Dawna Ashby

The meeting commenced with a roll call confirming all members were present. The proceedings were held virtually via Zoom. A significant portion of the agenda involved moving from the public session to an executive session to discuss confidential personnel matters, specifically relating to the appointment, employment, and performance evaluation of officials, including the superintendent search, pursuant to Maryland Code Section 3-305B. The board unanimously approved entering the closed session.

The meeting commenced with the Board entering an executive session to discuss personnel matters, including superintendent search updates, health insurance rates, and negotiation team composition. Following the executive session, the public agenda included the approval of the agenda and the consent agenda. A key discussion involved the draft of the FY26-27 state aid revenue presentation, detailing the split between state and local funding, noting an increase in local share that is highly restricted to specific areas like Pre-K funding. Further discussions covered the approval of May 26th as the last day for seniors, the awarding of a school bus contract for the southern end route, and recommendations for curriculum adoptions. The Elementary ELA curriculum review recommended purchasing 'Magnetic Reading' to align instruction and support Science of Reading requirements, with public input scheduled. The Grade Six through Eight Science curriculum review recommended 'Experience Science' due to its alignment with Next Generation Science Standards and strong components identified in the state rubric.

The board meeting, designated as the regularly scheduled board of education meeting for November, opened with welcoming remarks and a moment of silence followed by the Pledge of Allegiance in observance of Veterans Day. The agenda included approval of the public agenda and the consent agenda. Key discussions involved staff recognitions for Veterans Day and American Education Week, and National Education Support Professionals Day. New business focused heavily on the weighted student funding update and waiver request for Fiscal Year 26. This included analyzing the fiscal year 2025 baseline data, proposing coding structure reviews, and seeking waivers for Pre Kindergarten funding and Multilingual Learner funding due to the nuanced and sensitive nature of the calculation formulas, especially concerning Head Start collaboration and small student populations. The necessity of compliance and potential penalties from the Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) for non-compliance were emphasized.

The meeting commenced with the election of officers, where Tom Woods was nominated and confirmed as President, and Mr. Rodney Glaffeldi was nominated and confirmed as Vice President. Following this, the board observed a moment of silence for a deceased student, Briana Manor, and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. The public agenda and the consent agenda were both approved. Key discussions included the presentation of a proclamation recognizing January 2026 as School Board Recognition Month by a representative from the County Commissioners. Discussions also covered revisions to the DFA Investment of Retiree Health Plan Trust Funds Policy and Procedure, which introduces a new procedure to fund a portion of the long-term liability, and the revision of the EBAA Vehicle Use Policy and Procedure, which was updated to permit the use of 10-passenger vans. Finally, the board addressed continuing business by reviewing community feedback surveys regarding the 2026-2027 academic calendar, specifically concerning the placement of makeup days and graduation date, ultimately leading to a motion to approve the calendar as presented, utilizing September 5th as the marker for pre or post-Labor Day start dates.

The board meeting addressed several agenda items, commencing with the Vice Chair leading the meeting and moving into executive session to discuss personnel matters, including a personnel update and a letter of voluntary retirement, as well as legal advice concerning the ethics committee. Upon returning to public session, the board approved the consent agenda. Discussions continued regarding policy updates, specifically the ADA goals for the school system, which involved renumbering priorities to align with current policy, and updates to the JLG procedure concerning homeless students following an audit, which involved clarifications on policy and procedures in collaboration with the MSDE director. A significant portion of the meeting involved reviewing and debating the EA EFA policy and procedure for transporting students to extracurricular activities, focusing on driver qualifications, vehicle use, and necessary documentation for parent transportation, leading to a motion to review and potentially modify the wording regarding parent pick-up. Finally, the board discussed modifications to the current school calendar due to a missed day, noting that a waiver request to use January 19, 2026, as a makeup day was denied by the state board. Consensus was sought to request using February 16, 2026, and potentially the Monday after Easter as future makeup days, acknowledging that three makeup days must be exhausted before initiating virtual learning days. The committee also presented recommendations for the 2026-2027 academic calendar, proposing a pre-Labor Day start date based on September 5th as the marker, and recommended reinstating a pilot program allowing two excused absences before Labor Day for work-related purposes.