[00:00:01]
[1. Call to Order - 5:00 p.m.]
FISCAL YEAR 2026. I AM JONATHAN BRIGGS, VICE CHAIR OF THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION.TO ACCESS THIS FEATURE, CLICK THE GLOBE ICON AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN.
MR. BRIAN OF EL TORO, PLEASE MAKE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IN SPANISH.
OR, MISS MARITZA, CAN WE HAVE YOU SAY GIVE THE INTERPRETATION, PLEASE? WE WANT TO SAY TODOS Y BIENVENIDOS A LA LA JUNTA DIRECTIVA DE NEGOCIOS.
SI USTED ESCUCHAR ESTA ESTA PRESENTATION EN ESPANOL, POR FAVOR.
PRECIO DEL MUNDO EN SU PANTALLA Y SELECCIONE ESPANOL.
THE VICE CHAIRMAN INFORMS THE PUBLIC THAT THIS EVENING'S MEETING WILL BEGIN WITH THE BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING, FOLLOWED BY THE BUDGET WORK SESSION AT 6 P.M..
MEMBERS SHALL KEEP THEIR VIDEO ON AND REMAIN ON CAMERA AT ALL TIMES.
KEEP THEIR MICROPHONES ON MUTE UNTIL RECOGNIZED BY THE CHAIRMAN.
WHEN DONE SPEAKING, MEMBERS MAY SPEAK TWICE ON ANY MOTION FOR TWO MINUTES EACH TIME.
FAILURE TO ADHERE TO THE INTERNET STANDING RULES WILL RESULT IN THE MEMBER BEING REMOVED UNTIL THE MEMBER CAN REJOIN, WHEN THE RULES CAN BE ADHERED TO. I'LL GET TO QUESTIONS IN JUST A SECOND.
PLEASE ENSURE ALL MICROPHONES ARE MUTED UNTIL THE CHAIRMAN GRANTS YOU THE FLOOR.
LASTLY, THE CHAIRMAN INFORMS THE PUBLIC THAT THE REGISTRATION LINK FOR TONIGHT'S PUBLIC HEARING WILL REMAIN OPEN FOR FIVE MORE MINUTES TO ACCOMMODATE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH POLICY 8345. PUBLIC COMMENT. THE PUBLIC MAY REGISTER ON SITE FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS UNTIL NOTIFIED THAT THE TESTIMONY REGISTRATION FORM IS CLOSED.
IF YOU WISH TO SIGN UP NOW, THE LINK CAN BE FOUND ON THE SCREEN OR BY VISITING THE BOARD WEBPAGE.
I'M GOING TO PAUSE REALLY QUICKLY BECAUSE I SAW A HAND IN THE AIR, AND BEFORE I MOVE FORWARD, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE OKAY, I SEE YOU SHAKING YOUR HAND. BOARD MEMBER WALKER SO WE'LL MOVE FORWARD. SO, MISS ALLEN, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
DOCTOR. ANDOVER. PRESENT. MISS ESTRADA. PRESENT.
MR. BRIGGS. PRESENT. MRS. BROWN. PRESENT. MRS. MACKENZIE. PRESENT. MRS.. DJANGO. DOCTOR. MOSS.
PRESENT. MISS WALKER. PRESENT. MR. JACKSON. PRESENT.
WE HAVE SEVEN PRESENT. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MISS ADELAIDE.
[3. Public Comment]
THANK YOU SO MUCH, VICE CHAIR BRIGGS. NOW MOVING INTO PUBLIC HEARINGS.THE CHAIRMAN RECOGNIZES THE REGISTERED SPEAKERS FOR THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
THE BOARD WILL RECOGNIZE YOUR COMMENTS, BUT WILL NOT ADDRESS THEM.
SPEAKERS MAY NOT ADDRESS INDIVIDUALS OR ISSUE WITH PROFANITY OR DEROGATORY TERMS. YOU WILL BE WARNED ONCE IF YOU CONTINUE, YOUR COMMENTS WILL BE MUTED AND YOU WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE MEETING.
SPEAKERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO USE TITLES RATHER THAN NAMES.
FOR EXAMPLE CHAIRMAN, BOARD MEMBER, SUPERINTENDENT, PRINCIPAL, ETC.
OF OUR SPEAKERS. THE FIRST IS DEVIN GLENN, INDIVIDUAL SPEAKING ON THE BUDGET.
IS IT MY TURN? ARE YOU CALLING ME NOW? NO. IT WAS I'M SORRY.
IT WAS DEVON. GLENN. HE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE IN THE MEETING AT THE MOMENT.
[00:05:06]
OKAY, WELL, I GUESS WE CAN MOVE TO MISS DOLORES.MILHOUSE. OKAY. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS DOLORES MILHOUSE, AND I AM HERE BEFORE YOU TONIGHT WITH SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE FY 2026 BUDGET PROCESS AND ITS LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AND GENUINE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
FIRST, THE BUDGET PROCESS APPEARS TO LACK CLEAR, CONSISTENT COMMUNICATION WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS.
SECOND, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION PROPOSED AMENDMENTS ARE NOT PUBLICIZED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
THIS RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TRUE VALUE OF OUR TESTIMONIES.
HOW DO OUR VOICES ACTUALLY IMPACT THE DECISIONS BEING MADE? WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR INPUT AFTER THESE FORMS? AND WHY DON'T WE HAVE A REAL TWO WAY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY THAT ALLOWS FOR MEANINGFUL DIALOG BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, AND THE SUPERINTENDENT REGARDING THE BUDGET? THIRD, THERE ARE CONCERNING INCONSISTENCIES AND LACK OF CLARITY IN THE BUDGET ITSELF.
AS THERE ARE THESE CURRENT POSITIONS OR IT'S A NEW POSITION.
IF THE COMMUNICATION ENGAGEMENT OFFICE IS LOSING STAFF, WHY IS THERE AN INCREASE IN ITS OVERALL FUNDING? AND WHY DOES THE BOARD OF EDUCATION NEED AN ADDITIONAL $184,000 FOR COMMUNICATION, WHEN WE ALREADY HAVE A COMMUNICATION AND ENGAGEMENT OFFICE? FOURTH, TRANSPARENCY IS THE FOUNDATION OF TRUST AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
A PUBLIC TRACKING SYSTEM FOR BUDGET CHANGES. OPERATIONS FOR THE COMMUNITIES TO COMMUNICATE ON.
LASTLY, I URGE THIS BOARD TO CONSIDER ITS APPROACH TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
WE NEED REAL DIALOG, NOT JUST ONE WAY COMMUNICATION.
WE NEED TO SEE OUR BUDGET REFLECTED IN THE DECISIONS BEING MADE, AND WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE RATIONALE BEHIND EVERY DOLLAR SPENT, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE $37 MILLION DEFICIT WE'RE FACING.
IN CONCLUSION, I CALL ON THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE SUPERINTENDENT TO DO BETTER, EMBRACE TRUE TRANSPARENCY, FOSTER GENUINE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. SHOW US THAT OUR VOICES MATTER IN THIS PROCESS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.
THANK YOU, MISS MILHOUSE. MOVING ON TO KERI MARTINEZ.
LATIN AMERICA YOUTH CENTER. SPEAKING ON LOCAL IMPACT GRANTS.
OKAY. HELLO, EVERYBODY. I'M SORRY. I'M TRYING TO MAKE THIS WORK.
HELLO. GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
MY NAME IS CARRIE MARTINEZ, AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE LATIN AMERICAN YOUTH CENTER.
TODAY, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THE STORIES OF TWO STUDENTS THAT HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH HOPES TO BRING AWARENESS TO ADVOCATING INTO CONTINUING TO SUPPORT THE PROMOTER PATHWAY. ONE OF THE STUDENTS I HAVE WORKED WITH FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCED SEVERELY HOMELESS DURING THIS INCREDIBLE, DIFFICULT TIME. THE PROMOTER PATHWAY HAS PLAYED A VITAL ROLE IN PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR HER HOUSING NEEDS WHILE ENCOURAGING HER TO STAY IN SCHOOL.
I HAVE CONDUCTED DAILY CHECK INS, THE MONITORING, HER GRADES, ATTENDANCE, PARADING FOOD BAG, HYGIENE ITEMS CONNECTED HER WITH WITH FAMILY IN CENTRAL HOUSING RESOURCE.
AS A RESULT OF SUPPORT, PROVIDING THE YOUTH ATTENDANCE HAS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED.
SHE HAS MADE GRADES GREAT ACADEMIC PROGRESS, PARTICULARLY IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, SHE IS NOW IN STABLE HOUSING.
SHE WAS STRUGGLING WITH READING PROFICIENCY IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH ON MANY OCCASIONS.
I SUPPORTED THE YOUTH IN READING THROUGH ASSIGNMENTS TO HELP HER OBTAIN BETTER UNDERSTANDING.
I COMPLETE DAILY CHECK INS TO ENSURE SHE CONTINUES TO SUCCEED.
IF THERE ARE ANY CHALLENGES, I MAKE SURE THAT SHE IS ABLE TO COMMUNICATE THEM TO HER TEACHERS.
I'M MOST PROUD OF BEING ABLE TO ADVOCATE FOR HER EDUCATIONAL NEEDS, WHICH HAS LED HER TO IMPLEMENT OF AN INDIVIDUAL INDICATION PLAN BEING PUT IN PLACE TO ADDRESS HER EDUCATIONAL NEEDS WHEN CONTINUING TO SUPPORT PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
ALONG WITH MY COLLEAGUES, I'LL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE MUCH NEEDED LONG TERM WRAPAROUND SUPPORTS TO STUDENTS WHO MAY OTHERWISE MEET, MAY OTHERWISE NOT BE ENGAGED IN SCHOOL. THANK YOU.
[00:10:03]
THANK YOU, MISS MARTINEZ. NEXT IS MISS TONYA WINGFIELD.EXCUSE. I SEEM TO BE IN THE ROOM. OKAY. MOVING ALONG.
MRS. GRACIELA ARGUETA. SORRY IF I MISPRONOUNCED YOUR NAME.
LATIN AMERICA YOUTH CENTER, SPEAKING ON EDUCATIONAL FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
YES. I'M HERE. GOOD EVENING. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
MY NAME IS GRACIELA ARGUETA, AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE LATIN AMERICAN YOUTH CENTER.
SENATOR PERLMUTTER PATHWAY PROGRAM TO RAISE AWARENESS AND ADVOCATE FOR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF OUR WORK IN CPS, WHERE I PROVIDE INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT TO STUDENTS FACING MANY DIFFERENT CHALLENGES THAT IMPACT THEIR ABILITY TO PRESENT AND BE ENGAGED IN SCHOOL.
TODAY, I'M PROUD TO HIGHLIGHT THE STORY OF ONE STUDENT I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH OVER THE PAST YEAR. WHEN I FIRST MET THE STUDENT, SHE HAD JUST ARRIVED FROM MEXICO, WHERE SHE HAD BEEN SENT AS A BABY TO LIVE WITH HER GRANDMOTHER BECAUSE HER PARENTS WERE UNABLE TO CARE FOR HER.
AFTER A FEW MEETINGS, SHE QUICKLY BUILT A CONNECTION WITH ME, AND I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SUPPORT HER IN A VARIETY OF WAYS BY PROVIDING GROCERY BAGS, CLOTHING, AND ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES IN THE COMMUNITY.
THROUGHOUT OUR TIME TOGETHER, SHE HAS FACED NUMEROUS OBSTACLES AND REBUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH HER FAMILY, ADAPTING TO LIFE IN A NEW COUNTRY, AND FINDING HER PLACE AS A STUDENT IN AN UNFAMILIAR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM.
SHE HAS STRENGTHENED HER COMMUNICATION SKILLS, LEARNED TO ADVOCATE FOR HERSELF BOTH IN SCHOOL AND AT HOME, AND HAS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED ACADEMICALLY. WHEN WE FIRST MET, SHE WAS UNCERTAIN ABOUT HER FUTURE.
WITH CONTINUED SUPPORT OF PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, I, ALONG WITH MY COLLEAGUES, WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE PROVIDING THESE ESSENTIAL SERVICES TO STUDENTS TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE RESOURCES AND GUIDANCE AND ADVOCACY ADVOCACY THEY NEED TO SUCCEED.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO TESTIFY TODAY. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND SUPPORT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MISS. WINKFIELD JOINING ROOM AGAIN.
OKAY. MOVING ON TO MISS SHAINA SLOWNIK, DIRECTOR OF PROMOTER, PATHWAY LATIN AMERICA YOUTH CENTER, SPEAKING ON THE BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR DISTRICT EIGHT, OXON HILL SCHOOLS AND MIDDLE SCHOOL.
HI. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. AND I'M ACTUALLY ON SPEAKING ABOUT PROMOTER PATHWAY AS A WHOLE.
THE PROMOTER PATHWAY PROVIDES LONG TERM CASE MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT TO YOUNG PEOPLE IN CPS.
WE'VE BEEN IN CPS SINCE 2014. PROVIDING SERVICES ACROSS THE COUNTY.
AND WE'VE SEEN UP TILL NOW, ABOUT 270 STUDENTS GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH IS VERY EXCITING.
WE ARE AN EVIDENCE BASED MODEL. SO WE A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF THE PREMATURE PATHWAY THAT WAS CONDUCTED BY URBAN INSTITUTE DEMONSTRATED THAT STUDENTS WHO HAD A PREMATURE WERE ONE THIRD MORE LIKELY TO STAY IN SCHOOL THAN STUDENTS WHO DID NOT HAVE A PREMATURE A RECENTLY RELEASED FOLLOW UP EVALUATION ASSESS THE LONGER TERM IMPACT OF THE MODEL, GATHERING DATA ON YOUTH BETWEEN 22 AND 29 YEARS OLD, PROVIDING A GLIMPSE INTO THEIR LIVES AS YOUNG ADULTS AND FIVE YEARS POST INITIAL EVALUATION 81% OF PREMATURE YOUTH HAD RECEIVED A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA, COMPARED TO 75% OF CONTROL GROUP YOUTH YOUTH WHO DID NOT HAVE A PREMATURE WE ALSO SAW LONG LONGER TERM IMPACT REGARDING EMPLOYMENT. YOUTH WHO HAD A PREMATURE WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE EMPLOYED AND TO BE MAKING MORE MONEY.
SO WE'RE REALLY SEEING THE LONG TERM IMPACT DOWN THE ROAD.
AS SCHOOL STAFF CONTINUE TO BE OVERWHELMED WITH THE LASTING IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC, ARE PROMOTERS FOCUS ON STUDENTS FACING THE HIGHEST RISK? ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN SCHOOL COUNSELOR ASSOCIATION, THE STUDENT TO SCHOOL COUNSELOR RATIO IS 1 TO 310.
[00:15:06]
IN MARYLAND FOR THE 2023 2024 SCHOOL YEAR. ALREADY STRETCHED TO THIN, SCHOOLS BENEFIT TREMENDOUSLY BY HAVING TRUSTED COMMUNITY PARTNERS IN THE BUILDING WHO CAN ASSIST IN CRISIS SITUATIONS AND PROVIDE INCREASED RESOURCES AND SUPPORT.PROMOTERS ARE THERE TO SERVE STUDENTS THAT MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE FEEL CONNECTED OR SUPPORTED.
SOME OF THESE STUDENTS ARE STRUGGLING LOUDLY AND OTHERS QUIETLY.
EITHER WAY, THESE STUDENTS NEED A CONSISTENT ADULT WHO WILL LISTEN, ACT, AND SUPPORT.
MANY. WE KNOW THAT BUDGET DECISIONS ARE VERY DIFFICULT.
AND WE WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. I APPRECIATE YOU ALL LISTENING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT, WE HAVE VICE MAYOR GOMEZ FROM THE CITY OF DISTRICT HEIGHTS.
DOES IT SEEM THAT VICE MAYOR GOMEZ IS IN THE ROOM? OKAY MOVING ALONG MR. ROBERT WOOD. INDIVIDUALS SPEAKING ON THE BUDGET.
I WILL BE BRIEF. I GOT A CHANCE TO MEET A LOT OF YOU ALL AT THE LAST TOWN HALL MEETING.
GREAT CONVERSATIONS. I AM A SIMPLE MINDED MAN.
I SEE HERE SNAPSHOT OF OUR BUDGET. AND THEN I PULLED OUT THE WHOLE PDF OF THE BUDGET.
TOOK A NICE DEEP DIVE INTO THERE. AND FOR THE LIFE OF ME, I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY WE AT PRETTY MUCH $3 BILLION HAVE ISSUE WHEN IT COMES TO BOOKS OR GIVING CHILDREN CHROMEBOOKS THAT WOULD ALLOW PARENTS TO FOLLOW SUIT ALONG WITH THE SYLLABUS THAT WAS GIVEN TO THEM IN THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. NOW, AT MY SCHOOL, I HAD SOME ISSUES EVEN GETTING A SYLLABUS.
AT THIS POINT, NOT JUST FOR MY CHILD. IF I'M GOING THROUGH THIS, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE OUT OF 132,000 STUDENTS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, I'M NOT THE ONLY PARENT THAT IS GOING THROUGH THIS.
HOW DO WE BETTER THE THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE AS WELL AS THE PARENT EXPERIENCE, AND WHAT TYPE OF PLANNING AND WHAT TYPE OF ACTIONS ARE WE TAKING TO RECTIFY THESE SITUATIONS? NOW, I WILL SAY THIS BEFORE I GO AND BEFORE I LEAVE.
I WOULD LOVE TO GIVE KUDOS TO EVERYONE. LIKE I SAID I SPOKE TO THIS PAST WEEK.
I DID RECEIVE A PHONE CALL FROM MISS TONY OVER AT CENTRAL AND WE ARE GETTING OUR OUR WAY WITH WITH GETTING A BOOK FOR THE CLASSROOM FOR MY CHILD. THAT IS STILL. NEVERTHELESS, EVEN THOUGH I AM SUPER GRATEFUL FOR THAT, IT IS UNACCEPTABLE ON A MASS AND TO ANY INDIVIDUAL, STUDENT AND PARENT TO HAVE TO REALLY GO THROUGH THESE RIGOROUS MODES JUST TO GET A TEXTBOOK.
IF YOU TAKE AWAY THE CHROMEBOOK, YOU CAN'T TAKE AWAY THE TEXTBOOK.
THAT'S FINE. IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN PLEASE ALLOW US THROUGH.
I GAVE YOU CREDIT DURING THE PANDEMIC. YOU DID ALLOW THAT TOKEN PER THAT CHILD'S LAPTOP.
BUT THE ISSUE THAT WE HAVE AND THAT OTHERS HAVE HAD IS THAT WHEN YOU SIGN IN THROUGH A DIFFERENT LAPTOP OR A DIFFERENT CHROMEBOOK, THE TOKENS DO NOT WORK. THEREFORE, YOU GET AN ERROR MESSAGE AND YOU CAN'T SEE A TEXTBOOK, AND YOU REALLY CAN'T HELP OUT YOUR CHILD.
SO AS A GOOD PARENT, I JUST WANT TO BRING THE BEST EXPERIENCE TO PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY SCHOOLS, TO MY CHILDREN. AND I KNOW THAT'S WHAT EXACTLY OTHER PARENTS WOULD LIKE TO DO AS WELL.
BUT PLEASE, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THE PLAN OF WHAT WE HAVE HERE ON THE $3 BILLION THAT WE HAVE, AND I DON'T REALLY CARE TO HEAR MANY EXCUSES.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. WARD. THERE'S ONE WRITTEN COMMENT ALSO FROM ASHLEY KEARNEY, CITY COUNCIL COUNCIL MEMBER AT LARGE FOR SEAT PLEASANT, WHO WROTE ON TRANSLATION SERVICES.
THERE ARE NO PRERECORDED COMMENTS. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
WHO PARTICIPATED TONIGHT? BE NO MORE COMMENTS.
[00:20:01]
WE WILL CALL FOR A BRIEF RECESS. THE TIME IS NOW 522.SO IN WHAT IS THAT 38 MINUTES? WE WILL RECONVENE FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 6:00.
PLEASE NOTE THE SAME MEETING LINK WILL BE USED FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING.
THANK YOU. THE TIME IS NOW 602. WELCOME BACK TO THE FEBRUARY 20TH, 2025 PRINCE
[5. Call to Order - 6:00 p.m.]
GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION BUDGET WORK SESSION AND PUBLIC HEARING FOR FY 2026.[6. Presentation]
TO INTRODUCE THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS RECEIVED AND APPROVED BY THE COMMITTEE.THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN JACKSON. THE BOARD PROPOSED 23 AMENDMENTS, WHICH WERE DISCUSSED AT THE OPERATIONS, BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS MEETING LAST EVENING.
WE WILL ADDRESS THE AMENDMENTS IN GROUPS BY DIVISION.
AT THAT TIME, BOARD MEMBERS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ALTER, WITHDRAW OR PULL ANY AMENDMENT.
ONCE WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE APPLICABLE DIVISION, THE BOARD WILL VOTE ON THE AMENDMENTS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE REQUESTED BUDGET AND THE BOARD WILL CONSIDER THE REQUESTED BUDGET WITH AMENDMENTS AT THE BOARD BUSINESS MEETING ON FEBRUARY 27TH, 2025. OUR FIRST DIVISION IS THE DIVISION OF ACADEMICS.
THERE ARE FOUR AMENDMENTS AS TWO HAVE BEEN WITHDRAWN SINCE YESTERDAY.
SPECIAL EDUCATION COMPLIANCE LIAISON. AVIATION PROGRAM.
CONTINUATION OMBUDSMAN'S OFFICE THIRD GRADE LITERACY LAB PILOT.
THE QUESTION IS, SHALL THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR THE DIVISION OF ACADEMICS? IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO AMEND OR PULL AMENDMENTS, YOU MAY MAKE A SECONDARY MOTION AT THIS TIME.
BOARD MEMBER BRIGGS. THANKS SO MUCH. CHAIR MCCANTS.
OMBUDSMAN'S OFFICE. PLEASE AND THANK YOU. SO I BELIEVE I SAID JUST SO NOTED. BOARD MEMBER BOOZER STRUTHERS.
YEAH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I WAS GOING TO COMMENT ON THE SPECIAL EDUCATION COMPLIANCE POSITION.
I WANT TO THANK VICE CHAIR BRIGGS FOR HIS THOUGHTFULNESS AROUND LOOKING AT THAT POSITION THIS YEAR AND DOCTOR WHITE'S VERY, VERY HELPFUL ANALYSIS FROM THE BUDGET, THE BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING LAST NIGHT.
BUT I THINK THERE'S ALIGNMENT ON ON THE VISION AND THE, THE GOALS.
SO I WANT TO I JUST WANT TO OFFER TO HELP IN THE FUTURE.
AND THE SECOND WAS THAT I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE REASONS WHY I'M NOT FAVORABLE TOWARD FOR THE OMBUDSMAN'S OFFICE THAT YOU DID PULL, BECAUSE I DID EXPERIENCE THE VERSION OF THAT AS A PARENT.
SO. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER BRUCE STROTHER.
BOARD MEMBER MOSS. YEAH. I WAS GOING TO TO LIFT THE THIRD GRADE LITERACY LAB PILOT UP.
JUST AN ITEM TO PULL TO MAKE SURE WE EXPLAIN IT TO THE PUBLIC A LITTLE BIT.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN DO THAT NOW OR DO IT AT ANOTHER TIME.
I DON'T KNOW THE PROCESS. I BELIEVE WE VOTE ON WHATEVER IS NOT PULLED, AND THEN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT IS PULLED.
DIRECTOR FITZPATRICK. YES. IT IS GERMANE TO THE MAIN MOTION, WHICH INCLUDES THE FOUR.
AND SO HE CAN HAVE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT AT THIS TIME IN HIS 2.5 MINUTES.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. BOARD MEMBER MOSS.
YEAH. I DON'T NEED TO PULL THIS SEPARATELY TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ON IT, BUT WE'VE THE DISTRICT HAS MADE A DEEP COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THAT SCHOLARS CAN READ. AND THIS IS A PILOT THAT'S HAPPENING IN TWO OTHER SCHOOLS IN THE IN THE DISTRICT.
AND I BELIEVE IT'S A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THIS WORK DOWN TO THE CENTRAL PART OF THE COUNTY.
[00:25:04]
THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND AROUND LITERACY. THIS JUST CONTINUES TO GROW.THOSE EFFORTS, THOSE EFFORTS TO MAKE SURE OUR KIDS ARE ABLE TO READ.
I JUST CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT WHAT OUR ACADEMIC TEAM IS DOING AROUND LITERACY, AND I THINK THIS WILL CONTINUE TO CODIFY WHAT ARE BEST PRACTICES THAT CAN ACTUALLY BE HELD ACROSS THE DISTRICT, TO MAKE SURE ALL OF OUR KIDS ARE READING ON GRADE LEVEL.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO UPLIFT OUR ACADEMIC TEAM AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO TO MAKE SURE OUR KIDS CAN READ, AND TO SHOW HOW THIS REALLY ALIGNS WITH OUR EXISTING WORK.
THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER. MOSS. BOARD MEMBER. WALKER.
YEAH. JUST FOR CLARITY, ARE YOU PULLING THAT BILL? DOCTOR MOSS. NO, I JUST USED MY TWO MINUTES TO TALK ABOUT IT.
I MIGHT HAVE ABUSED. OKAY, SO I DO HAVE A BILL.
I MEAN, A BILL. I DO HAVE ONE THAT I JUST WANTED ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATION ON.
IT'S NOT YOURS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT PROCESS.
AFTER THE ONES ARE PULLED THAT WE'RE NO LONGER GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT, WILL WE BE GOING THROUGH EACH ONE SO THAT THE SPONSOR HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK THROUGH IT, OR IS THIS THE OPPORTUNITY? BECAUSE THAT'S WE'VE DONE THAT PRIOR.
AND I JUST IF NOT IF NOT I'LL ASK IT NOW. YES.
THE ONES THAT ARE NOT PULLED, WE'RE VOTING ON THEM TOGETHER IN THE DIVISION.
THE ONES THAT ARE BEING PULLED, WE'RE NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT ANYMORE.
CORRECT. LIKE THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT PEOPLE ARE WIPING AWAY, RIGHT? NO, WE ARE PULLING THEM FROM VOTING ON THE DIVISIONS AMENDMENT TO TALK ABOUT AND VOTE ON THEM INDIVIDUALLY.
DIRECTOR FITZPATRICK, DO YOU HAVE A CLARIFICATION THERE? YOU'RE MUTED. SORRY. I THINK TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, CHAIR WALKER, NOW IS THE TIME FOR YOU ON TO SPEAK ABOUT IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT EITHER OF THE TWO CURRENTLY, IT'S NOT SOMETHING BUILT IN FOR EACH OF THE MAKER OF THE AMENDMENTS TO SPEAK ABOUT, BECAUSE THEY DID SPEAK ON THEM AT LENGTH. BUT YOU DO HAVE 2.5 MINUTES TO DISCUSS ANYTHING GERMANE TO THIS MOTION.
OKAY. WHAT? THE CHAIR IS WANTING TO TALK IN, AND I'LL GO AFTER THAT.
ASK MY QUESTION. THANK KNOW, BOARD MEMBER WALKER.
I WAS I'M SORRY. OH, IT'S NO PROBLEM. I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU WERE GIVEN THE RULES.
NO PROBLEM. I KNOW YOU ALL TALKED ON IT LAST NIGHT.
I HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO A COMMITTEE.
BUT THE ONE I HAD, IT WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF CHAIR JACKSON.
ONE OF YOURS. SO I'M GLAD YOU'RE. YOU'RE READY TO TALK.
