BE CUT.
SOMEBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS? MS. HEN? THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
UM, FIRST, WHO IS OUR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT IN ZERO BASED BUDGETING? UH, I GUESS I COULD STAND UP FOR THAT.
MR. TANIFF, CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH THE PROCESS, UM, SOUP TO NUTS FROM A DECISION FLOW PERSPECTIVE USING A DEPARTMENT, FOR INSTANCE, OPERATIONS AS AN EXAMPLE? UM, WELL, WHAT WE ASK THE CHIEFS TO DO IS GO THROUGH ALL OF THEIR EXPENSES AND JUSTIFY ALL OF THEM.
SO THEY GO THROUGH LINE BY LINE.
THEY HAVE WHAT THEY SPENT LAST YEAR, THEY HAVE THEIR BUDGET LAST YEAR, AND THEY DETERMINE WITH THEIR STAFF HOW DO THEY WANT TO SPEND THE MONEY THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
THEY GO THROUGH AND JUSTIFY EVERY SINGLE LINE ITEM IN EX EXCRUCIATINGLY GRANULAR DETAIL.
UH, THE CHIEFS TAKE ALL THAT INFORMATION ON BOARD.
UH, THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT BEING IN THE LINE WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT'S PRIORITIES, WITH THE BOARD'S PRIORITIES.
AND THEN THEY WILL, UM, AFTER HAVING BACK AND FORTH, THEY'LL PRESENT THAT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.
THE SUPERINTENDENT WILL SCRUTINIZE ALL OF THOSE JUSTIFICATIONS, HAVE A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH, A LOT OF PUSHBACK.
SOME THINGS WILL BE ACCEPTED, SOME THINGS WON'T.
UM, WE'LL HAVE A TARGET, OBVIOUSLY WITH OUR PRELIMINARY REVENUE THAT WE GET FROM THE COUNTY AND WHAT WE THINK WE'RE GONNA GET FROM THE STATE.
WE DETERMINE IF THERE'S A GAP OR NOT.
MIGHT HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD IF THERE'S STILL THINGS THAT NEED TO BE CUT FURTHER.
LOOKING AT ALL OF THOSE LINE ITEMS, THE JUSTIFICATIONS FOR THEM, A LOT OF PUSHBACK.
SO I, I WOULD, UH, DESCRIBE IT AS KIND OF A VIRTUOUS CYCLE.
THERE'S JUSTIFICATION, THERE'S DEFENSE, UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S JUST MUCH, MUCH MORE GRANULAR THAN WE USED TO DO BEFORE.
UM, YOUR BASELINE BUDGET KIND OF WENT THROUGH WITHOUT MUCH PUSHBACK.
AND NOW EVERY SINGLE LINE ITEM'S GETTING SCRUTINY THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AND ARE THE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE SEEING BASED ON ACTUALS FROM THE YEAR PRIOR, UH, WHAT, WELL, THE BUDGET BOOK SHOWS ALL THE ACTUALS AND THE ACTUALS FORM THE BASIS OF WHAT YOU NEED IN THE BUDGET FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
SO THE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE SEEING ARE, WE DON'T HAVE THE 26 ACTUALS, BUT ARE THESE BASED ON 25 ACTUALS OR 26 PROJECTIONS? UH, WELL, THE BUDGET REMEMBERS FIRST PUT TOGETHER IN SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER.
SO AT THAT POINT YOU HAVE FY 25 ACTUALS AS A REFERENCE, AND YOU HAVE F YOUR FY 26 BUDGET AS A REFERENCE.
UM, AT THE CHIEF LEVEL, THEY'RE NOT REALLY ABLE TO PROJECT EVERY SINGLE EXPENSE THEY'RE GETTING WITH STAFF.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT THAT CONTRACT, HOW MUCH ARE YOU GONNA SPEND FOR THIS? AND THERE'S LOTS OF BACK AND FORTH BASED ON WHAT WELL, WHAT THEY'RE PROJECTING TO EXPEND FOR EACH, UH, OF THOSE ITEMS. DO THEY NEED MORE? DO THEY NEED LESS? SO THOSE ARE REFERENCE POINTS THEY USE TO, UH, PUT TOGETHER THE BEST BUDGET THEY CAN TO PRESENT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.
SO WHEN POSSIBLE, ZERO-BASED BUDGETING LOOKS AT THE PRINCIPLE OF USING ACTUALS VERSUS PROJECTIONS WHEN THE DATA IS AVAILABLE.
SO MY QUESTION IS, UM, WHAT WAS OUR ACTUAL TURNOVER RATE IN 25,
[01:50:01]
ASSUMING THAT WAS THE MOST RECENT DATA AVAILABLE, AND HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO OUR PROJECTION PROJECTED TURNOVER RATE AT 3.6%? UM, I DON'T HAVE THAT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.IT WAS, I BELIEVE A LITTLE HIGHER THAN THAT.
I DIDN'T, UH, LOOK AT SALARIES RIGHT BEFORE THAT.
UH, MAYBE KELLY, YOU COULD CHECK, UH, OUR BUDGET DIRECTOR COULD CHECK THAT, AND WE GET BACK TO YOU IN, IN A BIT, BUT IT'S A LITTLE HIGHER THAN THREE AND A HALF.
AND REMEMBER, WE, WE WANT TO PLAN CONSERVATIVELY, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE HIT OUR NUMBERS.
AND AGAIN, ANY UNDERSPENDING FALLS TO FUND BALANCE AT THE END OF THE YEAR, BUT WE DON'T WANNA OVERSPEND BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT'S NOT EVER A GOOD POSITION TO BE IN.
AND THEN WE'D HAVE TO COME TO THE BOARD AND DO AN APPROPRIATION FOR THOSE UNEXPECTED EXPENSES.
SO WE TRY TO PLAN FAIR, BUT CONSERVATIVELY TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T OVERSPEND.
THE MOST RECENT NUMBER I HAVE WAS FROM 24, WHICH IS A COUPLE YEARS AGO, BUT WAS A TURNOVER RATE OF 8.8%.
THE COUNTY AUDITORS ESTIMATED IT AT 5.5%.
SO I WAS CURIOUS AS TO HOW WE ARRIVED AT 3.5% AND WHAT THE DIFFERENCE WOULD BE SHOULD WE, UM, GENERATE THE BUDGET AT A, UM, CLOSER TO ACTUAL RATE OF 5.5%.
AND WHETHER THAT FIGURE WOULD ALLOW US TO PLAN FOR, UM, MORE CONSERVATIVE CUTS IN STAFFING, I BELIEVE BACK OF THE NAPKIN MATH WOULD END US WITH, WITH MAYBE TH 30, AROUND 30 MILLION.
BUT AGAIN, THAT'S A ROUGH BALLPARK.
HAVE YOU LOOKED AT OTHER VACANCY RATES IN, IN THE PROJECTIONS AND WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF IMPACT ON, UM, AGAIN, WE'VE GOTTEN RID OF A LOT OF VACANCY.
I'D HAVE TO LOOK WHERE THAT, UH, ALMOST 9% RATE THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT CAME FROM.
I'D HAVE TO, UH, COMPARE THAT.
BUT, UH, LIKE I SAID, I BELIEVE WE WERE SOMEWHAT HIGHER THAN THAT LAST YEAR.
UM, WE'VE GOTTEN RID OF LOTS OF VACANCIES OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, SO WE EXPECT THAT RATE TO KEEP DROPPING.
UM, SO I THINK IT'S A PRETTY FAIR AND BALANCED BUDGET THE WAY IT IS SET UP.
SO AT A 5.5%, THAT'S NOT THE 9% RATE THAT WE SAW IN, UM, 24, WHICH WAS THE ACTUAL VACANCY RATE CLOSER TO A FIVE POINT HALF PERCENT IS A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN JUST THREE YEARS.
UM, DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW WHAT THAT FIGURE WOULD BE, THE 9% RESULTED IN A $76 MILLION FUND BALANCE? UM, AGAIN, I'D, I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THOSE FIGURES.
I DON'T HAVE THEM OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
WHAT, WHAT'S YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTION, MS. N MY QUESTION IS, HAVE WE LOOKED AT A, UM, CLOSER VACANCY RATE TO ACTUALS, UM, WHEN, WHEN GOING THROUGH ZERO BASED BUDGETING, ONE OF THE PRINCIPLES IS USING ACTUALS RATHER THAN, UM, PROJECTIONS.
AND SINCE OUR LAST ACTUAL WAS AN 8.8% VACANCY RATE, MY QUESTION IS HOW WE ARRIVED AT USING A 3.5% VACANCY RATE.
UM, AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE, UH, 8.8% SEEMS HIGH TO ME.
AND IT WAS BASED ON OUR NUMBERS, BASED ON WHAT BCPS NUMBERS WAS PROVIDED TO BALTIMORE COUNTY.
WHAT WAS YOUR SOURCE FOR THE OFFICE OF, OF THE 8% OFFICE OF THE COUNTY AUDITORS LEGISLATIVE AUDIT ANALYSIS.
I, I'D HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
BUT, BUT I'M STILL NOT CLEAR ON WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT, AND I MEAN, WE'RE WE, I'M ASKING, ASKING ABOUT OUR PROJECTED BUDGET.
I'M ASKING ABOUT OUR PROJECT, OUR, UM, VACANCY RATE PROJECTION OF THREE POINT A PERCENT VERSUS OUR LAST KNOWN ACTUAL, UM, ON REC PUBLIC RECORD, WHICH WAS 8.8%.
MR. TLA, IF I MAY, UM, YOU AND MS. UH, NIAN CAN GET THE INFORMATION AND WE CAN PROVIDE THAT UPDATE.
I WILL ALSO, UH, BRING TO EVERYONE'S ATTENTION FOR THE FY 25 BUDGET.
I BELIEVE THE AMOUNT OF SALARY, TURNOVER REDUCTION, UM, AND I LOOKED AT THIS RECENTLY WAS, UH, $25 MILLION.
SO THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE.
SO IF THERE WAS A 8.8%, UM, PRIOR TO OUR TENURE, UM, RIGHT AFTER FOR Y 25, WE SHOULD SEE A PERCENTAGE THAT IS, UH, MUCH LOWER THAN THAT.
AND WE WILL GET THAT NUMBER FROM THE, UH, TEAM TO SHARE WHAT THE ACTUALS WERE THAT WE HAVE MOST UPDATED.
AND MAY I GET A TIME CHECK? I MAY HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS IF I HAVE TIME REMAINING.
MS. ESKI, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR DISCUSSION.
AND, UM, I KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN IN A, UH, NON-SCHOOL BASED HIRING FREEZE, UM, BUT THERE ARE MANY OR SEVERAL PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS AND OTHER POSITIONS IN THE BUDGET THAT ARE NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO INSTRUCTION NON-TEACHER POSITIONS.
SO, UM, CAN THAT, UM, DISCREPANCY BE EXPLAINED IF, IF WE'RE IN THIS LIKE, NON-SCHOOL BASED HIRING FREEZE? THANK YOU.
[01:55:01]
ARE CLEAR ON, ON THE QUESTION.IS IT REFERRING TO ONE OF THE SLIDES OR PAGE OF THE OH, OKAY.
SO LIKE FOR EX, SO IF WE'RE IN THIS NON-SCHOOL BASED POSITION, HIRING FREEZE, FOR EXAMPLE, ON PAGE TWO 12, THERE WAS AN INCREASE OF ONE SOCIAL STUDIES PROFESSIONAL POSITION, UM, WHICH I, I BELIEVE IS A, SOME KIND OF SPECIALIST, BUT THAT'S A NON-SCHOOL BASED POSITION.
AND, AND THERE WERE SEVERAL OF THEM THROUGHOUT THE BOOK.
SO, UH, BEFORE THE TEAM RESPONDS, I WILL SHARE, UM, AS I HAVE BEEN SHARING FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS, WHILE WE'RE IN A NON-SCHOOL BASED, UM, HIRING FREEZE, THERE IS AN EXCEPTIONS PROCESS WHERE PEOPLE WILL APPLY FOR APPROVAL TO POST A POSITION.
THE HIRING FREEZE MEANS THAT WE NO LONGER AUTOMATICALLY POST A POSITION IF THERE'S A RETIREMENT, UH, PROMOTION OR A RESIGNATION, UM, SOCIAL STUDIES SPECIALIST, UH, THAT IS A PERSON THAT SPENDS, UM, SOMEWHERE MORE THAN 70% OF THEIR TIME DIRECTLY INSIDE OF SCHOOLS WORKING IN SOCIAL STUDIES CLASSROOMS, SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH TEACHERS, MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE CURRICULAR RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING IN THE CLASSROOMS WITH FIDELITY, PROVIDING, UH, FEEDBACK ON, UH, THAT WORK.
I, I WILL CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO, UH, MR. MUSTER'S TEAM AND THE SPECIALISTS THAT WORK FOR HIM AND THE DASHBOARD THAT WE HAVE WHERE WE DETAIL WHAT, WHAT IS THEIR WORK THAT THEY ACTUALLY DO IN THE SCHOOLS WITH THE TEACHERS, WITH THE LEADERSHIP TEAMS. AND SO, UH, POSITION LIKE THAT, WHILE IT MAY BE ALLOCATED TO THE CENTRAL OFFICE, THEIR DAILY WORK IS IN SCHOOLS AND THEY'RE, UM, ASSIGNED TO A SPECIFIC SET OF SCHOOLS.
UM, I, I'LL TRY ONE OTHER QUESTION AND THEN I'LL YIELD MY TIME.
AND THEN, UM, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE FEWER THAN 100 NON-UNION PAID EMPLOYEES, AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED REQUESTS FOR PAY RAISES FROM A VARIETY OF EMPLOYEE CATEGORIES, SUCH AS, UH, KINDERGARTEN ASSISTANCE, PAID HELPERS, ADDITIONAL ADULT ASSISTANCE, AND EARLY INTERVENTION ASSISTANCE.
SO WHERE DO THEY FIT INTO THE, THE PICTURE OR PUZZLE? THANK YOU.
SO YOU'RE REFERRING TO CONTRACTUAL, UM, EMPLOYEES, I BELIEVE MR. TANIFF, UH, WE PROVIDED AND KEPT THAT GOING SINCE F ESSER AN INCREASE FOR OUR CONTRACTUAL, ALL OF OUR CONTRACTUAL EMPLOYEES.
PLEASE SPEAK TO ANY ADDITIONAL YES, UH, THAT'S CORRECT.
WE INCREASED THEM BY $4 AN HOUR AT THE TIME, SO A VERY SIGNIFICANT RAISE TO MAKE THEM COMPETITIVE, BUT WE HAVE NOT CHANGED THAT RATE IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
MR. MCMILLIAN, DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP ON SLIDE NINE? IT SHOWS, I GUESS THAT'S PHYSICAL EDUCATION, HEALTH AND SAFETY EDUCATION.
