UPDATE November 17, 2010:
There will be no public comment period at the November 29 meeting, which is a work session for the Harford County Board of Education. Public comments are received at the beginning of all board business meetings, in addition to any public hearings scheduled specifically for public feedback on redistricting.
Any further modifications to the draft redistricting plan will also be presented at a public board meeting by Superintendent Robert Tomback, and the changes will be publicized by HCPS. Responding to questions from The Dagger, Teri Kranefeld, manager of communications for HCPS provided the following update and review:
The Board policy for balancing enrollment is being followed and all requirements are being met and, in many cases, exceeding those requirements. The Superintendent is required to present the plan at a public meeting, which is the Nov. 29 work session. The Board will be receiving the same presentation the Focus Groups received as the Board has not yet received that presentation. That work session is an opportunity for the Board to receive the presentation of the DRAFT and to ask questions of STAC. There is no public comment at work sessions. However, the Board is then required to hold one public hearing. They will be holding seven between December and February. When updates are made to the DRAFT plan, the Superintendent will present them to the Board in a public meeting as well. That date has yet to be determined. Beyond that, we will publicize any changes or alterations to the DRAFT plan through all of our communication vehicles (website, Constant Contact email notification system, AlertNow, school newsletters, Edline sites, etc.). In addition, feedback will be collected via the elementary redistricting email address (ElementaryRedistricting@hcps.org) through February. There will be multiple opportunities for feedback.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Dear Elementary School Parents;
The Elementary Redistricting email address (ElementaryRedistricting@hcps.org) is open for collecting feedback and will remain open through February 2011. The Board will receive their presentation of the DRAFT Elementary Redistricting Plan on November 29th, which will be the same presentation the Focus Groups received last week. The Board will NOT take action on the DRAFT plan on November 29th, they will only receive a presentation. In an effort to provide ample time for community review and feedback, the DRAFT plan was released prior to the Board presentation and the date of the Board presentation was moved up to November. This extra time will allow the Board to engage the community as they work through the DRAFT plan.
There are no time limitations as to when input may be provided to the Focus Groups, the Superintendent’s Technical Advisory Committee (STAC), or the Board during the review process, which will continue into late February, 2011 as per the redistricting schedule. The Board is scheduling seven public opportunities for community members to voice their feedback in a community forum setting. Those public meetings will be held in the months of December, January, and February. Logistics and details are currently being confirmed and additional information will be forthcoming. It is also important to reiterate that middle and high school attendance areas will NOT be affected by elementary redistricting.
Any questions that are submitted to the Elementary Redistricting email address that are general in nature will be posted along with responses to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section of the elementary redistricting website in order to benefit the community-at-large. All information and proposals submitted through the email address will be shared with STAC and the Board. In addition, important updates will be sent via email. To sign up for HCPS email alerts, use the sign-up below this update.
Thank you for partnering with us on this very important process.
Regards,
Superintendent’s Technical Advisory Committee
For up-to-date information, news and events, visit www.hcps.org.
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