IT IS ADDING TO THE BOARD OFFICE. AND SO I'M STRUGGLING.
AND THIS IS FOR ANYBODY THAT HAS ADDITIONS TO ANY CENTRAL POSITIONS.
I'M JUST STRUGGLING A LITTLE BIT WITH US HAVING A $37 MILLION DEFICIT AND ADDING ANYTHING TO CENTRAL POSITIONS, ESPECIALLY WHEN SOME OF OUR AMENDMENTS ARE TO REDUCE CENTRAL POSITIONS.
ESPECIALLY WHEN WE NEED IT SO MUCH IN A CLASSROOM.
AND SO I WAS JUST HOPING YOU COULD HELP ME A LITTLE BIT WITH YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT NEW POSITION.
THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. BUT IT MAYBE IT GOT PULLED.
I DON'T KNOW. WE'RE JUST DIVISION OF ACADEMICS RIGHT NOW.
THE BOARD OFFICE COMES UP. OH, A SEPARATE. YES.
OH. FOR EVERY SECTION. SORRY. YEAH. I'M TRYING.
I'M CLEAR, I APOLOGIZE. SORRY. NO NEED TO APOLOGIZE.
BECAUSE IF YOU WEREN'T CLEAR, OTHER PEOPLE PROBABLY WEREN'T EITHER.
I STILL SEE HANDS RAISED. I'M GOING TO GO IN THE ORDER THAT THEY ARE RAISED.
BOARD MEMBER MOSS. THANK YOU, CHIEF HOWELL.
WHAT I HEARD PULLED, I THOUGHT THE AMENDMENT WAS BEING RESCINDED.
BUT IF THAT'S NOT THE CASE, IF IT'S BEING PULLED TO DISCUSS SEPARATELY, IF YOU CAN JUST CLARIFY IF ALL AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE AMENDMENTS, WHICH ONES ARE BEING RESCINDED VERSUS MAYBE PULLED TO THE SIDE FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION, IF YOU CAN CLARIFY THAT, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY.
MY STATEMENT TO BEGIN WITH WAS ALTER, WITHDRAW OR PULL, AND I APOLOGIZE.
IT PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN PULLED FOR ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION.
IS THAT IS THAT STATEMENT NOW CLEAR? ALTER WITHDRAW AS IN THE PERSON WHO WROTE THE AMENDMENT OR PROPOSED THE AMENDMENT NO LONGER WOULD LIKE THAT AMENDMENT TO GO FORWARD AND THEN PULL IN TERMS OF US ACTUALLY TALKING AND VOTING ON IT SEPARATELY FROM THE DIVISION VOTE.
[00:30:09]
THAT'S SUPER HELPFUL. AND I KNOW WE I SAW SOME OTHER HAND, A FEW OTHER HANDS AND THEN HANDS THAT WENT DOWN BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY IS CLEAR. SO AT THIS TIME WE HAVE NO MORE HANDS.CHAIR JACKSON, DID YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? NO, I WAS GOING TO OFFER THAT POINT OF CLARITY, BUT I THINK YOU SUMMED IT UP.
I'LL GO BACK, I GUESS. REPEAT AT THIS POINT, THE QUESTION IS, WITH THE TWO AMENDMENTS THAT WERE PULLED, THE QUESTION IS, SHALL THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR THE DIVISION OF ACADEMICS TO INCLUDE AVIATION PROGRAM CONTINUATION AND THE THIRD GRADE LITERACY LAB PILOT? IS THERE ANY REMAINING DISCUSSION FOR THOSE TWO AMENDMENTS? SEEING NONE. I MISS AILEEN, PLEASE TAKE A ROLL CALL.
VOTE FOR. MISS BOUZA STRETHER.
MR. BRIGGS. HI, MRS. BROWNE. HI, MRS. MACKENZIE.
HI, MR.. JANGO. DOCTOR. MOSS. HI, MISS. WALKER.
HI, CHAIR. JACKSON. HI. SEVEN IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
THANK YOU. THERE ARE SEVEN IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
GOING TO OUR FIRST PULLED ITEM. SPECIAL EDUCATION COMPLIANCE LIAISON.
RECOGNIZING BOARD MEMBER WALKER. YES. IS THERE SOMEWHERE.
WHERE DO I GO TO SEE THE BREAKDOWN BY DEPARTMENTS.
SORRY. ARE YOU LOOKING AT. MAYBE I COULD CALL RAVEL.
OKAY. AND THEN WHERE DO I GO TO SEE THE ORDER IN WHICH YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THEM IN? BECAUSE I'M ALSO TRYING TO PULL IT UP DIRECTLY AT THE SAME TIME, TO GO THROUGH IT TO SEE IF IT'S AN ADDITION OR SUBTRACTION.
I'M SO SORRY. NO PROBLEM. I AM LOOKING AT AND I DON'T KNOW.
DIRECTOR FITZPATRICK, CAN WE GET SENT OUT? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
CAN WE GET THAT? I WAS I WAS GOING TO ASK SPECIFICALLY, CAN WE GET THE THE EXCEL SHEET THAT THIS COMES FROM SO THAT WE CAN SORT IT BY DIVISION TO BOARD MEMBER WALKER'S POINT? NO, I CAN I KNOW WHERE THE SHEET IS FOR THIS ONE HERE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR RIGHT THERE. AND I WILL JUST COMMENT.
IT IS IN THE ORDER OF DIVISION. IF IT IS I SEE IT.
YEP. I JUST NEED TO GET ON THAT SHEET. THANK YOU GUYS I APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU. NO THANK YOU AGAIN. IF YOU HAD A QUESTION SOMEBODY ELSE PROBABLY HAD IT AS WELL.
VICE CHAIR BRIGGS THANK YOU SO MUCH. CHAIR MCCANTS.
SO I FIRST WANT TO START BY JUST THANKING THE THE ACADEMICS DEPARTMENT, THE SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, FOR THEIR FEEDBACK. I WANT TO THANK COMMUNITY MEMBERS, INCLUDING MISS PEGGY HIGGINS, WHO IS OFFERED, YOU KNOW, SOME REALLY HELPFUL INSIGHT INTO A LOT OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION ON THE GROUND. AND, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO SAY THAT THE GOAL REALLY HERE IS THAT WE KNOW THAT PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY CONTINUES TO NAVIGATE CHALLENGES WITH COMPLIANCE, AS NOTED IN MEETINGS. AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF HARD WORK TO CONTINUE TO ADDRESS THAT.
THE YOU KNOW, THE SPIRIT OF THE AMENDMENT WAS REALLY TO ENSURE THAT WE HAD THE ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS THAT WE KNOW IMPACT OUR FAMILIES AND OUR STUDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITIES. AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO SAY THE OMBUDSMAN'S OFFICE WAS AT ONE POINT A REQUIREMENT PER POLICY THAT THE BOARD HAS.
WITH ALL THAT IN MIND, YOU KNOW, I'M, I REMAIN COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR STUDENTS, OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR STAFF HAVE THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO BE EFFECTIVE.
BUT AFTER ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATION AND CONTEXT FROM DOCTOR WHITE AND OTHERS I THINK PULLING RIGHT NOW, THIS SPECIFIC AMENDMENT IS THE THE BEST THING TO DO.
THERE'S DEFINITELY BEEN SUPPORT FROM THE ACADEMICS DEPARTMENT.
BUT I THINK RIGHT NOW, ADDITIONAL CLARITY TO REALLY KIND OF REFINE A ROLE THAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE.
[00:35:05]
AND ONE OF THE PIECES THAT I'LL HIGHLIGHT IS THAT THIS ROLE THAT I WAS ENVISIONING WOULD CAPTURE MORE THAN THE SPECIAL EDUCATION COMPLIANCE LIAISON WOULD BE ABLE TO DO.AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ROLES THAT DO THAT.
THERE WOULD ALSO BE ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT IS THAT THERE WILL CONTINUE TO LIKELY BE COMPLIANCE ISSUES.
AND I THINK THAT WHAT IS THE RIGHT NEXT STEP IS PERHAPS A ROLE.
AND I THINK WE CAN PROBABLY HAVE CONTINUED DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT. WE DEFINITELY CAN HAVE CONTINUED DISCUSSIONS ABOUT IT. AND WHETHER THIS IS A NEXT YEAR YOU KNOW, BUDGET AMENDMENT OR A DISCUSSION FOR NOW TO FIGURE OUT THE SCOPE OF WORK, THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO.
AND THEN THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS THAT THE OMBUDSMAN'S OFFICE, THOUGH, IT WAS YOU KNOW, ABOLISHED THERE ARE SPECIALISTS, REGIONAL SPECIALISTS THAT HANDLE A LOT OF THIS WORK.
SO THAT WORK CONTINUES. IT IS HAPPENING. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT SO MANY STAKEHOLDERS WERE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS ISSUE, AND THEY CONTINUE TO BE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS ISSUE. I CONTINUE TO BE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT IT. BUT RIGHT NOW, I DON'T THINK THAT THE SPECIAL EDUCATION COMPLIANCE LIAISON ROLE IS THE RIGHT ANSWER TO THIS PROBLEM THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT DETAIL.
VICE CHAIR BRIGGS. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M CLEAR.
DOES THAT MEAN THAT YOU ARE NOW WITHDRAWING THAT AMENDMENT? I WOULD LIKE TO WITHDRAW AMENDMENT TO SPECIAL EDUCATION COMPLIANCE LIAISON AND AMENDMENT FIVE OMBUDSMAN'S OFFICE.
GOT IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. VICE CHAIR. BRIGGS.
BOARD MEMBER BOOZER. STROTHER. I WAS GOING TO ASK THE SAME THING.
IF WITHDRAW WAS WHERE WE ARE. AND AND AGAIN, JUST OFFER SUPPORT AROUND THE FUTURE VISION OF THE OF THE SPECIAL EDUCATION POSITION. AND IF AT ANY TIME SOME HISTORY ABOUT THE FORMER STRUCTURE OF THE OMBUDSMAN OFFICE IS NEEDED, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO BE PART OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHY THE AREA RESOLUTION SPECIALIST HAVE BEEN JUST WAY, WAY MORE EFFECTIVE. THANKS. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU.
BOARD MEMBER. STRUTHERS SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE.
NUMBER ONE, IN REFERENCE TO THE SPECIAL EDUCATION COMPLIANT.
COMPLIANT, A BIG PORTION OF WHAT WHAT WE'VE SEEN AROUND NONCOMPLIANCE HAS HAD TO DO WITH JUST NOT HAVING CERTIFIED TEACHERS, QUITE FRANKLY. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE TRULY FOCUSED ON IN TERMS OF THIS HR AUDIT THAT WE'VE MOVED ON.
BUT VICE CHAIR BRIGGS, I'D LIKE TO TO TO GET SOME TIME WITH YOU, MAYBE NEXT WEEK AND TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT I WAS THINKING IN TERMS OF POTENTIAL REORG. I HAD A CHANCE TO DIVE BACK IN TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THE OMBUDSMAN OFFICE LOOKED LIKE.
AND I'VE ACTUALLY WORKED WITH THE OFFICE'S OFFICE IN THE PAST AS WELL.
AND THERE MIGHT BE A COST NEUTRAL OPPORTUNITY TO OFFER SOME SYNERGY TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE UTILIZING SOME OF OUR CURRENT RESOURCES, BUT REORGANIZING THEM IN A WAY THAT THAT MIGHT MAKE SENSE.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO TO TOUCHING BASE WITH MAYBE YOU AND CHAIR JACKSON.
ABOUT IDEA THAT COULD COME MAYBE AT THE THE START OF THE NEW FISCAL YEAR.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. SUPERINTENDENT. HOUSE. SUPERINTENDENT.
EXCUSE ME. HOUSE. DOCTOR. WHITE. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
BEFORE WE LEAVE ACADEMICS, I DID WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT JUST TO THANK BOARD MEMBER BRIGGS.
WE'VE MENTIONED A LOT ABOUT OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.
THAT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT HIM.
CHIEF WHITE BOARD MEMBER BRIGGS, I THINK THIS IS A NIGHT OF GRATITUDE, BUT I WANTED TO SAY TO THE SUPERINTENDENT THAT WE HAVE A CALL TOMORROW, SO THAT'S THE GREAT THING. I WANT TO SAY THIS PUBLICLY FOR THE FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT WE'RE REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT THIS.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WILL MOVE FORWARD. SO JUST GRATEFUL FOR THAT. AND AND ALSO I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, I KNOW THIS IT WASN'T JUST ME THAT HELPED WITH THE UMD, UMD PARTNERSHIP WITH MILE, BUT IT WAS A FORMER BOARD MEMBER BOARD MEMBER MURRAY.
SO I WANT TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AS WELL, BECAUSE IT WAS HIS PARTNERSHIP WITH A LOT OF THE RELATIONSHIPS HE ESTABLISHED THERE. SO BUT THANK YOU ALL AND LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUED CONVERSATIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. VICE CHAIR BRIGGS.
[00:40:07]
WHERE WE HAVE FIVE AMENDMENTS EXPANSION OF HILLSIDE HW, SC PROGRAM, EXPANSION OF LAKE TOUR PROGRAM GRANT, EXPERT GRANTS, MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT AND STRATEGY OFFICES MERGER.THE QUESTION IS, SHALL THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR THE DIVISION OF ACCOUNTABILITY? BOARD MEMBERS, ARE THERE ANY IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO AMEND, RESCIND, SLASH, WITHDRAW OR PULL AN AMENDMENT FOR DISCUSSION, YOU MAY MAKE A SECONDARY MOTION AT THIS TIME.
BOARD MEMBER. EXCUSE ME, VICE CHAIR BRIGGS, THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR.
MCKENZIE, I WOULD LIKE TO PULL ITEM NINE, GRANT EXPERT AND ITEM TEN GRANTS MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT.
NOTED. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER BOOZER STROTHER.
I WOULD LIKE TO PULL THE STRATEGY OFFICES MERGER FOR MORE DISCUSSION.
NOTED. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER. BOOZER STROTHER.
NOTED. DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION? SORRY. OKAY. THE QUESTION IS, SHALL THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY.
SHALL THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION WILL.
I THINK I'M ABLE TO. SHALL THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR THE DIVISION OF ACCOUNTABILITY TO INCLUDE THE EXPANSION OF HILLSIDE HW, ESC PROGRAM AND THE GRANTS MANAGEMENT EXPERT.
THAT'S NOT THE ONE THAT YOU ARE PULLING, BOARD MEMBER BRIGGS.
CORRECT. OR YOU'RE PULLING BOTH OF THEM FOR DISCUSSION.
PULLING BOTH FOR DISCUSSION. OKAY. SO SHALL THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR THE DIVISION OF ACCOUNTABILITY TO INCLUDE EXPANSION OF HILLSIDE HW ESC PROGRAM. MISS ADELAIDE, PLEASE CALL A ROLL CALL.
VOTE. DOCTOR DAFOE. MISS BERTHA SCHRADER.
MR. BRIGGS. HI. MRS. BROWN. HI. MISS JONES. MRS. PERKINS. HI. DOCTOR. MOSS. HI. MISS WALKER. HI.
I HATE THAT I DIDN'T PULL IT FOR MORE DISCUSSION. HI, JACKSON.
HI. SO IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. THERE ARE SEVEN IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS ARE APPROVED, AND WE WILL GO BACK TO THE ONES THAT ARE PULLED FOR DISCUSSION, STARTING WITH LA WEAK PROMOTER PROGRAM.
YES. I THINK I WAS THE ONE WHO BROUGHT THAT UP.
THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE EXPANSION, IS IT JUST THE EXPANSION FOR WHERE THE PROGRAM IS NOW, OR IS THAT ACROSS THE DISTRICT? SO THIS WAS MY AMENDMENT.
AND FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, AFTER SPEAKING WITH CHIEF STRADER AS WELL AS THE SEVERAL OF THE PEOPLE WE HEARD FROM EARLIER TODAY, THIS CONTRACT IS UP AT THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.
AND SO WHEN I ORIGINALLY REQUESTED IT, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FUNDING FOR THIS CONTRACTED CONTRACT INCLUDED THOSE TWO SCHOOLS THAT I INITIALLY MENTIONED OXON HILL MIDDLE AND OXON HILL HIGH SCHOOL SO THAT WE COULD MAKE SURE WE WERE FUNDING THAT.
AND THEN I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT WE ARE WE ARE MOVING AND DOCTOR STRADER, I WILL PROBABLY HAND IT OVER TO YOU AFTER I EXPLAIN WE ARE MOVING THAT THAT WORK TO COMMUNITY. SCHOOL. SINCE MOST OF THOSE SCHOOLS ARE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS OXON HILL HIGH SCHOOL IS NOT A COMMUNITY.
SCHOOL, HOWEVER, WHICH IS WHY I DID NOT PULL OR WITHDRAW THE AMENDMENT.
AND DOCTOR STRADER. ARE YOU ABLE TO SPEAK SOME MORE ON WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THAT CONTRACT?
[00:45:06]
I AM, SO THERE'S TWO. CONTRACTS AND QUESTIONS HERE.WHAT YOU JUST MENTIONED IS THE HILLSIDE CONTRACT.
SORT OF. SO LET ME BACK UP. SO LA CONTRACT IS ENDING JUNE 30TH.
THAT'S THE CONTRACT THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO ROLL OVER TO. COMMUNITY SCHOOLS.
THE HILLSIDE CONTRACT WHICH IS FOR THE 216,000 HERE.
THAT CONTRACT IS ENDING. NEXT YEAR. SO WE DO HAVE A YEAR LEFT ON THAT CONTRACT.
AND I BELIEVE THE REQUEST HERE WAS SPECIFICALLY THE SERVICE TWO SCHOOLS.
HOWEVER, THOSE SCHOOLS ARE CURRENTLY BEING SERVED UNDER THIS CONTRACT.
SO THAT SO THE SHORT ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS, IF WE SIMPLY TAKE THE 216,000 AND PUT IT TOWARDS THE HILLSIDE CONTRACT, THAT CONTRACT DOES NOT HAVE A SPECIFIC LIST OF IDENTIFIED SCHOOLS.
SO HILLSIDE AND THE SCHOOLS COULD ALLOCATE THOSE FUNDS ACCORDINGLY.
THERE'S REFERENCE TO FIVE SCHOOLS WITHOUT NAMES.
SO HILLSIDE WISHES TO ENGAGE WITH FIVE SCHOOLS.
IS THE CAPACITY UNDER THEIR EXISTING CONTRACT.
SO SOME LANGUAGE COULD BE ADDED AS A RESULT OF THIS AMENDMENT.
I KNOW THE TIME WAS UP, BUT BOARD MEMBER BROWN WAS YOUR QUESTION ANSWERED? YES. I DIDN'T KNOW IF WE HAVE IF WE WOULD HAVE A SECOND ROUND.
I BELIEVE THERE'S TIME FOR A SECOND ROUND IF YOU HAD ANOTHER.
YEAH, I JUST HAD A FOLLOW UP. WHEN I THINK ABOUT LA YC, IS THAT GOING TO BE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL STUDENTS? MY CONCERN IS THAT WITH THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION AND THE FUNDING, IT MAY LOOK OR SEEM THAT WE'RE ONLY TARGETING CERTAIN STUDENTS, BUT IN COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, WE KNOW THAT ALL BLACK AND BROWN CHILDREN.
WOULD BENEFIT FROM THIS. SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF GET SOME MORE CLARITY ON THE PROGRAM.
COMMUNITY SCHOOLS WOULD ISSUE AN RFP, BUT IT WOULD SERVE AS ONLY THOSE SCHOOLS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED AS COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, WHICH IS OVER HALF OF OUR SCHOOLS. SO IT WOULD INCLUDE THE STUDENT MEMBERSHIP OF ALL OF THOSE SCHOOLS.
AND YES. SO IT WOULD INCLUDE ALL STUDENTS WITHIN THOSE DESIGNATIONS OF COMMUNITY SCHOOLS.
AND TO CLARIFY, THE SPECIFIC AMENDMENT WAS INCLUDED AND NOT WITHDRAWN BECAUSE OXON HILL HIGH SCHOOL IS NOT CURRENTLY DESIGNATED AS A COMMUNITY SCHOOL, BUT THEY WOULD BE LOSING THE SUPPORT OF THIS PROGRAM.
I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER HANDS, BUT I DID SEE A HAND GO UP AND THEN GO DOWN.
IS THERE ANY MORE? ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION OF THIS ITEM? SEEING. NONE. OH. BOARD MEMBER WALKER. YEAH. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
COULDN'T GET THERE FAST ENOUGH. I JUST WAS WONDERING HOW WE CHOOSE, JUST FROM OUR OWN INFORMATION.
HOW WE CHOOSE SCHOOLS FOR SUCH PROGRAMING. IT'S NOT TO YOU.
BOARD MEMBER. IT'S MORE TO MAYBE DOUG SCHRADER.
HOW DO WE CHOOSE SPECIFIC PROGRAMS SUCH AS THIS ONE AND THE ONE BEFORE FOR THEIR IN THEIR DISTRICTS? THANK YOU. SO THE CURRENT LAKE AND HILLSIDE CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN PARTNERSHIPS THAT HAVE BEEN IN PLACE FOR YEARS. THEY'VE BEEN SUPPORTING THESE SCHOOLS SINCE THE INITIATION OF THIS PROGRAM, WHICH WAS DURING THE DOCTOR MAXWELL ADMINISTRATION, WHY THE IDENTIFIED IDENTIFICATION OF THESE PARTICULAR SCHOOLS BACK THEN? I WOULD HAVE TO I WOULD HAVE TO RESEARCH THAT.
NO. THAT'S JUST YEAH, I THINK THAT'S FINE. YOU'VE ANSWERED IT SUFFICIENTLY, I GUESS.
[00:50:04]
YOUR SCHOLARS INSIDE YOUR DISTRICT. THANK YOU.THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER WALKER, IS THERE ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL I APOLOGIZE, Y'ALL KEEP SEEING THE HANDS GO UP AND DOWN AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M NOT MISSING ANYONE. SEEING NO ADDITIONAL HANDS. THE QUESTION IS, SHALL THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE BUDGET AMENDMENT? EXPANSION OF LAKE PROMOTER PROGRAM. MISS ADELAIDE, PLEASE CALL A ROLL.
TAKE A ROLL CALL. VOTE. DOCTOR ANDERSON. HI, THERE.
HI. MR. BRIGGS. HI. MRS. BROWN. HI. MRS. GORDON.
I, DOCTOR MOSS. I. MISS WALKER. I. CHAIR. JACKSON.
I IT IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. THERE ARE EIGHT IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION? VICE CHAIR BRIGGS, THANKS SO MUCH.
YESTERDAY AT THE COMMITTEE MEETING MADE A LOT OF SENSE WHAT THIS ROLE WOULD DO.
HOWEVER, MY KIND OF VISION OF WHAT THIS ROLE WOULD BE, WHICH WAS REALLY A GRANTS LIAISON THAT WOULD WORK WITH SCHOOLS MORE CLOSELY AND THEN COLLABORATE WITH THE GRANTS OFFICE WAS THE VISION.
DOESN'T SEEM TO KIND OF RESONATE WITH THIS SPECIFIC ROLE.
SO WITH ALL OF THAT BEING SAID, I WOULD WANT TO WORK FURTHER WITH THE OFFICE TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFY AND DEVELOP SOMETHING THAT REALLY FITS AND ADDRESSES THE NEED VERSUS HAVING A ROLE.
I DO, HOWEVER, WANT TO THANK AGAIN, COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN PARTICULAR MISS MARILYN IRVING, WHO WAS REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS IDEA AND THOUGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVING SOMETHING THAT WOULD REALLY CREATE SOMEWHAT OF A CONNECTION BETWEEN OUR SCHOOLS AND OUTSIDE SOURCES OF FUNDING, ESPECIALLY DURING THESE REALLY CHALLENGING ECONOMIC TIMES.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M STILL COMMITTED TO.
BUT I THINK THAT RIGHT NOW IT'S AT THE COST OF WHAT IT IS.
IS, IS IS NOT FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. SO I WOULD LIKE TO WITHDRAW THE GRANT EXPERT AMENDMENT.
THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER. BRIGGS. VICE CHAIR. BRIGGS.
BOARD MEMBER. WALKER. YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THAT.
SO I'M WITH YOU ON THAT ONE. I THINK THAT WITH WITH YOUR PULLING IT BACK OR WITHDRAWING IT, THAT MAYBE WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE SUPERINTENDENTS TEAM IN THE GRANTS OFFICE TO REALLY HONE IN ON ADDITIONAL REVENUE SOURCES THAT WE CAN GET.
SO I DON'T SEE. THERE HE IS. MR. HOUSE, MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN REALLY DOUBLE DOWN ON FOR, FOR GRANTS. AS WE GO OUT FORWARD AND EVEN WITH SOME OF OUR CONGRESS PEOPLE WHO ARE OFFERING GRANTS, THAT THAT WOULD BE AMAZING FOR US THIS TIME. SO THANK YOU, MR. BEARD, FOR EVEN THINKING OF THAT. THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBER WALKER.
SEEING AS THE AMENDMENT GRANTS EXPERT HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO GRANTS MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT AMENDMENT.
VICE CHAIR BRIGGS. AGAIN, THIS IS FOR THE PUBLIC'S FRUITION.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THE GRANTS MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT WAS REALLY GOING TO TAKE STOCK ON THE ENTIRE GRANTS OFFICE, PROVIDE SOME TAILORED SUPPORTS AROUND WAYS TO BE MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE.
AND I THINK THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT AND GREAT IDEA.
AND DOCTOR SCHROEDER AGREED YESTERDAY. HOWEVER, I THINK REALLY DEVELOPING A CONTRACT THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT THE RANGE OF WHAT WE WOULD PAY, WHICH WOULD LIKELY BE MORE THAN 15,000.
SINCE THIS WOULD HAVE TO BE A BID PROCESS. IT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD WANT TO FURTHER DEVELOP.
SO I THINK RIGHT NOW GIVEN THAT CONTEXT, I AM GOING TO WITHDRAW THE GRANTS.
MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT. THANK YOU, VICE CHAIR BRIGGS.
I DID HAVE MY HAND RAISED, BUT I WILL DEFER TO YOU, BOARD MEMBER WALKER.
[00:55:03]
AND THEN I'LL. THEN I WILL SPEAK. OH, YOUR HAND WAS UP FIRST.IT'S NO PROBLEM. BUT I, I CAN GO. I WAS JUST WONDERING.
IT'S MORE OF A QUESTION. ESPECIALLY AS WE TALK ABOUT GRANTS.
I'M WONDERING IF THE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS OFFICE IS IS HELPFUL IN THIS SENSE.
IT'S MORE FOR MR. HOUSE. OR IF THAT CAN BE HELPFUL IN THIS, I KNOW THAT THERE WERE SOME REDUCTIONS THAT WERE PROPOSED INSIDE OF THAT ASPECT, BUT DO WE HAVE STAFFING IN THAT DEPARTMENT WHO ARE ABLE TO HELP WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND ENGAGING? THE WAY MR. BRIGGS WAS SAYING, WE CAN DEFINITELY BE ABLE TO PULL IN ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT WAY.
DIFFERENT FUNCTION. QUITE FRANKLY, IF THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES THAT COME UP FROM A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STANDPOINT, THEY TYPICALLY COME COME BACK TO OUR GRANTS OFFICE FOR THE NECESSARY SUPPORT.
OKAY. SO THAT LEVER IS THERE. SO OUR I THINK WHAT I UNDERSTOOD IS THAT OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND ENGAGEMENT RIGHT NOW, AS THEY MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS, THEY GIVE IT TO THE GRANTS OFFICE, WHO THEN GOES FORWARD AND PURSUES THOSE GRANTS.