THERE'S 71% OF THOSE CLASSES, OR ABOVE 25.
AM I READING THAT CORRECTLY, DR. ROGERS? YES.
AND THEN ON THE SLIDE BELOW 10, IT SHOWS PHYSICAL EDUCATION, HEALTH AND SAFETY EDUCATION.
WHAT SCARES ME ABOUT WHEN YOU SAY 25, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN, YOU KNOW, 25 BECOMES, 27 BECOMES 29, 32, 35, AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN MY CAREER, I'VE SEEN 35, 38, 40, 42.
AT WHAT POINT NOW, IF THE PRINCIPALS ARE CONTROLLING THAT, AT WHAT POINT DO THEY HAVE A, A CEILING THAT THEY, THEY'RE TOLD, DON'T GO ABOVE THIS? SO I WILL SHARE WITH YOU HISTORICALLY, UM, BCPS HAS NOT HAD CLASS CAPS.
WHEN I WAS A PRINCIPAL, I HAD CAPS IN MY BUILDING.
WE COULD RUN A REPORT NOW AND TELL YOU WHAT THE LARGEST PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASS IS.
UM, WE ARE SENDING OUT THE STAFFING MEMO, UH, THIS MONTH, UM, AFTER WE HAVE SOME FINAL RESOLUTION TO, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING WITH OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO OUR SCHOOLS, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS TO PUT SOME CAPS, UM, INSIDE OF THAT MEMO JUST SO THAT IT'S CLEAR AND BLACK AND WHITE.
AND IF, UH, THERE NEEDS TO BE AN EXCEPTION THAT WE CREATE AN EXCEPTIONS PROCESS WHERE A SCHOOL WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO REQUEST ABOVE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE MARCHING BAND, FOR EXAMPLE, TO BE ABOVE, YOU KNOW, 35, 37.
UM, WHEREAS IT, IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE FOR THE PIANO CLASS.
AND SO, UH, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO TO ADDRESS THAT, UH, TO YOUR POINT, BUT BALTIMORE'S NOT, UM, HISTORICALLY HAD CLASS CAPS, UM, IN WRITING FOR ALL SCHOOLS.
AND ANOTHER EXAMPLE WOULD BE WEIGHT TRAINING.
[02:00:01]
YOU KNOW, WE'RE LIMITED IN THE SIZE OF THE WEIGHT ROOMS. ABSOLUTELY.SO IF WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DUMPING KIDS INTO THAT BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, YOU KNOW, THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF KID PER SQUARE FOOT IS REAL LOW.
UM, AND I'M SURE, UH, BECAUSE THAT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND WE CAN PULL THE REPORT THAT THE CLASS SIZE AND OUR WEIGHTLIFTING CLASSES ARE MUCH SMALLER THAN OUR GENERAL PHYSICAL, PHYSICAL EDUCATION ONE CLASSES.
SO IN THAT MEMO YOU TALKED ABOUT IT'S GONNA GO OUT AND BLACK AND WHITE TO THE PRINCIPALS AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS THAT YOU DON'T GO ABOVE A CERTAIN POINT.
AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO THE LIBRARIANS? I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THEY'RE SCARED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE GUIDANCE COUNSELORS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, SOME OF 'EM ARE TEACHING TWO CLASSES OR WHATEVER, AND THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT THAT.
WHAT, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THEM? ARE THEY GONNA BE CUT? NO, WE HAVE NO CUTS IN OUR PROPOSED BUDGET FY 27 FOR MEDIA SPECIALISTS.
I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO PUT ON THE RECORD HERE IS WE HAVE 174 MEDIA SPECIALISTS.
OUR ELEMENTARY ME MEDIA SPECIALISTS FOR DECADES, UM, HAVE BEEN ON THE SCHEDULE AND THEY TEACH STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE DAY, UH, THEY ARE AVAILABLE IN THE LIBRARIES DURING LUNCH SO THAT STUDENTS CAN ACCESS AND DO LUNCH BUNCH AND ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
LAST YEAR WHEN WE KNEW WE WERE IN YEAR TWO OF THE FISCAL, UM, CHALLENGING TIMES, WE HAD TO MAXIMIZE THE NUMBER OF CERTIFIED EMPLOYEES, UM, THAT WERE FACE TO FACE WITH STUDENTS TEACHING AND KEEPING CLASS SIZES DOWN.
YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR WE HAD SOME SIGNIFICANT STRESSES, UM, AND PRESSURES TO, UM, MAKE CUTS IN OUR BUDGET BASED ON WHAT WE PROPOSED VERSUS WHAT WE RECEIVED.
AND WE RESISTED ONE OF THOSE WAYS WAS TO MAXIMIZE EVERYONE THAT WAS A CERTIFIED, UM, TEACHER TEACHING STUDENTS.
AND SO AT THAT TIME, UH, LIBRARIANS, OR EXCUSE ME, MEDIA SPECIALISTS AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL, UM, WERE PERMITTED TO TEACH UP TO TWO COURSES IN THEIR AREA OF CERTIFICATION.
SOME, UM, WERE FORMER ENGLISH TEACHERS, SOME WERE FORMER SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS, ET CETERA.
SO THE EXPECTATION IS THAT THEY ARE TEACHING ALIGNED WITH THEIR AREA OF CERTIFICATION FOR OUR SECONDARY SCHOOLS, WE HAVE EIGHT PERIODS, UH, EVERY OTHER DAY.
UM, AND SO THAT IS SIX PERIODS THAT THEY ARE AVAILABLE IN THE LIBRARY AS NORMAL.
UM, WE ALSO NEED TO, UH, REMEMBER THAT OUR TEACHERS, THEY ALL, THERE IS THE EXPECTATION THAT THEY GO TO THE MEDIA CENTER WITH THEIR STUDENTS.
UM, IF THEY ARE WORKING ON A RESEARCH PROJECT, IF IT IS AN INCLUDED CLASS, EVERYONE WHO IS ASSIGNED TO THAT CLASS IS THERE ALONG WITH THE MEDIA SPECIALIST.
AND SO WE ARE NOT, UM, DENYING OR REDUCING ACCESS FOR STUDENTS THAT THEY CAN USE THE MEDIA CENTER, BUT WE HAVE TO REALLY, UM, DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO MAXIMIZE THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE IN THE BUILDINGS, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO AS THE SMALLER CLASSES AS POSSIBLE.
SO THE FY 27 BUDGET DOES NOT HAVE ANY CHANGES FROM FY 26.
WE'RE EXPECTING UP TO TWO CLASSES.
WE ARE GONNA PUT IN THE STAFFING MEMO THAT THOSE CLASSES SHOULD NOT BE HELD DURING LUNCH SO THAT THE MEDIA SPECIALISTS ARE AVAILABLE DURING LUNCH, WHICH IS A BIG INFLUX OF STUDENTS TIME THAT THEY WANNA CHECK OUT MATERIALS, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE RESPONDING TO THAT NEED.
BUT IT IT BASED ON THE MEDIA SPECIALISTS, AND I'VE HEARD FROM SOME OF THEM DIRECTLY, SOME OF THEM LIKE TO HAVE THEIR TWO CLASSES EVERY OTHER DAY, AND THEN SOME OF THEM LIKE TO HAVE ONE CLASS PER DAY.
BUT I THINK THE SCHOOL CAN WORK WITH THEM IN THE SAME WAY THAT THEY WORK WITH ATHLETIC DIRECTORS.
ARE ALL OF 'EM GONNA BE SCHEDULED FOR TWO, UH, SECONDARY MEDIA SPECIALISTS? ARE THEY ALL GONNA BE REQUIRED TO TEACH TWO OR IS THAT UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL PRINCIPALS TO DO THAT? SO IN THE, UM, IN THE STAFFING, UH, GUIDELINES, THERE'S GOING TO BE AN EXPECTATION THAT THEY TEACH TWO SO THAT THERE IS UNIFORMITY AND WE CAN ACCOUNT FOR THOSE ADDITIONAL SEATS FOR STUDENTS.
UM, TWO FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS WITH THAT.
UM, THE FIRST ONE IS FOR THE TWO PERIODS THAT THE, UM, LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST ARE AWAY TEACHING, IS THERE STAFF THAT WILL BE IN THE MEDIA CENTER SO THAT STUDENTS WHO FLOW IN CAN CHECK OUT BOOKS, ASK QUICK QUESTIONS AND SO FORTH? LIKE, WILL THERE BE SOME LEVEL OF OPENING IN THE LIBRARY? I BELIEVE SO WE CAN CONFIRM WITH OUR PRINCIPALS.
TYPICALLY THERE ARE MEDIA ASSISTANTS THAT ARE IN THE, UM, LIBRARY WITH THE MEDIA SPECIALISTS, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE VERY EXPLICIT ABOUT IN OUR GUIDELINES.
AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION IS, HOW DOES IT WORK FOR
[02:05:01]
THOSE TWO TEACHING PERIODS IN TERMS OF THEIR PLANNING FOR THOSE LESSONS? THANK YOU.SO IN TERMS OF THEIR PLANNING, I THINK, UM, THE PERCENT OF TIME WOULD BE, UH, THE SAME AS WE HAVE IN THE TABCO AGREEMENT.
SO IT WOULD ALMOST BE LIKE ANY OTHER 0.4 TEACHER, THE AMOUNT OF PLANNING TIME THAT IS AVAILABLE TO THEM.
UM, BUT WE WOULD POINT TO MS. BIELSKI TO MAKE SURE THAT SHE DETAILS THAT LANGUAGE.
MS. HUMPHREY, UH, FIRST REFERRING BACK TO, UM, THE QUESTION REGARDING CLASS CAPS AND YOU TALKED ABOUT A MEMO GOING OUT.
IS THAT SOMETHING I WOULD JUST WANNA CLARIFY? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S DEFINITELY HAPPENING OR IS THIS SOMETHING THAT IS IN DISCUSSION? SO I THINK, UM, WE HAVE BEEN IN DISCUSSION FOR SOME TIME, UM, AND LOOKING AT THIS MOST RECENT DATA WHERE WE HAVE BEEN, UH, THE STAFFING MEMOS HAVE BEEN PRETTY, UM, EXPLICIT ABOUT, UH, WHEN TO COMBINE CLASSES LOOKING AT OVERSIZED AND UNDERSIZED CLASSES AND DECISIONS TO MAKE, UH, WITH FEW EXCEPTIONS, UM, THAT WE STILL SEE THAT THERE'S ROOM THAT RELEASE PERIODS, THE ADDITIONAL RELEASE PERIODS THAT WAS SHARED WITH YOU, I BELIEVE, UM, ON ONE OF THE SLIDES, MAYBE SLIDES 10 OR 11.
UM, I THINK THE DATA CALLS US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE EXPLICIT IN WRITING, AND SO IT WILL BE PLACED IN WRITING.
AND ALSO, AGAIN, RELATED TO CLASS SIZES, WHEN IS IT DETERMINED THAT A TEACHER NEEDS TO BE ADDED? FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAVE TWO SECOND GRADES OF 36 STUDENTS AND ADDING A THIRD TEACHER WOULD ONLY WOULD MAKE IT 24 STUDENTS PER CLASS, BUT THAT'S UNDER THE 25 FORMULA THAT'S BEING PROPOSED.
SO WOULD THAT MEAN A THIRD TEACHER ISN'T ADDED OR IS THERE SOME FLEX FLEXIBILITY IN THAT? DID YOU MEAN 26 OR 36? SO BASED ON OUR FORMULA, IF WE HAD TWO CLASSES OF SECOND GRADERS OF 36 STUDENTS, IF WE BROUGHT THAT DOWN TO 25, THAT WOULD ONLY, THAT WOULD BRING US TO THREE CLASSES OF 24 STUDENTS, WHICH ISN'T THE ONE TO 25 RATIO.
SO WE DON'T ONLY ALLOCATE IN A FULL POINT.
UM, SO THAT ALLOCATION WOULD LIKELY BE MORE THAN A 2.5 FTE, WHERE, WHERE YOU PROBABLY WOULD PAIR, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME POINTS TO BRING TOGETHER A FULL-TIME PERSON.
UM, AND THEN REGARDING ASSISTANT PRI PRINCIPALS, THE STAFFING STANDARD FOR THAT WAS NOT CHANGED, IT'S JUST BEING APPLIED AND REEVA RE REEVALUATED ACROSS SCHOOLS, CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
UM, IN, UH, THE PAST WE HAD THE STANDARDS POSTED, UM, AND AS WE MADE CHANGES TO SCHOOLS, WHETHER IT'S WE BUILT SCHOOLS, WE CHANGED BOUNDARIES, ET CETERA, WE DIDN'T MOVE THE RESOURCES TO FOLLOW THE STUDENT.
SO WE HAVE TWO THINGS CONVERGING UPON US AT ONE TIME.
YOU HAVE, UM, THE FISCAL REALITIES THAT WE FACE, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE THE REQUIREMENTS FROM THE BLUEPRINT FOR MINIMUM SCHOOL FUNDING WHERE THE FUNDING HAS TO FOLLOW THE STUDENTS.
UM, AS MR. TLIS SPOKE TO MOVING FROM A CENTRALIZED BUDGET AND, UH, ACCOUNTING MODEL TO A SCHOOL BASED MODEL THAT'S IN POWERSCHOOL AT THE STATE LEVEL NOW.
AND, UM, FROM SCHOOL TO ACTUAL STUDENT TO STUDENT.
AND SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR FUNDING IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE REQUIREMENTS, UH, FOR THE STATE.
SO SOMETIMES WHEN WE HAVE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE, UM, ADDITIONAL BEHAVIORAL, SOCIAL EMOTIONAL NEEDS AS FAR AS OTHER STAFFING, THERE'S GRANT FUNDING TO ADD A POSITION BASED ON THOSE NEEDS.
IS THERE ANYTHING AVAILABLE FOR SCHOOLS FOR THAT NEED AS ADDITIONAL ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS BASED UPON THEIR BEHAVIORAL, SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL NEEDS? YES.
I THINK, UH, DR. JONES CAN SPEAK TO THE PROCESS, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID IS, UH, WE CREATED A, UH, PULL TO ADDRESS THAT THERE ARE PLACES THAT WE'VE HAD ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND WE'VE SEEN THE DIFFERENCE THAT IT'S MADE IN THE CLIMATE AND THE ABILITY OF STUDENTS TO ACCESS ACADEMICS.
AND THE TEAM WAS VERY DILIGENT ABOUT, UH, MAKING SURE THAT THAT SUPPORT CONTINUES DR. JONES, TO ADD ON WHAT TO DOC TO ADD ON TO WHAT DR. ROGERS SAID.
