Harford County Public Schools

BOARD OF EDUCATION OF HARFORD COUNTY
NOTICE OF PUBLIC COMMENT PARTICIPATION
MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 2025

OPEN SESSION: 5:30 PM – 5:35 PM
This meeting will be conducted virtually with no public attendance due to the brief nature of this meeting
and the logistical issues regarding allowing public attendance in advance of the 6:00 PM meeting.
*The only item the Board will consider during this open meeting is consideration of meeting in a closed session.

CLOSED SESSION: 5:35 PM – 5:50 PM

BUSINESS MEETING: 6:00 PM – ADJOURNMENT
This meeting will be conducted in a hybrid fashion and public attendance will be permitted as explained below:

DOORS WILL OPEN AT 5:55 PM AND THE MEETING WILL BEGIN AT 6:00 PM

For this business meeting, the President has set the time on the agenda for public comment to 60 minutes total;
in order to allow time for the Board to complete scheduled business.

The Board of Education of Harford County will hold a hybrid Business Meeting on Monday , August 18, 2025, at 6:00 PM in the Board Room of the A.A. Roberty Building with Board Members, staff, and presenters in attendance both virtually and in-person. Seats will be available on a first-come-first served basis. The meeting will be streamed live and archived for later viewing on the HCPS Website.

Public Comment Participation Call-In and In-Person Process
Individuals or groups recognized by Harford County Public Schools (i.e. – PTAs, unions, and other school system stakeholders) wishing to speak on an agenda item or to comment on an education-related matter not on the agenda may request to do so by sending an email to publiccomment@hcps.org or calling 410-588-5347.

Call-In Registrations must be received by 12:00 PM on Monday, August 18, 2025. All fields on the registration form must be completed.

First and Last name / if speaker is a Group Representative, then please state the name of the Group.
Local Address
Email Address
Phone Number
Agenda item or subject your Public Comment pertains to
Will you provide in-person or virtual Public Comment
Registration forms are limited to one (1) per person

*Failure to provide complete information as required above will void the request to provide Public Comment.

Registered virtual speakers will receive an email from HCPS with a Call-in Phone # and a Conference ID #.
Registered speakers are required to call-in and enter the conference ID# at 6:00 PM on Monday, August 18, 2025.
Important: If you are unable to take your phone off mute, you may need to dial *6.
If you are admitted from the virtual lobby to the meeting, you will be greeted by an HCPS staff member when it is time to begin your public comment. Expected hold time in the virtual lobby may vary based on the number of registered speakers. The maximum wait time in the lobby is 30 minutes; should you be disconnected please call back.
"Request to Appear Before the Board" cards will be available for in-person attendees prior to the Board Meeting for sign-up and must be submitted prior to the opening of the meeting.

The Board has authorized public comment in accord with its policy Public Participation at Board Open Meetings or Public Hearings and as summarized below:

Each speaker shall be limited to no more than three (3) minutes for individuals and five (5) minutes for individuals representing groups. Speakers must state his or her name, and, if representing a group, must identify the group he or she represents. If a speaker identifies themselves as a representative of a group, then only one (1) representative from the group may provide comment for the identified group.

The Board presiding officer may reduce the amount of time allocated to each speaker if allocating 3 minutes to each speaker will impede the Board’s ability to complete scheduled business.

The Board will receive in-person public comment first and virtual public comment second. The Board expects that all comments will be submitted with the decorum and respect appropriate to the conduct of public business.

Topics such as personnel matters, pending appeals, specific student disciplinary matters or which constitute commercial solicitations are not permitted.

Disparaging comments, personal attacks, and inflammatory remarks about specific schools, personnel, any person, or group are not permitted. Speakers who engage in these comments will be reminded of the rules and the Board reserves the right to remove the speaker. In addition, public comment is an opportunity for members of the community to address the Board of Education. Please direct your comments to the Board and not to other members of the public in the audience.

All public comments submitted will be part of the records maintained by the Board office.

The following is being sent via email to all HCPS contacts:

We want to make you aware that the pier at Harford Glen is closed for the foreseeable future following an incident that caused damage to portions of the structure.

As many community members enjoy visiting the Harford Glen grounds during the summer, we are sharing this message to ask for your cooperation in avoiding use of the pier until it has been assessed and deemed safe for public access once again.

Thank you for helping us maintain a safe environment for all.

The following message is being sent via email to all families and staff on Thursday, July 31, 2025 at 5:00 p.m.:

We want to share important updates to two Board of Education of Harford County policies—Portable Communication Devices and Student Backpack Use—approved by the Board of Education on June 9, 2025. These changes go into effect for the upcoming school year and are designed to support a safe and focused learning environment.

Portable Communication Devices

Students may bring cell phones, smartwatches, headphones, and other portable communication devices to school; however, their use is limited during the school day:

Elementary School: Devices must be deactivated and stored in student bookbags upon arrival.

Middle School: Devices must be deactivated and secured in lockers for the duration of the school day.

High School: Devices must be kept in the student’s locker and deactivated during class time.

Smartwatches and similar wearables may be worn but must remain deactivated at all grade levels.