RIGHT. I HEARD IT RIGHT. THE GRANTS OFFICE IS THE IS THE THE CENTRALIZED AREA WHERE WE WANT GRANTS TO BE FOCUSED ON WHETHER THAT BE COMING FROM A PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT A PARTICULAR SCHOOL.
WE WANT IT TO BE CENTRALIZED IN THE GRANTS OFFICE.
THANK YOU. VICE CHAIR BRIGGS. I JUST WANTED TO ADD ON TOP OF THAT, FOR CLARITY, FOR THE PUBLIC AND ALSO FOR MYSELF AS A NEW BOARD MEMBER.
IS THERE OPPORTUNITY FOR BOARD MEMBERS TO ENGAGE AND FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THAT GRANTS PROCESS AND SPECIFICALLY HOW WE IN OUR CAPACITY CAN SUPPORT THAT WORK AND WHAT OPPORTUNITY THERE IS FOR THE COMMUNITY TO THEN BE INVOLVED IN THAT AS WELL.
JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SOME SORT OF WAY FOR US TO CONNECT THE COMMUNITY WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE ARE FACING THIS BUDGET DEFICIT ON GRANTS.
WE'D BE GLAD TO TO SET SOMETHING ASIDE, WHETHER IT BE SMALL GROUPS, PUT TOGETHER SOME KIND OF FLOWCHART THAT REALLY GIVES AN EXPLANATION OF WHAT THE PROCESS IS. SO I'LL GET WITH BOTH CHIEF STRADER AND LUIS TO TO LOOK AT WHAT MIGHT BE A BETTER WAY TO COMMUNICATE THIS, TO ENSURE THAT NOT ONLY THE BOARD, BUT ALSO THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS HOW AND AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO TO WALK THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
GREATLY APPRECIATED. SUPERINTENDENT. HOUSE BOARD MEMBER.
BROWN. YES. HI. I JUST WANTED TO FLAG FOR A SITUATIONAL AWARENESS THAT THIS PARTICULAR MEETING IS NOT ON BOARD DOCS UNLESS SOMEBODY ELSE HAS SEEN IT. SO FOR THE BOARD STAFF AND FOR OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TRANSPARENT WITH THE PUBLIC.
AND THIS IS AN THIS IS AN OVERSIGHT THAT CANNOT BE MISSED MOVING FORWARD.
OVER. I DON'T KNOW IF SOMEBODY ELSE WANTED TO ADDRESS THAT BECAUSE I, I CAN SEE THIS ON BOARD DOCS. I MIGHT BE CLICKING ON THE WRONG THING. THAT OR SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU ARE IS CAN SOMEBODY ADDRESS DO WE HAVE SOMEBODY ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT OR FIX THAT IN THE MOMENT? AND I'LL MOVE TO BOARD MEMBER STRUTHERS TO I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT IT'S IT'S ON BOARD DOCS BECAUSE IT WAS A TWO PART A HEARING INTO A BOARD MEETING WITH THE PAUSE IF WE HAD EXTRA TIME.
IT'S ONE. IT'S ONE ENTRY IN BOARD DOCS. YEAH.
I'VE BEEN GETTING CONSTITUENT FEEDBACK SAYING THAT THE PUBLIC CANNOT SEE IT.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE ACCESS TO IT.
BUT THE PUBLIC IS NOT ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS, I DO SEE YEAH.
MR. PATTERSON. DIRECTOR FITZPATRICK. YES. I WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THE FEEDBACK IS THAT THE THE AMENDMENT IS NOT ON BOARD DOCS. CURRENTLY, WHEN THE EXCEL SHEET THAT LISTS THE 23 AMENDMENTS AND THE LINKS TO THE EXPLANATIONS IS LISTED ON BOARD DOCS, BUT I'LL JUST MAKE SURE THAT IT IS FOR PUBLIC VIEWING.
LAST I CHECKED, IT WAS I'LL JUST DOUBLE CHECK.
THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER BOOZER STRUTHERS. DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER? NO, NOT ON THAT TOPIC. WAITING ON THE THE AMENDMENT.
OKAY. BOARD MEMBER MOSS. I BELIEVE THE CONCERN WAS THAT THIS WASN'T POSTED AT ALL.
THE MEETING WASN'T POSTED AT ALL. NOT NECESSARILY THE DOCUMENTS.
[01:00:04]
THE GENERAL PUBLIC MIGHT BE LOOKING UNDER FEATURE TAB RATHER THAN LOOKING AT THE TAB AROUND OPERATING BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS.SO I KNOW THAT HAPPENS SOMETIMES, BUT I THINK THE CONCERN WAS THAT THE MEETING WASN'T UP.
OR THE OR THE NUMBER. YEAH. BOARD MEMBER BROWN, CAN YOU CLARIFY JUST SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE BOARD OFFICE IS ADDRESSING THE RIGHT THING? YES. SO WHEN YOU WHEN YOU GO ON BOARD DOCS AND YOU GO TO THE MAIN GOVERNING BOARD, YOU DO SEE THE FEBRUARY 20TH, 2025 SUPERINTENDENT'S PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THE 5 P.M.
MEETING. HOWEVER, YOU DO NOT SEE IT FOR THE 6 P.M.
MEETING AND I THINK THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE REFERRING TO.
GOT IT. I'M SEEING THAT AS WELL. I KNOW, GO AHEAD, DIRECTOR FITZPATRICK.
I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY THAT BOARD MEMBER STRUTHERS IS CORRECT.
SO IT IS THERE AND IT WAS THERE ON TIME. BUT I SEE HOW THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME CONFUSION.
I THINK TO THAT POINT, BOARD MEMBER BROWN, A HUGE PART OF WHAT WE HAVE BEEN SAYING IN SEVERAL OF THESE WORK SESSIONS IS THAT WE WOULD JUST LIKE SOME MORE CLARITY AROUND THIS, AND WE'RE ALSO HEARING THAT FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS.
SO GOING FORWARD, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME SORT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW WE CAN MAKE THINGS MORE TRANSPARENT AND CLEAR FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS TO SEE IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CALLING FOR CALLING THAT OUT.
AND WE WILL SEE WHAT THE I GUESS, PROPER PROCEDURES, ETC.
BOARD MEMBER. WALKER. YES. EVERYBODY IS GETTING TAXED.
GOT IT. SO I'M JUST LOOKING FOR DIRECTION TO OUR PUBLIC NOW AS WE SIT RIGHT HERE.
SO THEY SHOULD GO TO BOARD DOCS, JUST SO I UNDERSTAND IT CORRECTLY. MR. FITZPATRICK, IF YOU WANT TO JUST COME ON AND JUST GIVE DIRECTION TO OUR PUBLIC SO THEY CAN JOIN US.
IT'S THE IT'S WHEN THEY CLICK ON THE 5:00. RIGHT.
JUST SO WE COULD BE CLEAR. OH, I THINK HE MIGHT BE DOING SOMETHING IN THE BACKGROUND.
IS THERE IS CINDY HERE? YES. I'M HERE. PERFECT.
IF YOU COULD JUST GIVE DIRECTION TO OUR. OH, THERE HE IS.
THERE HE IS. MY SCREEN. REAL QUICK. THAT'S OKAY. THANK YOU.
SO IF WE GO OVER TO THE BOARDWALK BOARD DOCS AND I'M SIGNING AS AN ATTENDEE OR THE PUBLIC RATHER, AND WE GO TO THE SUPERINTENDENT BUDGET WORK SESSION AND PUBLIC HEARING.
IF YOU HOVER OVER TO VIEW AGENDA. IT'S RIGHT HERE UNDER THE PRESENTATION SECTION.
I MEAN, THE ZOOM LINK WHEN THEY CLICK ON IT, WHERE THEY SEE THE ZOOM LINK AND EVERYTHING ON THE FIRST PAGE, AS SOON AS YOU HOVER OVER IT, IT'S GOING TO BRING UP THE LINK TO THE MEETING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU'RE WELCOME. AND ON THE AGENDA IS WHERE YOU FIND THE AGENDA ITEMS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHOWING THAT OUR CONSTITUENTS, I'M PRETTY SURE WE GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT. I PERSONALLY APPRECIATED THAT.
SO THANK YOU. SINCE THE AMENDMENT WAS PULLED WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT AMENDMENT. STRATEGY. OFFICES. MERGER. BOARD MEMBER BOOZER STROTHER.
YEAH. THANK. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO I, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I HEARD THE CONVERSATION CLEARLY LAST NIGHT, DOCTOR STRADER, THAT THAT THIS REDUCTION WOULD NOT BE BENEFICIAL, THAT YOU ARE MERGING BLUEPRINT IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY WITH STRATEGIC PLANNING STRATEGY.
AND FRANKLY, YOU KNOW, I AM THRILLED THAT WE ARE AT THIS POINT.
FINALLY, IT'S BEEN IT'S BEEN DIFFICULT. AND I, I DO NOT OBSERVE THAT IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO REDUCE THE EXPERTS THAT YOU HAVE WORKING ON THIS BECAUSE GETTING THE PLAN RIGHT,
[01:05:05]
UNDERSTANDING OUR FUTURE, REPORTING COMPLIANCE AND REPORTING AND COMPLIANCE, THAT THIS IS THE MOMENT WHERE WE WANT TO GET ALL OF THAT. RIGHT. SO, DOCTOR STRADER, IF YOU CAN JUST REPEAT WHAT YOU SAID LAST NIGHT, THAT YOU DO NEED THE EQUIVALENCE AND THAT IT WILL BE COST NEUTRAL, BUT YOU'RE YOU WERE ASKING FOR, NOT A REDUCTION. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M I'M HEARING THAT CORRECTLY.THAT IS CORRECT. I BELIEVE THE SPIRIT OF THIS IS TO LOOK AT MAXIMIZING EFFICIENCIES.
WE ARE ALIGNING OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING EFFORTS FOR BLUEPRINT AND OUR DISTRICT STRATEGIC PLAN.
THEY ARE GOING TO COME TOGETHER IN 2026 TO PREPARE FOR THE 2027 SCHOOL YEAR.
SO THIS IS THAT PLANNING YEAR. SO WE WILL BE LOOKING AT, AGAIN, COMBINING THE EFFORTS OF THOSE TWO STRATEGIC PLANNING OFFICES, ONE FOR BLUEPRINT, ONE FOR THE DISTRICT STRATEGIC PLAN THIS UPCOMING YEAR.
AND YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. THIS UPCOMING YEAR IS THE CRITICAL YEAR.
WE'RE DEVELOPING BOTH PLANS, SO WE NEED ALL OF THOSE RESOURCES.
BUT YES, WE DO NEED THOSE EXPERTISE FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE HOUSE TO COME TOGETHER FOR THIS UPCOMING YEAR, BECAUSE THIS YEAR WILL DEFINE WHAT OUR STRATEGIC PLAN IS MOVING FORWARD, AS WELL AS OUR BLUEPRINT RESPONSE MOVING FORWARD.
SO THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT. YEAH. THANK YOU.
I MEAN I, I AGREE, I JUST THE THE I KNOW THE EXPERTISE THAT'S IN THESE OFFICES AND, AND I KNOW THE DIFFICULTY OF WHAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING OUT OF ANNAPOLIS WITH BUDGET CONCERNS.
BUT THIS IS GOING TO BE COMPLICATED. AND THE COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ABE MSDE ARE JUST THEY'RE JUST EXCESSIVE. LIKE, WE JUST WE HAVE TO GET THE PLAN RIGHT AND WE HAVE TO KNOW WHERE WE'RE HEADED.
SO I, I WOULD ASK THAT WE DO NOT REDUCE POSITIONS HERE THIS YEAR.
THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER BOOZER STROTHER. BOARD MEMBER MOSS.
YEAH. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR QUESTIONS. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR YOUR COMMENTS AROUND THIS ITEM.
I PROPOSE THIS AMENDMENT IN THAT THE INITIAL OFFICE, THE THE INITIAL FINDINGS, WAS THAT THIS OFFICE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ESSER ONE, TWO AND THREE REPORTING AND LEADS, GRANTS AND MANY OF THE INITIATIVES.
MY UNDERSTANDING ARE OUR EXPIRING THAT WE'RE IN THIS GRANT.
IN NO WAY WAS THE IDEA TO GET RID OF BLUEPRINT STAFF.
THE SPIRIT OF THIS AMENDMENT WAS TO COMBINE THESE TWO OFFICES WHO BOTH HAVE STRATEGY IN THEIR TITLE, HAS STRATEGIC, STRATEGIC FUNCTIONS. AND SO THAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THIS.
IN NO WAY WAS THIS AN ATTEMPT TO REMOVE STAFF WHO HAD BEEN WORKING ON BLUEPRINT.
ONLY ONE OF THESE OFFICES WAS ACTUALLY DOING BLUEPRINT.
THE GOAL HERE WAS TO HAVE A COST SAVINGS MEASURE TO, YOU KNOW, TO BE QUITE HONEST, WE HAVE TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS AROUND BUDGET ITEMS SOMETIMES AND MAKE SURE WE DON'T IMPACT SCHOOLS AND CLASSROOMS. SO THIS IS LARGELY DRIVEN BY THAT. I DO BELIEVE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACCEPT A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT AROUND THIS TO RATHER THAN REDUCING 50% OF THE STAFF NOT HAVING TWO DIRECTORS. I DO BELIEVE WE DON'T NEED TWO DIRECTORS TO RUN THESE TWO OFFICES.
SO MY AMENDMENT PROPOSES MERGING THESE OFFICES.
AND ONCE YOU MERGE IT REDUCE THE STAFF BY 50%.
I AM AMENABLE TO REMOVING TWO POSITIONS ONCE THE OFFICES ARE MERGED, RATHER THAN 50%, BECAUSE THERE IS A REDUCTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES, THERE IS NO PLANNING AROUND ESSER ONE, TWO AND THREE.
SO I AM AMENABLE TO REVISING, BUT I DO THINK THESE OFFICES NEED TO BE COMBINED TO DO THIS WORK.
THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER MOSS. I SAW A HAND. OKAY.
THE HAND IS BACK UP. BOARD MEMBER. WOULD YOU MIND LETTING ME GET TO BOARD MEMBER WALKER AND THEN COMING BACK TO YOU FOR OUR, WELL, BOARD MEMBER WALKER, THEN SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE, AND THEN BACK TO YOU FOR SECOND ROUND.
[01:10:01]
I'D BE GLAD TO TO KIND OF SHARE MY THOUGHTS HERE.I DON'T KNOW IF IT'LL ANSWER THE QUESTION THAT THAT YOU HAVE THAT I HAVEN'T HEARD AS OF YET.
CAN YOU ASK YOUR QUESTION FIRST? BOARD MEMBER WALKER OR DO YOU.
ARE YOU JUST WAITING FOR WHATEVER? YEAH. LET ME JUST GO.
NO PROBLEM. I WAS GOING TO TAP INTO WHAT DOCTOR MOSS HAS ALREADY SAID.
I THINK THAT IN THIS EFFORT OF GOING THROUGH HERE TO ASSIST AS MUCH AS WE COULD WITH THE $37 MILLION DEFICIT, IT WAS TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE CONSOLIDATION COULD HAPPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT TITLES LIKE STRATEGY, NOT REALLY KNOWING THE DETAILS OF THEM, BUT READING WHAT THEY ARE AND SEEING THAT ONE ASPECT IS LOOKING AT BLUEPRINT, ANOTHER ONE ISN'T REALLY TRYING TO COME UP WITH CREATIVE IDEAS TO REDUCE THAT BUDGET AND TAP INTO US GETTING MORE MONEY INTO THE CLASSROOMS. WITH THAT SAID, I WAS ALSO GOING TO DRAW ON PART OF THIS MONEY.
AND THAT'S ACROSS ALL CENTRAL OFFICES. AND SO I WILL I JUST WANTED TO STATE THAT THERE.
AND SO IF DOCTOR STRADER IS ABLE TO RUN THIS EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENCY WITH WHAT WE HAVE NOW IN ORDER TO GET THE JOB DONE, I SAY THAT WE LEAN ON THE EXPERT, AND IF HE'S ABLE TO DO THAT, THEN WE DO THAT SO WE CAN USE THE FUNDING ELSEWHERE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER. WALKER. SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE.
YES. I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO HAVE DOUG STRADER, CHIEF TRADER, TO TO JUMP IN HERE.
WHAT WE DO KNOW IS, OF COURSE, THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS GOING THROUGH SOME MAJOR CHANGES.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
IT'S GOING TO, YOU KNOW, PICK UP THESE RESPONSIBILITIES.
BUT I DO WANT CHIEF SCHRADER TO SHARE SOME SPECIFICS AROUND WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE.
I WILL SAY THIS. WE HAVE REALLY STARTED TO DO SOME WORK ON THE AT THE CABINET LEVEL TO ENSURE THAT THESE TEAMS COME IN ON A CONSISTENT BASIS, TO START MERGING BLUEPRINTS, START MERGING THE IDEA OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, KNOWING THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE MOVING INTO A NEW FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN VERY SOON. SO WE HAD SOME SYNERGY REALLY, REALLY GOING DOCTOR SCHRADER, YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
SO I JUST WANTED EVERYONE TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE STRATEGIC INITIATIVES OFFICE THAT'S CURRENTLY COMPRISED OF A DIRECTOR AND AN ADMIN ASSISTANT SUPPORTING THAT DIRECTOR AND TWO SPECIALISTS. SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT REDUCING THIS OFFICE BY TWO POSITIONS, THAT'S LEAVING TRULY ONE PERSON TO MANAGE ALL OF BLUEPRINT.
SO THE PLUSES AND MINUSES WILL BE RELATIVELY COST NEUTRAL.
BUT THE BLUEPRINT EFFORT ITSELF, WITH ALL OF THE PLANNING, ALL OF THE PROGRESS MONITORING, EVERYTHING THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THIS IS GOING TO BE A BIGGER JOB THAN JUST ONE PERSON.
SO I'M JUST I'M JUST TRYING TO PUT IT OUT THERE.
I UNDERSTAND IT SOUNDS LIKE TWO POSITIONS IS IS REASONABLE, BUT WE'VE BEEN ASKED TO ACTUALLY ADD TO THIS OFFICE AND ADD TO THE STRATEGIC PLANNING OFFICE AS WE'RE GETTING READY TO DEVELOP THESE PLANS.
SO THE REDUCTION IS JUST. SO I JUST WANTED TO CREATE THAT CONTEXT.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW AND TO REALIZE THAT THESE EMPLOYEES ARE MEMBERS OF THE UNION AS WELL.
SO IT COMES WITH YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE HAVE TO SHIFT THEM DIFFERENT PLACES THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING A CLOSE LOOK AT THIS THROUGH THROUGH HUMAN RESOURCES AS WELL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. I DON'T BELIEVE TO THIS POINT BOARD MEMBER MOSS HAS GOTTEN TO SPEAK ON THIS SPECIFIC AMENDMENT, AND NO BOARD MEMBER BRUCE STRUTHERS, YOUR HAND HAS BEEN UP.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET THROUGH ROUND ONE BEFORE WE GET TO SECOND ROUND.
SHE SHOULD ACTUALLY GO FIRST AND THEN I SHOULD GO SECOND.
BOARD MEMBER BOOZER STRUTHERS. I ALSO SEE CHIEF HOWELL'S HAND UP.
AND MAYBE SHE HAS SOME ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS BEFORE WE CONTINUE.
[01:15:06]
AND ONGOING COMPLIANCE, WE ARE IN THE VERY EARLY STAGES OF IMPLEMENTATION.THIS IS A HEAVY LIFT THAT'S GROWING BY THE DAY, BY EACH MONTH.
AND SO AS WE GET INTO THE NEXT PHASE OF THIS, THE WORK AROUND THE IMPLEMENTATION, THE ONGOING PLANNING AND THE MONITORING IS GOING TO INCREASE. AND IF WE'RE NOT IN COMPLIANCE, THERE'S A MAJOR FINANCIAL IMPACT WHERE OUR FUNDING WILL BE WITHHELD.
SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING VERY MINDFUL OF WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT AN OPPORTUNITY TO CUT COSTS COULD BE AT THE RISK OF NOT BEING IN COMPLIANCE, WHICH WILL RESULT IN FUNDING BEING WITHHELD TO THE DISTRICT.
THANK YOU, CHIEF HOWELL. BOARD MEMBER. STROTHER.
YEAH. THANK YOU. CHIEF. CHIEF HOWELL, YOU WELL, DOCTOR STRADER AND CHIEF HOWELL, YOU, YOU KNOW, BOTH REALLY GET TO MY CONCERNS AND AND MY EXPERIENCE IN, YOU KNOW, THE THE THE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION OF MARYLAND HAS REALLY YOU KNOW, BEEN HIGHLIGHTING THAT WE ARE MOVING INTO THIS CRITICAL AREA OF, OF COMPLIANCE AND REPORTING. AND IT'S, I THINK, 179 REPORTS THAT EACH DISTRICT WILL BE PROVIDING.
IT'S A REALLY BIG NUMBER. IT'S IN IT'S IN THERE.
14 PAGE PLAN THIS YEAR MENTIONS IT. AND THERE IS A RISK.
RISK OF LOSS OF FUNDS. AND NOW THERE'S A NEW BILL THAT'S TALKING ABOUT COMMUNITY SCHOOLS AND COMPLIANCE AND POTENTIAL LOSS OF FUNDS THAT WE JUST I, I'M JUST VERY CONCERNED IF WE LOSE OUR EXPERTISE IN THIS REORG.
AND I I'LL BE VOTING NO FOR THOSE CONCERNS. AND I WILL CERTAINLY CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR REDUCTIONS TO HELP WITH THIS, BUT THIS ONE IS A RISK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
BOARD MEMBER. STRUTHERS. BOARD MEMBER. WALKER.
YES, ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PERSPECTIVES THAT YOU ALL ARE SHARING TONIGHT.
I THINK THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF THESE DISCUSSIONS HERE, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE CAN'T WATCH THE THE MEETING THAT JUST HAPPENED LAST NIGHT BECAUSE WE'RE ON OTHER BOARD CALLS. SO ONE OF THE THINGS I JUST WANTED TO SHARE IS, GIVEN WHAT I'M HEARING NOW IS A SEVERE RISK.
THIS IS WHAT I THINK I'M HEARING IS THAT WE'RE AT A SEVERE RISK OF NOT ONLY COMPLIANCE, BUT ALSO THE WORK THAT WE NEED TO DO IN THE OFFICE TO SUPPORT THE BLUEPRINT WITH THIS PROPOSED REDUCTION. DOCTOR STRADER, CAN YOU HELP US WITH IF YOU WERE TO GO KNOWING THE WORK THAT IS THERE IS THERE ANY SORT OF MERGING AND INTEGRATION THAT CAN HAPPEN TO EXECUTE THE WORK? AND WHAT COULD THAT LOOK LIKE INSIDE OF THE OFFICE? I THINK JUST TO DRIVE FOR SOLUTIONS FOCUSED ACTIVITIES.
WHERE ARE YOU? I LOST WHERE YOU ARE. THERE YOU ARE ON MY SCREEN.
YEAH. SO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING THROUGH PLANS OF POSSIBLY LOOKING AT MERGING THE TWO OFFICES TO BOARD MEMBER BRIGGS, I BELIEVE. OR MOSS. WAS MENTIONING THE FACT THAT WE DON'T NEED TWO DIRECTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS OFFICE, AND WE WOULD AGREE WE'D BE LOOKING AT MOVING TOWARDS A SUPERVISOR WITH THREE SPECIALISTS UNDER THERE.
BUT AS WE LOOK TO ADJUST THE POSITIONS AND REALIGN THE POSITIONS TO BETTER SUPPORT BLUEPRINT, THERE WOULD BE SOME PLUSES AND MINUSES AND REDEFINING THESE POSITIONS.
BUT WE ARE LOOKING TO REORG AND COMBINE THESE EFFORTS UNDER ONE DIRECTOR AND MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
THANK YOU. I'LL GIVE MY REMAINING TIME. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE BECAUSE WHEN WE VOTE ON THIS, WE'RE GOING TO BE VOTING ON THAT PIECE THERE, AS WELL AS THE 10% FOR CENTRAL OFFICES.
THANKS. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER WALKER I DON'T THINK IN THE RULES WE HAVE TO GIVE REMAINING TIME, BUT I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER MOSS.
MOTHS. YEAH. SO I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY A COUPLE OF POINTS THAT WERE MADE.
TO ONLY REMOVE THE DIRECTOR SO THAT WE CAN MOVE THESE SERVICES OVER.
[01:20:05]
AND AS WE CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH THIS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO MAKE THE CASE FOR THAT.WE'VE NOT TALKED ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLANNING AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OFFICE AND HOW IT'S STAFFED AND WHAT THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES ARE, WHICH IS WHERE THIS WOULD BE FOLDED INTO. BUT IN THE INTEREST OF CONCERN, I'M WILLING TO AMEND MY AMENDMENT TONIGHT AND REMOVE THE DIRECTOR SO THAT THERE'S NO THERE ARE NOT TWO DIRECTORS NOW THAT THIS OFFICE CAN BE FULLY CONSOLIDATED, WHICH WAS THE SPIRIT OF IT.
AND I DO WANT TO CLARIFY ONE POINT SO THAT WE'RE NOT OVER, YOU KNOW, FOCUSING ON THE ROLE, THE CHIEF OF ACCOUNTABILITY UNDER DOCTOR STRADER HAS SOMEONE WHO DOES FEDERAL REPORTING.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE AN ESSAY ENTITLED ONE COORDINATOR IN THIS OFFICE.
WE ALSO HAVE SOMEONE FROM MONITORING AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
IF YOU HAVE AN OFFICE THAT'S FOCUSED ON MONITORING AND ACCOUNTABILITY, THEY COULD ACTUALLY MONITOR AND ENSURE ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE BLUEPRINT AS WELL. I DON'T THINK YOU NEED ANOTHER OFFICE DOING MONITORING AND ACCOUNTABILITY SEPARATE FROM MONITORING AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE BLUEPRINT.
THERE IS SOME DUPLICATION OF SERVICES I SEE HERE, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU ALL ARE WORKING HERE EVERY DAY.
I'LL PULL BACK ON MY AMENDMENT. BUT I WOULD ASK THE SUPERINTENDENT THAT AS YOU THINK ABOUT REWORKING, THERE'S THERE'S A CONSIDERATION FOR HOW WE CONSOLIDATE SERVICES.
I JUST DON'T SEE HOW WE CAN DO THAT. AND THIS IS THE FIRST STEP THAT I SAW.
BUT IN THE INTEREST OF THIS CONVERSATION, I WILL PULL BACK ON MY AMENDMENT.
BUT I'LL ONLY ASK THAT THE AMENDMENT BE TO MERGE THE TWO OFFICES AND REMOVE ONE OF THE DIRECTORS IN THE INTEREST OF THE CONVERSATION, BUT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A LOT OF TOUGH DECISIONS OVER THE NEXT YEAR AROUND BUDGET, AND WE CAN ALL MAKE THE CASE.
THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBER MOSS. I DID HAVE MY HAND RAISED.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HAVING EQUITY OF VOICE IN THESE CONVERSATIONS.
THANK YOU. SO ACTUALLY DOCTOR MOSS'S COMMENT WAS HELPFUL.