THAT'S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT, MS. PUMPHREY, THERE ARE SOME SCHOOLS WITH SOME NEEDS JUST BASED ON THE DATA AND INSTEAD OF JUST, YOU KNOW, COMPARING THE AMOUNT OF STUDENTS VERSUS THE AP ALLOCATION, UM, DR. ROGERS WORKED WITH MYSELF AND THE TEAM TO REALLY LOOK AT THE NEEDS OF THE SCHOOLS AND THEN KIND OF BASE THAT ON HOW MANY APS WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE TO BE REALLOCATED OR, UM, A PART OF THE COST SAVINGS.
AND SO THERE IS, UM, AS WAS STATED, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME SCHOOLS TO HAVE THOSE NEEDS MET, UM, IN VARIOUS, IN VARIOUS WAYS AND BASED ON DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY BASED ON NEED.
UM, I THINK IT'S ON SLIDE 30 WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE GOAL TO REDUCE OUR USAGE OF FUND BALANCE.
[02:10:01]
CLEAR.UM, HOW DO WE REACH THIS GOAL OF NOT HA NEEDING TO USE FUND BALANCE THE WAY WE HAVE IN THE PAST TWO YEARS? UM, WELL, I THINK THE PLAN IS TO SLOWLY DRAW DOWN OUR USAGE OVER THE NEXT, UH, FEW YEARS.
UH, ONE THING THAT WAS REALLY CHALLENGING THIS YEAR IS WE NEEDED TO CATCH UP ON YEAR THREE OF THE CONTRACTS.
SO WE ESSENTIALLY FUNDED A FULL YEAR AND A HALF OF SALARIES IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, WHICH WAS VERY CHALLENGING.
UH, OF COURSE THERE'S NOT A YEAR FOUR NEGOTIATED, SO WHATEVER WE HAVE IN FY 28 WILL BE NEED TO FRESH, BE FRESHLY NEGOTIATED WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF HOW MUCH WE CAN AFFORD.
BUT IN ANY CASE, IT'LL ONLY BE ONE YEAR OF COMPENSATION THAT'LL NEED TO BE FUNDED.
SO, UM, HOPEFULLY, AND IF OUR ENROLLMENT STABILIZES, WE'LL BE IN DECENT SHAPE TO ABSORB THAT SMALL DROP IN FUND BALANCE OVER EACH OF THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS.
BUT THAT'S WHY WE'RE STEPPING IT DOWN SO WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT ALL AT ONCE.
UM, DR. ROGERS ON, UM, SLIDE SIX WHERE WE HAVE THE 168.9 MILLION REDUCTIONS IN SALARIES AND OR CENTRAL OFFICE SUPERVISOR POSITIONS OF 69.
IS THAT, UM, SINCE 2025 TO NOW? YEAH, THOSE NUMBERS, PARDON ME.
UH, THOSE NUMBERS INCLUDE BOTH FY 25 AND FY 26.
DO THEY INCLUDE THE REDUCTION OF 31 PUPIL PERSONNEL SERVICE WORKERS, FTES POSITIONS, AND THE 49 SPECIAL EDUCATION P POSITIONS FROM 25? I, I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE SOMEONE RESEARCH THAT.
UH, IF YOU COULD LOOK AT PAGE, UH, 1, 2 0 9 AND TWO 10, THERE WERE 49 MORE, UM, SPECIAL EDUCATION POSITIONS IN 2025 THAN WE HAVE NOW.
AND THERE WERE 31 ON PAGE, UH, 1 55, 1 56 PUPIL PERSONNEL SERVICE.
THERE WERE 31 MORE FTES IN 25 THAN THERE ARE NOW.
SO AGAIN, A MEMBER OF THE TEAM IS GONNA HAVE TO RESEARCH THAT BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, WE HAVE OFFSETTING POSITIONS ONTO GRANTS, SPECIFICALLY PUPIL PERSONNEL, WORKERS, COUNSELORS, UM, AND SPECIAL EDUCATION POSITIONS HAVE BEEN OFFSET TO GRANTS.
AND SO THEY WOULD HAVE TO ACTUALLY GO LINE ITEM AND CONFIRM FOR YOU WHETHER OR NOT THOSE POSITIONS WERE MOVED OVER TO GRANTS, BUT THEY, SO THEY WOULDN'T BE INCLUDED IN THE 69 REDUCTIONS THAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT WERE REDUCED FROM CENTRAL OFFICE THEN.
SO THESE ARE REDUCTIONS TO THE OPERATING BUDGET.
AND SO IF WE OFFSET A POSITION TO A GRANT, WHICH IS SPECIAL REVENUE AND OFF OF OPERATING, IT WILL COUNT AS A REDUCTION ON OPERATING BUDGET.
BUT A REDUCTION ON OPERATING BUDGET IS, DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT YOU ARE ELIMINATING THE POSITION.
SO THE 16 PEOPLE, PERSONNEL WORKERS THAT WE'VE MOVED OVER TO GRANT FUNDING, THEY ALL RETAIN THEIR POSITIONS.
HOWEVER, THE SAVINGS FROM THOSE 16 POSITIONS IS ACTUALIZED IN THE OPERATING FUND.
SO THEN THE 69 REDUCTIONS IN, IN CENTRAL OFFICE SUPERVISORS MIGHT, IT WOULD JUST BE A SAVINGS IN THE GENERAL FUND OPERATING BUDGET.
IT MIGHT BE MOVED TO SOMEWHERE ELSE, IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? NOT FOR SUPERVISORS.
THOSE POSITIONS WERE ELIMINATED.
AND I WOULD CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO, I BELIEVE IT WAS DECEMBER 8TH, THERE IS A DETAILED SLIDE OF THE 69, UH, CENTRAL OFFICE POSITION REDUCTIONS ON THAT SLIDE.
UH, MS. CHARLIE GREEN SHOWED AN EXCERPT OF IT.
YOU HAVE ALL OF THE POSITIONS LISTED.
UM, THE STARTING NUMBER, THE REDUCTIONS THAT WERE MADE, ANY ADDITIONS THAT WERE MADE OVER THE LAST TWO FISCAL YEARS, AND THEN THE NET CHANGE.
SO NO, THAT WOULD NOT AGREE, UH, INCLUDE THAT.
IT JUST, I REMEMBER THAT SLIDE.
IT JUST DIDN'T TELL US WHICH DEPARTMENTS.
IT JUST SAID WHAT THEIR, UM, THEIR ADMINISTRATIVE TITLE WAS, WHETHER IT WAS AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ADMINISTRATOR, IT DIDN'T SAY WHAT DEPARTMENTS.
UM, SO WHEN YOU SAY THAT WE HAD TO, UM, MOVE THE FUNDS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE MINIMUM, THE, THE STATE BLUEPRINT, MINIMUM SCHOOL FUNDING LAW REQUIRING THAT WE MOVE ALL THE FUNDS TO FOLLOW THE STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL.
UM, IS THAT ACCURATE? SO ALL THE, THE MONEY FROM THE STATE BLUEPRINT HAS TO FOLLOW THE KID, OUR STUDENTS TO THE SCHOOL, CORRECT.
UH, WITH, THERE'S CERTAIN PARAMETERS, 75% OF THE DIFFERENT FUNDING STREAMS. UH, IT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT OF SOME 75% OF OTHERS.
SO WHEN WE, NOW THAT WE'RE MOVING, UM, THE, LIKE OUR FIXED COSTS AS FAR AS OUR EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, AND WE'RE, WE'RE INCLUDING THOSE AS PART OF THE STATE BLUEPRINT REQUIRED MINIMUM FUNDING FOR STUDENTS? CORRECT.
BECAUSE THE, THE TEACHER, THE COST OF THE TEACHER IS NOT JUST THEIR SALARY, IT'S ALL ALSO THE SALARY AND BENEFITS.
SO THEIR, THEIR, THEIR BENEFITS, THE SOCIAL SECURITY, UH, RISK, LIKE ALL, ALL
[02:15:01]
OF THAT IS INCLUDED AS PART OF THE MINIMUM FUNDING TO FOLLOW A STUDENT.WELL, THE MINIMUM FUNDING, UH, YOU KNOW, REALLY QUICKLY, AND I, AND I DID A PRESENTATION A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, BUT YOU KNOW, THE, THE MINIMUM FUNDING'S BASED ON THE REVENUE WE'RE GETTING, AND THEN YOU'RE NOW ALLOCATING ALL OF YOUR EXPENSES, PRIMARILY TEACHERS IN A SCHOOL THAT'S OUR BIGGEST EXPENSE.
TEACHERS, APS, PRINCIPALS, OUR STAFF.
SO WE'RE ALLOCATING THOSE EXPENSES TO THE SCHOOL TO MEET THOSE GOALS.
SO OUR SPECIAL ED TEACHERS WILL GO TOWARDS A SPECIAL ED REQUIREMENT.
OUR ESOL TEACHERS WILL GO TOWARDS THE ML REQUIREMENT, UH, ET CETERA.
IT'S JUST WE HAD OVER 300, BETWEEN 300 AND 400 MILLION IN FIXED COSTS THAT WOULD FOLLOW OUR TEACHERS TO THE, TO NOW THEIR SCHOOL, WHICH WE'RE SAYING IS FOLLOWING THE STUDENTS.
SO I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE THAT MAKES SENSE, I GUESS BECAUSE IT'S STILL, RIGHT NOW IT CENTRALLY LOCATED, BUT WHEN WE TRANSFER IT, OR THROUGH THE BAT THROUGH THE YEAR IN ACTUALIZATION, WE'RE HAVING IT FOLLOW THE STUDENT.
HOW CAN IT FOLLOW THE STUDENT IF THE IT NOT THE CORRECT TEACHER IS WITH THAT STUDENT? YEAH, SURE.
I'M ONLY GONNA, I'M GONNA TRY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ONLY BECAUSE I WORKED IN A SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT DID THE EXACT SAME THING.
SO THERE'S A, THERE'S, UM, CENTRALIZED BUDGETING WHERE THE COSTS NOW ARE, YOU KNOW, CENTRALIZED IN TERMS OF, UM, EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, SALARY AND BENEFITS.
AND THEN THERE'S ALSO, UM, SCHOOL-BASED BUDGETING WHERE, UM, EACH SCHOOL HAS A BUDGET.
AND IF I WERE WORKING IN THAT SCHOOL, WHATEVER THE COST FOR MY SALARY, MY BENEFITS OR WHATEVER WOULD BE ALLOCATED FOR THAT SCHOOL.
AND SO, ALTHOUGH I'M STILL BEING COMPENSATED BY BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WHAT BLUEPRINT IS OFFERING IS WHAT SOME OTHER, UM, PROGRESSIVE SCHOOL SYSTEMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE DONE IS BASICALLY SAY IF RAQUEL JONES IS WORKING AT SCHOOL A, HER, WHATEVER THE COST IS, OR THE AVERAGE COST FOR HER SALARY AND BENEFITS WOULD THEN JUST BE ALLOCATED AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ACCOUNTED FOR BASED ON THE SCHOOL BUDGET.
AND I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT THE SLIDE AROUND, UM, ORACLE WAS STATING THAT THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD ACTUALLY SEE IT AS IT RELATES TO BUDGETING.
SO IT'S REALLY ABOUT CENTRALIZED BUDGETING, BUDGETING, AND THEN SCHOOL-BASED BUDGETING AND THEN THE FUNDS FOLLOWING THE STUDENT.
JUST MAKE SURE THAT IT IS VERY EQUITABLE ACROSS THE VARIOUS SCHOOLS WITHIN A LARGE SCHOOL.
THAT IS MY, AS MS. HARVEY SAID, JUST KIND OF, YOU KNOW, UM, UM, SIMPLE, SIMPLISTIC WAY OF KIND OF PUTTING IT, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF SCHOOL SYSTEMS ARE MOVING TOWARDS.
IS THAT WHAT WE'RE MOVING, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND IT DOES MAKE SENSE.
I JUST, IS THAT WHAT WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS? I JUST, I THINK WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS IMPLEMENTING BLUEPRINT AND THERE ARE SOME PIECES OF BLUEPRINT THAT REQUIRE, UM, SOME OF, SOME OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND SOME OF THOSE MOVES.
IT IS A REQUIREMENT FOR ALL SCHOOL SYSTEMS IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND TO MOVE FROM CENTRAL ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES TO SCHOOL-BASED, UM, IN THAT MINIMUM SCHOOL FUNDING.
UM, IT ALSO ADDS THE MULTIPLIER, WHICH INCREASES THE COMPLEXITIES.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN ADVOCATING TO THE STATE BOARD LEADERSHIP AS WELL AS A IB LEADERSHIP IS THE AMOUNT OF TIME AND TOLL THAT IT TAKES ON THE ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT.
AND SO INSTEAD OF HAVING CONVERSATIONS AROUND, UM, ACADEMICS AND HOW DO WE FAST FORWARD A SCHOOL SYSTEM, UH, THERE ARE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW DO YOU TAKE A GROUNDS CONTRACT AND ASSIGN IT TO THE RIGHT SCHOOLS, THE RIGHT STUDENTS SO THAT YOU ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW.
UM, AS RECENTLY AS LAST WEEK, I WAS AT THE STATE ON BEHALF OF ALL 24 SCHOOL SYSTEMS, ADVOCATING TO THE WAYS AND MEANS COMMUNITY COMMITTEE AND APPROPRIATIONS TO MAKE CHANGES FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR.
UM, AS THAT DEFINITELY PROVIDES A LEVEL OF GRANULARITY, BUT IT IS, UM, KIND OF TAKES A STEP AWAY FROM WHAT WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON.
SO, UH, I THINK THERE'S A LOT A BODY OF WORK AROUND, UH, MOVING FROM CENTRALIZED TO THE SCHOOL LEVEL.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE MOVING THAT THE FUNDING FOLLOWS THE STUDENT, WHICH IS WHAT THE STATE OF MARYLAND LAW SAYS DOWN TO THE ACTUAL STUDENT IS A GOAL.
UM, THAT IS A LEVEL, UH, THAT THAT IS GOING TO MOVE BEYOND, UH, WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT, UH, FOR THE STUDENT AND COULD HAVE SOME UNANTICIPATED CONSEQUENCES.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING WITH A IB AND, UM, STATE BOARD LEADERSHIP ON THAT VERY TOPIC AT IT AS IT IS VERY COMPLEX, VERY TIME CONSUMING, AND I THINK MR. IFF CAN SPEAK TO THE NUMBER OF LINES AS WHEN WE WENT TO, UH, HAVE OUR, UH, PROGRESS CONVERSATION WITH A IB JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO.
AND THEN JUST ONE LAST FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
UH, IS THERE A SPECIFIC REASON WHY WE DON'T SEPARATE FIXED CHARGES FROM OTHER CHARGES WHEN WE ARE GENERATING THE, UM, THE OPERATING BUDGET
[02:20:02]
TO MAKE IT MORE CONCISE? I GUESS.SO WE UNDER, LIKE, WHY DO WE LUMP THEM IN THERE WHEN IT'S SUCH, WHEN THE FIXED CHARGES SEEMS TO BE A PRETTY BIG LUMP, AND THEN IT WOULD BE EASIER TO UNDERSTAND.
