The Montgomery County Board of Education (Board) met on Monday, October 28, 2019, at Carver Educational Services Center, 850 Hungerford Drive in Rockville. During the meeting, the Board received a presentation and discussed the superintendent’s recommended Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Capital Budget and FY 2021–2026 Capital Improvements Program (CIP); adopted the 2020 legislative annual priorities; introduced a new business item regarding Grade 3 literacy data; and approved preliminary plans for the Gaithersburg Cluster Elementary School #8 Project and the Charles W. Woodward High School Reopening Project.

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

Presentation of the Superintendent’s Recommendations on Two Boundary Studies

Superintendent Jack R. Smith released his recommended FY 2021 Capital Budget and the FY 2021–2026 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) on October 25, 2019.  Although the Board was initially scheduled to receive a presentation on the CIP, the meeting agenda was amended during the meeting on October 28 to move the CIP presentation to the November 4 Board Work Session.  The Superintendent presented to the Board his recommendation on the Boundary Study for the Clarksburg, Northwest, and Seneca Valley Clusters (Supplement A); and the Boundary Study for Forest Knolls, Montgomery Knolls, and Pine Crest elementary schools (Supplement B).

The superintendent’s FY 2021 Capital Budget and the FY 2021-2026 CIP is a six-year plan that includes expenditure recommendations for FY 2021-2026 and provides the recommended FY 2021 Capital Budget funding appropriation authority needed to implement the CIP during the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2020, and ends June 30, 2021.  The Superintendent’s Recommended FY 2021 Capital Budget and the FY 2021-2026 CIP totals $1.818 billion, an increase of $74.2 million more than the approved CIP.  The superintendent’s recommendation considers the many schools in the district that are significantly overutilized beyond their life cycle, and highlights the necessity of capital projects to provide the learning environment that Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) students, staff and the community deserve. 

Read the Superintendent’s Recommended FY 2021 Capital Budget and the FY 2021-2026 Capital Improvements Program.

The superintendent presented his recommendation on the boundary study for Clarksburg, Northwest, and Seneca Valley Clusters (Supplement A).  The three high schools, as well as the middle schools that articulate to these high schools, were included in the scope of the boundary study.  The primary purpose of the boundary study was to address the overutilization at the Clarksburg and Northwest high schools.  A revitalization/expansion project was approved at Seneca Valley High School to expand the capacity of the school to accommodate additional students from Clarksburg and Northwest high schools.  In accordance with Board Policy FAA, Educational Facilities Planning, the superintendent directed staff to develop options. The 14 options developed by staff advanced factors described in the policy:  demographic characteristics of student population; geography; and facility utilization.  Staff solicited stakeholder feedback through online surveys, 12 community meetings, advocacy groups, as well as other stakeholders.  After carefully considering the options, the superintendent recommended a variation of option 11a, (see Attachment B in Supplement A).

In addition, Superintendent Smith presented a recommendation to the Board for its consideration concerning the boundary study for Forest Knolls, Montgomery Knolls, and Pine Crest elementary schools (Supplement B). In accordance with Policy FAA, MCPS staff developed three options to advance demographic characteristics of student population; geography; facility utilization and stability of school assignment over time.  Stakeholder feedback was solicited through six community meetings, as well as an online survey. 

After careful review of all the information and input, the superintendent recommended Option 1 to the Board.  His recommendation includes the following reassignments from Forest Knolls Elementary School:  Zones F3 and F4 from Forest Knolls Elementary School to Montgomery Knolls and Pine Crest elementary schools.

With respect to the middle school reassignment, Dr. Smith’s recommendation maintains the current middle school assignments for Forest Knolls, Montgomery Knolls, and Pine Crest elementary schools.

With respect to the implementation of this boundary reassignment, Dr. Smith recommended the following:

· Grade 5 students in the 2020–2021 school year, recommended to be reassigned, complete elementary school at their current school of attendance.

· Grade 2 students in the 2020–2021 school year, recommended to be reassigned, complete Grade 2 at their current school of attendance (Forest Knolls Elementary School). However, in the 2021–2022 school year, those students recommended to be reassigned, but remained in their current school of attendance for Grade 2 (Forest Knolls Elementary School), will then be reassigned to Pine Crest Elementary School for Grades 3–5. This recommendation is to avoid Grade 2 students, in the 2020–2021 school year, if reassigned, to attend three different school buildings in the span of their elementary school career (Forest Knolls, Montgomery Knolls, and Pine Crest elementary schools).