I WAS TRYING TO GET CLARITY ON WHEN EXACTLY WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE ORIGINAL AMENDMENT, OR IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT KIND OF THIS SUGGESTED ADAPTATION. AND SO I WASN'T SURE. SO IF YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO WHAT THIS COULD LOOK LIKE WITH THIS SUGGESTED REVISION, IF THAT WAS WHAT YOU WERE SPEAKING TO WHEN YOU WERE SAYING THAT, I THINK I HEARD YOU SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, REMOVING OF TWO OFFICES CERTAINLY WAS.
I'M SORRY. TWO POSITIONS CERTAINLY WAS NOT FEASIBLE.
BUT IF WE ACTUALLY DID ADOPT IT AND SUGGEST TO HAVE IT JUST BE ONE, ONE ROLE, COULD YOU SPEAK TO WHAT THAT COULD POTENTIALLY LOOK LIKE? OR IF YOU IF YOU'RE ABLE TO AT THIS POINT OR IF YOU NEED MORE TIME TO THINK, TO ACTUALLY THINK THROUGH AND SPEAK TO WHAT THAT COULD LOOK LIKE OR HOW THAT WOULD IMPACT YOUR OFFICE. SO I'M, I'M STRUGGLING WITH THIS A LITTLE BIT.
THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF INDIVIDUAL POSITIONS TO ME HERE NEEDS A LOT MORE WORK THAN JUST TALKING THROUGH THIS IN AN AGENDA, YOU KNOW, IN A BOARD MEETING OF THIS SORT. THE THE BLUEPRINT OFFICE HAS SIGNIFICANT RESPONSIBILITIES AND WHAT IT DOES ACROSS THE STATE, THE BLUEPRINT IS DEFINING OUR FUNDING.
IT IS WHAT WE DO. SO ANY REDUCTIONS TO THIS OFFICE, LIKE WE SHARED EARLIER, WOULD BE PROBLEMATIC TO REDEFINE POSITIONS, BETTER ALIGN RESOURCES ACROSS OTHER OFFICES. TO BOARD MEMBER MOSS'S POINT, WE ARE LOOKING ALWAYS TO MAXIMIZE OUR EFFICIENCIES AND SO FORTH. SO AGAIN, I'M STRUGGLING WITH POINTING OUT PARTICULAR POSITIONS BECAUSE AGAIN, THIS IS THIS IS CHALLENGING WITHOUT ESPECIALLY UNDERSTANDING THE DETAILS OF WHAT THESE PARTICULAR POSITIONS DO.
SO BOARD MEMBER MOSS, IF THERE'S A MOTION TO ELIMINATE POSITIONS FROM MY DIVISION.
BUT TO ATTEMPT TO CALL OUT INDIVIDUAL POSITIONS AND TRY TO TELL YOU HOW I WOULD DO THIS IF YOU DID X, Y, AND Z, THAT THAT'S REALLY A CHALLENGE FOR ON THE SPOT.
SO I WOULD YOU KNOW, I'M, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO BEST ANSWER THIS QUESTION.
SO YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING TO MAXIMIZE OUR EFFICIENCIES.
WE ARE LOOKING BETWEEN THESE OFFICES TO MAXIMIZE OUR EFFICIENCIES AND OUR STRATEGIC INITIATIVES.
[01:25:03]
OFFICE WORKS VERY CLOSELY WITH GRANTS. THERE'S BECAUSE THEY'RE BOTH WITHIN THE STRATEGIC PLANNING RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.SO TO SAY I'M GOING TO PULL ONE PERSON AND HOW THAT WOULD IMPACT THE WHOLE, YOU KNOW, OR TWO PEOPLE.
OR IF YOU ELIMINATE A DIRECTOR. THE DIRECTOR ALSO HAS THE ASSISTANT THAT GOES WITH THEM. SO IT'S AN IMPACT OF TWO PEOPLE. SO THERE'S A LOT OF NUANCES IN WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE. SO THAT'S WHY IT'S IT'S PROBLEMATIC. YOU KNOW IF THERE'S INTEREST IN REDUCTION OF POSITIONS, YOU KNOW I'D LIKE TO KEEP THAT AT A HIGH LEVEL, YOU KNOW, SO WE CAN BEST FIGURE OUT WHERE AND HOW THAT WOULD BE LEAST INTRUSIVE TO THE OPERATIONS OF OUR DIVISION. THANK YOU, DOCTOR STRADER.
DOCTOR MURPHY. BALDWIN. YEAH. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
I JUST WANTED TO JUMP IN BECAUSE I KNOW AS WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THE DIALOG REGARDING POSITIONS AND STAFFING, I WANT US TO BE MINDFUL THAT MANY, IF NOT ALL OF THESE INDIVIDUALS WE ARE REFERENCING ARE IN THE UNIONS AS THE SUPERINTENDENT REFERENCED, WHICH ALSO MEANS THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF A POSITION WERE TO BE ELIMINATED, HUMAN RESOURCES WOULD STILL OWE THAT INDIVIDUAL A POSITION. AND SO WE WOULD JUST BE MOVING THAT PERSON, THAT POSITION, THAT FUNDING TO JUST SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
I ALSO WANT TO BE MINDFUL THAT WITH THE NEGOTIATED AGREEMENT, ALONG WITH ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES, HAVING A CONVERSATION THAT CENTERS SPECIFICALLY ON POSITIONS THAT WOULD HAVE INCUMBENTS DOES OPEN US UP FOR LIABILITY, THAT IF MATTERS ARE LITIGATED BECAUSE OF THIS CONVERSATION, IT COULD POTENTIALLY RESULT IN ACTUALLY MORE MONEY BEING SPENT ON THINGS THAT WE ACTUALLY DON'T WANT TO DO, SUCH AS LITIGATED MATTERS. SO I THINK DOCTOR SCHROEDER SAID IT SO ELOQUENTLY THAT WE DO WANT TO LOOK AT A HIGH LEVEL AND STAY AWAY FROM POSITIONS, BECAUSE MANY HAVE INCUMBENTS IN IT. THAT I JUST WANT US TO BE MINDFUL, WOULD SPEAK AGAINST OUR ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES AND EVEN SOME OF OUR BOARD POLICIES.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DOCTOR MURPHY. BALDWIN.
DOCTOR MOSS. I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
I DON'T BELIEVE OUR DIRECTORS ARE PART OF THE UNION.
WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION A LITTLE BIT LATER. IF I'M WRONG, I STAND CORRECTED.
BUT WHAT I WANTED TO SAY IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAD 2700 FTES LAST YEAR THAT WENT UNFILLED.
AND SO I DON'T THINK WE'RE SHORT ON OPPORTUNITIES TO FIND FOLKS A PLACE TO WORK.
BUT WHAT I DO WANT TO CLARIFY IS THAT I HOLD TRUE.
YOU KNOW, I THESE AMENDMENTS HAVE BEEN POSTED FOR A NUMBER OF DAYS.
IF THIS ADMINISTRATION BELIEVES THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO REORG CHIEF STRADER'S DIVISION.
I WOULD HAVE GLADLY ACCEPTED THAT BEFORE THIS CONVERSATION.
NOW BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS.
AND SO WE'RE NOT SHORT ON OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO WORK IN OTHER ROLES.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF ROLES THAT WEREN'T FILLED. I MEAN, I FOUND OUT TODAY, YOU KNOW, WE HAD 20 ATHLETIC ATHLETIC TRAINER POSITIONS, 12 OF THEM YOU KNOW, WE LOOKED AT, I MEAN, 12 OF THEM LAST YEAR IN THE BUDGET.
WE ONLY FILLED WE ONLY FILLED TWO. SO THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES.
WE'VE GOT TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF OUR RESOURCES.
AND I JUST WANT TO END MY COMMENTS THERE. FAVOR.
THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER MOSS. BOARD MEMBER. WALKER.
YES, THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU KNOW, AS WE CONTINUE DOWN THESE AMENDMENTS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHERE WE FOUND POSITIONS AND WHERE SOME OPPORTUNITIES ARE. SO I THANK YOU, DOCTOR BALDWIN, FOR REMINDING US ABOUT UNIONS AND ABOUT BEING GOOD STEWARDS OF OUR PEOPLE.
SO TO THE PUBLIC LOOKING ON, THIS IS AS A RESULT OF $37 MILLION AND OUR STRUGGLE WHEN WE ARE THERE TALKING ABOUT BLUEPRINT AND HOW WE'RE FIGHTING FOR MAKING SURE WE KEEP THE COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR OUR SCHOOLS, LIKE WE'RE THERE FIGHTING.
AND AS WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE RESOURCES, AND I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT DOUG STRADER'S, DOCTOR STRADER'S, I'M JUST TALKING IN GENERAL. AS WE CONTINUE WITH THESE AMENDMENTS, YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR, LIKE, HEY, ABOUT CENTRAL OFFICES, RIGHT? NOBODY'S LOOKED AT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM.
[01:30:04]
BUT WHEN WE SAY CUT TRAVEL BY POTENTIALLY 10% THE SAME IN THE BOARD OFFICE, LIKE I HAVE AN AMENDMENT FOR THAT TO IT IS JUST WE GOT TO FIND WHERE THIS MONEY IS.SO I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT A PERSONAL THING.
IT IS. WHERE CAN WE REALLY SHAVE AND STILL DO THE WORK THAT WE NEED FOR OUR FOR OUR SCHOLARS? SO, DOCTOR STRADER, I THINK WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY IS THAT YOU ARE ALIGNED WITH THE REVISED AMENDMENT, WHICH WAS TO LOOK AT THE DIRECTORS INSIDE OF YOUR DIVISION.
AND IF THAT IS, IF THAT STILL HOLDS TRUE, THEN I THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO MOVE ON TO IS THAT WHAT I UNDERSTAND, DOCTOR STRADER? BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE BEFORE I VOTE THAT THAT'S WHAT YOU WERE ALIGNED TO, KIND OF TAKING A LOOK AT THAT STRUCTURE THERE WITH THE REVISED AMENDMENT THAT WAS SUGGESTED. WELL, I APPROVE THE REDUCTION OF THE DIRECTOR POSITION. YES. THANK YOU, DOCTOR STRADER. AND I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY.
IT'S JUST TAKING A LOOK AT WHERE WE CAN GRAB PIECES.
THANK YOU. AND I SEE MISS SOUTH, BUT I'M DONE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, BOARD MEMBER WALKER.
I'M GOING TO BECAUSE I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO SAY ANYTHING.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I GET MY COMMENT ON AND THEN I WILL GET BACK TO YOU AGAIN.
THIS CHAIR. CHAIR MCCANTS, WHAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT IS I'VE HEARD US TALK A LOT ABOUT THE $37 MILLION GAP AND WHAT WE HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO, WHICH I THINK WOULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL, IS TO HAVE OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE FOCUSED ON ALREADY, WHAT WE'RE THINKING.
SO THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THE BOARD COULD HEAR WHERE WE ARE IN REFERENCE TO THE GAP.
ABSOLUTELY. AND I HAVE EVERY INTENTION OF RECOGNIZING CHIEF HOWELL.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD FOR THE RECORD THAT WE HAVE ARE NOW ON OUR THIRD BUDGET WORK SESSION AND QUESTIONS, ETC. AND THIS IS NOT TO ANY ONE PARTICULAR PERSON.
QUESTIONS HAVE COME UP REPEATEDLY. WE'VE ASKED AS BOARD MEMBERS QUESTIONS REPEATEDLY, AND THE RESPONSES THAT WE HAVE GOTTEN HAVE CONTINUOUSLY BEEN EITHER WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU, OR THEY ARE ANSWERS THAT DO NOT DIRECTLY ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS, TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE THEN GETTING QUESTIONS FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS ABOUT, HEY, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAD A BACK ROOM CONVERSATION ABOUT X, Y, AND Z.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT SINCE WE ARE IN THIS PUBLIC FORUM NOW, AND WE HAVE DEFINITELY HEARD FROM DOCTOR MURPHY, BALDWIN AND EVERYONE ELSE ABOUT ALL OF THE POTENTIAL IMPLICATIONS OF SOME OF THESE AMENDMENTS.
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY HELPFUL, AND I HOPE IN THE FUTURE WE CAN HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS, LIKE WHEN THE QUESTION IS DIRECTLY ASKED AS OPPOSED TO GETTING IN THIS SITUATION.
NOW ON OUR THIRD BUDGET WORK SESSION, WHERE WE'RE LITERALLY HAVING IT WHEN WE ARE TRYING TO VOTE ON AMENDMENTS THAT QUESTIONS WERE ASKED DIRECTLY ABOUT WEEKS AGO. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT STATEMENT.
AND I SEE OUR CHAIR HAS RAISED HIS HAND AS WELL.
CHAIR JACKSON. YEAH. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO TO CALL FOR A VOTE FOR THESE, FOR THIS AMENDMENT, FOR THESE AMENDMENTS.
TO END THIS. SO CAN I JUST DO A POINT OF ORDER? I JUST COULDN'T HEAR DOCTOR STRADER'S ANSWER.
THAT WAS ALL I WAS RAISING MY HAND FOR. I COULD NOT HEAR WHAT YOU HOW YOU ANSWERED THE QUESTION.
SO MAY I. SO THE QUESTION THAT WAS POSED WAS, WOULD I SUPPORT A REDUCTION OF THE DIRECTOR POSITION IN THIS OFFICE, THE DIRECTOR ACTUALLY OVERSEEING THE BLUEPRINT OFFICE? MY RESPONSE WOULD BE. I WOULD PREFER TO BE ABLE TO HONOR A REDUCTION SOMEPLACE WITHIN MY DIVISION, AND BE GIVEN THE COURTESY OF IDENTIFYING WHICH POSITIONS I COULD ADDRESS.
SO, FOR INSTANCE, AS WE'VE SHARED THE THE BLUEPRINT RESPONSIBILITIES ARE SO GREAT.
IF I COULD BE GIVEN THE ABILITY OF JUST ONE POSITION OR TWO POSITIONS WITHIN MY DIVISION, I WOULD PREFER TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT REORGS AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN MY DIVISION FOR THOSE POSITIONS, INSTEAD OF SINGLING OUT THE POSITIONS WITHIN MY BLUEPRINT OFFICE.
THIS IS THE CHALLENGE THAT I'M FACING IN RESPONDING TO THIS QUESTION IN THIS PARTICULAR AMENDMENT.
SO THAT'S AGAIN WHERE THE BLUEPRINT IS SUCH A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY TO REDUCE.
[01:35:04]
AND AS BOARD MEMBER MOSS SHARED IN THE OTHER OFFICE.THERE MIGHT BE OTHER OFFICES WITHIN THE DIVISION THAT COULD BE ADDRESSED HERE OR THERE OR WHEREVER, BUT THAT'S NOT THE QUESTION I'M BEING POSED, WHICH IS THE CHALLENGE THAT I'M FACING HERE.
SO AGAIN, USUALLY WE'RE ASKED ABOUT OVERALL REDUCTIONS FOR DIVISION, REDUCTIONS IN STAFFING, WHATEVER THE CASES, WE CAN ADDRESS THAT. BUT AGAIN, THIS CHALLENGE IS BECAUSE YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT A PARTICULAR OFFICE THAT HAS SUCH HIGH RESPONSIBILITIES AND YOU'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS FISCAL NEEDS.
AND THIS IS JUST REALLY PROBLEMATIC. SO WOULD I SUPPORT ANY REDUCTIONS TO THE BLUEPRINT OFFICE? NO. ARE WE GOING TO LOOK TO GAIN EFFICIENCIES BY REDUCING A DIRECTOR ROLE, PERHAPS, AND UPGRADING ANOTHER POSITION TO BEST SUPPORT THE WORK OF BLUEPRINT? BUT THAT'S ALIGNING THE RESOURCES WITH ANOTHER OFFICE THAT CAN SHARE RESPONSIBILITIES.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DOCTOR SCHROEDER. AND DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THE POSITION THAT YOU ARE IN.
OBVIOUSLY, AS A CENTRAL OFFICE LEADER, MYSELF AND ANOTHER DISTRICT, I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND.
I JUST WANT TO I HAVE A POINT OF ORDER. I HAVE A POINT OF ORDER.
AND SO I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD PAUSE YOUR OF WHAT YOU WANTED TO DO CHAIR WITH THAT INFORMATION.
AND I GENERALLY KNOW PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE, BUT I'M LOST AT THIS POINT.
SO I WILL WHEREVER IT FITS. YES, I DO WANT TO HAVE A CHIEF WHO WILL BE ABLE TO SPEAK, BECAUSE WE ALL WANT TO HEAR THAT ANSWER. I JUST WANT TO DO WE HAVE THE PARLIAMENTARIAN HERE TO LET US KNOW WHAT IS THE PROPER THING.
SO WE ARE NOT COMPLETELY OUT OF ORDER AT THIS POINT.
IF THE PARLIAMENTARIAN IS NOT HERE, I WILL DEFER TO JACKSON TO KNOW.
SO WHAT I THINK CAN HAPPEN IS THAT I CAN REMOVE MY MOTION TO CALL FOR THE VOTE OFF THE FLOOR, AND THEN YOU CAN PROCEED WITH ENTERTAINING CHIEF HOWELL AND THEN WE CAN MOVE FORWARD FROM THERE.
THANK YOU. CHAIR. JACKSON. CHIEF HOWELL. THANK YOU.
SO JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR BUDGET DEFICIT.
YESTERDAY IN THE MEETING, I PROVIDED AN UPDATE ON OUR REVENUE PROJECTIONS BASED OFF OF THE STATE AID THAT WAS RELEASED IN MID JANUARY, BASED OFF OF CURRENT LEGISLATION. BASED OFF OF THAT CURRENT LEGISLATION, OUR REVENUE IS GOING UP AROUND $19 MILLION.
SO THAT BRINGS THE DEFICIT THAT WE HAD OF 37.5 MILLION, DOWN TO AROUND 23 MILLION.
AND OUT OF THAT 23 MILLION, WE'VE ALREADY BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY AROUND FOUR, 4 OR 5 MILLION.
WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT MEASURES IN ORDER TO CLOSE THE GAP.
THAT INCLUDES LOOKING AT REVISED BUDGET ASSUMPTIONS.
THAT INCLUDES LOOKING AT ORGANIZATIONAL EFFICIENCIES.
THAT INCLUDES REDUCTION IN DISCRETIONARY SPEND.
AND AS I STATED YESTERDAY IN THE MEETING, A LOT OF THAT HAS BEEN TARGETED LOOKING AT OUR BUDGET AND OUR PRIOR YEAR EXPENDITURES, TREND ANALYSIS, TO SEE WHERE THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO SPECIFICALLY TARGET AND REDUCE THE BUDGET TO ALIGN WITH HISTORICAL ACTUALS.
AND THEN LOOKING AT I MENTIONED LOOKING AT SOME OF OUR BROAD SYSTEMIC PROJECTIONS.
AND I WANT TO PUT A PIN IN THE CONVERSATION AROUND RESERVES BECAUSE, AS YOU KNOW, WITH ANY BUDGET, IT'S A STALE AS SOON AS IT'S APPROVED. AND YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO HAVE A CONTINGENCY PLAN.
SO IT'S A FINE BALANCE BETWEEN HOW MUCH OF A CONTINGENCY DO YOU HAVE FOR THINGS THAT WILL COME UP DURING THE YEAR THAT YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT, VERSUS USING THOSE FUNDS UPFRONT IN ORDER TO FUND OTHER EFFORTS THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF AT THAT MOMENT.
[01:40:09]
DISTRICT. SO BASED OFF OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE A PATH TO CLOSE THE GAP AS IT STANDS NOW.WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE KNOW THAT CURRENTLY FUNNELING THROUGH THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ARE THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE BLUEPRINT THAT WOULD PAUSE ASPECTS OF IT THAT WOULD IMPACT OUR FUNDING. AND THERE'S DIFFERENT VARIATIONS, DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS TAKING PLACE. BUT BASED OFF OF THE BILLS THAT ARE OUT THERE NOW, WE WOULD STAND TO LOSE ADDITIONAL CAN I KEEP GOING OR AM I OUT OF TIME? WE WOULD STAND TO LOSE AN ADDITIONAL $20 MILLION, AND THAT WOULD INCREASE OUR DEFICIT UP TO AROUND 62 MILLION.
I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR THAT THE PAUSE AND BLUEPRINT IS GOING TO RESULT IN AN IMPACT TO NOT ONLY CENTRAL OFFICE, BUT TO SCHOOLS, BECAUSE THAT FUNDING IS DIRECTLY DIRECTED TOWARDS SCHOOLS.
SO THERE'S THE BLUEPRINT FUNDING THAT'S FUNDED BY THE STATE AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
SO WE HAVE SOMEWHAT OF A DIRECTION. IF THAT BILL DOES GO THROUGH, THAT'S GOING TO PAUSE THAT ASPECT OF THE BLUEPRINT, BUT IT IS GOING TO HIT THE ENTIRE DISTRICT, CENTRAL OFFICE AND SCHOOLS.
THERE'S NO WAY AROUND IT. WE CAN'T AVOID THAT.
BUT BASED OFF OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, BASED OFF OF LEGISLATION THAT EXISTS RIGHT NOW.
OUR BUDGET GAP HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED. WE HAVE A PATH TO CLOSE THAT.
SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET.
AND I'M JUST I SINCERELY APPRECIATE YOU FOR GIVING US THAT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
AND SO I SINCERELY APPRECIATE YOU GIVING US THAT INFORMATION NOW.
BUT SOME OF THAT INFORMATION WOULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY HELPFUL TO HAVE YESTERDAY, BUT I DO I SEE ADDITIONAL HANDS AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE I GIVE BOARD MEMBER MOSS AN OPPORTUNITY TO AMEND HIS AMENDMENT. YEAH, I YOU KNOW, I WANT TO APPRECIATE THE WORK OF EVERYONE IN OUR DISTRICT.
I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM, CHIEF STRADER.
AND I'LL OBLIGE. BUT BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THIS.
I DON'T KNOW THAT I STILL UNDERSTAND THE PATH.
AND AS AND I HAVE A FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT OUR RESOURCES.
AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD WE HAD A PLAN.
BUT GIVEN THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION SAYS WE HAVE A PLAN.
I'M AMENABLE TO CHIEF SCHRADER'S RECOMMENDATION THAT HE'LL WANT TO GO THROUGH HIS OFFICE.
BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT HE SHOULD HAVE TO BE THE ONLY ONE TO DO THAT.
THE OTHERS SHOULD. OTHERS SHOULD JOIN IN THAT FIGHT.
AND DO THIS. BUT IF YOU ALL HAVE A PLAN, I'D LOVE TO SEE IT.
AND IF THERE'S A PLAN TO REDUCE ALL 37, I'LL REMOVE MY AMENDMENT TONIGHT.
I HAVE OTHER ONES, BUT I'VE YET TO SEE ONE. THANK YOU.
SO I WOULD DEFER TO THE SUPERINTENDENT AT THIS POINT IF HE'D LIKE TO RESPOND TO MY COMMENTS.
THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBER MOSS. IN CONVERSATION IN REFERENCE, I USUALLY GET AN UPDATE SPECIFICALLY AROUND OMAHA, AND IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS INFORMATION REFERENCED TO REDUCTIONS WAS PROVIDED TO THE BOARD YESTERDAY.
SO JUST WANTED AND I'M NOT SURE. LISA, YOU MAY JUMP IN.
THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING WHEN WE WE DISCUSSED AND YOU PROVIDED UPDATES AND REFERENCE TO OMAHA, BUT THAT WAS THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING. YEAH.
[01:45:01]
LET ME GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PRESENTATION, BUT THERE'S AN UPDATE ON THE REVENUE. THERE'S AN UPDATE ON THE REDUCED BUDGET GAP.AND IF YOU GO BACK AND LISTEN TO THE SESSION, IT IS RECORDED. I DON'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF. I'VE GOT 13 SECONDS, BUT THAT PATH STILL ISN'T CLEAR. YOU SAID YOU HAVE A PATH, BUT THE PATH ISN'T CLEAR.
AND I GUESS SINCE I MADE THAT SPECIFIC STATEMENT, THAT IS WHAT I WAS REFERRING TO.
THE IDEA THAT THE PATH AND ALL OF THAT KIND OF STUFF.
BEFORE WE GET INTO THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE PARTICULAR AMENDMENTS, I STILL SEE ADDITIONAL HANDS RAISED AND I KNOW WE DON'T WANT TO LIKE IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THIS INFORMATION AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC.
SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE RECOGNIZING HANDS AND ALSO RECOGNIZING THAT THE PROPOSER OF THIS AMENDMENT HAS PUT ON THE FLOOR A ADDITIONAL CHANGE OR AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT.
AND I DIDN'T HEAR A RESPONSE SPECIFICALLY TO HIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT OR CHANGE TO HIS AMENDMENT.
SO I GUESS THAT WOULD BE. SUPERINTENDENT CHIEF JACKSON HAS RAISED HIS HAND AS WELL.
THANK YOU. BOARD CHAIR JACKSON. IT'S ALL GOOD.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO POSTPONE THIS AMENDMENT.
TO GIVE FURTHER INFORMATION FROM CHIEF STRADER AND THE SUPERINTENDENT TO TALK THROUGH POSSIBLE REDUCTIONS, AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK AND VOTE ON IT AT ANOTHER TIME.
THAT'S MY MOTION. SECOND. THANK YOU. SINCE WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
MISS ADLENE, CAN YOU CALL A ROLL CALL? VOTE.
SORRY, DOCTOR. ANDERSON. HI. MISS AUSTRALIA. HI, MR. BRIGGS. HI, MRS. BROWN. HI, MISS MACKENZIE. HI, DOCTOR.
MISS WALKER. NO. NO. JUDGE JACKSON A.
THERE ARE SIX IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CLEAR.
AND I SEE, CHAIR JACKSON, YOUR HAND IS RAISED.
DID YOU NOT PUT IT DOWN? NO. YES. SORRY, I DIDN'T PUT IT DOWN.
APOLOGIES. THANK YOU. AND THEN. BOARD MEMBER.
WALKER, DID YOU HAVE AN ADDITIONAL STATEMENT ON THIS? WHAT WE JUST VOTED ON, OR ARE WE MOVING BECAUSE WE HAVE ANOTHER AMENDMENT? MY I JUST HAVE A WHENEVER THE RIGHT TIME IS JUST TO TALK ABOUT.
I'M, I'M A I'M EXTREMELY EXCITED, BUT REALLY SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT WE SAVED $37.3 MILLION, THAT WE HAVE A WAY TO CLOSE THAT. SO WHENEVER WE'RE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THAT PIECE RIGHT THERE.
YOU CAN LET ME KNOW WHEN THE APPROPRIATE TIME IS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. BECAUSE ARE WE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE OTHER AMENDMENTS OR ARE WE NOT OR ARE WE GOING TO POSTPONE THEM? WHEN DO WE TALK ABOUT IT? I'M JUST A LITTLE CONFUSED ON WHERE WE ARE AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME.
THANK YOU. SO AND AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE A PARLIAMENTARIAN.
MAYBE NOT BECAUSE WE'RE IN A BUDGET WORK SESSION.
I BELIEVE THE CONVERSATION WAS ABOUT THE SPECIFIC THE SPECIFIC ASK TO CUT A POSITION.
BUT WE STILL HAVE WE STILL HAVE THE STRATEGY OFFICES MERGER AND WE DO HAVE OTHER OFFICES.
I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, OTHER DIVISIONS TO DISCUSS ON THIS TO DISCUSS ON TONIGHT'S MEETING WITH OTHER AMENDMENTS. AND I KNOW THIS IS VERY CLEAR, LIKE WE ALL WANT THIS CLARITY ON THIS PATH FORWARD.