UM, WE'RE FOLLOWING STATE GUIDANCE.
THAT'S HOW MSD DIRECTS THAT WE GROUP EXPENSES AND ACTIVITIES.
UM, I THINK, AND ALSO JUST WHAT I MENTIONED BEFORE, THE THE BOOK IS VERY VOLUMINOUS NOW.
THE MORE DETAIL YOU PROVIDE IT, IT'LL JUST GET BIGGER AND BIGGER AND BIGGER.
I KNOW MONTGOMERY COUNTY HAS AN EXCEL SPREADSHEET OF THEIR BUDGET, WHICH MAKES IT VERY CONCISE AND EASY TO FOLLOW.
HAVE WE EVER THOUGHT ABOUT DOING THAT? UM, I HAVE NOT VIEWED THEIR SPREADSHEET.
UM, THE CHIEF OF STAFF, THERE'S, UM, THERE WAS A NINE FTE REDUCTION.
DOES THAT INCLUDE THE FOUR THAT WERE MOVED OVER TO OPERATIONS FOR, UM, FOR THE EQUITY AND CULTURAL PROFICIENCY? THOSE POSITIONS WERE MOVED LAST YEAR.
SO IT DOES NOT INCLUDE THAT THIS YEAR.
IT DOES NOT INCLUDE THAT THIS YEAR.
UM, AND THEN, OH, MY LAST QUESTION.
THE, UM, 37 FTES FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL, UH, EDUCATION.
ARE THESE, UM, TEACHER POSITIONS OR WHAT, WHAT POSITIONS ARE THESE THAT WERE ADDED THIS YEAR? UM, SORRY, GET YOU THE PAGE.
YEAH, THAT, UM, THE POSITIONS THAT WE'RE GETTING, UM, EXCUSE ME.
WELL, ACTUALLY WE CURRENTLY HAVE 14 POSITIONS RIGHT NOW.
THEY ARE FUNDED BY, WELL, THEY ARE FUNDED BY BLUEPRINT FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT RIGHT NOW.
UM, THE DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYEE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT WITH THE BALTIMORE COUNTY CURRENTLY HAS THAT.
THEY'RE TRANSFERRING OVER TO BALTIMORE COUNTY, SO THAT WE NOW WILL HAVE THOSE POSITIONS IN BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL.
THERE ARE PEOPLE SITTING IN THOSE POSITIONS CURRENTLY.
SO THEY'RE, UM, THE CAREER COACHES THAT ARE IN OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE A THERE THERE'S GRANT FUNDING FOR THAT PROGRAM THOUGH, CORRECT? YES.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE COMPLETELY FUNDED THROUGH GRANTS.
WHY WERE THEY MOVED TO THE GENERAL FUND THEN? THE POSITIONS MOVED TO GENERAL FUND? UM, SO FOR THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FUND, UH, WHEN THIS STARTED A COUPLE YEARS AGO, IT WAS UNCLEAR HOW THE SPLIT WOULD BE BETWEEN THE COUNTY, UM, AND BCPS.
AND THIS IS TRUE ACROSS THE STATE.
SO WE HAD TO CARVE OUT SOME OF OUR BUDGET TO SUPPORT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THE BUDGET WHEN WE STARTED THE COUNTY, UM, WANTED A LOT MORE MONEY, BUT IT TURNED OUT THEY COULD NOT MANAGE THOSE FUNDS, SO THEY TURNED THEM BACK OVER TO US.
SO IT'S THE SAME BUCKET, BUT WE CAN NEGOTIATE AND WE WORK WITH THEM.
WE HAVE AN MOU ON HOW TO BEST SPEND THOSE FUNDS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GUIDANCE OVER, UH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT UNDER BLUEPRINT.
SO THESE ARE POSITIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN CREATED, BUT THEY'RE JUST GOING TO BE IN THE BUDGET IN FY 27.
THAT'S, SO THEY ACTUALLY GOT CREATED DURING THE FY 26 IN THE BEGINNING OF FY 26, BUT IT JUST WASN'T IN THE BUDGET.
UM, BUT THE MONEY WAS THERE AND THEY'RE JUST, UH, REGISTERING IN FY 27 BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T, IT WASN'T DONE IN TIME FOR THE ADOPTED BUDGET LAST YEAR.
I, THIS IS A QUESTION FOR DR. ROGERS AND THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR INFORMATION IN THE PRESENTATION.
UM, JUST ABOUT CLASS SIZES, AGAIN, ON THE OPPOSITE END OF WHAT MR. MCMILLIAN ASKED.
SO I KNOW A LOT OF ELECTIVE CLASSES, IT'S KIND OF BASED ON ENROLLMENT AND HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE INTERESTED IN TAKING THAT.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S A MINIMUM AMOUNT OF HOW MANY STUDENTS HAVE TO ENROLL IN THE COURSE FOR THAT COURSE TO BE RAN THAT YEAR, OR IF THAT'S AT THE DISCRETION OF THE PRINCIPAL AND IF THERE IS A MINIMUM AMOUNT, ARE WE PLANNING ON INCLUDING THAT IN THE MEMO WITH THE, UM, CAPS ON CLASS SIZES? SO LAST YEAR IN THE MEMO, WE HAD INCLUDED, UM, 15 AS THE MINIMUM AMOUNT TO RUN, NOT 15 STUDENTS BEING INTERESTED, 15 STUDENTS WHERE IT WOULD FIT INTO THEIR SCHEDULES WITH VERY FEW EXCEPTIONS.
THOSE EXCEPTIONS WERE MADE FOR STUDENTS IN THEIR SENIOR YEARS IN SPECIFIC PROGRAMS. WE WANTED THEM TO BE ABLE TO FINISH WITH THE FINAL, UM, CREDITS.
UH, WE ARE GOING TO, UH, LIKELY SAY A MINIMUM OF, UM, UH, 17 THIS UPCOMING YEAR.
AND THEN JUST ONE MORE QUESTION, UM, WHERE IT SAYS SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION, THIS IS ON SLIDE EIGHT WHERE IT SAYS, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION MUST CONSIDERED THE IMPACT OF RUNNING SOME CLASSES.
UM, JUST WHEN IT SAYS RELEASE PERIODS, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN BY RELEASE PERIODS? SO SOME PEOPLE CALL THEM, UM, FREE PERIODS.
I DIDN'T WANT TO, UM, UH, CALL THEM FREE PERIODS, BUT ESSENTIALLY IT'S IF I AM NOT, UH, WE HAVE CERTAIN JOB DESCRIPTIONS THAT COME WITH RELEASE PERIODS.
[02:25:01]
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, AN IEP FACILITATOR HAS RELEASE PERIODS FOR THEM TO RUN SPECIAL EDUCATION MEETINGS, OR A READING SPECIALIST IS ONLY EXPECTED TO TEACH A CERTAIN NUMBER OF CLASSES IF SOMEONE IS HIRED FOR A FULL-TIME TEACHING POSITION.AND THE EXPECTATION IF THEY'RE AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL IS TO TEACH SIX OUT OF EIGHT CLASSES, AND THEY'RE TEACHING FEWER THAN SIX OUT OF EIGHT CLASSES.
ANYTHING FEWER IS A PERIOD THAT ADMINISTRATION HAS RELEASED THEM FROM THEIR DUTIES.
UM, YOU KNOW, FOR, YOU KNOW, THEY DO MANY THINGS.
SOMETIMES THEY'RE WORKING IN SMALL GROUPS, SOMETIMES THEY'RE RUNNING PROGRAMS, ET CETERA.
BUT WHAT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE, UH, COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND IS THOSE DECISIONS INCREASE THE CLASS SIZES IN ANOTHER AREA, BECAUSE THAT'S THE SECTION OF WHERE YOU COULD HAVE 25 STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN CLASS THAT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR THEM.
UM, MR. MCCALL, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE INCREASE IN OTHER CHARGES FROM, UM, FY 25 ACTUAL, I'M GONNA TURN OVER TO MR. TED.
MR. YOUNG, THEY'RE WORKING ON YOUR ANSWER.
WELL, WHILE THEY WORK ON MY AN ANSWER.
UM, DR. ROGERS, YOU SPOKE ABOUT, UM, DUAL ENROLLMENT.
UM, YES, DUAL ENROLLMENT PAYMENTS ARE DUAL ENROLLMENT PAYMENTS.
WELL, STEPPING BACK, DO WE STILL PAY FOR, UM, LIKE, UH, AP EXAMS FOR OUR STUDENTS? WE DO.
SO WE PAY FOR AP EXAMS OR ANY CERTIFICATION SO THAT THOSE FUNDS WOULD, ARE THEY PAID OUT OF OR BOOKED AGAINST THE SAME DIVISION AS THE DUAL ENROLLMENT? UH, YES.
ALL OF THOSE, UH, DUAL ENROLLMENT, UM, AP EXAMS, UM, CERTAIN CREDENTIALS, CTE CREDENTIALS, THOSE ARE A PART OF THE REQUIREMENT OF BLUEPRINT.
BLUEPRINT PROVIDES US WITH A PORTION OF THAT FUNDING.
AND THEN THE OPERATING BUDGET HAS TO PICK UP THE REMAINDER OF THAT EXPENSE.
UM, AND ON THE OTHER CHARGES, UH, MOST FRINGE BENEFITS ARE BUDGETED CENTRALLY IN HUMAN RESOURCES.
SO OTHER THAN, UH, A FEW ITEMS THAT'S INCLUDING OPE, IT'S INCLUDING MEDICAL BENEFITS, ET CETERA.
SO THAT'S WHAT'S CAUSING THE INFLATION BETWEEN YEARS.
MS. HEN, DID YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? YES.
UM, THE SALARY AND WAGES TABLE, UM, SHOWS A $60 MILLION YEAR OVER YEAR INCREASE.
UM, HOWEVER, WE KNOW COMPENSATION IS INCREASING.
I KNOW OUR PRESENTATION SAYS 93 MILLION.
IS THERE ANOTHER PLACE IN THE BUDGET BOOK WHERE WE CAN FIND THE DIFFERENCE IN COMPENSATION? UM, I BELIEVE IN DR.
ROGERS' PRESENTATION, THEY, UH, INCLUDE, UH, FRINGE BENEFITS.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE FULL IMPACT, BUT IN THE BUDGET BOOK, SALARIES ARE SHOWN SEPARATELY FROM FRINGE BENEFITS.
I'M REFERRING SPECIFICALLY TO SALARY AND WAGES ON PAGE 66, WHICH AS I UNDERSTAND IT FROM YOUR EXCELLENT EXPLANATION TONIGHT, UH, MR. TANIFF WOULD NOT INCLUDE FRINGE BENEFITS, WHICH WOULD BE UNDER FIXED, UM, CHARGES.
SALARIES DO NOT INCLUDE FRINGES.
SO THE 86 MILLION, UM, REFERENCED ON PAGE L FOUR COMPENSATION INCREASES, THAT INCLUDES FRINGE BENEFITS, 26 MILLION, UM, FOR THE SECOND HALF OF YEAR TWO INCREASES, AND 60 MILLION FOR YEAR THREE.
THE NUMBER, MY NUMBERS ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT, BUT THOSE ARE THE ONES IN THE BUDGET BOOK.
UH, THE BUDGET BOOK GENERALLY, UH, IS JUST TALKING SALARY.
SOME OF THE PRESENTATIONS INCLUDE FRINGE BENEFITS ALSO IN THE COMPENSATION.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE I'M COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES THEN.
SO THE BOOK REFERS TO 86 MILLION IN COMPENSATION INCREASES.
THE SALARY AND WAGES LINE ITEM SHOWS 60 MILLION IN YEAR OVER YEAR INCREASE.
SO I'M LOOKING FOR THE, THE ADDITIONAL 26 AND WHERE TO FIND THAT.
UH, MR. TIFF, I THINK, UH, THE DISCREPANCY
[02:30:01]
MIGHT, THE DISCREPANCY MIGHT BE IN THE SECOND HALF OF YEAR TWO, SEPARATED OUT FROM THE FULL, UH, YEAR THREE COST.UM, IN MY SLIDES FOUR AND FIVE, THEY INCLUDE THE BENEFITS WITH THE ASTERISK, BUT, UM, WITHOUT THE BENEFITS SEEMS TO BE ALIGNED WITH THE NUMBERS THAT MS. HEN IS QUOTING.
IF YOU OR MS. WYNN COULD, UM, CONFIRM THAT.
ROGER'S PRESENTATION INCLUDES FRINGES.
WHEN THE NUMBERS ARE IN THE BUDGET BOOK, IF IT JUST SAYS SALARIES, IT'S JUST SALARIES.
SO IF WE COULD FOCUS JUST ON THE BUDGET BOOK, THEN, UM, THE SALARY AND WAGES SHOWS 60 MILLION, AND IT, IT REFERS TO 86 MILLION IN COMPENSATION.
SO THAT REFERS TO THE NARRATIVE, REFERS TO COMPENSATION.
THEN 20, IF, IF YOU LOOK AT THE BEST PLACE TO LOOK IS IN THE BACK OF THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, YOU CAN SEE IT ALL DETAILED VERY CLEARLY STARTING ON PAGE 14.
IS THIS SOMETHING WE COULD GET A BREAKDOWN OF THE YEAR TWO AND YEAR THREE? UM, JUST SO IT'S CLEAR IF THAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE, DR. ROGERS? YES.
WE'LL PROVIDE A SIDE BY SIDE, UH, TO COMPARE ON FOUR.
WE'LL JUST MAKE ADDITIONAL, UH, COLUMNS.
ONE OTHER THING I'LL ADD IS, UH, TOTAL COMPENSATION ISN'T JUST THE NEGOTIATED CONTRACTS.
AND IF YOU RECALL, AFTER THE ADOPTED BUDGET LAST YEAR, WE HAD TO, UH, WORK TO FUND THE JANUARY 1ST INCREASES.
THAT'S NOW, THAT'S IDENTIFIED IN THE BUDGET BECAUSE IT WASN'T IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET.
SO THAT LOOKS LIKE AN ADDITIONAL INCREASE.
SO THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS IN HERE.
WHEN YOU JUST LOOK AT THE TOTAL COMPENSATION, DR. ROGERS IS BREAKING OUT THE CONTRACT IN HER PRESENTATION AND NOT INCLUDING SOME OF THE OTHER, UM, INCREASES THAT WERE REQUIRED.
SO THAT WAS MY, MY QUESTION, IF I'M LOOKING IN THE RIGHT PLACE FOR THE ADDITIONAL, THE SECOND HALF OF LAST YEAR'S INCREASE IN THE CORRECT LINE ITEM UNDER SALARIES AND WAGES, UM, IN THE BUDGET, IF IT'S GROUPED WITH, UM, SALARIES AND WAGES, OR IF IT'S CATEGORIZED SEPARATELY, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? IT'D BE SALARIES AND WAGES.
