Harford County Public Schools

This message is being shared on behalf of Dr. Aaron Poynton.

Dear HCPS Community,

It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the students, staff, and communities of Harford County. Working alongside each of you in support of public education has been deeply meaningful, and I am proud of the dedication this Board has shown to our schools, educators, and families.

Service on the Board of Education is a volunteer role that nevertheless requires a substantial and growing time commitment. With the added responsibilities of the presidency, the workload has increased to a level that has effectively become more than a full-time role. As a result, I have found myself increasingly stretched and unable to give appropriate attention to other important aspects of my life, including my family and my professional responsibilities.

I recognize that this decision comes at a time of turbulence for Harford County Public Schools. However, I want to be clear that my decision was not influenced by the recent challenges facing the district. For several months, I have been in discussions with a new employer regarding a Chief Executive Officer role, and I am scheduled to begin that position next week. This role will require my full-time attention and frequent extended travel outside of Harford County. In light of these commitments, I have concluded that I can no longer fulfill the duties of this position at the level of focus and availability it deserves.

With that in mind, I have no choice but to resign from my position on the Harford County Board of Education, effective today.

I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have served and for the trust placed in me by my fellow Board members, HCPS, and by the community. I will continue to support Harford County Public Schools and its mission from a distance, and I wish the Board and the district continued success in the important work ahead.

With respect and appreciation,
Aaron Poynton

The following message is being shared on behalf of Board of Education of Harford County President, Dr. Aaron Poynton.

HCPS Community,

As many of you are aware, it has been reported by various media outlets that our superintendent may have been involved in a reported robbery while on a work-related trip in 2024. This has understandably raised questions regarding the nature of the incident and whether any Harford County Public Schools property or student information may have been compromised.

An internal review confirms no student data was compromised. The Board has now ordered an independent investigation into the entire matter.

The attention and distraction surrounding this reported incident has created challenges for the school system at a time when our focus must remain squarely on students, staff, and the uninterrupted operation of our schools. After careful consideration and a majority vote, the Board has determined that the best course of action at this time is for our superintendent to be placed on administrative leave during the investigation.

In the meantime, Dr. Dyann Mack, our current Deputy Superintendent, will serve as Acting Superintendent to ensure continuity, stability, and effective leadership across the district.

The Board has full confidence in our leadership team and remains committed to transparency, professionalism, and the highest standards of governance. We will continue to focus on what matters most: supporting our students, empowering our educators, and serving the families and community of Harford County.

Thank you for your continued trust and partnership.

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

BOARD OF EDUCATION OF HARFORD COUNTY
NOTICE OF PUBLIC COMMENT PARTICIPATION
MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2026

OPEN SESSION: 4:45 PM – 4:50 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: 4:50 PM – 5:55 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.
Registered speaker’s allotted time may be limited depending on the total amount of speakers that register to participate.

The Board of Education of Harford County will hold a hybrid Business Meeting on Monday , January 12, 2026, 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, January 12, 2026. 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, January 12, 2026.
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 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 wass sent to all contacts via email on Monday, December 15, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. via email

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has asked us to share that they are accepting public comments on the proposed revisions to COMAR 13A.04.18 and the Comprehensive Health Education Framework.

The Comprehensive Health Education Standards & Frameworks Validation Committee (SFVC) webpage on MSDE’s website has direct links to drafts and MSDE's online survey. You can also access the drafts and survey links below:

Draft MSDE Revised Regulations

Draft MSDE Revised Framework

MSDE Online Survey

MSDE has noted that all comments must be received by February 9, 2026. For additional information, including the submission of formal letters from an organization, please email healthandpe.msde@maryland.gov.

*This feedback request is being sent on behalf of the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). Any feedback should be directed to MSDE as outlined above.

The following information was sent to parents, guardians, and staff on Wednesday, December 3, 2025 via phone, email, and text message

As we enter inclement weather season, a few reminders for returning families, and important info for new families.

HCPS staff evaluate weather conditions daily. When HCPS operates, approximately 5,000 staff members and approximately 40,000 students are on Harford County roads. This can be via a personal vehicle, riding a bus, or walking to school. To ensure the safety of staff and students, HCPS has several options to adjust operating schedules in the case of inclement weather.

DELAYS:

A 1-hour delay

A 2-hour delay

A 3-hour delay *NEW* THIS YEAR

CLOSURES can be determined:

The night before;

The morning of by 5:15 A.M.;

By 5:45 A.M. if a 1-hour delay was first implemented;

By 6:45 A.M. if a 2-hour delay was first implemented;

By 7:45 A.M. if a 3-hour delay was first implemented

Please note: Closures need to be made up, and HCPS will utilize inclement weather days that are built into the end of the school year (blue outline on the color-coded version of the calendar).