[01:50:03]
SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE ALL CLEAR ON WHAT IT IS THAT WE ARE VOTING ON AND MOVING FORWARD.CHIEF OF STAFF. BOYD. HI. YES. GOOD EVENING. I JUST WANTED TO BRING FORWARD A VERY QUICK QUESTION.
YOU MENTIONED EARLIER THAT THE INFORMATION WASN'T PRESENTED.
SO I JUST WANTED TO KNOW, ARE THERE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT WE CAN ADDRESS FROM THE PRESENTATION FROM YESTERDAY? THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO DEFER TO BOARD MEMBER WALKER.
AND THEN I WILL ANSWER. IS YOUR COMMITTEE? FEEL FREE TO PLEASE JUMP IN.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I THINK FOR MYSELF, WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL CONCERNS COME UP NOW ABOUT TALKING ABOUT POSITIONS, AND WE'VE GOT SEVERAL ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS COMING UP ABOUT SPECIFIC POSITIONS.
AND AGAIN, THESE AMENDMENTS WERE PUT FORTH BY LAST WEEK.
AND SO I, I PERSONALLY AM NOT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT OUR PATH FORWARD IS RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE IF THERE IS A LEGAL ISSUE WITH THOSE THINGS, I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT WASN'T BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION PRIOR TO US COMING TO THIS MEETING TODAY TO VOTE. AND QUITE FRANKLY, BEING IN FRONT OF THE PUBLIC, ACTING LIKE WE DID NOT SPEND HOURS AND HOURS PREPARING THIS AGENDA AS WELL AS THE WORK SESSIONS AND MEETINGS PRIOR TO THIS.
AND I THINK THAT IS WHERE WE ARE NOW GETTING INTO THE QUESTION.
AND I DON'T WANT TO BELABOR THE POINT, BUT WE ALSO, TO THAT POINT HAVE SEVERAL AMENDMENTS THAT ARE SIMILAR TO THIS AMENDMENT THAT IF WE HAVE THAT ISSUE, LIKE WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT ISSUE AS WE GO FORWARD TONIGHT.
SO, RESPECTFULLY, I THINK THAT THAT'S CLEAR. WHAT IS UNCLEAR IS THAT THERE'S A QUESTION ABOUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S CLARITY THAT IS NEEDED FROM THE PRESENTATION YESTERDAY. AND I THINK ON, ON ON TOP OF THAT, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU.
EVEN GIVEN THAT WE HAVE A PATHWAY RIGHT NOW IN REFERENCE TO THE GAP.
I'D LIKE TO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP A SESSION OF QUESTIONS.
QUESTION AND ANSWERS AROUND THE THE THE THE GAP, THE $37 MILLION GAP.
I SINCERELY APPRECIATE THAT. SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE.
YEAH, I'VE JUST GOT CHIEF BOYD, I APPRECIATE YOUR QUESTION, SUPERINTENDENT.
I APPRECIATE YOU OFFERING TO TO DO THIS. I'VE GOT ONE QUESTION, AND I.
IT IS A SIMPLE QUESTION. IF YOU ALL CAN PULL THE TABLE UP TODAY, I THINK YOU COULD END THIS CONVERSATION AND SAY, THIS IS WHERE WE'RE PROPOSING TO MAKE CUTS. THERE'S A MILLION HERE, THERE'S 2 MILLION HERE, THERE'S 3 MILLION HERE. AND THEN THE BOARD MEMBERS, WE DON'T HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD ON THESE AMENDMENTS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
I MEAN, WE'VE GOT AN AMENDMENT TO REDUCE TRAVEL COMING UP.
WE'VE GOT AN AMENDMENT TO REDUCE DO A 10% REDUCTION ACROSS OFFICES.
BUT IF THIS ADMINISTRATION PROVIDES US WITH A TABLE THAT SAYS WE'VE CLOSED THE GAP AND THIS IS WHERE WE'VE DONE IT, THEN WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO VOTE ON THOSE AMENDMENTS THAT THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING FOR.
THE QUESTION IS THAT SIMPLE? IF WE'VE GOT THAT TODAY, I THINK WE COULD GET OUT OF THIS MEETING.
AGREED. AND I THINK THIS IS THIS IS A SIMILAR PROCESS THAT THAT WE WENT THROUGH LAST YEAR WHERE WE FOCUSED ON THE HOW AND AND GOT THERE AND, CHIEF HOWELL, IF YOU WANT TO SHARE JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THAT PROCESS LOOKED LIKE.
OF COURSE, THE GAP IS A LITTLE BIT BIGGER THIS TIME, BUT WE DEVELOPED THE HOW AND GOT THE PEOPLE.
THANK YOU. SO YES, TYPICALLY WHEN WE'RE FACING ANY KIND OF BUDGET GAP OR BUDGET DEFICIT, IT IS AN ONGOING PROCESS. AND WE USUALLY TALK ABOUT THE HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE, BUT WE PROCESS AND WE SHARE THE DETAILS OF THAT LATER ON IN THE BUDGET
[01:55:05]
CYCLE. AND SO WE SAID VERY EARLY ON THAT WE WERE GOING TO TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT INTERNALLY WHAT WE COULD DO TO STAY AS FAR AWAY, AS FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE FROM THE SCHOOLS. BUT THE FIRST PART OF THIS WAS WAITING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR REVENUE ADJUSTMENTS WERE GOING TO BE, AND WE DID SHARE THAT IN THE MEETING A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.WE GAVE AN EARLY LOOK AT THAT POINT IN TIME THAT THE REVENUE WAS INCREASING BY $19 MILLION.
AND IT'S AN IT'S AN ONGOING PROCESS. WE'VE IDENTIFIED WHERE THERE MIGHT BE THERE'S NOT MIGHT BE THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO LOOK AT CONTRACT ASSESSMENTS, SOME OF OUR BUDGET ASSUMPTIONS. AND I'M TRYING NOT TO GET INTO THE SAUSAGE MAKING OF BUDGETS.
AS WE GET FURTHER THROUGH THE BUDGET CYCLE. SO TYPICALLY WHEN WE GET THROUGH THE REQUESTED CYCLE, THE PRIMARY FOCUS AT THAT POINT IN TIME IS TO REFLECT THE CHANGES IN OUR REVENUES.
AND THAT'S WHAT WILL BE TRANSMITTED OVER TO THE COUNTY.
IN ORDER TO CAPTURE THOSE REDUCTIONS BEFORE WE GET TO THE FINAL APPROVED BUDGET LATER ON IN JUNE.
BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY PROVIDE A HIGH LEVEL. I JUST HAVE TO WARN YOU, WE HAVE A VERY MANUAL PROCESS, AND SO I CAN GIVE YOU HIGH LEVEL ASSUMPTIONS OF WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO BE.
I WAS HOPING THAT WITH THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD YESTERDAY WITH THE UPDATE AND REVENUE AND OUR PATH FORWARD TO CLOSE THE GAP, THAT THERE WILL BE A LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS ONGOING BUDGET CONVERSATION IS GOING TO BE ONGOING.
BUT THAT WE DO FEEL THAT WE'RE IN A BETTER PLACE NOW THAN WE WERE A MONTH OR SO AGO.
SO WE'RE NOT STOPPING. WE'RE CONTINUING TO DIG DEEP, AND WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO RESET OUR BUDGET BECAUSE WE'RE FACED WITH A CHANGE IN OUR KNOW, IN OUR BUDGET LAST YEAR. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHIEF HOWELL.
I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF HANDS RAISED. WE DO ALSO HAVE SEVERAL OTHER AMENDMENTS THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CLARIFYING AND THAT EVERYBODY IS GETTING THEIR QUESTIONS AND THEIR CONCERNS ANSWERED BEFORE WE VOTE. BUT WE DO ALSO HAVE OTHER DIVISIONS THAT WE HAVE AMENDMENTS ON.
SO BOARD MEMBER WALKER AND THEN CHIEF BOYD. YES.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH THESE AMENDMENTS.
AND THIS IS AMAZING INFORMATION TO KNOW. BUT WHEN WE CAN CLOSE A $37.3 MILLION BUDGET, I THINK THAT'S WORTH AN EMAIL OUT THAT JUST LITERALLY SAYS THAT THESE AMENDMENTS THAT WE'VE BEEN REALLY WORKING ON IN ORDER TO TO HELP CLOSE THE GAP, WE'RE STILL GOING TO GO THROUGH THEM, AND WE PROBABLY STILL NEED THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO EQUAL $37 MILLION. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO EQUAL $19 MILLION. SO IT MAKES SENSE FOR US TO DO.
BUT I'LL TELL YOU THAT FOR WHAT? FOR A MEETING TO HAPPEN LAST NIGHT WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT THOSE WHO COULDN'T MAKE IT LAST NIGHT WOULD BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH THAT AMAZING INFORMATION TODAY.
WE PROBABLY COULD DO A LITTLE SOMETHING BETTER THAN THAT FROM THE BOARD SIDE.
THAT'S THE PIECE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CHIEF BOYD.
YES. THANK YOU SO MUCH. JURGENS. MCCANN. I JUST WANTED TO.
I AGREE WITH BOARD MEMBER WALKER, AND I THINK MAYBE THERE'S A STRUCTURED DIFFERENCE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE FOR THOSE OF US ON THE CALL AND FOR THE PUBLIC THAT THE INFORMATION THAT CHIEF HOWELL JUST LAID OUT WAS INFORMATION THAT SHE SHARED AND WAS OUTLINED AS A PART OF THE PROCESS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHIEF BOYD.
GIVEN THIS, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO OUR NEXT OFFICE OR EXCUSE ME, DIVISION, BUT IT IS THE BOARD
[02:00:04]
OFFICE. WE HAVE THREE AMENDMENTS OUR BOARD, BUDGET ANALYST, DISTRICT LIAISONS, AND THEN BOARD MEMBER BUDGET REDUCTION.THE QUESTION IS, SHALL THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR THE BOARD OFFICE, BOARD MEMBERS? IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO AMEND OR PULL AN AMENDMENT, YOU MAY MAKE A SECONDARY MOTION AT THIS TIME.
BOARD MEMBER. WALKER. IS THAT HAND? ARE YOU LOWERING YOUR HAND OR. SORRY, I THOUGHT I WAS OFF MUTE.
THANK YOU. I'D LIKE TO PULL OUT LINE ITEM 12.
DISTRICT LIAISONS IN THE BOARD OFFICE FOR MORE DISCUSSION.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBER. WALKER. SEEING NO OTHER HANDS.
AND I'LL PAUSE. SINCE LAST TIME, I DIDN'T PAUSE TO GIVE PEOPLE TIME TO RAISE ANOTHER HAND.
SEEING NONE. THE QUESTION IS, SHALL THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR THE BOARD OFFICE TO INCLUDE BOARD BUDGET ANALYST AND BOARD MEMBER BUDGET REDUCTION. OH, I'M SORRY, I'D LIKE TO PULL THE OTHER ONE.
I DIDN'T SEE THE OTHER ONE FOR ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION TOO. THERE'S TWO. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. SO THE QUESTION IS, SHALL THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR THE BOARD OFFICE TO INCLUDE BOARD MEMBER BUDGET REDUCTION? SEEING NO HANDS RAISED. MISS ADELAIDE, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL CALL.
VOTE. DOCTOR ANDERSON. HI, MISS SHREDDER. HI, MR. BRIGGS. HI, MRS. BROWN. HI, MRS. MACKENZIE. HI, DOCTOR MOSS.
HI, MISS WALKER. SO THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT THEM, RIGHT? OH, NO, IT'S NOT SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT. NO, THIS VOTE IS FOR YOUR AMENDMENT TO CUT THE BUDGET. WE'RE VOTING ON THE BOARD BUDGET TO CUT THE BOARD.
OUR INDIVIDUAL. OH, THAT WAS MY AMENDMENT. YEAH, I WANT TO CHOP IT.
$500. THANK YOU, CHAIR JACKSON. YES, IT'S IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
THANK YOU. THERE ARE EIGHT IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
THE BOARD. THE BUDGET AMENDMENT. BOARD MEMBER.
BUDGET REDUCTION IS APPROVED. WE'LL NOW MOVE TO DISCUSSION ON BOARD.
BUDGET ANALYST. OH. THANK YOU. AND CAN I JUST SAY THAT NUMBER 20 FOR BOARD BUDGET REDUCTION WAS NOT UP THERE WITH THE OTHER BOARD? I JUST WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW ON A SHEET.
SO I WASN'T COMPLETELY CRAZY. OKAY. I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THE SHEET.
IT WAS NUMBER 20. OKAY. ALRIGHT. I DID WANT TO DISCUSS THIS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. DR. JACKSON, THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO FIRST, FIRST, I WANT TO START AND SAY THANK YOU.
CHAIR GORDON MCCANTS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO THE BUDGET ANALYST AND THE THE DISTRICT LIAISONS, THE REASON WHY I THINK IT'S IT'S THE TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SECURE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, GIVEN THESE POLITICAL, UNCERTAIN TIMES. AND ALSO, LIKE, WITH THE CHANGING, CHANGING, CHANGING LANDSCAPE YOU KNOW, OF OUR FUNDING. I THINK THAT THIS IS THE TIME THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SECURE OUR BOARD OFFICE, AND THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO REDUCE OUR SERVICES, BUT MAKE SURE WE STEP UP IN SERVICE, BECAUSE OUR CHARGE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PROVIDE QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE. IN A LOT OF TIMES OUR CHIEF COMPLAINT IS NOT BEING ABLE TO CONNECT WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
NOT HAVING I GUESS NOT HAVING A STRONGER PRESENCE.
AND I KNOW THERE IS A COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS OFFICE THAT WE WORK DILIGENTLY WITH THEM.
BUT I KNOW EVEN THIS PAST WEEK WHEN WE HAD A MEETING IN DISTRICT SEVEN ONE OF THE CHIEF COMPLAINTS WAS, THEY CAN'T GET TO US. THEY CAN'T GET CONNECTED TO US.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS ONE OF THE KEY INDICATORS FOR EVERY SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL SYSTEM.
[02:05:07]
WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF SCHOOLS WITHOUT PTOS, AND THESE DISTRICT LIAISONS WILL HELP US BOLSTER THOSE NUMBERS.WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT BECAUSE OF THE CHANGE IN FUNDING LANDSCAPE, THAT WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT THE RESOURCES THAT WE DO HAVE AVAILABLE, THAT WE ARE ABLE TO CONNECT OUR CONSTITUENTS WITH THOSE RESOURCES AND THOSE PROGRAMS THAT WE DO HAVE AVAILABLE.
SO I THINK THAT THIS WILL GIVE US AN EXTRA OPPORTUNITY TO HELP CREATE THAT CUSTOMER SERVICE OR THAT CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE THAT OUR THAT OUR CONSTITUENTS NEED SO MUCH. AND I THINK HAVING THAT BUDGET ANALYST ALSO WOULD ACTUALLY HELP US FIND OPPORTUNITY AND ECONOMIC RENTS THAT WILL, I THINK WILL PAY FOR BOTH OF THESE POSITIONS IN THE LONG TERM.
JUST LIKE WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH TONIGHT, I THINK IF WE HAD OUR OWN BUDGET ANALYSTS ALREADY SQUARED AWAY AND LOCKED IN, THAT COULD HAVE HELPED US KIND OF BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT? WHAT, CHIEF. HOW? AND THEN I THINK THEY WILL BE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHIEF. HOW? TO BETTER UNDERSTAND EXACTLY HOW THEY WERE TO CLOSE THIS BUDGET GAP AND ALSO HELP IDENTIFY AREAS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
CHAIR. JACKSON. BOARD MEMBER BROWN. YES. THANK YOU.
AND THANK YOU, CHAIR JACKSON, FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
I DO HAVE A CONCERN BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN HEAVILY SPEAKING ABOUT A DEFICIT.
I AM CONCERNED ABOUT ADDING ADDITIONAL POSITIONS.
MAINLY FOR PERCEPTION WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS IN THE COMMUNITY.
OF COURSE, WE WERE TASKED TO DO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
WE WERE TASKED TO ENSURE THAT WE TAP INTO OUR COMMUNITY AND ASK THEM FOR ASSISTANCE.
WHETHER IT BE OUR PCAC MEMBERS, DYAD MEMBERS PTA MEMBERS, WHOEVER THERE ARE, WE HAVE A STRONG COUNTY WHO WANTS TO BE INVOLVED IN THE WORK THAT WE DO FOR PGCC.
SO I JUST WANT TO CAUTION THAT WE ADD POSITIONS IN THIS DEFICIT, THIS LARGE DEFICIT THAT WE ARE IN, ESPECIALLY NOT UNDERSTANDING OR NOT KNOWING WHAT THE FULL SCOPE IS GOING TO BE LIKE TOWARDS THE END.
AND SO I WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT. BUT THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER BROWN. BOARD MEMBER WALKER I SEE YOUR HAND RAISED, BUT THANK YOU.
BRUISER STRUTHERS HASN'T SPOKEN ON THIS AMENDMENT YET.
CAN WE GO TO BOARD MEMBER BRUISER STRUTHERS AND THEN GO TO YOU? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND THANK YOU, CHAIR JACKSON, FOR THESE AMENDMENTS.
SO THE BOARD BUDGET ANALYST WOULD I BEEN REALLY INTERESTED IN IS IS STRENGTHENING KNOWING HOW WE TELL THE BUDGET STORY THROUGH, YOU KNOW, A SKILLED YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WHO REALLY KNOWS HOW TO USE INFORMATION, GRAPHICS AND OTHER TOOLS TO EXPLAIN THE BUDGET.
AND I WAS WONDERING IF WHEN YOU WERE THINKING ABOUT THIS PERSON IN THAT POSITION, WOULD WOULD THEY REALLY BE FOCUSED ON THIS CONCEPT OF, OF HOW TO USE INFORMATION, GRAPHICS AND OTHER TOOLS TO, TO OUR CONSTITUENTS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE BUDGET? IS CAN I ANSWER THAT QUESTION, CHAIR? ABSOLUTELY. SO, SO YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. SO THE THE BUDGET ANALYST PERSON WILL BE HIRED TO SO YOU HAVE FINANCE, WHICH IS A VERY NICHE SUBJECT. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND FINANCE AS A WHOLE, ESPECIALLY GETTING INTO THE WEEDS.
IF WE HAVE A PERSON THAT CAN INTERPRET THE FINANCIAL NOMENCLATURE FROM, YOU KNOW, THE THE CHIEF'S HOUSE OFFICE PRESENT US AS BOARD MEMBERS WITH MORE DIGESTIBLE AND PALATABLE INFORMATION FOR US TO BETTER UNDERSTAND, AND ALSO PRESENT IT TO THE PUBLIC IN A WAY THAT THEY CAN UNDERSTAND.
ALSO, FROM JUST EQUIPPING US WITH THE TOOLS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND, TO DIVE INTO THE BUDGET.
HAVING SOMEBODY THAT NOT SAYING THAT THIS IS LIKE A US OR THEM TYPE OF SCENARIO WITH CHIEF'S HOUSE OFFICE, BUT HAVE SOMEBODY THAT'S LOOKING OUT FOR THE INTEREST OF THE BOARD SPECIFICALLY AND HOW WE'RE MANAGING BECAUSE THIS IS OUR YOU KNOW, OUR BIGGEST LEVER AS FAR AS OUR SCOPE OF AUTHORITY.
[02:10:06]
SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY I THINK THAT THIS BUDGET ANALYST POSITION IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE.OKAY, GREAT. AND I'M GOING TO USE MY REMAINING TIME.
I ALSO WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO THIS FOR SOME TIME.
WE ACTUALLY HAD WE ACTUALLY HAD A PLAN IN, IN THE BUDGET TO TO HIRE A FEW FEW COMMUNICATIONS BUDGET ANALYSTS LOBBYISTS. SO TO ME, IT FEELS LIKE WE'RE STILL TRYING TO GET THERE AND THIS FEELS PART OF A LONGER PLAN.
AND I UNDERSTAND THE REASONS WHY. AND I, I AGREE THAT THIS IS I DON'T I DON'T SEE THIS AS BECAUSE WE'RE MAKING UP A DEFICIT FROM CHIEF HOWELL'S DIVISION. LIKE, I SEE IT AS AN EXPANSION OF OUR CONSTITUENT SERVICES AND COMMUNICATIONS.
THE OTHER THE OTHER PIECE IS WHILE I DO THINK I DO AGREE WE ARE IN SUCH A TOUGH SPOT AROUND PERCEPTIONS OF WHERE WE ADD, WHERE WE WHERE WE REDUCE.
BUT YOU KNOW, MY FIGHT AROUND THE ACCOUNTABILITY NOT BEING REDUCED.
I ALSO FEEL LIKE THIS BOARD OFFICE IS NOT THIS BOARD OFFICE IS LOSING ITS ABILITY.
MAY I HAVE MORE TIME OR DO I NEED A SECOND ROUND? CAN WE HOLD THAT UNTIL. NEVER MIND. I THINK EVERYBODY SHOULD DO A SECOND ROUND.
CAN YOU COME IN? THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR JACKSON, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD TO THAT OR YOU HAD YOUR OWN SEPARATE YOUR OWN SEPARATE HAND RAISED FOR YOUR. I HAD A DIFFERENT COMMENT, BUT JUST AND I WAS GOING TO RESPOND TO WHAT PAM WAS SAYING.
AND I JUST THINK THIS IS JUST ANOTHER STEP IN GETTING CLOSER TO WHAT A FULL BOARD LOOKS LIKE.
AND THIS MODEL IS SET UP IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT AND ESPECIALLY THE BIGGER COUNTIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT SERVE SOME OF THE BIGGEST SCHOOL SYSTEMS THAT WE ARE NOT EQUIPPED TO HANDLE THE WORKLOAD THAT WE DO HAVE. AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE AS CHAIRMAN, THE REASON WHY I PUT IN THIS THIS BUDGET AMENDMENT THAT WE EQUIPPED OUR TEAM TO MAKE SURE WE CAN HANDLE 133,000 PLUS FAMILIES. AND THEIR CONCERNS AND THEIR NEEDS, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN BE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE BUDGET.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CHAIR. JACKSON.
JUST TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT DEEPER ON WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS WERE.
FOR ME AND MY SINGLE VOTE, I'M NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE $459,000 THAT COMES ALONGSIDE THE DISTRICT LIAISONS, AND IT'S REALLY BUILT AROUND WE HAVE I THINK THAT FOR US RIGHT NOW, IT BEHOOVES US NOT ONLY IN OUR ROLE, BUT TO LEVERAGE THE RELATIONSHIPS IN THE, IN THE, IN THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
SO TAPPING INTO OUR SUPERINTENDENT AND LETTING HIM KNOW WHERE THE GAPS ARE AND HOW WE CAN GET HELP ON FROM COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, FROM COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OFFICE, FROM OUR PCAC THAT WE RELY ON, FROM JUST REALLY OPTIMIZING WHAT WE HAVE IN ORDER TO GET THE WORK DONE.
AND WHILE I RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS OVER A FULL TIME JOB, LET ME BE CLEAR.
I AM A FAN. I'VE BEEN ASKING FOREVER ABOUT INFOGRAPHICS, ETC.
I THINK LAST YEAR, THOUGH, WHEN WE PUT THIS IN A BUDGET.
SO ONE, I'M NOT ALL THE WAY THERE YET FOR A FULL TIME FTE AT $143,000.
BUT WHAT I AM AMENABLE TO IS LAST YEAR, WE PUT IT IN AS A CONTRACTOR TO DO THIS WORK, TO REALLY DIG INTO THE BUDGET AND REALLY FIND WHERE WE SHOULD BE LOOKING, WHERE WE MIGHT NOT GET TO BECAUSE WE HAVE THESE FULL TIME JOBS.
I'M AMENABLE TO THAT AND MAKING SURE WE ACTUALLY HAVE THAT IN PLACE TO DO, WHICH WE DIDN'T LAST YEAR EVEN THOUGH WE VOTED ON IT, BUT ALSO TO PUSH THE SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE TO SAY, HEY, I THINK THAT ACTUALLY THIS SITS WITHIN THE.
[02:15:08]
FOREVER. AND SO YOU HELP ME WITH DOES CAN THAT HAPPEN THERE OR SHOULD THAT BE SOMEWHERE ELSE? BECAUSE WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO TELL THE STORY ABOUT GCPS.WE HAVE 62% OF THE BUDGET. WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? WHERE IS OUR MONEY GOING? AND IF WE CAN'T DO IT WITHIN WHAT YOU CURRENTLY HAVE FOR RESOURCING, THEN I WANT TO HELP WITH THIS AMENDMENT RIGHT HERE.
SO IF YOU CAN HELP ME WITH THAT SO THAT I CAN KNOW ABOUT SUPPORTING CHAIR JACKSON ON THAT PARTICULAR ONE, BECAUSE WE DO NEED THAT. THANK YOU. SO SO YEAH.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION. I APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION.
SO IT WAS TO MR. HOUSE. I'M SORRY. OH, SORRY.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S OKAY. IT WAS JUST A THANK YOU SO MUCH.
BOARD MEMBER. WALKER. MISS LOPEZ, CAN WE HAVE THE TIMER START AGAIN FOR SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE'S RESPONSE? THANK YOU, CHAIR MCKINNON. THANK YOU. CHAIR JACKSON, AS WELL AS BOARD MEMBER WALKER.
I WANT TO WANT TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M WHAT I'M HEARING IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS TO REALLY WORK WITH THE BOARD, TO FOCUS ON THE AREAS THAT THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO, ESPECIALLY BEING THAT WE HAVE, I THINK, ABOUT 90 DAYS, IS TO TO HAVE MR. MORALES TO SHARE ABOUT HE AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS AND WHAT THAT COULD POTENTIALLY LOOK LIKE.
ABSOLUTELY. AND THANK YOU, CHAIR JACKSON AND BOARD MEMBER WALKER.
I APPRECIATE YOUR FRAMING ON THE OPTIMIZATION PIECE BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, THIS WAS PART OF THE PLAN THAT WAS PRESENTED IN OCTOBER, AND WE'RE ONLY ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS IN AND WE HAVE STARTED TO REALIZE SOME EFFICIENCIES.
AND AS A PART OF THOSE EFFICIENCIES, WE REALLY HAVE STREAMLINED THE EFFORTS TO SPEAK TO THE DISTRICT LIAISONS, WHICH WE HAVE. I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY CLOSER TO 100 NOW, SPREAD ACROSS THE 201 SCHOOLS.
AND IT WOULD BE THIS WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO COLLABORATE AND LEVERAGE WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE WITH THE BOARD TO IDENTIFY THOSE AREAS WHERE YOU MAY BE HEARING THAT THERE'S A LACK OF COMMUNICATION. BUT ALSO TO YOUR POINT BOARD MEMBER WALKER, TO ON THE NARRATIVE STANDPOINT, RIGHT. START PLANNING NOW FOR THE NEXT BUDGET WORK SESSION SO THAT WE DO HAVE THE NECESSARY PIECES IN TERMS OF INFOGRAPHICS, VIDEOS, WHAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND REALLY AMPLIFY AND CONTROL THAT NARRATIVE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHIEF MORALES. WE'VE GOT MORE HANDS RAISED.
IT'S MY HAND FROM WHEN I WAS WAITING TO TO FROM THE FIRST TIME.
IT'S ALL GOOD. NO, NO, NO. GO AHEAD. IT IS NOW YOUR YOUR TIME.
ONE, I THINK THAT THE 470 WAS IT $75 OR 400 PLUS THOUSAND DOLLARS? PRICE TAG I THINK IS A IS A BIT MUCH. I DON'T, I DON'T I DON'T THINK IT WILL COST THAT FOR THE EFTS.