IT SHOULD BE IN SALARIES AND WAGES IN THE 60 MILLION.
THANK YOU, MS. HE DO I HAVE TIME REMAINING YOUR TIME? YOU USE THE LAST FOUR SECONDS, BUT YOU CAN CERTAINLY SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA DO THIS AGAIN ON NEXT TUESDAY.
OR ON A FRIEND THAT HASN'T USED THEIR TIME.
I WANNA PIGGYBACK ON WHAT MS. HUMPHREYS TALKED ABOUT WITH THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPLES, BUT IT'S NOT A QUESTION.
CHESAPEAKE HIGH SCHOOL OPENED UP IN 1977.
I ARRIVED IN 93 FROM 9 19 93 TO 2018.
THEY HAD THREE ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS.
I'M TRYING TO FIND SOMEBODY THAT OPENED UP IN 77.
FROM 77 TO 93, I'M THINKING THEY HAD THREE ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS.
SO THAT'S 49 YEAR PERIOD WITH THREE ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS.
AND MY 25 YEARS THERE, THE ENROLLMENT WENT FROM, BECAUSE I WAS THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, I, I FOLLOWED THAT ENROLLMENT.
THE LOWEST WAS 920, AND THE HIGHEST WAS 1,080.
SO THERE ARE 300 OR SO LOW, LOWER THAN THAT STANDARD.
AND MY POINT IS, IF THEY LOSE THAT AN AP, THE THE PEOPLE THEY'RE GONNA LOSE OUT ARE THOSE AT RISK KITS.
BECAUSE SOME OF THESE PRINCIPLES, ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS WERE OUTSTANDING, AND MR. DR. GRAHAM TESTIFIED TO THIS, WERE OUTSTANDING AT DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THOSE AT RISK KITS.
AND IF THEY DON'T HAVE THAT CONTACT WITH, AND THEY NEED THE CONTACT WITH THE AUTHORITY FIGURES OUTSIDE THOSE CLASSROOMS AND THE OFFICES, AND IF THEY DON'T HAVE IT, WHO KNOWS WHAT THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THAT ARE GONNA BE.
SO OF COURSE, I'M LOPPING TO KEEP THAT ONE, THAT ADDITIONAL AP AT CHESAPEAKE.
UH, MR. MCMILLION, THANK YOU FOR THAT ADVOCACY.
I WILL SHARE THAT IS WHY, UH, WE HAVE AN AMOUNT WHERE THE TEAM WAS LOOKING AT THE ACTUAL IMPACT OF THE ADMINISTRATORS TO MAKE THOSE STRATEGIC DECISIONS.
AND I WILL ALSO SHARE THAT THIS IS THE DIFFICULTY OF, UM, TOUGH, UH, FISCAL CHALLENGES.
BECAUSE I THINK, UM, IF WE ALL HAD OUR DRUTHERS, WE WOULD KEEP EVERYONE THAT WE HAVE.
UM, AND SO THESE, THESE ARE TOUGH DECISIONS.
AND THAT IS THE WORK OF THE TEAM TO LOOK AT THE IMPACT ON STUDENTS DIRECTLY.
SO I'M GONNA JUMP IN WITH A QUESTION.
A LOT OF MINE HAVE BEEN ANSWERED BY MY COLLEAGUES AND THEIR
[02:35:01]
THOROUGHNESS, BUT, UM, AND IT'S FOR DR. JONES.WE HAVE A LOT OF THE BUDGET BOOK HAD THE ENROLLMENTS, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF VERY SMALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
AND THIS IS KIND OF PIGGYBACK ON WHAT, UM, MS. PUMPHREY WAS SAYING.
SO WE HAVE A VERY SMALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND WE ONLY HAVE, AND WE HAVE 60 KIDS.
AND IF I BUY 60 BY TWO, I GET 30.
BUT IF I BUY 60 BY THREE, IT'S 20.
SO HOW DO WE PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO THOSE SMALL SCHOOLS THAT, THAT ARE TEETERING LIKE THAT? UM, WE ACTUALLY, WE ACTUALLY DO THAT A LOT.
AND I DID SOME OF THAT WORK WITH YOU PREVIOUSLY,
YOU KNOW, WE WANT, DON'T WANT 30 AND 30.
WHAT WE THEN HAVE TO TAKE STOCK OF IS, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WHAT, WHAT ARE SOME OTHER THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE SCHOOL? AND WHAT DR. ROGERS SAID, IT IS A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW.
SO WE LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE, AND THEN WE TRY TO KIND, WE WORK WITH THE SCHOOLS TO PROBLEM SOLVE AROUND, UM, HOW IS THE CURRENT ALLOCATION BEING UTILIZED? AND ONCE WE FIND OUT THAT SCHOOLS HAVE REALLY MAXED OUT, THEN WE HAVE A HR COLLABORATIVE REVIEW WHERE WE LOOK AT ANY SCHOOLS THAT MAY BE UNDER-ENROLLED.
AND OF COURSE, THIS KIND OF HAPPENS DURING THE SUMMERTIME.
ANY SCHOOLS THAT HAVE BEEN UNDER-ENROLLED, ANY SCHOOLS THAT MAY NEED, UM, MAY NOT NEED THIS.
THE STAFFING THAT THEY WERE, UH, PROVIDED WITH BECAUSE OF MANY REASONS, YOU KNOW, UM, LOW ENROLLMENT OR JUST THINGS THAT HAPPENED THAT WEREN'T ANTICIPATED.
AND THEN WE, WHENEVER POSSIBLE, ALLOCATE ADDITIONAL STAFFING SO THAT THAT SCHOOL CAN HAVE 20, 20 20 VERSUS THE 30 AND THE 30.
BUT WE EXHAUST ALL, ALL RESOURCES BECAUSE AS WAS STATED IN THESE FISCALLY CHALLENGING TIMES, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF HOLDOVER THAT WAS IN PLACE WHEN WE DID THAT WORK TOGETHER.
AND I KIND OF KNEW THE ANSWER, BUT I JUST THINK THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO BE AWARE.
WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE HIGH SCHOOL AND PROGRAMMATIC DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE THAT THEN HAPPEN.
'CAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE ALL GETTING EMAILS THAT SAY, 25 SOUNDS GREAT, BUT THIS CLASS HAS 30.
SO THE PROGRAMMATIC DECISIONS IN HIGH SCHOOL AND SOME MIDDLE SCHOOL.
BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE ISSUES THAT, THAT ARISE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WHEN WE HAVE THESE GREAT LITTLE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, BUT YET IT'S HARD TO DIVIDE BY TWO AND DIVIDE BY THREE IS DIFFERENT.
SO I THINK WE JUST, AND OUR PRINCIPALS NEED TO BE ABLE TO MESSAGE THAT TO THEIR COMMUNITIES ABOUT WHY THEY'VE MADE THE DECISIONS THAT THEY HAVE.
BUT THE SMALL SCHOOL ONE SOMETIMES GETS OVERLOOKED AS FAR AS SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY AFFECTING CLASS SIZES, UM, AS MUCH AS IT DOES.
ANYONE ELSE FOR QUESTIONS THAT HAS THAT HAVE MORE TIME? LET'S, NOPE.
SO FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING ABLE TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS AND THE THOROUGHNESS OF IT.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S SEVERAL QUESTIONS THAT WE WERE NOT, THAT YOU WERE NOT ABLE TO ANSWER THAT DR. ROGERS WILL FOLLOW UP WITH STAFF ON.
WE ARE GONNA DO THIS AGAIN, UM, ON NEXT TUESDAY.
I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER WHAT DAY IT IS.
SO, BOARD MEMBERS, IF YOU HAD MORE QUESTIONS IN YOUR TIME RAN OUT, PLEASE SUBMIT THOSE QUESTIONS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO ALLOW STAFF AND, AND, UM, DR. ROGERS TO BE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER THE PRESENTATION FOR NEXT WEEK.
SO, UM, WHEN WOULD YOU LIKE, UM, BOARD MEMBERS TO SUBMIT THOSE QUESTIONS BY MM-HMM
IF YOU COULD SUBMIT THEM BY WEDNESDAY SO THEY CAN PREPARE.
MS. PUMPHREY, I JUST HAVE A PROCEDURAL QUESTION.
IF A QUESTION WERE TO BE SUBMITTED AND FOR SOME REASON WAS UNABLE TO BE ANSWERED, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD BE CONSIDERED OPERATIONAL, ANY REASON COULD WE HAVE THOSE QUESTIONS STILL POSTED WITH AN EXPLANATION UNDERNEATH AS TO WHY? SO THAT THE PUBLIC, SOMETIMES THOSE QUESTIONS COME FROM THE PUBLIC, JUST SO THE PUBLIC IS AWARE OF THE REASON WHY THAT INFORMATION MIGHT NOT BE PUT OUT THERE.
ALL THE QUESTIONS, UM, WILL ALWAYS BE POSTED WITH SOME KIND OF NOTE.
SO FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE VIEWING, UM, THE BOARD MEMBERS, UM, SUBMITTED MANY, MANY, MANY QUESTIONS SINCE, UM, THE BUDGET WAS, UM, PRESENTED TO US.
SO IN ALL THOSE QUESTIONS, AND THOSE ANSWERS ARE ON BUDGET 1 0 1, CORRECT? THEY'RE, UM, SO PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE.
UM, AND AGAIN, SOME OF THEM WILL SAY, AS MS. HUMPHREY JUST REFERRED TO THAT, THERE WASN'T AN ANSWER, BUT THEY'RE ALL THERE AND THE NEW ONES WILL BE ADDED ONCE WE GET THOSE.
MS LESKI, YOU MEAN, RIGHT NOW, LIKE, IT'S ON B BCPS.ORG.
IF YOU GO ON BCPS.ORG, AND THEN YOU CAN JUST SEARCH BUDGET 1 0 1 AND IT WILL COME UP AND YOU HAVE EVERYTHING YOU WANTED ON THERE, PLUS MORE.
UM, WERE YOU GONNA SAY SOMETHING? AND THERE'S A SEARCH FEATURE, SO IF YOU CAN'T FIND IT, YOU JUST SEARCH S BUDGET 1 0 1, IT WILL POP RIGHT UP AND, AND EVERYTHING IS THERE WHERE YOU NEED IT.
AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL AND THANK YOU DR. ROGERS FOR THAT.
WHERE ARE WE? UM, WE ARE, OKAY.
[L. ADDED: UPDATE ON VIRTUAL INCLEMENT WEATHER PLAN]
NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA,[02:40:01]
WHICH WAS ADDED AT THE BEGINNING OF TONIGHT'S MEETING AS AN UPDATE ON THE VIRTUAL AND CLEMENT WEATHER PLAN.UM, AND AGAIN, WE DID DISCUSS IT, OR STAFF WILL TRY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS TONIGHT, BUT IF NOT, WE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH, WITH THE RESPONSES.
SO, MR. ROMANOWSKI, IF YOU WANT, I'LL LET YOU GET STARTED WITH THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE SINCE YOU BROUGHT UP THIS AGENDA ITEM.
OH, FIRST, DR. ROGERS WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW.
SO I'LL PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF VIRTUAL LEARNING.
UM, I BELIEVE, UH, EVERYONE IS AWARE SINCE 20, UH, 21 20 22 SCHOOL YEAR, MARYLAND STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HAS GIVEN SCHOOL SYSTEMS THE ABILITY TO TRANSITION TO VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION, UM, DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER DAYS, BCPS HAS PUT OUT ANNUAL SURVEYS.
WE'VE REPORTED ON THOSE RESULTS IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND OUR COMMUNITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY STRONG ON THEIR, UH, DESIRE TO NOT EXTEND THE SCHOOL YEAR.
AND, UH, IF NECESSARY, MOVE TO VIRTUAL LEARNING.
UM, SINCE, UH, THIS HAS BEEN IN PLACE, UH, LAST THURSDAY AND FRIDAY IN ARE DAYS TWO AND THREE OF IMPLEMENTATION IN BCPS, UM, IN TERMS OF THE 25 26 SCHOOL YEAR AFTER WE HAD OUR VOTE.
UM, AND PRIOR TO THAT, SINCE NOVEMBER, THE BCPS OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS HAS BEEN SENDING OUT COMMUNICATIONS, UH, TO FAMILY AND POSTING, UH, REMINDERS ABOUT INCLEMENT WEATHER.
SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS, UH, STORM.
UM, THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT I WANT TO ADDRESS.
UH, NUMBER ONE, WHEN IT COMES TO DEVICES, UM, AS YOU KNOW, THE DECISION WAS MADE, UH, LAST FISCAL YEAR TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO OUR TECHNOLOGY.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE OUR, UM, CHROMEBOOKS STAYING IN SCHOOL AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL UNLESS THEY ARE SIGNED OUT.
OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE THE ONLY STUDENTS WHO TRANSPORT THEIR CHROME'S BOOKS DAILY, BACK AND FORTH.
UM, EVERY CHROMEBOOK THAT APPEARED AT A SCHOOL APPEARED WITH A CHARGER.
SOME OF THOSE CHARGERS WERE PLACED IN CARTS.
SOME OF THOSE CHARGERS WERE PLACED IN OTHER SPACES.
BUT THE EXPECTATIONS, DIRECTIONS FOR TECHNOLOGY LIAISONS IS IF THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH A DEVICE OR A, UH, CHARGER, THAT THAT IS COMMUNICATED IN REAL TIME TO THE DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE REPLACEMENTS.
AND SO, WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE A STORM, IT IS OUR EXPECTATION THAT, UM, SCHOOLHOUSES ARE KEEPING UP WITH THE TECHNOLOGY THAT THEY HAVE AVAILABLE, UM, FOR STUDENTS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
UM, IT IS ALSO, AND, UH, MAKING SURE THAT THEY COMMUNICATE THAT.
UM, WE HAD ALSO PUT IN PLACE THAT OUR PLAN WOULD BE A TWO HOUR DELAY SCHEDULE, UH, TO PROVIDE TEACHERS WITH TIME TO, FOR PLANNING, AS IS A PART OF THE, UH, PLAN.
THE DEPARTMENT DIVISION OF CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION TOOK AN EXTRA STEP AND THEY ACTUALLY PUT MATERIALS TOGETHER, UM, THAT SCHOOLS COULD USE, UH, PARTICULARLY OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS, SO THAT TEACHERS, IF THEY WANTED TO HAVE A RESOURCE THAT THEY COULD POINT TO QUICKLY, THAT THEY COULD, UM, DO THAT.
THE REMINDERS, UM, STARTED GOING OUT, UH, AS I SAID, UH, LAST WEEK AND THE WEEK PRIOR REGARDING THE SNOWSTORM, UM, THERE WAS A ROBUST MESSAGE SENT, I BELIEVE IT WAS, UH, THURSDAY IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH TO OUR FAMILIES.
