Business Meeting: 4/15/25

Business Meeting Date: April 15, 2025
Board Members Present: Guessford, Zentmeyer, Burkett, Murray, Evans, McCusker
Student Representative: Wong
Board Members Absent: Beachley
Video link to full meeting here.

Old Business
Darrell Evans, Board Member and Policy Committee Chair; and Ilissa Ramm, Chief Legal Counsel and Policy Committee Staff Liaison, requested Board approval of the second reading of proposed Policy JHCG, entitled “Telehealth Policy for Students.”
Read cover sheet here.

Darrell Evans, Board Member and Policy Committee Chair; and Ilissa Ramm, Chief Legal Counsel and Policy Committee Staff Liaison, requested Board approval of the second reading of proposed changes to Policy DGA/DGB, entitled “Authorized Signature/Check-Writing Services,” and the proposed rescission of Policy DGF, entitled “Approval (Signing) Authority).
Read cover sheet here.

Darrell Evans, Board Member and Policy Committee Chair; and Ilissa Ramm, Chief Legal Counsel and Policy Committee Staff Liaison, requested Board approval of the second reading of proposed changes to Administrative Regulation DFAA-R, entitled “Guidelines for the Classification and Use of Fund Balance Reserves.”
Read cover sheet here.

New Business
+ CONSENT AGENDA
Mr. Scott Bachtell, Supervisor of Purchasing, requested Board of Education approval of the awards, renewals, and procurements as presented in the consent agenda.
Read cover sheet with all items listed with prices here.

+ Jeffrey Proulx, Chief Operating Officer, Scott Bachtell, Supervisor of Purchasing, Terri Baker, Executive Director of Human Resources, and Cheri Herschman, Area Senior Vice President, Gallagher Benefit Consulting, requested Board of Education approval of the procurements as presented. (Medical, Pharmacy Administration, Stop Loss Insurance, and Vision)
Read cover sheet here.

+ Dr. Heath Wilcox, Executive Director for Secondary Education, requested Board approval of  a gift of $9,704.40 from the Boonsboro Athletic Booster, Inc., to be used for the Boonsboro High School cheer team. These funds will be used to purchase cheer jackets, pants, jerseys, and new
tumbling mats.

+ Dr. Jennifer Webster, Associate Superintendent for Administration and Leadership, requested Board approval of a Donation of $92,020.00 from Landon's Place to the BOE.

+ Mike Embly, Director of Food & Nutrition Services, requested Board approval for a donation in the amount of $23,281.11 from the Giant Feeding School Kids Program to the WCPS FNS department.  These funds will be deposited into the FNS’s operating budget and will be used for purchasing extra food (beyond the reimbursable meal) to be sent home with students for weekends (similar to Micah’s backpack program) this summer.

+ Jeffrey Proulx, Chief Operating Officer, requested Board approval of the  Board of Education’s FY2026 General Fund Operating Budget.
You can view the FY2026 Budget here.

- There were 2 amendment considerations made by Board Member Linda Murray:
1) Adding the position of supervisor of equity and excellence at a cost of $140,000 and to reduce the amount to be allowed to the other postemployment benefits by $140,000. There was no second and the motion failed. (At the BOE’s Budget Hearing on March 18 held to hear the thoughts of school system stakeholders and to provide feedback to the Board of Education members on the Board’s proposed budget, numerous community members spoke to the need to maintain the supervisor position and expressed support for its inclusion in the FY26 budget. Despite this stakeholder feedback, no mention of this community support was part of the discussion at the Board’s final budget work session held on April 8.)
2) Amend the budget to restore it to the earlier proposed 15 school safety and security assistant positions at a cost of $942,900 and to cover this by eliminating the connected grades 1-5 program costing $609,000 with the balance of $333,000 taken from the allocation to the other post employment benefits. There was no second and the motion failed. (This expansion would have allowed for the placement of SSAs in all
WCPS secondary schools, not just the city schools. At the March 18 BOE Business Meeting, the BOE Budget Review and Advisory Committee voiced its support for the expansion of this SSA program in its report to the board. The Budget Review and Advisory Committee is a committee
comprised of stakeholders who the Board appoints to serve on the committee for the purpose of providing feedback.)

- There was one amendment consideration made by Board Member Darrell Evans:
1) To increase the regular substitute teacher daily wage rate by $10 per full day and $5 per half day for a total cost of $162,000 and reduce the amount of increase to the other post employment by an equal amount. Passed unanimously.

Personnel Actions
Presented and passed. View non-certificated and certificated changes.

Reports to the Board
Mr. Steve Edwards, Legislative Liaison, provided a brief presentation on the status of bills introduced in the 2025 Maryland General Assembly Session of interest to the Board of Education..
See slideshow presentation here. State budget and Blueprint update, bills of interest update.

Board Member Committee Reports

• Curriculum & Instruction Committee:
  Zentmeyer: Met at Paramount. Those 4th graders had the top MCAPS in the county and we are top of the state. Paula Moore presented the new French resource that we voted on tonight and the coordinator of early education Kelly Longerbeam gave us a prek program update. The next meeting is at 10:30 at Smithsburg on May 7th.
• Facilities Committee:
  Guessford: Committee has not met, had no report.
• Finance Committee:
  Burkett: A meeting is scheduled for May 13th at 8:30 in the morning.
• Human Resources:
  Murray: A meeting is scheduled for April 29th at 1:00 p.m in the boardroom.
• Policy Committee:
  Evans: In addition to what was voted on, Policy KD was not presented for it's second reading tonight. Policy committee not meeting in May, will meet in June. It may back for a first read, it may not.

Recognitions
Dr. Sovine recognized our Carson Scholars, students that competed at the Skills USA state championship and earned a gold medal, 

Superintendent Report
- April is National School Library Month and Dr. Sovine recognized and thanked our school library media specialists school libraries.
- Spring break reminder, 18th-21st, and there is a 2 hour early dismissal on 4/28.

Future Agenda Items
1. School Highlight: Boonsboro High School–Work Session–May 6, 2025
2. Board of Education’s FY2026 General Fund Operating Budget–Work Session–May 6, 2025

Miscellaneous Business
None other than the future agenda items noted above.

Notable Public Comment Questions/Concerns
- Several parents/staff from Clear Spring Elementary talked about behavior concerns
- A citizen shared about the County Commissioner's budget issues
- A citizen spoke about making public comment more accessible.

Board Member Comments to Public Comment
- Burkett acknowledged the Clear Spring speakers
- McCusker acknowledged the Clear Spring speakers
- Wang encouraged employees to come to meetings to share their experiences
- Guessford addressed speaker about board comments
- Evans spoke about the behavior issues- said policy committee is looking at disciplinary issues
- Murray addressed Clear Spring speakers, wants to see meetings back at previous time and public comment moved back

Board Member Closing Comments
- Wang: Introduced the new incoming student board member, Nora Murphy
- Burkett: April is Child Abuse Awareness Month
- McCusker: Welcomed Nora Murphey
- Guessford: Congratulated Victoria Beachley and her new baby
- Murray Wished her grandson a happy birthday
- Evans: Saw the BISFA play, congratulated students and staff, encouraged people to look up who our schools are named after
- Zentmeyer: Acknowledged our ESP of the Year and the joint meeting with the commissioners, and noted that we will be celebrating Teacher of the Year, celebrated reading tutors apprentices.