SO I THINK THERE'S AN OVERSHOOT WITH THE PRICE TAG ON THAT AS WELL.
AS WELL. ALSO, WE WERE PRICE CONSCIOUS WHEN WE WERE DEVELOPING THIS AMENDMENT.
INSTEAD OF HAVING NINE ONE TO SUPPORT EVERYBODY, WE REDUCED IT TO THREE.
AND IT'S NOT ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO ENGAGE BECAUSE WE SIGNED UP FOR THIS, OR WE ELECTED THIS BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DEFINITELY WE ENGAGE ALL THE TIME AS, AS YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S JUST BEING ABLE TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY EVEN MORE.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF MISSED OPPORTUNITIES.
TO GET INTO YOU KNOW, THE WEEDS WITH OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR PARENTS AND OUR COMMUNITIES.
MOST OF THE MAJOR MAJOR SCHOOL SYSTEMS IN THE COUNTRY.
[02:20:02]
SO I DIGRESS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, CHAIR JACKSON.SO WE HAD BOARD MEMBER MOSS. YOUR HAND IS BACK UP FOR FIRST ROUND.
CORRECT. OKAY. YEAH. NO. CAN YOU FOLLOW? I'M SORRY.
AND, MISS LOPEZ, CAN YOU FOLLOW US? SO WE'RE NOT STOPPING WITH ME ACKNOWLEDGING DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
BOARD MEMBER MOSS AND THEN BOARD MEMBER STRUTHERS.
YEAH. I JUST WANT TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THIS AMENDMENT.
AND I SEE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO STRENGTHEN THAT MODEL FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH OUR PCAC REPRESENTATIVE, AS WELL AS THIS DISTRICT LIAISON, TO BE ABLE TO STRENGTHEN THAT WORK.
YOU TAKE MY AS THE THE CHAIR, JACKSON SAID. YOU TALK ABOUT MIAMI DADE, WHO'S ONE OF THE HIGHEST PERFORMING SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE COUNTRY, WHO HAS SIGNIFICANT PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT AND PARENTAL ENGAGEMENT.
DOCTOR JACKSON IS DOING GREAT WORK. I WOULD LOVE FOR I THOUGHT THE SUPERINTENDENT THOUGHT CHIEF MORALES WAS GOING TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE AROUND HOW DOCTOR JACKSON'S WORK CAN INTERFACE WITH THE BOARDS.
BUT I THINK THIS IS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SET OUR BOARD MEMBERS UP TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
AND I, I KNOW, I KNOW, MY COLLEAGUES MIGHT BE FEELING THIS, BUT I'M CERTAINLY FEELING IT.
I WASN'T HERE. OUR WORKLOAD HAS INCREASED. AS BOARD MEMBERS, WE WE NOW HAVE MORE MEETINGS TO ATTEND AND WHATNOT, AND I'VE MISSED SOME OF OUR LOCAL MEETINGS THAT ARE REALLY CENTRAL TO BEING CONNECTED TO THE DISTRICT.
AND THIS LIAISON CAN HELP. AND THEN I JUST WANT TO, LIKE, REALLY HONOR ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THE BOARD. AS I SAY THIS I WATCHED THE GENTLEMAN TESTIFY YESTERDAY AND IN ANNAPOLIS ABOUT THE POWER OF OUR SCHOOLS.
AND SO IF WE HAD MORE TEAMS WHO COULD GO LOBBY ON BEHALF OF OUR DISTRICT, AND WE HAD DISTRICT LIAISONS WHO WERE ABLE TO DEVELOP THOSE, I THINK WE CAN REALLY GET SOMEWHERE. OUR NUMBER, OUR NUMBER TWO CUSTOMER, WHICH IS REALLY OUR NUMBER ONE CUSTOMER IS OUR PARENTS.
SO I THINK THIS IS AN INVESTMENT THAT IS WORTH OUR WHILE.
AND AND SO THESE THESE FOLKS CAN ACTUALLY BE A STRONG ARM AND BEING ABLE TO DO THAT.
SO I STRONGLY SUPPORT THE CHAIR'S AMENDMENT TO MOVE IN THIS DIRECTION.
AND JUST TO LAUGH A LITTLE BIT, WE FIGURED THE BUDGET OUT.
SO WE CAN ADD THESE WE CAN ADD THESE THREE PEOPLE.
BOARD MEMBER BOOSTER STRUTHERS. YEAH. THANK YOU.
LIKE WHEN I FIRST SAW IT, I DID HAVE A REACTION OF, YOU KNOW, ADDING TO THE BOARD DURING THIS TIME.
BUT HONESTLY, YOU KNOW, I'VE NOW BEEN ON THIS BOARD FOR SIX YEARS.
I THINK I HAVE NOW SERVED WITH 34 DIFFERENT BOARD MEMBERS OVER SIX YEARS.
AND I'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT OF BOARD OFFICE STRUCTURE.
LET'S JUST BE BLUNT. COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE STAFF.
THEY HAVE FULL TIME STAFF, FULL TIME JOB. WE ARE WORKING FULL TIME.
WE HAVE A THIRD. I SHARE SOMEONE WITH THREE OTHER COLLEAGUES.
IT'S UNTENABLE. WE CANNOT SERVE OUR CONSTITUENTS THE SAME WAY.
WE NOW SOME OF US ARE SERVING ON THREE BECAUSE WE HAVE A CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION PLAN AD HOC COMMITTEE, WE HAVE THE DISABILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WE HAVE PCAC.
AND SO I DO THINK THE TIME. I DO THINK THE TIME IS NOW BECAUSE I'M FEELING THAT WE ARE I'M SLIPPING.
I CANNOT GET TO MY SCHOOLS. I USED TO GET TO MY PTA MEETINGS.
[02:25:08]
AND I SAY THAT AS A BOARD MEMBER ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH THE PANDEMIC.AND I WILL TELL YOU, WE HAD LIAISONS FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION PLAN DONE BECAUSE WE HAD A BOARD LIAISON.
I, LIKE I SAID, AT FIRST I WAS LIKE HAD A VISCERAL REACTION.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER STRUTHERS.
BOARD MEMBER. WALKER. AND IF WE HAVE NO MORE COMMENT AFTER THIS, WE'LL MOVE TO OUR VOTE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. I WILL JUST BE REALLY QUICKLY.
I DO AGREE. I'M FEELING IT. I, I AM SLIPPING AS WELL.
BUT WHAT I ALSO KNOW IS THAT WE HAVE TO WORK SMARTER SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO WORK HARDER WITH THAT.
AND TO BE HONEST, I THINK THAT A LOT OF THE WORK THAT I CAN LET ME TALK ON ME, A LOT OF THE WORK, WHEN I REALLY ASSESS IT, THAT I'M DOING FOR THE BOARD SOMETIMES FALLS INTO WITH THE SUPERINTENDENTS TEAM SHOULD BE REALLY WORKING ON.
AND SO WHEN I LOOK AT THE PRIORITIES OF WHAT IT IS AS A BOARD MEMBER, WHAT MY CONSTITUENTS NEED AND WHAT WORKS FOR DISTRICT NINE, I'VE GOT TO GET SMARTER IN DOING THAT WITH THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE.
AND SO I DON'T NEED TO CONVINCE ANYBODY. I THINK THAT THERE'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE ENOUGH VOTES TO MOVE THIS FORWARD. BUT AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME, IT'S AND IT'S FOR I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO FEEL I'M TALKING TO DISTRICT NINE PEOPLE LOOKING RIGHT NOW.
IS THAT ME NOT SUPPORTING THIS BILL RIGHT NOW IS REALLY FINANCIALLY, AND IT'S ALSO ENSURING THAT WE GET TO THE WORK THAT IS NECESSARY FOR BOARD MEMBERS. AND SO I KNOW THAT EACH OF MY PARENT COMMUNITY STAFF, LIKE I MEET WITH THEM OR I'VE MET WITH THEM AND THEY'VE COME TO THE TABLE AND I KNOW THAT THEY NEED SUPPORT. SO I'M GONNA KEEP ON WORKING ONE BY ONE.
Y'ALL KEEP ON COMING ONE BY ONE. AND TOGETHER WE'RE GOING TO TAKE NINE.
BOARD MEMBER WALKER. DOCTOR ANDERSON.
ARE YOU LOWERING YOUR HAND? ALL RIGHT, IT'S GOING UP AND DOWN.
I'M LOWERING MY HAND. THANK YOU. DOCTOR. WONDERFUL.
SEEING NO MORE HANDS. THESE WERE TECHNICALLY TWO DIFFERENT AMENDMENTS THAT WERE PULLED, AND WE DID HAVE DISCUSSION TOGETHER, BUT WE BECAUSE WE PULLED THEM, WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THEM SEPARATELY.
SO THE QUESTION IS, SHALL THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THE BOARD OFFICE, DISTRICT LIAISONS? MISS EDELIN, PLEASE CALL A ROLL CALL.
VOTE. DOCTOR ANDERSON. HI, MISS STROTHER. HI, MR.. BRIGGS. HI, MRS.. BROWN. NAY, MRS. MCCANTS, I.
DOCTOR MOSS, HI, MISS. WALKER. HEY. NO. JOE JACKSON.
HI. SIX IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. THANK YOU. THE VOTE IS SIX IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. THE BUDGET AMENDMENT IS APPROVED.
THE QUESTION IS, SHALL THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THE BOARD? OFFICE? BOARD. BUDGET ANALYSTS. MISS ADELAIDE, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
THE FIRST QUESTION I HAD IS AROUND, DOES YOUR OFFICE OR DOES CHIEF HOWELL'S OFFICE POSSESS THE CAPABILITIES AND THE RESOURCING RIGHT NOW TO BE ABLE TO PULL OUR INFOGRAPHICS, ETC. THAT'S NEEDED TO TELL THE NARRATIVE? THAT WAS ONE QUESTION THAT DIDN'T GET ANSWERED DURING THE DISCUSSION. SO, CHAIR GOINS MCCANTS.
IF YOU WANT THAT TO BE ANSWERED, THAT'S FINE.
IT'LL HELP ME WITH MY VOTE. IN THE SECOND PIECE WAS I WANTED TO ASK CHAIR JACKSON IF HE WAS AMENABLE TO THIS BEING A CONTRACTED POSITION VERSUS A FULL TIME POSITION, WHICH WILL HELP ME WITH WHERE I'M VOTING ON THIS. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I WILL LET CHAIR JACKSON ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
I DO BELIEVE IT IS CURRENTLY A IT IS CURRENTLY A CONTRACTED POSITION BY CHAIR JACKSON.
YES. THANK YOU FOR THAT. NO. I'M NOT. OKAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
[02:30:08]
AND THEN. MISS LOPEZ, IF YOU CAN PUT OUR TIMER UP AND THEN TO THAT POINT, I APOLOGIZE.BOARD MEMBER WALKER, I MISSED THE FACT THAT THAT QUESTION WAS NOT ANSWERED.
AND SO SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE IS ABLE TO ANSWER IT FOR US.
THANK YOU. CHAIR GOING TO MCCANN. WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE WOULD BE AN INCREASE IN WORKLOAD, SPECIFICALLY IN THE BUDGET OFFICE. SO IF, CHIEF HOWELL, IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WHAT THOSE EXPECTED APPLICATIONS WOULD LOOK LIKE, I'D APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. SO TO ANSWER THE QUESTION SPECIFICALLY, NO, WE DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO KIND OF HELP VISUALIZE AND TELL THE BUDGET STORY. THAT'S ONE OF THE GOALS THAT WE'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE.
I KNOW OUR EXPERIENCE IN THE PAST HAS BEEN IN WORKING WITH OTHER FINANCIAL FOLKS IN SOME CAPACITY WITH THE COUNTY, OR WHETHER IT'S INTERNAL AUDIT, AND NOW WE'VE GOT THE OFFICE OF INTEGRITY AND COMPLIANCE WHEN IT COMES TO REALLY UNDERSTANDING THE BUDGET AND HELPING TO TELL THAT STORY, THEY COME BACK TO THE BUDGET OFFICE. AND SO IT DOES END UP BEING A HEAVY LIFT FOR THE TEAM TO HELP SUPPORT THAT WORK BECAUSE IT IS COMPLEX AND COMPLICATED.
BUT IT WILL ALSO HAVE ADDITIONAL IMPACTS TO MY TEAM AND SUPPORTING THAT EFFORT.
AND WE'RE JUST ALREADY STRETCHED PRETTY THIN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHIEF HOWELL. AND THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE, FOR GETTING THAT ANSWER TO THE QUESTION AND BOARD MEMBER WALKER FOR BRINGING IT UP, THAT WE MISSED IT. THE QUESTION IS, SHALL THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THE BOARD OFFICE? BOARD. BUDGET. ANALYST. MISS. PLEASE.
DOCTOR. HI, MISS. ESTRELLA. HI, MR. BRIGGS. HI, MRS. BROWN? NO. MISS MACKENZIE. I. DOCTOR MOSS. I.
MISS WALKER. NO. J. JACKSON. I. SIX IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
THERE ARE SIX IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. THE BUDGET AMENDMENT IS APPROVED.
MOVING ON TO THE DIVISION OF COMMUNICATIONS. THERE ARE TWO AMENDMENTS.
COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE STAFF REDUCTION AND ELIMINATE THE CHIEF OF COMMUNICATIONS POSITION.
THE QUESTION IS, SHALL THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THE DIVISION OF COMMUNICATION? BOARD MEMBERS. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO AMEND OR PULL AN AMENDMENT, YOU MAY MAKE SECONDARY MOTION AT THIS TIME.
SO MAYBE CHIEF HOWELL CAN CONFIRM OR SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE.
BE GLAD TO DO SO IF IF THAT'S OKAY. MISS GOINS CAN'T.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LET CHIEF HOWELL COME OFF OF MUTE OUR BUDGET BOOK WAS, WAS PRINTED, AND THERE WAS A KIND OF A MISHAP IN TIMING. SO, MISS HOWELL, IF YOU DON'T.
THE ELIMINATION OF THAT POSITION WAS EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1ST, 2025.
AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, IT WAS STILL ALREADY CAPTURED IN OUR BUDGET FOR 2026.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. WITH THE BOARD MEMBER AND BOARD MEMBER WALKER, WAS THAT YOUR AMENDMENT? YES. IT WAS. SO THAT'S THAT'S GREAT. THERE WAS TWO.
SO THE ONE THAT I STILL SEE ON THERE, THAT ONE MUST HAVE BEEN PULLED.
I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT ONE. NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU FOR THAT CORRECTION. THE ONE I'M LOOKING AT ON OUR AMENDMENTS. ONE IS THE ONE THAT IS TAKING AN FTE FROM MR. MORALES'S DEPARTMENT TO PUT IN THE BOARD OFFICE.
[02:35:04]
IS THAT THE ONE WE'RE GOING TO TALK NEXT? THAT'S THE ONE THAT I SEE ON THE SHEET.MY APOLOGIES. MY LIST HAD BOTH OF THEM, AND IT DIDN'T.
OKAY. THE MEMO THAT ONE OF THEM THAT YOU HAD CHOSEN TO WITHDRAW YOUR AMENDMENT AFTER THE CONVERSATION I WAS, I DIDN'T, BUT THEY PROBABLY DID FOR ME BECAUSE THEY REALIZED THE ERROR.
YEAH, I DIDN'T, BUT THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO WITH THAT CLARIFICATION WE ARE JUST LOOKING AT THE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE STAFF REJECTION AMENDMENT BECAUSE THE CHIEF OF COMMUNICATIONS POSITION AMENDMENT HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN.
AND I DO WANT TO PULL THAT FOR GREATER DISCUSSION IF NECESSARY.
YES. WE DON'T HAVE TO PULL IT. IT'S THE ONLY AMENDMENT SO WE DON'T HAVE TO PULL IT.
WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR 2.5 MINUTES TO START TO DISCUSS IT? YES. TO START OFF THE DISCUSSIONS, I JUST WANTED TO LET PEOPLE KNOW WHY.
I PUT THIS ONE IN HERE. THIS ONE IS WITH THE INTENTION TO MOVE AND REALLOCATE FUNDS.
SO AS I LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, I LOOK INSIDE WHERE COMMUNICATIONS IS AND RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEVERAGE ONE OF THOSE AMAZING RESOURCES THERE, RIGHT OVER HERE IN OUR OWN BUDGET OFFICE, SO THAT THEY CAN STAY FOCUSED ON BOARD COMMUNICATIONS.
AND IT'S NOT ONLY ABOUT PRESS CONFERENCES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE KNOW THAT THE THE ADMINISTRATION DOESN'T DO THOSE TYPE OF THINGS, BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS OUTWARDS FOR SOCIAL, ABOUT OUR NARRATIVE, ABOUT TALKING TO PEOPLE, ABOUT BUDGET, ABOUT ALL OF THE THINGS WE WANT OUR PUBLIC TO KNOW SO THAT WE CAN ENGAGE DIFFERENTLY. IT'S ALL OF THAT BUILT IN ONE. AND I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEVERAGE A RESOURCE.
AND DO I HAVE MORE TIME? YES. SO I DID GET SOME OF THE RESPONSE TO THAT.
AND SINCE I HAVE IT IT JUST SAYS JUST FOR THE PUBLIC WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE SEEN IT YET THAT THE ADMINISTRATION STRONGLY DISCOURAGES THIS ADOPTION OF THE AMENDMENT, GIVING THE CHARGE ON COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO BETTER SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS AND OUR FAMILIES AND OUR OFFICES.
THE LANGUAGE ACCESS COORDINATOR POSITION THAT WOULD BE REALIZED FROM THE ALREADY PROPOSED ELIMINATION BY THE ASSOCIATE SUPERINTENDENT WITHIN THE DIVISION, WOULD SUPPORT INCREASED EFFICIENCY. I CAN'T PULL IT DOWN, WON'T GIVE ME ACCESS.
BOARD MEMBER WALKER, IN THE INTEREST OF TIME MISS LOPEZ, CAN YOU RESTART FOR BOARD MEMBER MOSS, MOS BOARD MEMBER BROWN AND THEN CHIEF MORALES.
THANK YOU. I'D JUST LIKE FOR CHIEF MORALES TO.
IF THIS POSITION DOESN'T MOVE YOU KNOW, OUT OF HIS OFFICE.
WHAT DID HE SEE AS HIS OFFICE'S ROLE IN SUPPORTING THE BOARD? I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
I MYSELF REACHED OUT AND WAS TOLD THAT THAT OFFICE DIDN'T SUPPORT THE BOARD.
SO IF THIS AMENDMENT FAILS AND THIS FTE STAYS WITH THE OTHER 21 AND HOW DOES CHIEF MORALES ENVISION BEING ABLE TO WORK WITH THE BOARD TO SUPPORT COMMUNICATION? WITH OUR GOAL OF BEING ONE PGCC.
YES, YES. THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION AND THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ANSWER.
SO JUST TO PUT IT IN CONTEXT ONE THING IS THE POSITION HAS ALREADY BEEN PROPOSED FOR ELIMINATION OUT OF CYCLE TO CREATE AN ADDITIONAL POSITION AS A LANGUAGE ACCESS COORDINATOR WITHIN THE OFFICE OF INTERPRETATION AND TRANSLATION TO HELP WITH THE INCREASE.
THE WE'VE SEEN INCREASES, I THINK UPWARDS OF 1000 JUST FROM 24 TO 25.
BUT TO GET TO THE CENTER OF YOUR QUESTION, DOCTOR MOSS THOSE ACTUALLY WERE THE, THE, THE FRAMEWORK WITH WHICH WE WORK WITH THE BOARD WAS ACTUALLY LAID OUT IN THE COMMUNICATIONS PLAN, AND I'M HAPPY TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU, BUT IT DOES VERY CLEARLY LAY OUT IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE BOARD WITH.
IT'S SIMPLY, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING WHAT MAY BE NECESSARY DATA.
SO WE'VE DONE THIS IN THE PAST, WHERE WE PROVIDE THE DATA THAT'S NEEDED TO GENERATE CERTAIN TALKING POINTS, THE SUPPORT, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE DOING COLLABORATIVELY AS A DISTRICT, FOR EXAMPLE, A PRESS CONFERENCE OR A PRESS RELEASE OR WHATEVER THE CASE IS,
[02:40:03]
WE WILL OBVIOUSLY PARTNER ON THAT AND LEAD THAT.OFFICE, AS WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST. SO IT'S IT'S BASED ON THE SITUATION.
IT'S BASED ON THE COLLABORATION. YEAH. I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR A STRONG COMMITMENT FROM THE ADMINISTRATION TO TIGHTEN THAT ROLL UP AND EXPLICITLY FOCUS ON SUPPORTING THE BOARD AND COMMS, IF WE'RE GOING TO BE ONE GCPS. SO IF THE ADMINISTRATION CAN MAKE THAT COMMITMENT, THERE WOULDN'T BE A NEED TO MOVE AN FTE OUT OF COMMUNICATIONS TO THE BOARD.
I UNDERSTAND YOUR EXISTING FRAMEWORK, BUT THERE SHOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVISE THAT FRAMEWORK.
AND I THINK, DOCTOR MOSS, YOU MADE A HUMOROUS SUGGESTION IN REFERENCE TO THE GAP BEING BEING CLOSED.
I KNOW THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY LAST YEAR WHERE THE BOARD WAS LOOKING AT HAVING SOME CONTRACT SUPPORT AROUND THIS AREA, I MIGHT ADD. YOU KNOW, THAT THAT MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY.
I THINK THIS DEPARTMENT IS ALREADY STRETCHED AND AND WE'RE WILLING TO SUPPORT.
BUT I THINK WHAT WHAT COMES FIRST IS THE, THE FOCUS ON ON THE DISTRICT.
FIRST, WE WILL BE ABLE TO AND DO OUR BEST TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE BOARD.
BUT THE DISTRICT IS FIRST, BUT I WOULD, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE BOARD TO THINK ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF OF HAVING, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL DOLLARS THAT ARE ALLOCATED SPECIFICALLY FOR COMMUNICATIONS, WHETHER IT BE AROUND CONTRACTING WITH, WITH AN AGENCY. BUT WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO, TO SUPPORT IF IT'S THE WILL OF THE BOARD.
WE ARE FUNDING THE POSITION THAT WE ASKED THAT WE WANT TO HAVE IN THE BOARD OFFICE BY TAKING ONE FROM COMMUNICATIONS. CAN YOU CONFIRM OR CLARIFY FOR THAT BOARD MEMBER WALKER, JUST SO THAT WE AND THE PUBLIC ARE AWARE OF WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY VOTING ON WITH THIS AMENDMENT? ABSOLUTELY. WHAT I AM SAYING IS THAT THE BOARD OFFICE NEEDS COMMUNICATIONS.
WE CAN'T AFFORD COMMUNICATIONS, BUT WE DO HAVE A COMMUNICATIONS TEAM THAT HAS A TEAM.
SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS TAKE ONE OF MR. LEWIS'S TAKE IT OUT OF HIS DEPARTMENT.
SO NOW HE'LL HAVE 21. PUT THAT ONE INSIDE OF THE BOARD OFFICE.
BUT WHAT I'VE HEARD IS THAT THAT PROBABLY CAN'T BE DONE.
AND SO MY AMENDMENT STILL STANDS AS WE NEED TO MOVE SOMEONE OVER.
AND IF THAT DOESN'T GO THROUGH, THEN WE I, WE HAVE TO JUST VOTE ON A BUDGET AS IS.
AND THAT IS THE PERSON INSIDE OF THE OFFICE. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER WALKER. AND I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT FOR CLARITY, WHEN PEOPLE LOWER AND RAISE HANDS, IT CHANGES THE ORDER. SO I DON'T KNOW WHO WAS WHERE.
BOARD MEMBER BROWN, WERE YOU LOWERING YOUR HAND? AS IN, YOU NO LONGER HAD A DISCUSSION? THANK YOU.
AND THEN, CHIEF MORALES, I KNOW YOU ANSWERED BOARD MEMBER MOSS'S QUESTION.
HOWEVER, YOUR HAND WAS RAISED PRIOR TO THAT. ARE YOU RAISING YOUR HAND NOW AGAIN SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE THAT STATEMENT? AND THEN AFTER YOU CHIEF BOYD RAISED HER HAND.
SO YOU'RE RAISING YOUR HAND TO MAKE WHATEVER STATEMENT YOU RAISE YOUR HAND? YES. OKAY. IN THAT, IN THAT CASE SO WE CAN CUT DOWN ON THE AMOUNT OF TIME Y'ALL ARE HEARING MY VOICE.
MISS LOPEZ, CAN WE ALLOW JUST RESTARTING THE TIMER FOR MR..
EXCUSE ME, CHIEF MORALES. THEN CHIEF BOYD, THEN CHIEF POWELL.
THANK YOU. SO. YEAH. SO WHAT I WANTED TO SHARE WAS, WHAT, ONE WHAT I'VE ALREADY SHARED, WHICH IS THAT OUT OF CYCLE FIVE, POSITIONS WERE PROPOSED. THIS WAS ONE OF THEM TO REALIZE SOME EFFICIENCIES.
SO IF THIS WENT THROUGH, WE WOULD NEED TO SEARCH FOR ADDITIONAL CUTS ESSENTIALLY OF POSITIONS TO BE ABLE TO REALIZE THAT ALMOST $200,000 COST, THAT WAS ONE THING. THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO SHARE IS THE CONTEXT AROUND THE 22 POSITIONS.
THEY ARE NOT ALL THE SAME FUNCTION. AND SO THEY ARE BROKEN DOWN BETWEEN GRAPHIC DESIGN, WEB SERVICES, STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS, MEDIA RELATIONS, A LOT OF DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS.
SO INDIVIDUALLY THOSE AREAS ARE PRETTY STRETCHED PRETTY THIN.
BUT EVEN WITH THAT, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO, AS WE HAVE IN THE PAST, SUPPORT BOARD MEMBER EVENTS.
[02:45:05]
I THINK RIGHT NOW THE CHALLENGE WITH THE CAPACITY HAS BEEN THE INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBER EVENTS IN TERMS OF DISTRICT MEETINGS AND AND KIND OF THOSE INDEPENDENT THINGS THAT ARE THAT ARE DONE INDEPENDENTLY BY BOARD MEMBERS.BUT WHEN I SPEAK OF COLLABORATION AND SUPPORT, WE'RE OBVIOUSLY WILLING TO PROVIDE IS WHEN WE PARTNER ON THESE LARGER EVENTS, THESE INITIATIVES, WE CAN DEFINITELY PROVIDE THAT.
AND THEN WE CAN ALWAYS TAKE EVERYTHING ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. WE MOST RECENTLY PRODUCED A VIDEO FOR CHAIR JACKSON, AND WE'VE DONE OTHER THINGS FOR FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS AS CAPACITY ALLOWS.
BUT I WILL SAY THAT THIS PASSING WILL DEFINITELY CREATE A SITUATION WHERE WE WILL HAVE TO PROBABLY REALIZE ALSO SOME SOME DELAYS OR REDUCTION IN SERVICES WE PROVIDE TO THE SCHOOLS AND OFFICES CURRENTLY AS WELL.
THANK YOU, CHIEF MORALES. I WANT TO RECOGNIZE BOARD MEMBER BRUCE STRUTHERS.
HAND WAS RAISED. ARE YOU LOWERING IT NOW OR. I'VE LOWERED IT.
THANK YOU. CHIEF BOYD. YES. I GUESS I WOULD JUST ASK.