UM, WHAT WAS PROBABLY HE HEARD IN A BUILDING WAS A PRINCIPAL REMINDING STAFF OF THE IMPENDING SNOWSTORM AND THAT THE DEVICES NEEDED TO GO OUT WITH STUDENTS.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, IN SCHOOLOGY POSTED BEST PRACTICES, UM, BOTH THE TECHNOLOGY DIRECTIONS AS WELL AS INSTRUCTIONAL DIRECTIONS AND MODULES, UH, THAT PEOPLE CAN, UH, FOLLOW AND PRACTICE PRINCIPALS RECEIVED FROM, UM, DR. JONES TEAM.
UH, WE, FROM LAST YEAR HAD FEEDBACK AROUND ADDITIONAL SECURITY MEASURES, WORKED WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE WERE IN PLACE, UM, FOR THIS STORM.
UM, AND I THINK, UH, THAT WAS ALSO IT, UM, REMINDER THAT WE HAD TALKING POINTS AVAILABLE, UM, FOR ALL OF OUR FAMILIES THAT TRANSLATES IN REAL TIME, UM, FOR COMMUNICATION WITH SCHOOLS.
UM, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THE STATE, UM, UH, SUPERINTENDENT, UH, REGARDING OUR PLAN FOR OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS.
UM, ALL SCHOOL SYSTEMS WERE ON A CALL, UH, REGARDING, UH, STATE, UM, WAIVER.
RECEIVED A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM FAMILIES EXPRESSING BOTH PRAISE AND SOME FAMILIES EXPRESSING CONCERNS ABOUT,
[02:45:01]
UH, THEIR EXPERIENCE.IT IS LIKELY THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE SENDING OUT A SURVEY DIRECTLY TO OUR FAMILIES TO GET ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK FROM THEM.
UM, FOR ADDITIONAL PLANNING WITH THE CHARGERS, UH, PRINCIPAL PUT TOGETHER A COMMUNICATION ABOUT ADDITIONAL CHARGERS THAT COULD BE USED IF A STUDENT FORGOT A CHARGER OR DIDN'T HAVE ONE FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER.
THAT COMMUNICATION WAS THEN SENT OUT TO ALL SCHOOLS.
UM, SO THEY COULD USE THAT IN THEIR COMMUNICATION WITH FAMILIES AS WELL.
CENTRAL OFFICE, UH, SPENT THE DAY IN VIRTUAL CLASSROOMS AS WELL AS, UM, UM, UH, OTHER STAFF MEMBERS, UH, YOU KNOW, PRINCIPALS AND SUPERVISORY STAFF IN THE CLASS MEMBERS, UH, CLASSROOMS. AND THEY WERE SENDING, UH, REPORTS BASED ON WHAT THEY WERE SEEING AND, UM, DIRECT FEEDBACK FROM WHAT WAS OCCURRING IN THE CLASSES.
SO THERE'S ALWAYS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE PRACTICES, UH, BUT, UH, THESE WERE THE STEPS THAT WERE TAKEN ACROSS THE SYSTEM AND IN INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS TO HELP, UH, THEIR TEACHERS PREPARE.
I'LL ALSO ADD THAT THE LAW STIPULATES THAT AFTER ALL OF THE TRADITIONAL DAYS ARE USED, THEN A SCHOOL SYSTEM TRANSITIONS OVER TO, UM, VIRTUAL DAYS.
IT DOES NOT HAVE A CAP ON THE NUMBER OF VIRTUAL DAYS AS, UM, UH, I BELIEVE NO ONE IS IN A POSITION TO PREDICT, UM, HOW MANY DAYS MOTHER NATURE WILL BRING OUR WAY.
SO, UH, WANTED TO PROVIDE THAT OVERVIEW AND THEN OPEN IT UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT I MAY ANSWER AND QUESTIONS THAT WE'LL TAKE BACK.
NOW, MS. DOKI, I, I, I UNDERSTAND, UM, THERE WERE BEST PRACTICES, BUT WHAT WAS THE, UM, ACTUAL LIKE DIRECTIVE PLAN THAT WAS GIVEN TO SCHOOLS OR ADMINISTRATORS TO HELP THEM PREPARE FOR A VIRTUAL DAY ONCE THE, LIKE, IF WE KNEW WE WERE GONNA BE ENACTING THIS AFTER THREE DAYS, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW, WAS THERE ANY LIKE DIRECT PLAN GIVEN TO THEM AHEAD OF TIME SO THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL, YOU KNOW, THURSDAY BEFORE THE STORM, THAT THEY COULD HAVE BEEN PREPARING FOR IT BEFORE THAT? YEAH, SO WE'VE BEEN PREPARING, THE DIVISION OF SCHOOLS HAS PROVIDED COMMUNICATION DIRECTLY TO SCHOOLS AND A SET OF RESOURCES TO THE SCHOOLS ABOUT WHAT TO DO.
UM, NOT ONLY, UH, BEST PRACTICES, BUT ALSO, UM, CONTENT.
UH, IF YOU'RE A BRAND NEW TEACHER AND YOU'VE NEVER HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TEACH WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE, UM, SO THAT WAS, UH, THAT'S PROVIDED ANNUALLY, UM, TO OUR TEACHERS.
AND IT IS PART OF THE SCHOOL RESPONSIBILITY.
UM, IN THE SAME WAY THAT YOU PLAN FOR EMERGENCY SUBSTITUTE LESSON PLANS THAT YOU WOULD PLAN FOR THE EVENTUALITY OF A VIRTUAL INCLEMENT WEATHER DAY.
I JUST, UM, THE MAIN THING I'M HEARING IS THAT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE DEVICES FOR THE K THROUGH TWO AND WE'RE GIVING THEM, YOU KNOW, PACKETS OR INSTRUCTION, THEY'RE NOT GETTING THAT TEACHER INSTRUCTIONAL TIME.
HOW ARE WE CALLING THAT A FULL DAY FOR THEM? SO THE EXPECTATION FROM THE STATE IS THAT THERE'S ACCESS TO FOUR HOURS OF, UM, TEACHER INSTRUCTION.
THAT WAS PART OF MY CONVERSATION WITH THE STATE.
UM, UH, THE, UM, MSDE, UH, SUPERINTENDENT ON FRIDAY, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS.
UM, WE ARE ABLE TO LEVERAGE, UH, TALKING POINTS AND WE ARE ABLE TO LEVERAGE, UH, THE MATERIALS THAT CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION HAS PUT FORWARD.
UH, MY CONVERSATION WAS, UH, AROUND A WAIVER AS MANY OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS ARE REQUESTING, UH, WAIVERS.
AND SO MY CONVERSATION WAS AROUND A WAIVER FOR OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS.
UM, AND SO, UH, WOULD THAT BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF STUDENTS TO HAVE A WAIVER THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THE FOUR HOURS OF INSTRUCTION TIME? NO.
A WAIVER IS IF THERE'S A SNOWSTORM LIKE WE HAD, UM, ALL THE OTHER SCHOOL SYSTEMS THAT DON'T HAVE A VIRTUAL OPTION HAVE TO REQUEST A WAIVER OR THEY HAVE TO EXTEND THE SCHOOL YEAR.
SO THE, THE WAIVER IS NOT, UM, UH, SUGGESTING THAT WE SHOULDN'T PROVIDE ANY INSTRUCTION.
THERE IS A PLAN IN PLACE WITH MATERIALS PROVIDED BY CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION.
TALKING POINTS ALLOWS FOR TEACHERS TO BE AVAILABLE AND COMMUNICATE WITH FAMILIES DIRECTLY, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A ONE-TO-ONE RATIO IN PRE-K TO, UM, SECOND GRADE.
AND SO MY INQUIRY WAS AROUND WHETHER OR NOT, UH, WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD, UH, WITH A RATIO.
BUT AS YOU KNOW, AS I STATED, I WANNA HEAR DIRECTLY FROM, UH, FAMILIES.
AND BASED ON THAT FEEDBACK, WE WILL MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO WHAT OUR, UH,
[02:50:01]
PLANS ARE IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW DID WE PLAN, UM, THAT EVERYBODY KNEW THERE WAS A STORM.NO ONE, UM, COULD PREDICT, UM, HOW MANY DAYS SCHOOL WAS GOING TO BE OUT.
IF IT WAS OUR PREFERENCE, WE WOULD'VE BEEN BACK IN SCHOOL LAST THURSDAY, UH, IN FACE-TO-FACE SCHOOL.
UH, BUT THAT IS NOT THE SITUATION THAT WE FIND OURSELVES WITH WEATHER AND THE SNOW AND ICE, UM, IS LIKELY BASED ON FORECAST TO, UH, BE OUTSIDE FOR A WHILE WITH US WITH THESE TEMPERATURES.
I GUESS MY, MY LAST QUESTION IS, HOW ARE WE COMPLIANT WITH IEPS DURING THAT VIRTUAL TIME? SO THERE ARE, UH, ACCOMMODATIONS THAT CAN BE DELIVERED, UH, VIRTUALLY.
UH, I WILL TAKE BACK TO THE SPECIAL EDUCATION TEAM ON HOW THEY DELIVERED ACCOMMODATIONS AND IF THEY WERE UNABLE TO DELIVER ACCOMMODATIONS DURING THE EMERGENCY, WHAT THEIR PLAN NEXT STEPS ARE COMPENSATORY.
DR. ROGERS, COULD YOU OR PERHAPS STAFF SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO OUR OPERATIONAL READINESS FOR VIRTUAL LEARNING? COULD YOU A LITTLE MORE WITH REGARDS TO THE DEVICES AND OUR SCHOOLS, UM, SUPPORT IN PREPARING STUDENTS TO MAKE THE TRANSITION TO VIRTUAL LEARNING IN TERMS OF READINESS.
HI, DR. GRAHAM, DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC QUESTION OR DO YOU WANNA KNOW JUST HOW WE WENT ABOUT PREPARING SCHOOLS? SURE.
SOME CONCERNS I'VE, I'VE HEARD HAVE TO DO WITH, UM, OUR SCHOOLS NOT BEING OPERATIONAL OPERATIONALLY READY, AND SOME OF THE DEMANDS PLACED ON THEM AT, IN THE NINTH HOUR WHEN, WHEN THE STORM WAS APPROACHING IN TERMS OF READYING THE DEVICES, INVENTORYING THE DEVICES, UM, CHARGERS, THINGS OF THAT SORT, IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO THAT.
SO THIS SUMMER, UM, WHERE THE, WHERE THE BIGGEST CHANGE WAS WAS AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL WHERE WE WERE NO LONGER, UH, SENDING DEVICES HOME WITH OUR STUDENTS.
SO EACH MIDDLE SCHOOL WAS REQUIRED.
EACH PRINCIPAL WAS REQUIRED TO DEVELOP AN INDIVIDUALIZED TECHNOLOGY PLAN FOR THEIR SCHOOL THAT WAS APPROVED BY THEIR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REGARDING NOT ONLY WHAT THEY WOULD DO DAY TO DAY WITH THEIR DEVICES, BUT WHAT THEY WOULD DO IN TERMS OF INCLEMENT WEATHER.
UM, SOME OF OUR, OUR SCHOOLS, UM, HAVE A SYSTEM WHERE THEY, THEY VERY ROBUSTLY SIGN OUT THEIR DEVICES, AND KIDS DO TAKE THEM HOME PERIODICALLY.
OTHERS MAINTAIN THEIR DEVICES IN THE BUILDING.
UH, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE TIME, UH, SOME OF THE SCHOOLS WERE ABLE TO, AS, AS DR. ROGERS SAID, UM, LEVERAGE, UH, THEIR INVENTORY, UH, COMMUNICATE BACK WHAT CENTRAL OFFICE, WHAT THEIR NEEDS WERE, BECAUSE THEY USE THEIR DEVICES ON A VERY REGULAR BASIS.
OTHERS ARE NOT USING THEIRS ON A DAILY BASIS, UM, IN THE SAME WAY THAT THEY WERE PREVIOUSLY.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT, THAT THERE WERE SOME CHALLENGES THAT THEY HAD WHEN THEY WERE STARTING TO THINK ABOUT INCLEMENT WEATHER AND WHAT THEY MIGHT NEED TO DO TO MOBILIZE THAT PLAN.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE SOME, AGAIN, THIS IS AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL.
WE HAVE SOME SCHOOLS THAT WHERE THE KIDS SIGN GET THEM EVERY DAY.
UM, THEY GET 'EM FIRST PERIOD, OR THEY GO TO A HOMEROOM PERIOD, AN ADVISORY PERIOD.
THEY GET THE DEVICES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY, THEY BRING 'EM BACK.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY'RE IN A CHARGING CART ALL DAY LONG.
OTHERS, UM, THE, THE TEACHERS ARE SIGNING OUT DEVICE CARTS AND THEY'RE JUST UTILIZING THEM IN SPECIFIC CLASSROOMS AS NEEDED.
UM, SO AGAIN, THESE PLANS WERE DEVELOPED AT THE SPECIFIC SCHOOL LEVEL BY THE PRINCIPALS.
UM, WHEN THIS CHANGE HAPPENED, NOT ONLY AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL, BUT AT THE ELEMENTARY, UH, LEVEL THIS SUMMER, UM, WE ENACTED A PLAN IN DOIT TO ENSURE THAT EACH OF THE SCHOOLS HAD AN ADDITIONAL INVENTORY ON HAND AND HOW THEY COULD REQUEST DEVICES.
UM, WE'VE ALSO DRAMATICALLY REDUCED, UM, THE, THE, THE AMOUNT OF DOWNTIME AND THE AMOUNT OF DOWN DEVICES THEY'VE HAD BY CHANGING OUR ALLOCATION.
SO FROM AN OPERATIONAL READINESS STANDPOINT, UM, MUCH OF THIS WAS, WAS DRIVEN BY WHAT THE TECHNOLOGY PLAN WAS AT THE INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL.
AS DR. ROGERS SAID, UH, CHARGERS WERE PROVIDED WITH ALL THE DEVICES.
IN FACT, WE DIDN'T COLLECT BACK CHARGERS.
UM, WHEN WE MADE THIS SHIFT OF, OF ALLOCATIONS, WE ACTUALLY PROVIDED SOME ADDITIONAL ONES.
UM, MANY OF THOSE WERE TIED UP IN THE CARTS THAT, UM, THAT, THAT, UH, THE SCHOOLS HAVE.
UM, HOWEVER, THAT WAS, THAT WAS PART OF THE PLANNING AND PART OF THE COMMUNICATION THAT WE HAD PROVIDED, AGAIN, BACK IN THE SUMMERTIME.
UM, DR. ROGERS HAD ALSO MENTIONED, UM, OUR, UH, CHROMEBOOKS CHARGE ON A-U-S-B-C.
