The Board of Education met on Tuesday (December 13) and, among other items, elected a president and vice president. The Board also approved the school calendar for 2005-2006 and discussed the 2005 annual report on Our Call to Action: Pursuit of Excellence. Preliminary plans for modernization of Walter Johnson High School and a gymnasium addition to Bel Pre Elementary School were approved, as well as a scoreboard donation for Clarksburg High School. Participation of members on Board committees was approved. The Board also recognized participants in the Kaiser Permanente Walk for Your Life campaign.

Election of Officers

Board of Education members elected Dr. Charles Haughey as president of the Board of Education and Ms. Sharon Cox as vice president of the Board. (See details in separate news release.)

School Calendar for 2006-2007

The Board approved the school calendar for 2006-2007 with 184 instructional days for students and 193 duty days for teachers--an increase of one duty day from the current school year due to a change in the configuration of flexible professional time for teachers. A contingency calendar also was approved in the event that the school year is disrupted by emergencies and schools are closed. The first day of school for students will be Monday, August 28, 2006, before Labor Day, which falls on Monday, September 4, 2006. The last day for students is scheduled for Thursday, June 14, 2007.

2005 Annual Report on Our Call to Action: Pursuit of Excellence

The Board discussed the draft annual report for 2005 on Our Call to Action: Pursuit of Excellence. The report details the significant progress made in implementing strategic actions and improvement initiatives. Progress is measured using an accountability framework of data points to help monitor the effectiveness of both academic and operational reforms that are part of the school system's strategic plan.

Preliminary Plan for Walter Johnson High School Modernization

The Board approved a preliminary plan for the next phase of the modernization of Walter Johnson High School.

Preliminary Plan for Bel Pre Elementary School Gymnasium Addition

The Board approved a preliminary plan for a gymnasium addition to Bel Pre Elementary School.

Clarksburg High School--Scoreboard Donation

The Board authorized staff to accept an offer from Comcast to donate the scoreboards for the gymnasium and outdoor fields for the new Clarksburg High School. The acceptance complies with the criteria for acceptable donations established in Policy CNE, Facility Improvements That Are Not Funded With Montgomery County Revenues.

Board Committees

The following appointments to Board committees were approved:

Audit Committee
Steve Abrams, chair
Gabe Romero

Strategic Planning Committee
Gabe Romero, chair

Research and Evaluation Committee
Valerie Ervin, chair
Charles Haughey
Sebastian Johnson

Policy Committee
Sharon Cox, chair
Steve Abrams

Communications and Public Engagement Committee
Nancy Navarro, chair
Patricia O'Neill

Kaiser Permanente Walk for Your Life Campaign

The Board recognized the efforts of staff members who participated in the Kaiser Permanente Walk for Your Life campaign. Rock Creek Valley Elementary School was recognized for winning a $5,000 grant from the Kaiser Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States for logging the most steps per participant, per day, during the month of October.