The Board of Education met on Tuesday (February 14) and, among other items, approved the adoption of the FY 2007 Operating Budget request. The Board also approved a revised policy on academic eligibility, approved positions on items of legislation, appointed three administrators, and approved preliminary plans for an addition to Fields Road Elementary School. The Board also submitted a list of names for consideration by school naming committees at Northwest Elementary School #7, Clarksburg/Damascus Elementary School #7, and Downcounty Consortium Elementary School #27.

Adoption of FY 2007 Operating Budget Request

The Board adopted an amended FY 2007 Operating Budget request totaling $1.8 billion. The amendments include an increase of $697,903 to provide funding for the Poolesville High School Magnet Program and ESOL enrollment projection revisions. An additional amendment would implement all-day kindergarten in all schools in FY 2007 ($1.16 million), extend ESOL parent outreach by adding four positions ($254,316), and provide resources to develop and maintain a process to review and evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of Board policies ($118,163). The budget request also includes $2.6 million for high school reform initiatives that include class size reduction and supports to ensure success on the High School Assessment/Maryland School Assessment.

Final Action on Policy IQD, Academic Eligibility for Extracurricular Activities

The Board approved revised Policy IQD, Academic Eligibility for Extracurricular Activities. The policy sets forth the academic eligibility standards for middle and high school participation in some extracurricular activities. The Board affirmed the valuable role that extracurricular activities play in the education of students and the need for each school to provide supports that would enable students to attain the eligibility requirements.

Items of Legislation

The Board voted to approve positions on a number of items of legislation before the Maryland General Assembly relating to education.


Preliminary Plans – Fields Road Elementary School Addition

The Board approved preliminary plans for an addition to Fields Road Elementary School. The addition would increase the capacity of the school from 338 to 534 students.


Appointments

The Board approved the following administrative appointments:

Richard T. Cox, Jr., currently environmental safety specialist, as environmental safety coordinator, Division of Maintenance, Department of Facilities Management

Rosie M. Ramirez, currently assistant principal, Judith A. Resnik Elementary School, as coordinator, Special Initiatives, Office of Curriculum and Instructional Programs

Melissa J. Woods, currently acting director, Technology Planning and Fiscal Management, as director, Technology Planning and Fiscal Management, Office of Information and Organizational Systems

Names for Schools

The Board submitted the following names for schools for consideration by the principals and school naming committees as follows:

Downcounty Consortium Elementary School #27: Rita Davidson, Sandra Day O’Connor, Tito Puente, and R. Sargent Shriver
Clarksburg/Damascus Elementary School #7: John G. Clark, Sandra Day O’Connor, William Ruth, and Wilson Wims
Northwest Elementary School #7: Lillian B. Brown

Board Policy FFA provides for the Board to develop a list of up to four names to which two additional names can be added by the school naming committee as it develops its recommendation for the school name. Final responsibility for naming a school rests with the Board.