1-, 2- and 3-hour delays do not need to be made up; when schools are open, it counts towards the state mandated 180-day school year.

With a delay, take your students' normal schedule, and add the delay time to adjust your schedule. For example, if you normally arrive at the bus stop at 6:30 a.m., with a 1-hour delay, arrive at 7:30 a.m. On a 2-hour delay, arrive at the bus stop at 8:30 a.m. and on a 3-hour delay, arrive at the bus stop at 9:30 a.m.

Early Learner and Learning Together Programs:

1-hour delay - Early Learners and Learning Together will also delay one hour
2-hour delay - NO AM Early Learners and Learning Together; PM WILL meet.
3-hour delay - NO Early Learners and Learning Together.

When schools are delayed, every effort will be made to make a reassessment by 5:45 a.m. for a 1 Hour Delay, by 6:45 a.m. for a 2 Hour Delay, and by 7:45 a.m. for a 3 Hour Delay. Communication will ONLY be sent if there is another change to the operating schedule.

The decision to dismiss early for inclement weather will be made as close to 9:30 a.m. as possible for any variation of time for an early dismissal, whether 1-, 2-, or 3-hours early.

Where will this information be posted?

As soon as the Communications Office is made aware of operational changes due to inclement weather, written messages will be posted, followed by direct messages. Please note: if you download the HCPS app, you will get the push notification FASTER than the phone call! Also, closures and delays that are provided the night before, or morning of, are not sent to emergency contacts. We WILL utilize emergency contacts, if students are at school and sent home early to ensure someone is aware that they will arrive home before their normal dismissal time.

Want to download the HCPS app?

Click here if you have an Android device

Click here if you have an Apple device

The following message was sent to select families who have not yet purchased a Device Protection Plan, on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. via email, phone call and text:

Good evening,

All Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) students were assigned an iPad, Chromebook, or Dell laptop for the 2025–2026 school year. Your student’s device came with a Student Device Agreement and Protection Plan. As stated in the agreement, parents or guardians are responsible for any damage or loss to the school-owned device, whether it happens at school or at home.

HCPS offers an optional device protection plan to help cover accidental damage. You can purchase it in your School Cash Online account. If you have already purchased the plan, the option to purchase a plan will no longer appear in your School Cash Online account.

Important Information:

Cost: $20 through October 31, 2025, or $50 from November 1, 2025, through January 31, 2026.

Without the plan: Repairs cost $150. An invoice will be sent from StudentDevices@hcps.org to the email on file for each parent or guardian.

Free and Reduced Meals: Students approved for free or reduced meals will automatically receive the protection plan. Click here to apply for free and reduced-price meals.

The protection plan covers two incidents of accidental damage per school year, if the device is submitted for repair with the service tag visible. It does not cover intentional damage, lost devices, or stolen items.

Replacement costs for items not covered by the device protection plan:

Charger – $36

Chromebook/laptop – $300

Dell Precision laptop – $1,400

Apple iPad – $399

We encourage you to review the optional plan and decide if it’s right for your family before the due dates. Click here to watch a short video about optional purchases for families.

Click here for a downloadable copy of the Student Device Agreement and Protection Plan.

If you have questions, email studentdevices@hcps.org.

The following message was sent to parents/guardians of students in Grades 1-9 on Monday, October 13, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. via email:

Harford County Public Schools is continuing to use the i-Ready Diagnostic assessments for reading and math. This assessment helps determine your child’s strengths and provides data for teachers that helps them better support your child.

The i-Ready Diagnostic is a computer-adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions based on student responses. Each question a student receives is based on their answer to the previous question. For example, a series of correct answers will result in slightly more difficult questions, while a series of incorrect answers will yield slightly easier questions.

With i-Ready Diagnostic comes a feature called Family Center. If your child was tested during the fall window, their score report is now available. It is important to note that your child will need to log into their HCPS device for you to view their reports. Detailed instructions on how to access the Family Center once your child logs into their HCPS device are attached to this email, or you can click here. Spanish translated instructions can be found in the Resources for Parents page on hcps.org . Further information about these assessments can be viewed here. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s school.

The winter testing window will begin on January 5, 2026, and run through February 6, 2026. Testing dates may vary, as each school will schedule specific testing dates within the county window.

Parents and guardians: The Portable Communication Device Policy was updated in June 2025. If your school provides a student planner, it may have gone to print as early as April- before the policy was updated. This means your student planner may have an outdated version of the Portable Communication Device Policy. We apologize for any inconvenience and ask that you utilize the most up to date policy that is available here. This is the policy we will adhere to this school year.

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

News Alert for 1/7/2026

Board of Education of Harford County Notice of Board Special Virtual Session