HCPS Board Meeting Highlights

Monday, February 21, 2006

Questions regarding these Board Highlights may be directed to Don Morrison, Director of Public Information, 410-588-5203.

At the Board business meetings on February 21 and February 27, 2006, held in the Harford County Public Schools Administration Building, 102 S. Hickory Avenue, the following actions and discussions took place.

In a brief business meeting held following a work session, the Board took action on several items which had been postponed from the scheduled February 13 meeting, cancelled due to snow. The Board also accepted public comment from citizens who wished to discuss items related to the countywide redistricting of secondary schools plan.

OLD BUSINESS

ACTION ITEMS

Acting on the motion of Board Member Thomas L. Fidler, Jr. and the second of Board Vice President Mark M. Wolkow, the Board unanimously approved items on the Consent Agenda including Award of Contract for the Purchase of Relocatable Classrooms; and Approval of AE Contract for FY06 Portable Classroom Procurement.

Acting on the motion of Mr. Wolkow and the second of Board Member Salina M. Williams, the Board also approved the recommendation of Superintendent Jacqueline C. Haas to appoint Kevin T. Burns as User Support Team Leader in Technology.

BOARD COMMENTS

Student Representative to the Board William R. Garrett told the Board that Jennifer L. Cook had been elected by the Harford County Regional Association of Student Councils (HCRASC) to be the 2006-07 Student Representative. He said Ms. Cook, like Mr. Garrett a student at Harford Technical High School, was "verbose and talkative" and predicted she will be an effective student voice on the Board. Mr. Fidler said the plan advanced by the Superintendent's Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) on Balancing Enrollment is an attempt to hit a "moving target" with no data available on the possible impact of the Base Realignment and Closing (BRAC) population due to come to Harford. He called the countywide redistricting a "lose/lose" situation and emphasized that it is an emotional issue but one that is "not personal" on the Board's part. Board member John L. Smilko noted that many speakers who have registered their opposition to the redistricting plan advanced by the STAC are simply opposed to their children moving from their current school, but noted that population growth in certain areas have created student imbalances necessitating the redistricting. He suggested those dissatisfied with the growth of population in the county contact local elected officials who approve residential developments. Mrs. Williams said the Board will do the best it can in the redistricting process but predicted that not everyone will be satisfied with the results. She said she had attended the recent PTA Founders Day celebration and the Hosanna School banquet where 400 people had been present. She called both events very successful. Mr. Wolkow discussed the upcoming Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE) legislative day. He said he had been asked to speak the previous Friday at the Edgewood High School Distinguished Honor Roll breakfast. He noted that he and Mr. Smilko are serving on the Board's Audit Committee. He added that the Board will focus strictly on "what's best for kids" in the redistricting process. Board President R. Robin Rich closed the meeting with a discussion of upcoming meetings.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:16 p.m.

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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.Sweatt@hcps.org