I THINK THIS AMENDMENT CAME FROM BOARD MEMBER WALKER THAT THE BOARD CONSIDER EXTERNAL RELATIONS LEADERS INSTEAD OF DISTRICT LIAISONS, ONE OF WHICH THE THREE POSITIONS THAT WERE JUST VOTED ON COULD BE A COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST. SO JUST WANTED TO ENSURE THAT YOU ALL ARE ALSO CONSIDERING THAT AS AN OPTION, IN ADDITION TO WHAT SUPERINTENDENT HAS SHARED AROUND CONTRACTED SERVICES.
THANK YOU. CHIEF BOYD. CHIEF HOWELL. YES. I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL UNDERSTANDING THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT CORRECTLY, ALREADY REFLECTED IN THE SUPERINTENDENT'S PROPOSED BUDGET, IS A COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST FOR THE BOARD OFFICE THAT WAS SUBMITTED AS PART OF THE BUDGETING PROCESS.
SO IN THE BUDGET THAT WE ALREADY HAVE, THAT POSITION IS ALREADY BAKED INTO OUR BUDGET.
SO IF THIS AMENDMENT IS APPROVED, IT WOULD REDUCE AND MAKE THAT INCREMENTAL POSITION COST NEUTRAL.
BUT WE ALREADY HAVE THAT POSITION IN THE BUDGET AS IT STANDS NOW FOR THE BOARD OFFICE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT. I'M SORRY, CAN YOU CLARIFY AGAIN, BECAUSE WE DID VOTE.
I'M SORRY. CAN YOU SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME? JUST SO I UNDERSTAND, WHEN WE WERE DEVELOPING THE PROPOSED BUDGET, A REQUEST WAS MADE FROM THE BOARD OFFICE TO ADD A COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST.
THAT POSITION WAS ADDED AND IT'S INCLUDED IN THE SUPERINTENDENT'S 26 PROPOSED BUDGET.
AS IT STANDS NOW, THE FTE IS THERE, THE DOLLARS ARE THERE FOR THAT.
SO THIS AMENDMENT, IF IT WERE TO GO THROUGH WOULD ELIMINATE A POSITION AND THAT FUNDING WOULD HELP TO MAKE THE ADDITION OF THAT PROPOSAL THAT HAS ALREADY IN THE BUDGET COST NEUTRAL.
SO WE'RE NOT SHIFTING OVER RESOURCE BECAUSE THE RESOURCE IS ALREADY IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
YOU ALREADY MADE THE REQUEST. IT'S ALREADY IN THE BUDGET.
BUT ELIMINATING A POSITION IS JUST GOING TO MAKE IT COST NEUTRAL.
DOES THAT DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO IT'S ALREADY IN THE BUDGET AS IT STANDS NOW.
THIS IS NOT A RESOURCE TO ADD TO IT. IT'S ALREADY IN THE BUDGET AS IT STANDS NOW.
SO WE WOULD. YES. BUT WHAT IT WILL ALLOW I THOUGHT BECAUSE YOU CAN CORRECT ME AND WHAT I THOUGHT IT WOULD ALLOW WAS ALLOW THAT $184,000 TO THEN BE REALLOCATED ELSEWHERE. THAT WILL BE BETTER USED FOR OUR SCHOLARS.
SO I WAS JUST SIMPLY SAYING. BUT MOVING OVER.
OKAY. THIS IS WHERE MY RATIONALE WAS. SO THIS IS WHAT I THOUGHT I TYPED.
IS THAT MOVING SOMEBODY THAT'S CURRENTLY INSIDE OF A COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE OVER TO THE BOARD OFFICE WOULD THEN ALLOW THAT $184,000 THAT WAS SEATED THERE TO BE BETTER USED WITHIN CLOSER TO OUR SCHOLARS.
IS THAT NOT TRUE? CAN I JUMP? Y'ALL ARE SAYING THE SAME THING.
OKAY, GREAT. BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE. YEAH, YEAH.
Y'ALL ARE SAYING THE SAME THING. IT'S IT'S BUDGET NEUTRAL.
IT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY WITH MY TIME IS IS BUDGET NEUTRAL? IT'S WHAT? IT'S ALREADY IN THE BUDGET. WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BOARD MEMBER WALKER, IS THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY TAKING THE MONEY.
SO TAKE THE THE PERSON OUT. IT'S THE IT'S THE MONEY THAT'S ACTUALLY COMING OUT OF HIS OFFICE.
THAT IS GOING TO THE BOARD OFFICE. INSTEAD OF TWO, TWO DIFFERENT 148 OR 184, WHATEVER IT IS.
[02:50:04]
YES. AND USING THAT MONEY TO PUT TOWARDS OUR SCHOLARS.THANK YOU SO MUCH, BOARD MEMBER MOSS, FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
WAS THAT WHAT YOU WERE USING YOUR TIME FOR ALTOGETHER? ABSOLUTELY. I'D LIKE TO CALL PREVIOUS QUESTION ON THIS, IF WE CAN.
WE ARE. IF NOBODY ELSE GOT ANYTHING ELSE, FORGET MY PREVIOUS QUESTION.
LET'S JUST VOTE, BECAUSE, I MEAN, WE WOULD VOTE TWICE.
I SEE NO MORE HANDS. THE QUESTION IS, SHALL THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THE COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION? COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE, STAFF REDUCTION. MISS ADELAIDE, PLEASE TAKE A ROLL CALL.
SORRY. POINT OF ORDER. THAT LAST QUESTION WASN'T ANSWERED.
CHAIR. AM I ABLE TO REMIND YOU OF WHAT THAT QUESTION WAS? YES, PLEASE. YES. NO PROBLEM. CHIEF BOYD HAD ASKED A WELL, GAVE A PROPOSAL OF US TO CONSIDER THE LAST THREE VOTES.
AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY EVER ANSWERED THAT. BUT THAT WAS BOARD. THAT WAS CHAIR JACKSON'S AMENDMENT, SO MAYBE HE WOULD NEED TO ANSWER IT. IT'S A POINT OF ORDER.
IT LACKS GERMANE AT THIS POINT GIVEN THAT THOSE MOTIONS HAVE ALREADY PASSED.
BOARD MEMBER WALKER. THIS ONE IS ALSO YOUR AMENDMENT.
SO JUST WANTING TO CLARIFY THAT YOU ARE OKAY WITH US GOING ON WITH THE VOTE, YOUR AMENDMENT.
ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THE QUESTION IS, SHALL THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THE COMMUNICATIONS TO VISIT COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE STAFF REJECT REDUCTION.
MISS ADELAIDE, PLEASE TAKE A ROLL CALL. VOTE.
DOCTOR ANDERSON. HI. MISS ESTRELLA. NO. MR. BRIGGS.
HI, MRS. BROWN. NO. MRS. MCCANN'S. HI, DOCTOR.
MOSS. HI, MISS. WALKER. HI, CHAIR. JACKSON. HI.
SIX IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. THERE ARE SIX IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
THE MOTION. EXCUSE ME, NOT MOTION. THE AMENDMENT PASSES.
I THINK WE HAVE. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE DIVISION OF OPERATIONS.
THERE ARE TWO AMENDMENTS ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY STUDY AND RENAMING OF SCHOOLS.
THE QUESTION IS, SHALL THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR THE DIVISION OF OPERATION? BOARD MEMBERS, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO AMEND OR PULL AN AMENDMENT, YOU MAY MAKE THE SECONDARY MOTION AT THIS TIME.
CHAIR JACKSON, FOLLOWED BY BOARD MEMBER WALKER AND THEN BOARD MEMBER BROWN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. CHAIR MCCANTS. SO WITH THE ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY STUDY, I THINK THAT THE INTENT IS ACTUALLY GREAT, TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEREVER WE DECIDE TO MOVE THE BUILDING, IF WE DO MOVE, THAT WE DO AN ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY STUDY TO SEE AS WE WORK TO MOVE INTO A BUILDING. WHAT WOULD IT MEAN FOR THE COMMUNITY? SO THE ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY STUDY WAS GEARED TOWARDS KIND OF DOING THAT ECONOMIC ANALYSIS BEFORE WE WERE TO MAKE A MOVE.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO PULL THIS AMENDMENT FOR NOW.
AND I THINK THAT THEY'RE DOING A LOT OF THAT WORK ALREADY, AND I DON'T WANT TO DUPLICATE EFFORTS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR JACKSON, I WANT TO CLARIFY.
ARE YOU PULLING IT FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION, OR ARE YOU OR ARE YOU? I'M ACTUALLY PULLING IT FROM CONSIDERATIONS AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSIONS FOR CONSIDERATION TODAY AND ALSO WITH THE RENAMING OF THE SCHOOLS AS WELL, WHILE STILL HAVE THE MIC. I THINK THAT THE OPPORTUNITY TO RENAME THE SCHOOLS, I THINK, IS A NOBLE EFFORT.
AND THERE IS CONVERSATION THAT'S GOING ON BETWEEN THE ADMINISTRATION AND ALSO OURSELVES.
AND SO AS WE WORK OUT THOSE KINKS AND THE SUPERINTENDENT LAYS OUT A PLAN AND A PATHWAY FORWARD,
[02:55:04]
I THINK THAT WHAT WE COULD DO IS POSTPONE THIS BUDGET AMENDMENT UNTIL WE GET MORE GRANULAR DETAILS ON THE ROLLOUT OF THE RENAMING OF SOME SCHOOLS.AND I THINK THAT WE CAN POSTPONE THIS AMENDMENT FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION AT ANOTHER TIME.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR JACKSON. SO TO MAKE SURE THAT I AM CLEAR, YOU ARE RESCINDING ONE AMENDMENT AND THEN POSTPONING ANOTHER AMENDMENT. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU SO MUCH, BOARD MEMBERS.
WITH THOSE UPDATES, DO WE STILL DO WE STILL HAVE OUR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS? IF SO, WE'LL START WITH BOARD MEMBER WALKER AND THEN MOVE TO BOARD MEMBER BROWN AND THEN BOARD MEMBER BOOZER STROTHER.
YES. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PUTTING THIS FORWARD.
CHAIR JACKSON, I AM A FAN OF THE RENAMING OF OUR SCHOOLS.
I THINK IT'S IMPERATIVE FOR US AS A SYSTEM. I DO AS THEY GO THROUGH.
SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE, AS YOUR TEAM GOES THROUGH AND LOOKS AT IT, I JUST SAW THE $10,000 PRICE TAG FOR IT, AND I DO SEE THE DETAILS BEHIND IT. MAYBE WE HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITY IN THERE TO MAYBE EVEN TO LEVERAGE SOME OF OUR SCHOLARS TO BE ABLE TO DO SOME OF THE ARTISTIC WORK ON THAT.
ET CETERA. ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THIS IS BEING POSTPONED.
SO WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO DO SOME RESEARCH ON THAT.
THANK YOU. CHAIR JACKSON AND I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS.
AND THERE'S A COUPLE DIFFERENT PATHWAYS THAT CAN BE TAKEN.
QUITE FRANKLY THIS WAS THE THE OVERALL COST OF RENAMING ALL OF THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE IN QUESTION.
AND YOU KNOW, THEY'RE VERY GOOD. THEY'RE VERY WELL COULD BE A PATHWAY WHERE WE LOOK AT THIS OVER THE COURSE OF THREE, FOUR YEARS SO THAT THE COST IS SPREAD OUT OVER MULTIPLE FISCAL FISCAL BUDGETS.
SO WE DEFINITELY LOOK FORWARD TO ADDITIONAL CONVERSATION AND DOING IT IN A FISCALLY SOUND, SMART WAY. THANK YOU. AND FOR THE REMAINING TIME, I JUST WANTED TO JUST IN A PEACE OF MIND TO THANK YOU FOR THAT PIECE RIGHT THERE.
AND I LIKE SPREADING IT OUT AND BEING INTENTIONAL ON IT.
I'M ALSO A FAN OF RENAMING IS THAT WE LEVERAGE OUR SCHOLARS INSIDE OF THE PROCESS TO THEY'RE AMAZING ARTISTS, AS YOU KNOW, WITHIN OUR WITHIN OUR SCHOLARS. AND IT WOULD BE AMAZING TO SEE SOME OF THEIR WORK WITHIN OUR BUILDINGS TOO.
THANK YOU. I'M ALL SET. THANK YOU SO MUCH. BOARD MEMBER.
WALKER. BOARD MEMBER BROWN. AND THEN BOARD MEMBER STRUTHERS.
YES. SO FOR YESTERDAY'S MEETING, WE DID DISCUSS THE COST.
IT'S NOT 10,000. IT'S MORE LIKE 10 MILLION PLUS FOR RENAMING THESE SCHOOLS.
AND SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I GAVE THAT CLARIFICATION.
AND I ALSO DID WANT TO GIVE DOCTOR COLEMAN AN OPPORTUNITY.
SORRY FOR PUTTING YOU ON THE SPOT TO KIND OF EXPLAIN WHAT THOSE COSTS MEANS, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO OVERSTEP OR TALK ABOUT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT ONLY TALKING ABOUT A CHANGING OF A NAME AND A SIGNAGE. THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT COSTS WHEN IT COMES TO CHANGING NAMES.
SO IF I CAN HAVE DOCTOR COLEMAN SPEAK ON THAT.
SURE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. BOARD MEMBER BROWN SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RENAMING, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANT COSTS AROUND THE FROM AN OPERATIONS PERSPECTIVE ON THE REBRANDING ASPECTS. SO THOSE ARE THINGS LIKE SCHOOL SIGNAGE, ELECTRONIC SIGNS, GYM FLOORS.
WE HAVE TURF FIELDS THAT HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IN SOME OF OUR 11 OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS.
THOSE WOULD NEED TO BE REDONE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STADIUM SCOREBOARD REBRANDING, CAFETERIA REBRANDING, SOME OF WHICH WE JUST RECENTLY DID AT LIKE A GWYNN PARK HIGH SCHOOL.
AND THEN WE SHIFT OVER TO THE THE ACADEMIC COURSE.
MANY OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE SPRING, FALL AND WINTER ATHLETIC SPORTS TEAMS. AND THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT COST ASSOCIATED WITH SWITCHING OUT ALL OF THE UNIFORMS. WE DID A ONE COST ANALYSIS FOR OUR HIGH SCHOOL.
IT WAS APPROXIMATELY $95,000 FOR A HIGH SCHOOL TO REBRAND ALL OF THE ATHLETIC EQUIPMENT.
AND SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE COSTS THAT WE SPEAK TO.
THAT GIVES US A PRICE TAG OF ESTIMATED OVER $10 MILLION IN ORDER TO INITIATE THIS WORK.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. BOARD MEMBER. BROWN. WAS THAT ALL? THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBER STRUTHERS. AND THEN BOARD MEMBER BUZZER YEAH, THANK.
THANK YOU. I'M DEFINITELY IN SUPPORT OF THIS INITIATIVE.
IN FACT, THE POLICY AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE DID SIGNIFICANT WORK ON PREPARING FOR THIS MOMENT AND UPDATING THE, THE, THE NAMING OF OF SCHOOLS POLICY. AT THE TIME I, I ALSO WE WERE NAMING SOME NEW SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY WERE BRAND NEW AND THERE HAD TO BE A NAMING PROCESS.
AND THAT PROCESS IS NOT ALWAYS YOU KNOW, IT CAN BE CONTENTIOUS.
[03:00:09]
IT CAN BRING UP A LOT OF FEELINGS. IT CAN IT NEEDS TO BE DONE CAREFULLY.AND IN MY ESTIMATION, I DIDN'T I WHEN I FIRST BROUGHT THIS UP, GIVING A HEADS UP THAT CHAIR, JACKSON AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE DOCTOR COLEMAN WAS THINKING ABOUT FUNDING.
I, I WASN'T THINKING THAT WE COULD DO THAT MANY SCHOOLS AT ONCE.
I THINK I SUGGESTED FIVE BECAUSE WE ARE ASKING EXISTING SCHOOL COMMUNITIES TO FIRST RAISE THEIR HAND AND SAY, WE'RE READY FOR THIS PROCESS. SO I DO THINK WE MIGHT HAVE SOME REALITY AROUND READINESS AND HOW QUICKLY THIS MOVES. SO I DID WANT TO RAISE THAT PIECE JUST FROM SOME OF MY EXPERIENCE AROUND AROUND THIS, THAT WE CANNOT ASSUME EVERY SCHOOL COMMUNITY CAN MOVE AT THE SAME PACE AROUND AROUND THIS.
BUT I THINK THE FACT THAT CHAIR JACKSON HAS PRIORITIZED THIS AND THAT, ALL THAT HARD WORK WE DID TO PREPARE FOR THIS MOMENT, I'M I JUST WANT TO THANK HIM FOR DOING THAT. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER BOWSER STROTHER, WERE YOU ASKING FOR DOCTOR COLEMAN TO SPEAK ON THAT? YEAH, YEAH, FROM HIS EXPERIENCE. AND THEN I DID ALSO WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE, WE DO HAVE TO HAVE A FINAL BUDGET THURSDAY NIGHT AND VOTE ON IT.
AND SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO MOVE QUICKLY.
ABSOLUTELY. I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT BOTH CHAIR JACKSON AND DOCTOR COLEMAN'S HANDS ARE RAISED.
AND THAT WAS GOING TO BE MY FOLLOW UP TO CHAIR JACKSON.
SO AS WE MOVE CHAIR JACKSON AND THEN DOCTOR COLEMAN CHAIR JACKSON, CAN YOU INCLUDE WHEN YOU WOULD LIKE TO POSTPONE THIS AMENDMENT DISCUSSION TO. I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THAT. I WHAT I, WHAT I WANTED TO DO IS GET BACK WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT.
AND KIND OF LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO SEE WHAT'S YOU KNOW, WHAT WHAT CAN WE DO IN THE, IN THE WINDOW THAT WE HAVE FOR THIS YEAR? I KNOW THERE HAS BEEN SOME PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS ON WHAT IT WILL ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE.
WHAT WOULD COMMITTEE AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT LOOK LIKE? YOU KNOW, AND THE WHOLE PROCESS. AND I KNOW THERE'S ALREADY A MODEL THAT'S ALREADY SET OUT THERE.
I KNOW WE HAD SOME IDEAS OF ROLLING THIS THING OUT FURTHER THIS MONTH.
LATER ON THIS MONTH AT OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING.
BUT I KNOW RIGHT NOW WHAT WE'RE JUST TRYING TO DO IS GET OUR ARMS AROUND THIS BUDGET AMENDMENT.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CHAIR JACKSON. DOCTOR COLEMAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND I JUST REALLY WANTED TO THANK BOARD CHAIR JACKSON AND ALSO BOARD MEMBER BRUCE STRUTHERS FOR REALLY ARTICULATING THAT THIS IS A NUANCED AND AND COLLABORATIVE PROCESS THAT THAT ENGAGES THAT THAT REALLY FOCUSES ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, NOT JUST THE EXPENSE THAT WOULD BE IN OPERATIONS OR AROUND UNIFORMS. IT REALLY DOES REQUIRE A LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY THAT HAS TO BE REALLY THOUGHT THROUGH.
THIS AGGREGATE NUMBER REALLY SPOKE TO 22 SCHOOLS AND TO SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE'S POINT, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS WE LOOK AT IT AS A PHASED APPROACH AS OPPOSED TO ALL 22 AT ONE TIME.
BUT IT'S A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH. WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE AND ALSO WITH OUR CHIEF OF STAFF, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A CROSS COLLABORATION, AND WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AS WE MOVE THE PROCESS FORWARD.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. CLARIFYING THAT CLARIFICATION.
DOCTOR COLEMAN, AND SO I BELIEVE WE ARE NOW. WE ARE NOW VOTING TO POSTPONE THIS AND TO BOARD MEMBER BOOZER STRUTHERS'S POINT UNTIL A VOTE ON THIS AMENDMENT, UNTIL NEXT THURSDAY AT OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE DO NEED TO HAVE THESE FINALIZED NUMBERS FROM SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE AND HIS TEAM PRIOR TO THAT,
[03:05:08]
SO THAT PEOPLE HAVE TIME TO PEOPLE HAVE TIME TO MAKE THE CHANGES TO THE BUDGET.SO WE CAN ALSO VOTE ON THOSE CHANGES AT THE BOARD MEETING.
I THINK CHAIR JACKSON AND I HAVE SOME SCHEDULED TIME ON MONDAY.
WE'LL JUST MAKE SURE TO INFUSE DOCTOR COLEMAN AND HIS TEAM ON THAT TIME, IF THAT'S OKAY.
CHAIR JACKSON, SO THAT WE CAN GET THE BALL ROLLING AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE.
ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. PERFECT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT CLARIFICATION, GENTLEMEN.
SO AT THIS POINT, THE QUESTION IS, SHALL THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION POSTPONE THE BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THE OPERATIONS DIVISION? RENAMING OF SCHOOLS UNTIL NEXT BOARD MEETING? MISS ADELAIDE, PLEASE TAKE A ROLL CALL. VOTE.
DOCTOR. ETHICAL. A MISS BUDDHA. SCHROEDER. HI.
MR. BRIGGS. HI, MRS. BROWN. HI. MRS. MCCANN'S I DOCTOR MOSS.
HI, MISS. WALKER. HI. CHAD. JACKSON. HI. ATTORNEY.
THE AFFIRMATIVE. THERE ARE EIGHT. IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
RESEARCH STUDY TO IMPROVE TALENT POOL AND REVAMPING THE ONBOARDING PROCESS.
THE QUESTION IS, SHALL THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR THE DIVISION OF HUMAN RESOURCES? IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, AMENDMENTS OR RESCIND RESCINDING AMENDMENTS AT THIS TIME? BOARD MEMBER WALKER. YOU'RE MUTED.
SORRY. CAN WE PULL THE ONE RESEARCH STUDY TO IMPROVE TALENT POOL TO JUST REALLY QUICKLY.
ABSOLUTELY. SEEING NO OTHER HANDS. SO WE ARE SEPARATING.
THE TWO. WE ONLY HAVE TWO AMENDMENTS. WE'RE SEPARATING THE TWO.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THE OTHER AMENDMENT? SEEING NONE. THE QUESTION IS, SHALL THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THE HUMAN RESOURCES DIVISION? RESEARCH STUDY TO IMPROVE TALENT POOL. MISS ADELAIDE, PLEASE CALL A ROLL CALL.
TAKE A ROLL CALL. VOTE. THAT'S THE ONE THAT WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS RIGHT BEFORE THE ROLL CALL.
VOTE OR NOT? YES. RIGHT. YES. MY APOLOGIES. I GOT THIS.
NO PROBLEM. WE WORKING TOGETHER? IT'S GETTING LATE. IT'S NO PROBLEM.
BOARD MEMBER STRUTHERS, ARE YOU ASKING, ARE YOU RAISING YOUR HAND TO DISCUSS THE ONE THAT WE PULLED OR THE ONE THAT WE HAVE NOT PULLED? I GUESS AT THIS POINT, I GUESS I NEED TO UNDERSTAND BOTH OF THEM.
SO I GUESS I THOUGHT WE ENDED UP IN BOTH WILL HAVE DISCUSSION.
NO, THIS THIS IS THE GENERAL SECTION FOR US TO HAVE DISCUSSION.
WHEN WE HAD MULTIPLE AMENDMENTS FOR A DIVISION, WE WERE TRYING TO PULL PULL THEM.
SO IF PEOPLE HAD ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS THEY WANT TO MAKE, BUT THIS IS DISCUSSION ON BOTH OF THEM, I THOUGHT WE ENDED UP WITH THEM BOTH ESSENTIALLY PULLED BECAUSE WE HAD TWO AND THEY JUST GOT SEPARATED.
SO BUT YES, YOU'RE 2.5 MINUTES FOR YOUR STATEMENT.
I, I JUST DON'T I, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW IF THESE CAME OUT OF THE, OUT OF THE HR DEPARTMENTS AUDIT. AND WE'RE ACTUALLY SUPPORTING THAT. LIKE I JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY CAME FROM.
I CAN ANSWER THAT FOR YOU. BOARD MEMBER STROTHER, THIS IS EXACTLY FROM THE AUDIT THAT WAS DONE.
SO EXACTLY WHAT YOU JUST SAID. I SPOKE WITH CHIEF BALDWIN ABOUT THIS, AND IT WAS BASED ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT FACTORS, MOST OF WHICH CAME FROM THAT RESEARCH STUDY AROUND TARGETED WAYS THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY IMPROVE HIRING AND RETENTION FOR TEACHERS AND OTHER STAFF MEMBERS, INCLUDING BUS DRIVERS IN OUR COUNTY.
SO THAT IS IMMEDIATELY RELATED. AND THEN FOR THE THE TEACHER RECRUITING AND ONBOARDING OVERHAUL, THIS IS ACTUALLY A PLAN THAT THE HR OFFICE HAD DEVELOPED ON THEIR OWN.
[03:10:08]
TO BE COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER COUNTIES IN HIRING AND ALSO RETAINING TEACHERS.THANK YOU. THANK YOU, VICE CHAIR BRIGGS. IS YOUR HAND RAISED TO SPEAK IN ADDITION, OR WERE YOU JUST TRYING TO RESPOND TO BOARD MEMBER STRUTHERS STATEMENT? YES. BOARD MEMBER WALKER. YES, I WAS THAT'S WHY I ASKED TO PULL SO WE CAN HANDLE 2 IN 1 STONE.
ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I THANK YOU.
SAY YES. SO SOUNDS GREAT. SO WITH THAT CLARIFICATION, DO WE STILL WANT TO VOTE ON THESE TWO SEPARATELY OR ARE WE ARE YOU REMOVING YOUR REQUEST TO HAVE IT PULLED AND VOTE ON THEM TOGETHER? OH NO. WE CAN PUT THEM TOGETHER AS LONG AS I AS LONG AS DOCTOR BALDWIN'S ALL IN.
AND THIS IS IN SUPPORT OF THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD.
PUT THEM TOGETHER. THANK YOU. AND THANKS, MR. BRIGGS, FOR BRINGING IT FORWARD FOR THE ADMINISTRATION. THANK YOU BOTH.
SO WITH THAT CLARIFICATION, THE QUESTION IS, SHALL THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR THE HUMAN RESOURCES DIVISION TO INCLUDE OUR RESEARCH STUDY TO IMPROVE TALENT POOL AND REVAMPING THE ONBOARDING PROCESS.
MISS ADELAIDE, PLEASE TAKE A ROLL CALL. VOTE.
DOCTOR JOE. HI, MISS BUDA SCHROEDER. HI, MR. BRIGGS.
HI, MRS. BROWN. HI, MRS. GOLDSMITH. I, DOCTOR MOSS.
HI, MISS. WALKER. CHAIR. JACKSON. HI. EIGHT IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
THERE ARE EIGHT IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS ARE APPROVED.
MOVING ON TO THE DIVISION OF SCHOOL SUPPORT AND LEADERSHIP.
WE HAVE ONE AMENDMENT LIBRARY SERVICES EXPANSION.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? YEAH. THEN YOU PULL THAT ONE.
YEAH, I'D LIKE TO PULL THAT AMENDMENT. SO. BUT ACTUALLY RESCINDED.
I'M SORRY. I'M USING THE WRONG LANGUAGE TONIGHT. I'M. AND I'D LIKE TO RESCIND IT TO I JUST WANT TO SAY THIS IN MY RECENSION OF THIS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I HAD A SCHOOL WILLIAM BEANES ELEMENTARY THAT DIDN'T HAVE A LIBRARIAN.
I REALLY THINK AT SOME POINT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON MAKING SURE ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS HAVE LIBRARIANS. I HEARD THE FEEDBACK FROM THE TEAM AROUND LIBRARIANS AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE FULL TIME ONES. WE'RE JUST NOT THERE YET. AND SO MY AMENDMENT ONLY LOOKS AT ONE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND I KNOW WE WOULD NEED TO DO THAT ACROSS THE DISTRICT. SO GIVEN THAT UNDERSTANDING, I'M GOING TO PULL MY AMENDMENT.
