From the Harford County Board of Education:
The Board of Education of Harford County met for an open business meeting at 6:30 p.m., on Monday, September 9, 2013, in the Board Room of the HCPS/A.A. Roberty Building and took the following actions and received the following presentations:
Approved the Consent Agenda with the removal of the Board Room Signage item:
– Affirmation of Monthly Contracts
– Minutes of Previous Board Business Meeting: July 29, 2013
– Contract Award: Architectural and Engineering Services for Youth’s Benefit Elementary School
Received a presentation on the FY2015 Capital Improvement Program. Discussed the proposed budget request for capital funds. Reviewed worksheets with information detailing each proposed project.
Approved the 2013 Comprehensive Maintenance Plan for submission to the Interagency Committee for the Public School Construction Program. As required by the Interagency Committee for the Public School Construction Program, the Department of Facilities prepares an annual Comprehensive Maintenance Plan. Utilizing the guidelines prescribed by the Interagency Committee, the plan is reviewed and annually updated by the school system’s Department of Facilities.
Received the Superintendent’s Report, to include:
– Formally welcomed back all HCPS students and staff and thanked our dedicated educators for their commitment to providing our students the very best education possible. She also wished the students and their families the most successful school year yet.
– Extended warm appreciation to Havre de Grace Elementary School for hosting the first day bus ride.
– Thanked Edgewood Middle School and the HCPS Facilities Department for working collaboratively to ensure students and staff experienced a smooth opening of school, despite the less than ideal conditions leading up to the first day. EMS was without power for more than a week at the end of the summer.
– Announced that the year-long budget development process was about to begin for the FY15 operating budget. Mrs. Canavan reported that a plan has been developed to engage all stakeholders throughout the process. In addition, a communication plan has been developed to ensure that the entire community will have an opportunity to become involved in the process. She stated that more information is forthcoming; however, she wanted to extend a personal invitation to the entire Harford County community to partner with the school system in developing the 2014-15 operating budget in the coming months.
The next Board of Education business meeting will be held on Monday, September 23, at 6:30 p.m. All Board meetings are held at the A.A. Roberty Building in Bel Air. To access all future Board meeting dates, log onto the school system website at www.hcps.org.
The budget development process in 3 simple steps:
Step 1: Ask the County Executive and County Council for the maximum allowed percentage change from this year’s funding.
Step 2: Stay within that number.
Step 3: Enjoy a drama-free process.
The drama wil ensue when that number does not cover everything people expect and things must be cut!
I like the North Harford boy at the IB program challenging board members to stand with him at his bus stop at 5 in the morning. Well Canavan and Reynolds, are you up to the challenge? Or are you too scared to do a real ride along when no photographers are around?
I just watched the tape and if I heard that student correctly he said there were issues with safety at his bus stop last year. Since he now goes to the local high school to catch the bus to Edgewood bus stop safety should no longer be a problem.
If I remember correctly, the boy was speaking of his middle school brother too. He said his parent(s) had a hard time getting back in time for his brother’s consolidated bus stop. Since he was at NHMS last year he may have stood at the same stop. Either way, it was a very compelling story and it certainly made a lot of us shudder.
The people who have been yelling at the school board as of late would do well to read the commentary piece by Ms. Zumer in tomorrows local newspaper. If they want to affect change they need to speak to the right people and when it comes to funding the school systems budget that starts with Mr. Craig and the County Council.