UM, THIS WAS A VERY INTERESTING WEEK BECAUSE, UH, EVEN IF THE
[02:55:01]
DEVICES WERE CHARGED ON THURSDAY OR FRIDAY, HAD A FULL CHARGE WHEN THEY WENT HOME, UM, STUDENTS WEREN'T USING THEM FOR INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES FOR ALMOST A WEEK LATER.SO, SO IF THEY WERE TO USE THEM FOR ANY NON-INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES, UM, AT ANY TIME DURING THAT WEEK, THEY MAY FIND THEMSELVES IN, IN AN EMERGENCY WHERE THEY NEEDED SOME KIND OF A CHARGE.
BUT AGAIN, IF THEY HAD ANY ACCESS TO A-U-S-B-C, UM, DEVICE AT HOME, THEY COULD CHARGE THE DEVICES IN AN EMERGENCY, ALTHOUGH THAT IS NOT RECOMMENDED AS A LONG-TERM USE.
WERE THERE ANY REQUIREMENTS THAT WE PLACED ON SCHOOLS BEFORE STUDENTS COULD TAKE PRIOR TO THE STORM THAT THEY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING OR IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR REQUIREMENTS? UM, IN TERMS OF THEIR TECHNOLOGY? I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION, I'M SORRY.
IN, IN TERMS OF DIRECTION OR GUIDANCE THAT WE PROVIDED, WERE THERE ANY REQUIREMENTS THAT WE SAID BEFORE YOU RELEASE THESE DEVICES TO, TO STUDENTS, UM, FOR VIRTUAL LEARNING? WERE THERE, UM, ANY REQUIREMENTS THAT SCHOOLS HAD TO COMPLY WITH
UM, AND AGAIN, WE, WE SENT, UH, UH, EXTENSIVE COMMUNICATION THROUGH THE LIAISONS ON, ON HOW THAT COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED TO MAKE SURE, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE KNEW THAT, UM, SCHOOLS WERE DEPLOYING THEM IN, IN VARIOUS WAYS.
SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT REMINDER WAS THERE, PARTICULARLY LOOKING IN ADVANCE, UM, IN THIS PARTICULAR STORM OF, OF HOW LONG THE CHARGE WOULD NEED TO LAST IN THE CHROME IN THE CHROMEBOOK.
UM, SO, SO I WOULD SAY THAT'S REALLY THE, THE ONLY DIRECTIVE WE GAVE.
AND AGAIN, UM, IT DID NOT EVALUATE THE, THE TECHNOLOGY PLAN, SO TO SPEAK, AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL.
UM, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE, UH, DETERMINED IF IT WAS TECHNICALLY FEASIBLE, THEIR PLAN, UM, BUT IT WAS PASSED THROUGH.
AND, UH, EACH PRINCIPAL WORK WITH THEIR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AND IF I COULD, UH, UNDERSCORE ONE, UH, POINT HERE, UM, IF SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU HAVE HEARD WAS AROUND SCHOOLS HAVING TO INVENTORY THE DEVICES BEFORE THEY WERE DEPLOYED, UM, THAT WAS NOT A NEW REQUIREMENT THAT WAS MADE LAST WEEK, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE OVER THE SUMMER.
UM, OUR EXPECTATION IS THAT ALL OF OUR BUILDING LEADERS ARE MAKING, UH, GOOD DECISIONS SO THAT THEY ARE NOT HAVING TO SCRAMBLE AT THE LAST MOMENT.
SO PERHAPS IF THAT WAS NOT A TASK THAT WAS TENDED TO OVER THE SUMMER OR EARLY IN THE FALL, AND IT'S REAL THAT THE SNOW IS COMING, THEN THERE WAS THIS MAD SCRAMBLE TO ADD THAT ON TOP OF WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO.
SO THAT, THAT MIGHT, UH, SPEAK TO SOME OF THE FEEDBACK.
CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? I'M A LITTLE LOUDER IF POSSIBLE.
SO I, I WAS JUST GONNA MENTION, IT SOUNDS LIKE FROM WHAT DR.
GROOM WAS SAYING THAT THE PLANS WERE IN PLACE.
MY QUESTION WOULD BE, AND THAT WAS AT THE SCHOOL, AMONG SCHOOL LEADERSHIP AND SCHOOL STAFF.
BUT MY QUESTION WAS, WAS THIS INFORMATION SHARED WITH PARENTS SO THAT THEY WOULD HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING, OR EVEN IF THEY HAVE CHILDREN, UM, IN DIFFERENT, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THEY HAVE TWINS, BUT MAYBE THEY'RE AT DIFFERENT MIDDLE SCHOOLS, THE PLANS MIGHT BE DIFFERENT FROM SCHOOL TO SCHOOL.
SO I THINK IT HELPS WHEN THERE'S SOME COMMUNICATION.
AND SO WAS THAT INFORMATION RELAYED TO PARENTS ABOUT LIKE, THIS IS WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO, UM, SHOULD WE HAVE THIS IMPLEMENT WEATHER OR EVEN A REMINDER PROVIDED SINCE WE, WE WERE KNOWING THAT THIS WINTER SPRING IS COMING.
SO CENTRAL OFFICE SENT, UM, MESSAGES TO PARENTS AND SEVERAL REMINDERS STARTING IN NOVEMBER.
UM, AND I WOULD ALSO SAY, UH, JUST A QUICK SEARCH, UH, BECAUSE I DID ONE, UH, AS WE ADDED THIS TOPIC, UH, ON OUR WEBSITE, IT PULLED UP MANY SCHOOLS THAT ALSO CREATED THEIR SCHOOL SPECIFIC INFORMATION WAS, UM, POSTED FOR THEIR PARENTS.
AND SO I HEARD YOU SAY NOVEMBER, AND SO WAS THERE SOMETHING CLOSER TO LIKE JANUARY OR FEBRUARY, JUST AS A REMINDER FOR PARENTS? YES, YES.
WE STARTED THE COMMUNICATIONS IN NOVEMBER AND SINCE SEVERAL, UP UNTIL INCLUDING, UH, THE WEEK OF THE STORM BEFORE STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, WENT, UM, HOME FOR THE SNOW STORM.
I HAVE A QUESTION, UM, FOR THE BENEFIT, 'CAUSE I BELIEVE I KNOW THE ANSWER.
UM, THE COMMUNICATION THAT WENT OUT AS FAR AS PARENTS CHOOSING TO KEEP STUDENTS WHOM, IF THEY FELT IT WAS UNSAFE FOR THEM TO WALK TO SCHOOL, IT INDICATED IF THEY SENT, CAME IN WITH A NOTE
[03:00:01]
FROM A GUARDIAN, UM, THAT THEIR ABSENCE WOULD BE CONSIDERED EXCUSED.UM, DOES THAT MEAN THAT THEIR MAKEUP WORK, ET CETERA, FOLLOWS THE SAME STANDARD PROCEDURES FOR ANY EXCUSED ABSENCE AND THE TIMEFRAME THAT THEY HAVE TO MAKE UP THE WORK? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, CODE SEVEN IS A WEATHER RELATED, UH, ABSENCE.
AND THAT IS FROM THE STATE OF MARYLAND.
THANK YOU, MS. DOKI, DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION? UH, YEAH, I JUST HAD A QUICK FOLLOW UP.
IF, UH, I KNOW WHEN NO ONE WANTS TO EXTEND THE SCHOOL YEAR INTO THE SUMMER, BUT IF WE COULD ADD AN OPTION TO THE SURVEY ABOUT, UM, MAYBE REPLACING NON-MANDATED, YOU KNOW, ONE DAY HOLIDAYS INSTEAD, OR THE HALF DAYS INTO FULL DAYS, OR WE HAVE A SEVEN DAY SPRING BREAK, IF WE COULD, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF DOING THE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE RIGHT, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE SIX MORE WEEKS OF WINTER AND WE'VE ALREADY ON DAY, WE'VE ALREADY DONE TWO DAYS OF VIRTUAL.
I THINK THAT IF THOSE OPTIONS COULD BE CONSIDERED FOR THE, OUR STAKEHOLDERS TO CONSIDER IT, IT DOESN'T JUST HAVE TO BE, UH, LATER INTO THE SCHOOL, INTO THE SUMMER.
IT COULD BE DONE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, MS. TOSKI? YES.
I JUST WAS WONDERING, UM, I'VE HEARD FROM DIFFERENT TEACHERS, SOME OF THEM WERE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE DIRECT INSTRUCTION.
OTHERS WERE TOLD THAT AS LONG AS THE STUDENTS COMPLETED THE WORK ASSIGNED, ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS BE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO CALL IT, MAYBE ON STANDBY OR AVAILABLE.
SO, UM, THERE WAS DEFINITELY, AT LEAST BASED ON WHAT I'VE HEARD, A LARGE DISCREPANCY ON THE DELIVERED INSTRUCTION ON THOSE DAYS.
SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO SHARE.
AND THEN ANY FOLLOW UP THAT YOU HAVE ON THAT.
WHAT I WOULD SHARE IS THE EXPECTATION WAS, UM, FOR, UH, GRADES TWO AND ABOVE, UH, FOUR HOURS OF SYNCHRONOUS INSTRUCTION, UM, THAT WAS CLEARLY COMMUNICATED TO OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS WELL AS ALL OF OUR LEADERS.
UM, I WOULD ASK YOU IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE WILLING TO SHARE OFFLINE, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
SO THAT CAN BE PROVIDED DIRECTLY TO DR. JONES AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR FOLLOW UP, AS WAS STATED.
IN ADDITION TO THE, UM, SURVEY OPTION, UH, WE DO STILL HAVE A LONG WINTER AHEAD OF US, AND IF WE HAVE TO IMPLEMENT THE DAYS AGAIN, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE IMPLEMENTING WITH FIDELITY.
WELL, ONE, UH, JUST FOR LATER ON, CAN WE ADD AN UPDATE TO HOW WE, UM, PREPARED FOR THIS OPERATIONALLY WISE, LIKE GETTING THE SCHOOL READY, WHAT WE WERE, WHAT WE WERE DOING, AND MAYBE WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THIS AS FAR AS GETTING OUR SCHOOLS READY QUICKER? SO NOT, NO, I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO GIMME AN UPDATE RIGHT NOW.
LIKE, CAN, CAN WE GET AN UPDATE? YOU MEAN FACILITIES WISE, LIKE SWIM APPROVAL AND ALL THAT? NOT, NOT, YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT VIRTUAL NOW YOU'RE TALKING NO, NO, NO, NO.
YOU KNOW, UM, I, I HAVE TO, AS MUCH AS NORMALLY I WOULD BE HAPPY TO, UM, ADD THIS ON ANOTHER AGENDA ITEM, UH, BECAUSE OF THE INORDINATE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT WAS DONE BY OUR TEAM MEMBERS, I WOULD ASK THAT DR.
GRIM, UH, PROVIDE THE BOARD AT THIS TIME AND OUR COMMUNITY, UM, WITH AT LEAST SOME BRIEF HIGHLIGHTS ABOUT OUR READINESS, UM, WHAT GOES INTO THESE DECISIONS AND WHAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST WEEK.
UH, SO FIRST OF ALL, THE PREPARATION BEGAN WELL IN ADVANCE OF, OF OUR STORM.
UM, IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT, AT WHAT WE MIGHT BE DEALING WITH, THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THIS PARTICULAR STORM WAS NOT ONLY THE AMOUNT OF SNOW, BUT IT WAS REALLY THE AMOUNT OF ICE AND THE TEMPERATURES THAT WE'VE HAD.
UM, NOT ONLY HAVE WE BEEN CONTENDING WITH THE SNOW AND ICE, UM, WE'VE HAD ISSUES, UH, DUE TO THE, THE, THE VERY LOW TEMPERATURES, UM, WITH, UH, COILS, PIPES, ALL KINDS OF THINGS BURSTING, UM, OVER THE LAST WEEK.
UM, IT REALLY STARTED ON SATURDAY, UH, OF LAST WEEK BEFORE THE STORM STARTED ON SUNDAY.
IF YOU RECALL, WE WERE, OUR TEMPERATURES WERE DOWN IN THE SINGLE DIGITS.
UM, WE HAD BROUGHT STAFF IN BOTH SATURDAY MORNING AND SUNDAY MORNING TO CHECK OUR BUILDINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE NOT ONLY SAFE, BUT THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY BRAKING PIPES OR ANYTHING ELSE, UM, THAT WOULD CAUSE AN ADDITIONAL PROBLEM WHEN WE WERE OPERATIONAL OR THAT WE COULDN'T GET TO.
UM, AT THAT POINT IN TIME ON SUNDAY, UH, WE DO HAVE STAFF THAT WORKS WITH, UH, COUNTY AND, AND STATE HIGHWAYS.
UH, WHEN THEY ARE MOBILIZED BY THE COUNTY AND THE STATE, WE LOSE THEM FOR ANY, UH, TYPE OF WORK AT OUR SCHOOL FACILITIES UNTIL THEY ARE RELEASED.
UM, THOSE STAFF, I BELIEVE IT WAS WEDNESDAY MORNING WHEN THEY WERE FINALLY RELEASED TO
[03:05:01]
US.SO WE WERE DOWN A FEW DOZEN STAFF MEMBERS, UM, THAT WORK ON OUR, OUR GROUNDS AND OUR OTHER CREWS, UH, IN ORDER TO CLEAR OUR SCHOOLS.
UH, IT WASN'T UNTIL I BELIEVE WEDNESDAY MORNING THAT THEY COULD COME BACK TO US AND, AND FULLY WORK WITH US.
UM, OUR, OUR CREWS ACTUALLY STARTED ON, ON SUNDAY.
OUR GROUNDS, UH, CREWS REPORTED AT 7:00 AM ON SUNDAY.
UM, THEY STARTED, THEY WERE ABLE TO HIT EVERY ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS ON SUNDAY.
I HAD A REPORT BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO DO A PRELIMINARY, UM, RUN OF ALL OF OUR LOOPS, UM, IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT ANY EMERGENCY VEHICLES COULD USE THEM FOR ANYTHING DURING THE COURSE OF THE STORM.
UM, AS ANYBODY WHO'S BEEN OUT THERE IN THIS KNOWS, UM, IT, IT WASN'T, IT WAS VERY SOON AFTER THEY HAD CLEARED THAT MORE LAYERS OF SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATED BACK ON TOP OF THEM.
UH, THEY KICKED OFF AROUND, UH, DARK AROUND DUSK ON SUNDAY, BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN IT STARTED TO BECOME VERY ICY AND DANGEROUS.
THEY WERE BACK AT IT AGAIN ON MONDAY.
UM, SOME OF THE SNOW AND ICE WAS SO SEVERE ON MONDAY THAT THEY COULD NOT USE, UH, TRADITIONAL METHODS TO CLEAR THEM.
