The Montgomery County Board of Education (Board) met on Tuesday, January 9, 2018, at Carver Educational Services Center, 850 Hungerford Drive in Rockville. Due to hazardous weather conditions, the meeting commenced at 12:00 p.m., with public agenda items beginning at 1:15 p.m.  During the meeting, the Board received a presentation and discussed student wellness and interventions; received an overview and discussed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Annual Report; adopted positions on legislation and appointed a principal.

The agenda for the meeting, with links to related materials, can be viewed on the Board of Education website.

Presentation on Student Wellness and Interventions

The Board of Education received a presentation on student health and wellness that examined ways the district could enhance and maintain the physical, social, and psychological health and wellness supports that are critical for academic development and success.  The presentation included data on program availability and will be used to help strengthen Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS)  multitiered systems of supports by identifying strengths and gaps to ensure that prevention, intervention, and intensive strategies are available to all students based on need and interest. As part of the work, MCPS has reorganized the Office of Student and Family support and Engagement (OSFSE), which has significantly increased its collaboration with staff in the Office of School Support and Improvement (OSSI) to provide continual support to schools and students around issues of behavioral health and wellness.  The Office of Student and Family support and Engagement also has applied a conceptual framework that focuses on prevention and the implementation of a multitiered system of supports. The superintendent recommended to the Board that MCPS explore and expand opportunities for prevention efforts across the county; that intervention programs and activities be implemented in a more comprehensive manner; and that efforts be made to offer intensive supports to students, which would include the implementation of a program to support students in recovery from substance use and to strengthen MCPS protocols and processes to make appropriate referrals of students to community agencies to receive necessary services and resources.

Read the memorandum to the Board.

Fiscal Year 2017 Annual Report

The Board of Education received a presentation from MCPS staff and held a discussion on the district’s Annual Report to the Community for the 2016–2017 school year. The Annual Report to the Community is a review of the highlights and accomplishments of the past school year.  The report includes information about student achievement and the strategies MCPS is using to prepare students for success in college and career and also reflects the transition from the previous administration to the new administration under Superintendent Jack Smith.  The digital copy of the report has been expanded with the addition of a list of Board policies that were revised over the 2016–2017 school year.  Also included in the report are priorities of the system with links to the MCPS strategic plan, a work that started last year; evidence of learning information reflected in student performance data; and a returning favorite:  highlights of the school year by month, which feature the work that was done over the course of the 2016–2017 school year.

See the Annual Report

Preliminary Plans Presentation for the Takoma Park Middle School Addition Project

The Board approved the preliminary plans for the Takoma Park Middle School addition project.  The architect for the proposed Takoma Park Middle School addition project prepared a schematic design, and the Facility Advisory Committee for the addition project provided input for the proposed schematic design.

Read the Resolution.

Recommended Positions on Items of Legislation

The Board discussed proposed legislation that could impact MCPS, as well as the recommended positions and whether the bills are consistent with the Board’s legislative platform, adopted by the Board on October 23, 2017.  

Read the recommended Board positions and the attachment. (NOTE: Actual Board votes on these legislative bills may differ from staff recommendations.)  

Contract Approval

The Board approved the award of several contracts, including a contract for Clarksburg Cluster Elementary School (Clarksburg Village Site #2) Project;  a contract for the Former English Manor Elementary School Phase II Renovation Project; and a contract for bus purchases.

Administrative Appointment

The Board approved the following administrative appointment:

Rachel C. DuBois, currently principal of Piney Branch Elementary School, as principal of Richard Montgomery Elementary School #5.

Recognitions

The Board approved the following resolutions:

• A resolution recognizing February 2018, as African American History Month; and
• A resolution recognizing February 5–9, 2018 as National School Counseling Week

Future Meetings

The Board will hold its next regular business meeting on Tuesday, February 13, 2018, including action on the recommended Fiscal Year 2019 Operating Budget. Please check the Board of Education website and meeting calendar for further information. 

About the Board of Education

The Montgomery County Board of Education is the official educational policymaking body in the county. The Board is responsible for the direction and operation of the public school system. The Board consists of seven county residents elected by voters for a four-year term and a student elected by secondary school students for a one-year term. Board members are elected countywide but run at-large or from the Board district in which they reside.

Montgomery County Board of Education: Mr. Michael Durso, president; Mrs. Shebra Evans, vice president. Members: Ms. Jeanette E. Dixon, Dr. Judith Docca, Mrs. Patricia O’Neill, Ms. Jill Ortman-Fouse, Mrs. Rebecca Smondrowski, and Mr. Matthew Post, student member. Dr. Jack R. Smith, superintendent of schools and secretary-treasurer. Office of the Board: 301-279-3617.