The Montgomery County Board of Education (Board) conducted a business meeting on December 2, 2021. During the meeting, the Board elected officers, approved an appointment to fill the District 3 seat, discussed and took action on a 2021–2022 school year calendar modification; discussed the 2022–2023 traditional and innovative school year calendars, discussed the interim superintendent’s recommended Fiscal Year 2023 operating budget; discussed the installation of menstrual product dispensers in school bathrooms; and took tentative action on Policy JGA, Student Discipline.

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

Election of Officers

Brenda Wolff was re-elected as president of the Board of Education. Karla Silvestre was re-elected as vice president. Both officers will serve a one-year term.

Read the press release.

Appointment

The Board unanimously approved the appointment of Dr. Scott Joftus as Board Member for District 3, to fill the vacancy left by the late Patricia O’Neill.

Read the press release.

2021–2022 School Year Calendar Modification

The Board approved changes to the 2021–2022 Traditional and Innovative School Year Calendars. Specifically, three full instructional days—Wednesday, Jan. 12; Thursday, March 24; and Wednesday, May 18, 2022—will now be early release days. The district is also adding systemwide closures during winter break on December 23 and December 27 through December 30, 2021, as well as during spring break on April 13 and April 14, 2022.  In alignment with the federal Juneteenth holiday, June 19, 2022, observed on June 20, 2022, will be a systemwide closure. PLEASE NOTE:  The Board convened a special meeting on December 7, 2021, to correct a procedural error and take another vote on these calendar modifications.  The Board again voted to approve the modifications as offered by the interim superintendent on December 2, 2021.

Read the community message.

2022–2023 Traditional and Innovative School Calendars

The Board took action to suspend Policy IDA, School Year Calendar, to allow for the 2022–2023 Traditional and Innovative School Year Calendars to go back to the Board’s Policy Management Committee. The calendars will be reviewed at the December 9, 2021, Policy Management Committee meeting and return to the full Board on January 13, 2022.  

Read the memorandum to the Board.

Interim Superintendent’s Recommended Fiscal Year 2023 Operating Budget Framework

MCPS will work with community, county and state officials to support the school district’s budget and share of available funding. Interim Superintendent Monifa McKnight presented her framework for the recommended operating budget and will provide full details on December 16, 2021, in a live presentation online. The Board will meet in February 2022 to tentatively adopt the FY 2023 Operating Budget. It will be sent to County Executive Marc Elrich and the Montgomery County Council on March 1, 2022.

Installation of Menstrual Product Dispensers in Schools

The Board discussed the installation of menstrual products in secondary school bathrooms. At its business meeting on December 3, 2020, the Board adopted a resolution (Resolution No. 556-20) requesting that a five-year plan be developed to install menstrual product dispensers in all Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) middle and high school restrooms; and that these products be dispensed at no charge. Additionally, Maryland Senate Bill 427/House Bill 205 passed on May 30, 2021, requires the following actions:

• Each county board of education is required to ensure that each public school provide, at no charge to students, menstrual hygiene products via dispensers in the women’s restrooms at the school.
• As of October 1, 2022, all public middle and high schools must have the menstrual hygiene product dispensers installed in at least two women’s restrooms, and installed in all women’s restrooms by August 1, 2025.
• Public elementary schools must have the menstrual hygiene product dispensers installed in at least one restroom by October 1, 2022.
• The State will pay for the cost of purchasing and installing the required dispensers, based on requests for reimbursements submitted by the county board of education.

The Division of Maintenance and Operations will pilot a program that meets the stipulations of both Senate and House Bills starting in January 2022 at Montgomery Village and White Oak Middle Schools. It will continue through the end of the school year.

Read the memorandum to the Board.

Policy JGA, Student Discipline

Maryland law requires local school boards to provide restorative approaches to discipline and state in policy that their primary purpose is rehabilitative, restorative, and educational. The Board’s Policy Management Committee reviewed draft amendments to Policy JGA, Student Discipline, on February 18, 2020, and October 21, 2021. The Board approved the proposed draft Board Policy JGA for tentative action, which will be available for public comment.

Read the memorandum to the Board.

Future Meeting

The Board is scheduled to hold its next business meeting on January 13, 2022.   The agenda is subject to change. Please check the Board website and meeting calendar for further information.

About the Board of Education

The Board 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: Ms. Brenda Wolff, president; Ms. Karla Silvestre, vice president.  Members: Dr. Judith Docca, Mrs. Shebra L. Evans, Ms. Lynne Harris, Mrs. Rebecca Smondrowski, and Ms. Hana O’Looney, student member.  Dr. Monifa B. McKnight, interim superintendent of schools and secretary-treasurer. Office of the Board: 240-740-3030.