BUT I BELIEVE YEAH, WE CAN NOT PULL IT RESCINDED COMPLETELY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. BOARD MEMBER MOSS.
AND I DO WANT TO SHOUT OUT THE PARENTS AT WILLIAM BEANS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN INSIDE OF IT, BUT IT ACTUALLY HAS A LIBRARY BUILT IN THE CENTER OF THE SCHOOL, A REALLY NICE SCHOOL BUILT AROUND A LIBRARY.
AND THEY WERE REALLY ADAMANT ABOUT BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT FOR THEIR YOUNG FOLKS, LOTS OF MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS AT THAT SCHOOL. SO THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A LIBRARIAN WHO CAN FIND MULTIPLE BOOKS IN VARIOUS LANGUAGES, BUT AT THIS TIME, I'LL HOLD IT UNTIL WE HAVE A MORE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AROUND LIBRARIANS ACROSS THE DISTRICT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT, DOCTOR MOSS.
HAVING THE AMENDMENT RESCINDED, WE WILL MOVE TO THE OFFICE OF INTEGRITY AND COMPLIANCE.
WE HAVE ONE AMENDMENT. REMOVAL OF OIC FROM THE BUDGET.
THE QUESTION IS, SHALL THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR THE OFFICE OF INTEGRITY AND COMPLIANCE? I SEE HANDS RAISED. SO MISS LOPEZ, PLEASE PUT THEM ON.
PLEASE PUT THE TIMERS ON FOR BOARD MEMBER. STROTHERS.
BOARD MEMBER WALKER, AND THEN CHAIR JACKSON. A POINT OF ORDER.
MADAM CHAIR. YES. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DOES HAVE SOME LEGAL GUIDANCE BEFORE WE TAKE COMMENTS ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR AMENDMENT THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO SHARE.
ABSOLUTELY. I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT BOARD MEMBER BROWN'S HAND ALSO DID GO UP.
[03:15:04]
LEGAL GUIDANCE IS FOR US. YES. WE REACHED OUT TO THE BOARD'S LEGAL COUNSEL, WHO SHARED THAT ESSENTIALLY, AND I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME. SO I'M NOT QUOTING IT THAT WE DO NOT HAVE THE OPTION TO DEFUND.WE APPRECIATE THAT. VERY IMPORTANT CONTEXT AND CLARIFICATION, DIRECTOR FITZPATRICK.
BOARD MEMBERS, IF WE STILL HAVE COMMENT, I WILL AGAIN, DIRECT.
MISS LOPEZ WILL JUST START OVER AS EACH BOARD MEMBER TALKS.
YEAH. THANK YOU. I DID INTRODUCE THIS AMENDMENT.
IN 23, THE BOARD DID. YOU KNOW, LET THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY KNOW THAT THIS WAS A DUPLICATIVE ROLES AND OFFICE. THE, YOU KNOW, OF THE BOARD'S INTERNAL AUDIT OFFICE, WHICH YOU KNOW, IS, YOU KNOW, HAS BEEN AROUND FOR DECADES AND PERFORMS AT A LEVEL THAT THIS OFFICE IS NOWHERE, NOWHERE NEAR WITH 67 AUDITS AND MORE THAN 500 SUBMISSIONS TO FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE AND, YOU KNOW, ANNUAL AUDITS.
RIGHT NOW, THAT'S 12 FTES FOR 2.2 MILLION. YET SOMEHOW THIS OFFICE IS SPENDING 1.6 ON FIVE. AND THAT'S BECAUSE THIS OFFICE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT WASTE IS HAS SALARIES THAT ARE ABOUT $100,000 MORE FOR EVERYONE IN THE INTERNAL AUDIT OFFICE.
SO IF WE CANNOT. SO THESE ARE BLOATED SALARIES.
AND IN FACT, WHEN THE DIRECTOR WAS HIRED, THAT STARTING SALARY WAS MORE THAN OUR CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER, OUR CORE CHIEF FUNCTION. SO I HAVE BEEN VERY DISAPPOINTED ABOUT THE ROLLOUT OF THIS.
I'VE BEEN OUTSPOKEN ABOUT THE DUPLICITY AND WHAT IT WOULD TAKE FOR THIS OFFICE TO GROW TO THE POINT OF THE WORK THAT OUR OFFICE DOES. WE AS THE BOARD OF ELECTED BOARD OF EDUCATION, WE ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN, YOU KNOW, HOLD THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ULTIMATELY ACCOUNTABLE BECAUSE THE VOTERS HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE.
THEY HAVE A BILL TO MOVE THIS BUDGET. I OF COURSE THINK IT'S MUCH BIGGER THAN DOLLARS, BUT THE SO MY IF I'M BEING TOLD, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOW NOT THE TIME. MY ALTERNATIVE AMENDMENT IS THAT IF THIS IS NOT REMOVED FROM OUR BUDGET, THAT THIS OFFICE HAS TO ALIGN WITH THE SALARY SCALE OF CPS AND REDUCE THESE BLOATED BUDGETS DOWN TO SCALE OF EQUIVALENT PERFORMANCE JOBS IN CPS.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING I WANT TO SEE IF WE CAN ENTERTAIN THAT, THAT IF THIS DOESN'T GO AWAY, THAT WE AT LEAST START PAYING THESE WASTEFUL SALARIES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT CONTEXT. BOARD MEMBER.
STRUTHERS. BOARD MEMBER. WALKER. I DO SEE MR. FITZPATRICK'S HAND UP. IS IT SOMETHING RELATED TO THIS HERE? I'M IMAGINING THAT IT IS. HEY, DID YOU WANT TO RECOGNIZE HIM BEFORE I GO? HE MIGHT HAVE PERTINENT INFORMATION BEFORE I GET STARTED.
YES. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POINTING THAT OUT.
DIRECTOR FITZPATRICK, THANK YOU. THAT I WANTED TO ACTUALLY READ THE THE GUIDANCE BECAUSE IT MAY SPEAK TO WHAT BOARD MEMBER STRUTHERS BROTHER MENTIONED, MY INITIAL QUESTION WAS TWOFOLD. ONE, THE QUESTION WAS IT QUESTIONED WHETHER THE BOARD HAD TO INCLUDE THE RECOMMENDED AMOUNTS RECOMMENDED? THIS IS A QUOTE AMOUNTS RECOMMENDED BY THE INTEGRITY AND COMPLIANCE OFFICER IN THE FINAL BUDGET.
AND SECONDLY, WHAT ARE THE LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE BOARD DEFUNDING OIC? AND I WILL READ THE RESPONSE IN RESPONSE TO YOUR INQUIRY BELOW.
PLEASE KNOW THAT I READ THE LANGUAGE OF THE MARYLAND ANNOTATED CODE AS COMPELLING THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION TO INCLUDE THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE INTEGRITY AND COMPLIANCE OFFICER IN ITS ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET.
IF THE BOARD FAILS TO DO SO IN THE SAME MANNER THAT OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES CAN DO IN CASES WHERE THE REQUIREMENT OF THE CODE HAS BEEN VIOLATED, A MANDAMUS ACTION CAN BE FILED WITH THE COURT SYSTEM TO COMPEL THE ACTION TO OCCUR.
[03:20:01]
CODE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT CLARIFICATION DIRECTOR FITZPATRICK.BOARD MEMBER WALKER AND THEN BOARD MEMBER BROWN.
YES. THANK YOU. ORIGINALLY, THESE WERE PUT IN AS TWO DIFFERENT AMENDMENTS AND THEY WERE MERGED TO ONE JUST I GUESS, GIVEN THE TITLE OF THEM. AND SO A SECONDARY PIECE OF THAT, IF YOU LOOK INSIDE, IS TO TO REMOVE THE $204,326 THAT IS BEING REQUESTED FOR ANOTHER POSITION THIS UPCOMING YEAR.
WHAT I THINK I HEAR FROM MR. FITZPATRICK IS THAT WE HAVE AN OPEN CHECKBOOK, AND WHAT THIS SAYS IS THAT NO MATTER WHAT FUNDING IS ASKED, THAT WE HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. AND I THINK THAT THAT IS UNFORTUNATE AND UNACCEPTABLE.
FOR US BEING NOT ONLY IN A DEFICIT BUT FOR GOOD STEWARDS OF FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT I HEARD WAS THAT WHATEVER IS BEING ASKED FROM THIS OFFICE AT ANY TIME NEEDS TO BE PUT INSIDE OF OUR BUDGET. DID I JUST HEAR THAT? BECAUSE MY PIECE ON REDUCING THE 204.
326 THAT'S BEING ASKED FOR THIS YEAR TO REMOVE IT.
AND I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT THAT'S NOT AN OPTION, RIGHT? DIRECTIVE AS TO NOT GET INTO THE LANE OF PROVIDING LEGAL ADVICE.
I WILL READ IT AGAIN. JUST READ THE WORDS ON THE PAGE AGAIN.
AND SO THE QUESTION WAS ABOUT THE CODE. AND I'LL QUOTE THE CODE FIRST.
AND IT SAYS THE COUNTY BOARD SHALL INCLUDE IN THE COUNTY BOARD'S ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET PROPOSAL, THE AMOUNTS RECOMMENDED BY THE INTEGRITY AND COMPLIANCE OFFICER AND THE RESPONSE WAS PLEASE NOTE THAT I, THAT IS FOR LEGAL COUNSEL, READ THE LANGUAGE OF THE CODE AS COMPELLING.
BOARD MEMBER. WALKER. BOARD MEMBER. BROWN. YES.
THANK YOU. SO I, I KNOW CHIEF HOWELL YESTERDAY DID DISCUSS AND MAYBE SHE CAN CORRECT ME, SO PLEASE I'M ASKING FOR HER FEEDBACK. IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT, YES, WE WOULD BE LIABLE FOR THIS POSITION AND HAVING IT IN THE BUDGET. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE CHIEF HOWELL STATED IN THE MEETING YESTERDAY IN THE OBAMA MEETING, THAT THEY ARE REQUESTING THAT THE COUNTY COUNCIL PAY FOR THIS, ESSENTIALLY, BUT NOT TAKE AWAY FROM THE BUDGET THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR OUR SCHOLARS. SO IF THEY ARE GIVING US I DON'T KNOW, THE X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE ALSO GOING TO ADD THAT SALARY AND THAT BUDGET FOR THE OFFICE THAT THEY ASKED FOR.
SO, CHIEF, HOW CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT, PLEASE? THANK YOU. YES. SO THAT IS CORRECT. AND THE CURRENT PROPOSED 26 BUDGET WE DID INCLUDE THE FULL COST OF THIS OFFICE OF INTEGRITY COMPLIANCE, INCLUDING THE PROGRAM ENHANCEMENT FOR THE ADDITIONAL POSITION.
BASED ON THE LEGISLATION, WE SHALL INCLUDE IT IN THE BUDGET BASED OFF OF WHAT'S BEING RECOMMENDED. AND SO, THOUGH THAT FULLY LOADED BUDGET IS CAPTURED IN OUR BUDGET, IN ADDITION TO THAT, OUR COUNTY CONTRIBUTION REQUEST REFLECTED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, AND IT'S GOING TO BE REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET THAT TRANSMITTED TO THE COUNTY.
DOES CONSIDER NOT ONLY THE MINIMUM REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH BLUEPRINT, IT'S ALSO ADDING TO THAT THE FULLY LOADED COST OF THIS FUNCTION TO BE PAID FOR BY THE COUNTY. NOW, OBVIOUSLY THEY CAN VOTE TO NOT DO THAT, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE IN OUR REQUESTED BUDGET THAT IT IS FULLY FUNDED BY THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHIEF HOWELL. BOARD MEMBER BROWN WAS AT THE END OF YOUR.
THANK YOU. I HAD A REQUEST SINCE WE DIDN'T HAVE CLEAR LEGAL A CLEAR LEGAL ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, ESPECIALLY SINCE BOARD MEMBER BOOZER STRUTHERS HAS PRESENTED AN AMENDMENT TO HER AMENDMENT.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET A CLEAR ANSWER ON WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE ABLE TO? WE ARE ABLE TO REQUEST BOARD MEMBER BOOZER STRUTHERS AMENDMENT TO HAVE THAT SALARY AND OFFICE BE IN LINE WITH COMMENSURATE DIVISIONS IN THE ADMINISTRATION.
[03:25:03]
SO WHAT I WHAT I WILL SAY AND I'LL ASK OUR, OUR LEGAL COUNSEL TO TO WEIGH IN HERE.I KNOW A WRIT OF MANDAMUS IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO.
MR. HENDERSON, DO YOU MIND SHARING SOME OF SOME OF YOUR INSIGHT AND REFERENCE TO TO THIS? AND IF YOU DON'T MIND. YES. GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS.
SO I HAVE NOT DONE THE INDEPENDENT RESEARCH INTO THIS ISSUE, BUT BASED ON THE ADVICE THAT WAS PROVIDED TO THE BOARD BY BOARD COUNSEL WHAT MY UNDERSTANDING IS OF BOARD COUNSEL'S ADVICE IS THAT THE BOARD COULD VOTE TO DEFUND THE OFFICE OF INTEGRITY AND COMPLIANCE, BUT THAT DEFUNDING OF THE OFFICE COMES WITH CONSEQUENCES.
AND ONE OF THOSE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES COULD BE A WRIT OF MANDAMUS, WHERE A COURT WOULD ORDER THE BOARD TO FUND THE OFFICE, BECAUSE WHAT MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE THE APPLICABLE STATUTE IS, IS THAT THE WAY THAT IT'S WRITTEN, PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS SHALL FUND THE OFFICE.
SO THE BOARD IS WITHIN ITS DISCRETION TO VOTE TO DEFUND IT, BUT IT DOES COME WITH CONSEQUENCES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, BOARD MEMBER WALKER. YES. SO MY INITIAL INPUT WAS NOT TO DEFUND.
I AGREE WITH YOU ON DEFUNDING. IT'S HERE. IT'S A LAW.
I WON'T VOTE FOR DEFUNDING IT. BUT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS ON THURSDAY, IF OUR LEGAL COUNCIL.
THEY'LL BE THERE IF THEY CAN TALK TO US ABOUT RAMIFICATIONS OR ALIGNMENT.
FOR BOARD MEMBER STRUTHERS REQUEST FOR PUTTING THIS IN LINE WITH OTHER PG CPS FUNCTIONS.
NUMBER ONE, AND THEN THE SECONDARY PIECE ABOUT WHAT MY ORIGINAL REQUEST WAS WAS ABOUT NOT ABOUT THE $204,326 THAT'S BEING REQUESTED THIS YEAR. IF THAT CAN BE DEFERRED UNTIL INTO A FUTURE YEAR, UNTIL WE CAN HEAR FROM THE COUNCIL ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE TAKING IT ON, BECAUSE THEY MIGHT NOT. THEY ALSO ARE AT A DEFICIT AS WELL.
SO WE DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE TAKING THAT, TO BE HONEST.
SO LIKELY IT WILL BE SITTING EXACTLY WHERE IT IS.
THEY JUST GOT LUMPED IN. THANK YOU. MAYBE THAT'S FOR CHAIR JACKSON.
I DON'T KNOW WHO THE QUESTIONS TO. YES, I SAW HER.
ARE YOU MAKING A MOTION TO POSTPONE THIS AMENDMENT UNTIL THURSDAY? UNTIL WE CAN COME BACK WITH MORE ANSWERS OR WITH MORE INFORMATION? YES, BUT FOR THOSE TWO SPECIFIC REQUESTS.
YES, I AM ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
SO THE QUESTION AT THIS POINT IS SHALL THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION POSTPONE THE BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THE OFFICE OF INTEGRITY AND COMPLIANCE UNTIL NEXT THURSDAY? MISS ADELAIDE, PLEASE TAKE A ROLL CALL. VOTE WHERE THE LEGAL COUNSEL WILL BE PRESENT.
THANK YOU FOR ADDING THAT WHERE THE LEGAL COUNSEL WILL BE PRESENT.
MR. GALLOWAY, PLEASE TAKE A ROLL CALL. VOTE. DOCTOR.
ANNABELLE. HI, MISS. BUDDHA. HI, MR. BRIGGS. HI, MRS. MACKENZIE. HI, MISS BROWN. HI, DOCTOR MOSS. HI, MISS WALKER. HI, JAY. JACKSON. HI. IT'S IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
WITH EIGHT IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. WE WILL POSTPONE THAT AMENDMENT PENDING LEGAL COUNSEL'S RESPONSE.
LASTLY, OUR LAST AMENDMENT FOR THE EVENING IS FOR ALL DIVISIONS AND OFFICES, REDUCTION OF TRAVEL AND CENTRAL OFFICE DISCRETIONARY FUNDS. THE QUESTION IS, SHALL THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE THE BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR ALL DIVISIONS? ANY DISCUSSION, RESOLUTION OR AMENDMENTS? I'M GOING TO.
THIS IS ONE OF MY ITEMS, SO I'M GOING TO PULL IT.
[03:30:03]
IT'S THE ONLY AMENDMENT IN THIS SECTION, SO WE DON'T NEED TO PULL IT FOR DISCUSSION, BUT WE'RE OPEN FOR DISCUSSION.BOARD MEMBERS, IF ANYONE HAS ANYTHING THEY WOULD LIKE TO.
QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? CHANGING THE AMENDMENTS, ANYTHING AT THIS POINT IN TIME? I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IF WHAT'S IN THIS PARTICULAR AMENDMENT IS PART OF THE BUDGET PLAN THAT'S ALREADY BEEN PUT TOGETHER.
THERE'S ALSO A COMPONENT OF THIS THAT CAME FROM BOARD MEMBER WALKER. I'LL LET HER SPEAK TO TO HAVE ALL CENTRAL OFFICES REDUCE THEIR DISCRETIONARY BUDGET BY 10% TO AID IN THE 37 MILLION DEFICIT WE ARE CURRENTLY FACING. SO I'D LOVE IF THIS IS INCLUDED IN THE ADMINISTRATION'S PLAN FOR REDUCING THE $37 MILLION DEFICIT, OR IF THERE ARE OTHER MEASURES OUTSIDE OF THIS, I THINK I'D LOVE TO HEAR.
YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MOSS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WILL SHARE.
AND I'LL LET CHIEF CHIEF POWELL SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE WE DID HAVE THIS CONVERSATION MONTHS AGO AROUND THE POSSIBILITY OF, OF TRAVEL. WHAT WHAT WE DO KNOW IN TERMS OF THE EFFECTS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, ATTENDING WORKSHOPS, CONFERENCES, MAKING SURE THAT OUR OUR STAFF ARE UP TO SPEED ON THE THE MOST BENEFICIAL PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE OUT THERE. THE COLLABORATION AND NETWORKING IS SOMETHING THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT NOT ONLY TO CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF, BUT I THINK TO TO BOARD MEMBERS AS WELL. THE IDEA AROUND RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT HERE.
YOU KNOW, TRAVELING TO JOB FAIRS TO TO HELP WITH, YOU KNOW, THE THE HR FUNCTIONS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT PROGRAMS AND PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AS WELL, ENGAGING THE THE KIND OF EXTERNAL PARTNERS, WHETHER IT BE UNIVERSITIES OR GRANT ORGANIZATIONS.
THE LAST THING THAT I'LL MENTION IS, YOU KNOW, JUST THE IDEA AROUND BEST PRACTICE IMPLEMENTATION.
SITE VISITS, THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT ALLOW US TO CONTINUE TO BE SUCCESSFUL AROUND PROGRAMS AND ENSURE THAT THE DISTRICT FIRSTHAND IS ALLOWED TO STAY UP ON THE BEST PRACTICE STRATEGIES THAT ARE OUT THERE.
SO I'LL LET CHIEF POWELL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT KIND OF WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF THIS PARTICULAR MEASURE IN REFERENCE TO THE GAP CLOSING FOCUS THAT WE HAVE. THANK YOU. SO AS IT RELATES TO TRAVEL AND DISCRETIONARY SPEND ACROSS THE BOARD WE HAVE IDENTIFIED SPECIFIC OPPORTUNITIES VERY STRATEGIC WHERE DISCRETIONARY SPEND THAT'S CURRENTLY IN THE BUDGET WASN'T NECESSARILY IN LINE WITH HISTORICAL TRENDS. AND THAT'S WHERE WE REALLY FOCUS OUR TARGETED EFFORTS TO CUT DISCRETIONARY SPEND.
AS IT RELATES TO TRAVEL, AS SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE OUTLINED, THAT IS CERTAINLY LOW HANGING FRUIT IN TERMS OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO IDENTIFY WHERE WE CAN CUT NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVEL. I WILL SAY THAT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BUDGET FORMULATION PROCESS, WE KNEW WE WERE FACING A BUDGET DEFICIT. WE KNEW WE WERE GOING TO BE FACING CHALLENGES, AND EVERY DIVISION WAS TASKED WITH GOING THROUGH AND CUTTING THEIR BUDGET ALREADY BEFORE IT WAS EVEN SUBMITTED, OR REALIGNING PRIORITIES TO FUND TRAVEL THAT THEY FELT WAS NECESSARY FOR THEIR DIVISION.
AND IT'S VERY DIFFERENT FROM ONE DIVISION TO THE OTHER.
TO THE EXTENT THAT WE HAVE TO DIG DEEPER ON THAT, THAT'S A LEVER WE CAN CERTAINLY PULL.
BUT BASED OFF OF THE SOME OF THE DISCRETIONARY CUTS, BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T ALL JUST IN TRAVEL, IN SOME CASES IT'S SUPPLIES THAT COULD BE CONTRACTED, SERVICES WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO GET US TO A PATH.
HOWEVER, AS I OUTLINED BEFORE, THIS BUDGETING PROCESS IS NOT OVER.
WE STILL HAVE THE POSSIBILITY OF CHANGES TO BLUEPRINT, WHICH WILL REQUIRE US TO GO BACK TO THE WELL AND MAKE A DEEPER HAIRCUT AS IT RELATES TO OUR DISCRETIONARY SPEND. IF WE HAVE A $62 MILLION GAP TO CLOSE VERSUS A $23 MILLION GAP, SO THAT IS A LEVER WE WILL PULL BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT THE BRUNT OF THAT TO SOLELY FALL ON THE SCHOOL.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WILL CERTAINLY DO. BUT YES, WE'VE LOOKED AT DISCRETIONARY SPEND ACROSS THE BOARD, NOT JUST IN TRAVEL, BUT WE HAVE LOOKED AT TRAVEL AS WELL.
BUT NOT JUST TRAVEL ONLY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT FULLY ANSWERED THE THE QUESTION. BOARD MEMBER. BOARD MEMBER. WALKER.
[03:35:01]
AND THEN BOARD MEMBER WALKER. EXCUSE ME. BOARD MEMBER.MOSS. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT, MISS HOWELL.
I THINK WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY THROUGH THAT IS THAT YOU'VE ALREADY CUT SOME DISCRETIONARY FUNDS.
WHEN WE DO GET TO THURSDAY, IS THE PLAN AS FAR AS WHERE DID THE 37 MILLION? I'M EXCITED FOR IT. LIKE THANK YOU ALL FOR DOING THAT WORK.
SO THAT'LL BE SUPER HELPFUL. AND I THINK IT'LL HELP ANSWER SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE HERE, WHILE STILL ENSURING THAT AS WE CONTINUE FORWARD, BECAUSE WE KNOW IN A BUDGET CYCLE WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET EVERYTHING WE ASK.
SO THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME MORE RECONCILIATION AFTER THIS AMAZING PROCESS.
SO WITH THAT, WE'RE WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE FLEXIBILITY.
I THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THAT CLEARLY. YOU KNOW, TAKING A LOOK AT THAT SHEET, WOULD YOU ANTICIPATE THAT YOU WOULD HAVE A PLAN LIKE THAT? THAT EQUALS THE $37.3 MILLION THAT WAS FOUND WITHIN A SPREADSHEET.
WE CAN PROVIDE AN UPDATE AT THE BOARD MEETING THAT WILL OUTLINE THE CHANGES AND REVENUE, WHICH IS HALF OF IT, AND THEN THE OTHER HALF RELATING TO EXPENDITURES.
YEAH, IT MAKES SENSE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TOO. THANK YOU. ALSO, GIVEN THAT UNDERSTANDING, I BELIEVE I CAN TABLE THIS AMENDMENT TO OUR BOARD MEETING NEXT THURSDAY.
IF IT'S THE WILL OF THE BODY, HAPPY TO TABLE IT.
ALSO THE UNDERSTANDING THAT I'LL LIKELY AMEND IT TO EXCLUDE TEACHER PROFESSIONAL LEARNING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. BOARD MEMBER MOSS AND BOARD MEMBER WALKER.
CENTRAL SERVICE, CENTRAL OFFICE DISCRETIONARY UNTIL NEXT THURSDAY.
MISS ADELAIDE, PLEASE TAKE A ROLL CALL. VOTE.
DOCTOR ANDERSON. HI. IS WOULD ESTRADA. HI, MR. BRIGGS. HI, MRS.. BROWN. HI, MRS.. MARCUS, I DOCTOR MOSS, I MISS WALKER, I CHAIR JACKSON. ALL RIGHT. EIGHT IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
THERE ARE EIGHT IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. THE BUDGET AMENDMENT IS POSTPONED.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR AMENDMENTS. THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVED THE FOLLOWING AMENDMENTS TO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026. AVIATION PROGRAM CONTINUATION. THIRD GRADE LITERACY LAB PILOT.
EXPANSION OF HILLSIDE HWC PROGRAM. EXPANSION OF LA YC PROMOTORA PROGRAM BOARD BUDGET ANALYST.
DISTRICT LIAISONS. BOARD MEMBER. BUDGET REDUCTION.
COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE. STAFF REDUCTION. RESEARCH STUDY TO IMPROVE TALENT POOL.
STRATEGY OFFICES. MERGER. RENAMING OF SCHOOLS.
OFFICE OF INTEGRITY AND COMPLIANCE, ALIGNING EMPLOYEE SALARIES WITH THE PGK SALARY SCALE AND POSTPONING ENHANCEMENTS AND THE REDUCTION OF TRAVEL CENTRAL OFFICE DISCRETIONARY FUNDS.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. I'LL APOLOGIZE. BOARD MEMBER WALKER.
YES. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR RECOGNIZING ME. I WAS JUST WONDERING, WHEN IT COMES TO THE OFFICE OF INTEGRITY AND COMPLIANCE, CAN WE BREAK THOSE BACK OUT AGAIN, PLEASE? BECAUSE I THINK THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT DISCUSSIONS. I CAN BE MORE CLEAR.
SO THERE'S DO YOU DID YOU UNDERSTAND? THERE WERE ORIGINALLY TWO AMENDMENTS.
THERE WAS THE ONE THAT WAS THAT BOARD MEMBER BOOS ESTRADA DID THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT ON TODAY.
AND THEN THERE WAS A SEPARATE ONE FOR THE $204,000.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT CALL OUT BOARD MEMBER WALKER.
I KNOW WE ARE ALL INCREDIBLY DEDICATED TO MAKING SURE WE HAVE THE BEST SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY.
AND WITH THAT, I NOW RETURN THE MEETING TO CHAIR JACKSON.
[03:40:03]
THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER ZAKIYA. THANK YOU ALL FOR WATCHING.AND JOINING US TONIGHT. AND WITH THAT BEING SAID,
THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION BUDGET WORK SESSION AND PUBLIC HEARING FOR FY 2026 IS ADJOURNED. GOOD NIGHT.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.