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HCPS Board Meeting Highlights

Monday, April 19, 2004

At the business meeting held on Monday, April 19, 2004 at the Bel Air Middle School the following actions and discussions took place.

General Public Comments

Leslie Greenleaf discussed an issue concerning her daughter and the Aberdeen High School softball team.

Chris Scholz, HCEA Executive Board Member, told the Board the HCEA membership had endorsed the proposed 2004-05 teacher contract by more than 99% affirmative.

Kay Kline of Calvert Education Services discussed the proposed Ben Carson Charter School and its implementation of the Calvert curriculum. Ms. Kline said it was her understanding that 50-65% of the Ben Carson students would have individual education plans (IEP/special education). Ms. Kline said the Calvert curriculum had never been implemented in a school with that high a percentage of IEP's.

Carla Fromille representing the HCESC employee association urged the Board to provide salary equity in the clerical area. She noted that HCESC and the Board of Education were at impasse for the proposed 2004-05 HCESC contract.

Action Items

Consent Agenda - The Board approved unanimously items on the consent agenda including Affirmation of Monthly Contract Awards, Minutes from business and work sessions on March 8, March 15, March 22, and April 1; Disposition of Property - Edgewood Elementary School (Washington Court site); Approval of School/Organization Sponsored Project Edgewood High School Storage Facility; and Approval of the Ratification of Negotiated Agreements and Basic Annual Per Vehicle Allotment for Approved Vehicles.

The Board unanimously approved the Superintendent's recommendation to adopt the assignment of planned residential subdivisions in the Havre de Grace area as follows: Knob Hill - Meadowvale Elementary; Grace Manor - Meadowvale Elementary; Bulle Rock - Havre de Grace Elementary; Scenic Manor - Havre de Grace Elementary; Chesapeake Heights - Meadowvale Elementary; Havre de Grace Hills - Meadowvale Elementary; Herron Harbor - Havre de Grace Elementary; Greenway Farms - Roye-Wms. Elementary; North Adams Crossing - Havre de Grace Elementary; Barker Property - Havre de Grace Elementary. The secondary assignments for all of the preceding subdivisions will be Havre de Grace Middle and Havre de Grace High with the exception of Greenway Farms which will be assigned to Aberdeen Middle and Aberdeen High School.

The Board voted unanimously to reaffirm the policy for Evaluating Boundary Exceptions/Student Transfer Requests. The Board expressed its support for parameters delineated in the administrative guidelines.

The Board voted unanimously to approve a request to the County Executive and County Council to release the $125,000 in contingency funds for an automated bus routing system and apply those funds to non-public special education placements for FY2004.

The Board voted unanimously to support the Superintendent's recommendation to deny the application of the Ben Carson Charter School.

The Board voted unanimously to support the Superintendent's recommendation to deny the application of the Rescue One, Inc. Charter School.

Presentations

The Board received presentations on the following: Legislative Report; Performance Contract Update with Johnson Controls; Quarterly Update on Safety and Security; and Homeland Security Pathway Program concept.

Superintendent's Report - Assistant Superintendent for Operations, Joe Licata, informed the Board that two pieces of legislation will significantly impact school capacity and school construction funding. The first, when signed into law by the governor, will reduce grades 1-5 state-rated capacity from 25 to 23 (an overall 6.3% reduction in HCPS elementary school capacity). The second, when signed into law by the governor, will reduce the level of state funding for eligible school construction projects from 65% to 68%.


This document contains a summary of issues that came before the Board of Education of Harford County and actions taken by the Board at the public business meeting at the meeting date referenced on the document. These are not official Board-approved minutes. Board minutes are not posted on the HCPS web site because of the time lapse that occurs between the meeting, their preparation, and ultimate approval by the Board.
For copies of approved Board minutes, please e-mail Lynn.Hutchinson@hcps.org