For more details and exceptions, please review the policy in its entirety via the attached document or on our website.

Student Backpack and Bag Policy

The updated backpack and bag policy outlines expectations for storage to ensure clear pathways, student safety, and emergency preparedness:

Bookbags do not need to be clear, but they must be stored appropriately.

Elementary School: Bookbags must be placed in designated classrooms or cubby areas upon arrival.

Middle and High School: Bookbags must be stored in lockers during the school day.

Students may carry a nontransparent bag no larger than 4.5x8.5-inch with them for personal hygiene purposes.

Athletic bags and musical instrument cases at all grade levels must be taken directly to the appropriate storage areas upon arrival and not carried throughout the school day.

For more details and exceptions, please review the policy in its entirety via the attached document or on our website.

What Families Should Do

Review these updated policies with your student before the first day of school.

Make sure your child knows where and how to store their devices and bags.

Both policies will be actively enforced at the start of the school year.

Thank you for your partnership in helping maintain safe, organized, and distraction-free schools.

Sincerely,
Dr. Aaron Poynton
President, Board of Education of Harford County

The following communication was sent to all contacts Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. via email, text message, and app push alert:

Harford County Public Schools is again partnering with the Aberdeen IronBirds for the End of Summer Fest at Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium on Wednesday, August 20, 2025.

Gates open at 6:00 p.m., and the game begins at 7:05 p.m. as the IronBirds take on the Brooklyn Cyclones.

Please join us for this family-friendly evening as we wrap up summer and get excited for the new school year.

At the game there will be back-to-school giveaways and community resources. HCPS staff will also be at the game to join in on the fun. Families who arrive in time, will be able to play catch on the field from 6:00 – 6:25 p.m., so make sure your student brings their glove!

Click here to purchase discounted tickets.

We hope to see you at the ballpark!

The following message was sent to all contacts on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. via email, phone call, text message, and app push alert.

Starting Monday, June 23, 2025, Harford County Public Schools will begin offering free meals for all children aged 2 to 18 at several sites throughout the county.

For most locations no registration or ID is required to get a meal, and meals are required to be eaten on site. At Dublin Elementary School, parents or guardians of pre-registered families can pick up seven-day meal kits that include seven breakfasts and seven lunches. Click here to pre-register.

Please note that locations are selected according to USDA eligibility requirements.

Here is a list of locations:
Aberdeen Public Library
Monday – Thursday
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
June 23 – August 21, 2025
Edgewood Public Library
Monday – Thursday
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
June 23 – August 21, 2025
Hall’s Cross Roads Elementary School
Monday – Thursday
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
June 23 – August 14, 2025
Havre de Grace Public Library
Monday – Thursday
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
June 23 – August 21, 2025
Phoenix Rising (Hess Enterprise)
15 Plaza Ct, Suite 15, Aberdeen, MD
Monday – Thursday
Breakfast: 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Lunch: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
June 30 – August 21, 2025
Joppa Public Library
Monday – Friday
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
June 23 – August 22, 2025
SuN Meals To-Go
Dublin Elementary School
*Pre-Registration Required
Wednesday
4:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
July 2 – August 20, 2025

If you have any questions about the program, or are looking for more information or assistance, please call the Harford County Public Schools Food and Nutrition Office at 410-638-4078.

The following message was sent to all contacts via email, phone call, text and app push alert on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.

Summer Break is upon us! Before students leave for the summer, we want to share that HCPS will use a new communications system, effective July 1, 2025, for:

Phone calls

Emails

Text messages

HCPS App

School websites

Here’s what you can do now to be ready!

Delete the existing HCPS app on your phone.

Delete school websites you’ve bookmarked.

Keep an eye out for our first message via the new system to set your preferences.

Click here to download the new app on your Android or Apple device. You’ll see it’s still a work in progress but will be fully live July 1.

Also on July 1, you will see your school’s new website. Bookmark the new site for easy access to important school information. You will find the links available on our website, hcps.org, on July 1.

Phone calls and emails will come from the same phone number and email address. Text messages will come from “98900” starting July 1. The first text you receive through this new system will include legal wording that may appear as spam. A screen shot of what this message will look like is attached to this email so you can rest assured it is a message from HCPS and not spam.

You will receive a phone call, email, and text message with our first communication in the new system. You will have the opportunity to opt out of any form of communication you do not wish to receive moving forward. Don’t forget- if you opt out, you won’t receive those “snow day” messages!

The following message will be sent to families and staff on Monday, June 16, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. via phone, email, text, and app push notification:

Home Access Center, or HAC, will not be available from July 8 through August 23, 2025, as we prepare information systems for the new school year.

If you need to access to information on HAC, such as report cards, please ensure you do so before July 8, 2025.

HCPS Seniors: if you have not already done so, submit your final transcript request to your school counselor by Wednesday, June 18 as access to Naviance will end on June 30, 2025.

The 2025-2026 Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) Color-Coded Calendar is available online.

You can view all available calendar information here.

News Alert for 8/5/2025

Harford Glen Pier Closed Until Further Notice