See Supplement B for the scope, background, boundary study process, analysis of the options, and basis for the superintendent’s recommendation.

The Board’s work sessions will be held on November 4, and 19, 2019.  Public hearings will be held on November 5, 7, and 13.  In the event that alternatives are offered during the November 19 work session, an additional public hearing will be held on November 20.  In addition, the Board will be holding a districtwide boundary analysis hearing on November 18. It also was noted that public sign-ups for those wishing to testify begin on October 29, at 9:00 a.m. 

You may find more information about providing testimony at a public hearing on the Board’s webpage.

Legislative Annual Priorities and Upcoming Legislation

Ms. Danielle M. Susskind, staff assistant for governmental affairs and community outreach in the Board Office, presented to the Board an overview of the Board’s annual legislative priorities for the 2020 session of the Maryland General Assembly. The Board’s 2020 Legislative Annual Priorities was approved by the Board and will be distributed to members of the Maryland General Assembly, partner organizations, and the community before and during the legislative session.  Ms. Susskind also provided to the Board an overview of anticipated bills and proposed positions of the Board, which allows flexibility for the consideration of the ongoing development of legislative and budget issues throughout the legislative session.  Ms. Susskind also provided the Board with an update of Kirwan Commission recommendations and the impact on MCPS.

New Business Item

The Board offered a resolution regarding Grade 3 literacy data.  After the resolution was offered, it was noted that the 2018–2019 PARCC data would be provided in the coming months; and that the 2019–2020 data would be the baseline data for the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program English Language Arts/Literacy Performance (assessment).  It was further noted that the data would be provided by September 1 of each year or within one month of the release of data by the State of Maryland.

In light of this new information, the resolution was amended, and the following amended resolution was moved and seconded and will lie on the table until the next Board business meeting scheduled for November 12, 2019.

Resolved, that the Board of Education direct the superintendent of schools to provide the Board of Education with Grade 3 disaggregated literacy data, by school annually, and no later than September 1, or within one month after release of the data by the state, each year, so that they can  continue to support Montgomery County Public Schools’ efforts toward its goal of having all students read on or above grade level by the end of Grade 3, which is an essential component of closing the achievement gap.  It is further requested that this data be published in a format that will allow the comparison of progress, year by year, beginning with 2019-2020 data.  Additionally, if the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program English Language Arts/Literacy Performance  is ever discarded, Montgomery County Public Schools shall create or procure a new assessment for this purpose.

Read the full amended resolution.

Preliminary Plans Presentation for Gaithersburg Cluster Elementary School #8 Project

The Board approved the preliminary plans for the Gaithersburg Cluster Elementary School #8 project.  The architect for the proposed Montgomery Gaithersburg Cluster Elementary School #8 project prepared a schematic design, and the Facility Advisory Committee for the addition project provided input for the proposed schematic design.

Read the Resolution.

Preliminary Plans Presentation for Charles W. Woodward High School Reopening Project

The Board approved the preliminary plans for Phase 1 of the Charles W. Woodward High School Reopening project.  The architect for the reopening of Charles W. Woodward High School project prepared a schematic design, and the Facility Advisory Committee for the addition project provided input for the proposed schematic design.  The Board and staff members also discussed the anticipated progression of Phase 2 of the project and the development of preliminary plans, which will be brought to the Board at a later date.

Read the Resolution concerning Phase 1.

Facilities and School Construction

The Board approved the contractual agreement for the preconstruction/ construction management services for the Silver Spring International Middle School Addition project. 

Read the memorandum to the Board.

Recognitions

The Board approved the following resolutions:

A resolution recognizing November 2019, as Native American Heritage Month and November 29 as Native American Heritage Day;

A resolution recognizing November 11–15, 2019, as School Psychology Awareness Week; and

A resolution recognizing November 18–22, 2019, as American Education Week.

Future Meetings

The Board of Education will hold its next regular business meeting Tuesday, November 12, 2019.  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: Mrs. Shebra Evans, president; Mrs. Patricia O’Neill, vice president. Members: Ms. Jeanette E. Dixon, Dr. Judith Docca, Ms. Karla Silvestre, Mrs. Rebecca Smondrowski, Ms. Brenda Wolff, and Mr. Nathaniel Tinbite, student member. Dr. Jack R. Smith, superintendent of schools and secretary-treasurer. Office of the Board: 240-740-3030.