UM, MEANING SOME OF THE PLOWS WITH RUBBER EDGES ON THE BOTTOM JUST SIMPLY SCRAPED ACROSS THE TOP OF THE ICE.
THEY HAD TO THEN BRING IN, UM, NOT ONLY HEAVY LOADERS, BUT OTHER EQUIPMENT, UM, TO PRETTY PAINSTAKINGLY MOVE, UM, EACH, EACH PART OF THE ICE, UM, THAT THEY HAD.
UH, AT THE SAME TIME, SIMULTANEOUSLY, UH, WE HAD STAFF IN OUR, IN OUR MAINTENANCE TEAM, 'CAUSE AGAIN, THE TEMPERATURES WERE VERY LOW.
THEY WERE CHECKING OUT SCHOOLS.
BUILDING OPERATIONS WAS, WAS IN, UM, WE HAD ABOUT HALF OF OUR STAFF THAT COULD NOT GET INTO THE BUILDINGS.
UM, SOME OF OUR, UH, BUILDING OPERATIONS SUPERVISORS AND OTHER STAFF ON MONDAY, UM, WE HAD STAFF MOBILIZED TO PICK UP AS MANY STAFF MEMBERS AS THEY COULD SAFELY TO GET THEM INTO THE BUILDINGS.
UM, BY TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY, OUR ATTENDANCE RATE WAS MUCH HIGHER.
WE WERE ABLE TO CHECK THE BUILDINGS.
UM, INTERESTINGLY ON SUNDAY INTO MONDAY, THE SNOW FORMED REALLY A, A LAYER OF INSULATION.
WE SAW FEWER BROKEN PIPES AND OTHER ISSUES SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY BECAUSE THE BUILDINGS WERE UNDISTURBED THAN WE BEGAN TO SEE AGAIN ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.
UM, SO THE TEAM HAS BEEN FEVERISHLY WORKING, UM, SINCE THEN.
AGAIN, UH, SIMULTANEOUSLY OUR STAFF IN TRANSPORTATION, UM, WORKED.
THEY STARTED CLEARING THE, UM, ROOFS OF OUR BUSES ON, UH, SUNDAY AND MONDAY.
THEY CLEAR OUR BUS, UH, OUR BUS LOTS.
UH, BY TUESDAY NIGHT, ALMOST ALL OF OUR BUSES, UM, THE ROOFS OF THEM WERE, WERE CLEAR OF SNOW AND ICE, UM, THROUGH A PROCESS THAT THEY HAVE.
UM, SO THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO START MOVING THEM AROUND ON WEDNESDAY.
UM, AGAIN, AS THE, AS THE WEEK PROGRESSED, THE TEAM CONTINUED TO CHIP AWAY.
THE LAST THING THAT THEY LEFT WERE OUR, UM, OUR SIDEWALKS AND, AND SOME OF THE WALKWAYS, UH, GROUNDS WAS CONTINUING TO WORK ON THEM UP THROUGH SATURDAY.
UM, THE ONLY DAY THAT THEY DID NOT MOBILIZE THIS WEEK WAS, WAS THIS PAST SUNDAY.
GRIM, COULD YOU JUST REPEAT ONE PART? 'CAUSE I DON'T, I WASN'T AWARE OF IT UNTIL VERY TILL THIS SNOWSTORM WHEN I WAS IN CONTACT WITH DR. ROGERS, BUT PART OF OUR STAFF IS SENT TO WORK WITH THE COUNTY PEOPLE BEFORE THEY CAN WORK ON THEIR SCHOOLS.
SO WE ARE GIVING PART OF OUR STAFF OVER TO HELP FIRST.
SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE STAFF AND THEY, AND THEY ARE, THEY ARE VOLUNTEERS.
SO THEY, UM, THEY, THEY SAY, YES, WE WILL, WE PAM, BUT THEY'RE VOLUNTEERS TO THE COUNTY WE WORK WITH THE WE WORK, YES.
THEY VOLUNTEER FOR THIS ADDITIONAL DUTY.
'CAUSE IT IS AN ADDITIONAL, IT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITY.
UM, SO WHILE THEY'RE OUR EMPLOYEES, THEY KNOW HOW TO OPERATE ALL THE EQUIPMENT.
UM, THE COUNTY ENLISTS THEM, THE COUNTY BRINGS THEM IN THE STATE BRINGS THEM IN AT A SPECIFIC TIME.
UM, THEY DRIVE THE PLOWS FOR THOSE FOLKS.
THEY OPERATE THE, THE EQUIPMENT FOR THOSE FOLKS.
UM, SOMETIMES WE LOAN EQUIPMENT, SOMETIMES IT'S THE COUNTY EQUIPMENT.
UM, AND THEY DO, UH, COUNTY ROADS AND STATE ROADS UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THEY ARE RELEASED.
I JUST FOUND THAT VERY INTERESTING THAT EVERYBODY THINKS WE'RE STARTING RIGHT AWAY TO CLEAR THE SCHOOLS.
AND WE'RE ALSO HELPING TO CLEAR THE ROADS, WHICH WOULD MAKE SENSE.
'CAUSE YOU CAN'T GET TO THE SCHOOLS UNTIL WE, WE CLEAR THE ROADS, BUT I'M NOT SURE EVERYBODY REALIZES THAT THAT RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE AND THAT IT DOES DELAY SOME OF THE WORK ON OUR SCHOOLS.
SO ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, I DO WANNA THANK YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE STAFF FOR WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
WE'VE ALL BEEN TAKING CARE OF OUR OWN HOUSES AND COMPLAINING, SO I CAN'T EVEN EVEN IMAGINE WHAT IT IS TO TAKE CARE OF ALL OF THE SCHOOLS THAT WE HAVE.
SO, YOU KNOW, ON BEHALF, PLEASE THANK THEM AND THANK YOU.
[03:10:01]
THANK YOU.DR. GRAHAM, I ALSO WANT TO PUBLICLY THANK ALL OF OUR HARDWORKING MEMBERS OF AFSCME FOR THEIR HARD WORK.
UM, IT IS TRULY APPRECIATED WHAT THEY DO ON BEHALF OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ON A REGULAR BASIS.
UM, IT IS BECAUSE OF THEM THAT WE'RE ABLE TO OPERATE SCHOOLS TODAY.
UM, THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ARE ALWAYS OUT IN ALL OF THE HARSHEST OF CONDITIONS.
AND SO WE ARE A TRULY APPRECIATIVE, UH, TO ALL OF THEM.
AND SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PUBLICLY RECOGNIZE THEM AND WHAT THEY'VE DONE WITH, UH, NOT JUST THE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS AND FACILITIES, BUT WE HAVE THE THIRD OLDEST SET OF BUILDINGS THAT THEY'VE KEPT OPEN TODAY WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ONE, UM, SCHOOL SITE.
SO I DO THINK YOU ARE CORRECT THAT THEY DO DESERVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
IF YOU COULD JUST MAKE IT NOT SNOW ANYMORE DURING THE WINTER.
DR. GRAHAM, WE WOULD ALSO BE INTERNALLY GRATEFUL.
I WISH I HAD THAT ABILITY TO DO SO.
OUR AGENDA IS BOARD COMMITTEE UP.
I SKIPPED SOMETHING, DIDN'T I? ALL RIGHT.
I CAN HEAR MS. GOVER OVER THERE.
[M. INFORMATION (8:50 p.m.)]
ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS INFORMATION, WHICH INCLUDES REVISED SUPERINTENDENT'S RULES.[N. BOARD COMMITTEE UPDATES AND AGENDA SETTING (8:50 - 9:00 p.m.)]
ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS BOARD COMMITTEE UPDATES AND AGENDA SETTING.AND WE'LL START WITH MS. HARVEY FOR THE AUDIT COMMITTEE.
THE NEXT AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING IS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11TH AT FOUR 30.
VIRTUALLY I WOULD INVITE THE PUBLIC TO GO ON THE BCPS WEBSITE AND SEARCH THE OFFICE OF INTERNAL AUDITS.
THEY ARE GUIDED BY POLICY 8,400.
YOU CAN SEE THE QUARTER ONE AND QUARTER TWO REPORTS.
YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE AUDIT COMMITTEE'S WORK PLAN FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR.
UH, SO WE INVITE YOU TO, UH, GET INFORMED ABOUT THE AUDIT COMMITTEE AND ALL THE WORK THAT, OR THE OFFICE OF INTERNAL AUDITS AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO, AND TO JOIN US VIRTUALLY ON FEBRUARY 11.
MR. YOUNG, FOR BUILDING AND CONTRACTS.
THE NEXT BUILDING AND CONTRACTS MEETING IS MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9TH AT 5:00 PM OKAY.
THANK YOU MR. YOUNG CURRICULUM COMMITTEE.
THE NEXT CURRICULUM MEETING WILL BE ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25TH AT 4:00 PM THANK YOU.
THANKS, MS. FONG, EQUITY COMMITTEE.
THE EQUITY COMMITTEE MET ON JANUARY 22ND, AND, UM, WE ALSO MET WITH THE, UH, EQUITY COUNCIL ON JANUARY 29TH FROM THE, UH, JANUARY 22ND MEETING.
UM, WE DID BRING A MOTION, UM, FOR FORWARD AT THE, UM, COMMITTEE MEETING.
AND THAT, UM, MOTION IT WAS TO, UH, RESTORE THE BCPS EQUITY METRICS DATA OVERVIEW ANNUAL REPORT.
UM, IT PROVIDES A COMPREHENSIVE COMPILATION, EQUITY BASED ISSUES WITHIN BCPS.
SO THE ANNUAL REPORT WOULD BE SIMILAR IN CONTENT DEPTH AND DISAGGREGATION IS PREVIOUS REPORTS FROM 2020 TO 2023.
UM, AND SO THAT MOTION CAME FROM THE COMMITTEE.
I DID WANNA BRING IT TO THE, UM, ENTIRE BOARD, UM, FOR MOTION SHAME.
UM, LEGISLATIVE AND GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS.
OUR NEXT MEETING IS ON FEBRUARY 18TH AT FOUR.
I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO WATCH.
UM, MR. BAYSMORE DOES A WONDERFUL JOB OF KEEPING US UP TO DATE ON, UM, THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN ANNAPOLIS AFFECTING EDUCATION.
SO IT IS A, UM, REALLY GOOD OVERVIEW, UM, OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO THAT AGAIN, IS ON FEBRUARY 18TH AT FOUR O'CLOCK.
AND THEN MS. HUMPHREY, UM, POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE.
EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON, THE POLICY RE, EXCUSE ME, REVIEW COMMITTEE DISCUSSED POLICY 2361 DISTRIBUTION OF SCHOOL MATERIALS AND POLICY 37 10 SAFETY AND SECURITY EQUIPMENT.
BOTH OF THOSE POLICIES MOVE FORWARD, UM, UH, WITH, UM, WITH THE MINOR AMENDMENTS RECOMMENDED BY STAFF FOR POLICY 61 0 2 TEACHING OF CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES.
WE HAD A ROBUST DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT POLICY.
IT WAS RETURNED TO STAFF WITH SOME ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS WITH CONSENSUS OF THE COMMITTEE, UM, TO BE, BE BROUGHT, BROUGHT BACK TO US, UM, WITH THOSE SUGGESTIONS.
AND WE ALSO DISCUSSED, UM, 83 11, WHICH IS RULES FOR
[03:15:01]
MEETINGS.UM, WE WERE PROVIDED WITH AN UPDATE FROM MS. HOWIE REGARDING SOME CHANGES TO COMMAR, UH, WHICH MAY, UM, CHANGE OUR, MAY REQUIRE A CHANGE TO OUR POLICY.
UM, MORE SPECIFICALLY, IF YOU NOTICE, IF YOU REMEMBER IN THE SUMMER, SOMETIMES WE CHANGE OUR MEETING.
ONE OF OUR MEETINGS SOMETIMES THAT ARE IT'S SIM IS ONLY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS TO BE VIRTUAL ONLY.
IF THIS
WE'D HAVE TO BE MOSTLY IN PERSON, UM, WITH A MAJORITY OF US IN PERSON IN ORDER TO CONDUCT THOSE MEETINGS.
AND OUR NEXT POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING IS MARCH 16TH AT FOUR 30.
I, OR, UM, LEGISLATIVE MEETINGS AT FOUR O'CLOCK.
SO IF I SAID FOUR 30, I'M SORRY, IT IS FOUR O'CLOCK.
UM, DO ANY BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ANY, UM, AGENDA ITEMS THEY WOULD LIKE TO BRING TO OUR ATTENTION AT THIS POINT? I KNOW IT'S LATE.
YOU'LL, MS. FRUMP IS YOUR HAND UP.
IT ENDS UP, UH, BECAUSE I GUESS I WASN'T CLEAR AND I APOLOGIZED WHEN I TALKED ABOUT WITH THE EQUITY COMMITTEE BECAUSE WE, UM, AGREED ON A MOTION AND WE DID WANNA BRING THAT FORWARD TO THE ENTIRE BOARD FOR A VOTE.
YOU MEAN AT THIS POINT RIGHT NOW? OR THAT'S AN AGENDA ITEM FOR NEXT TIME? MM.
I GUESS WHATEVER'S GOING TO BE THE BEST WAY OFF, LIKE LOGISTICALLY.
UM, IF WE NEED TO ADD IT AS A, UM, YOU MEAN A VOTE ON THE DASHBOARD THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT OR SOMETHING ELSE? SO IT'S A VOTE ON THE REPORT.
WE'LL ADD IT TO, WE WILL, WE'LL ADD IT TO THE AGENDA.
CAN YOU SEND ME A MESSAGE ABOUT WHAT EXACTLY IT IS? MM-HMM
UM, IS THERE ANY AGENDA ITEMS NOW OR YOU'LL THINK OF 'EM IN THE CAR HOME AND THEN YOU CAN EMAIL OR TEXT ME.
THE LAST ITEM I'M ON THE AGENDA
[O. ANNOUNCEMENTS (9:00 p.m.)]
IS ANNOUNCEMENTS.MR. LESKI, YOU WHAT? THIS WAS GOING TO ASK YOU TO CLARIFY HOW TO FIND THE BUDGET, THE OPERATING BUDGET.
UM, WHAT WAS HAPPENING? THANK YOU.
WHAT WAS HAPPENING ON WITH IT? IS IT NOT, DID I GET THE WRONG INSTRUCTIONS? YOUR INSTRUCTIONS WERE CORRECT.
THERE'S A RECOMMENDATION TO MAKE IT MORE PROMINENT ON THE FRONT PAGE.
UM, THE BOARD'S NEXT MEETING WILL BE HELD ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10TH, 2026.
AGAIN, WE'LL DO A LOT ABOUT WITH THE BUDGET ON THAT MEETING AT 6:30 PM THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR JOINING US TONIGHT AND HAVE A GREAT EVENING.