The Montgomery County Board of Education (Board) met on Tuesday, June 13, 2017, at Carver Educational Services Center, 850 Hungerford Drive in Rockville. During the meeting, the Board approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Operating Budget; approved the 2018–2020 Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) negotiated agreement; received an update on the Every Student Succeeds Act; and made several administrative appointments.
 

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

Fiscal Year 2018 Operating Budget

The Board of Education approved a $2.52 billion FY 2018 operating budget for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). The operating budget reflects an increase of $59.6 million (2.4 percent) from the FY 2017 operating budget, which will allow the district to make targeted investments to manage significant enrollment growth, account for the rising costs of operations, and implement new strategies to ensure that all students are able to achieve at higher levels.

Read the Board Memorandum

The budget includes specific investments, such as:

• increasing opportunities for students to participate in rigorous coursework, programs and co-curricular activities, including in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM);
• expanding achievement-focused extracurricular programs to all middle schools to increase outcomes and opportunities for students;
• providing funding for any Grade 11 student that wants to take the SAT, ACT or other career certification assessment; and
• implementing a comprehensive data system for educators to better measure student performance and fully understand the circumstances of all their student learners.

Read the News Release

Approval of the Fiscal Years 2018–2020 MCEA Negotiated Agreement

The Board approved the Fiscal Years 2018–2020 negotiated agreement with MCEA. The three-year agreement was ratified by the membership of MCEA.

Read the memorandum to the Board

Every Student Succeeds Act Update

The Board received an update on recent developments at the federal and state levels regarding implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), as well as the potential impact of these developments for the ongoing efforts by MCPS to ensure success for all students. The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) is revising key elements of its ESSA implementation plan, with the goal of submitting a final state plan by the federally mandated deadline in September 2017.

Once Maryland’s plan is finalized, submitted, and approved by the U.S. Department of Education, school districts across the state will be required to develop local ESSA implementation plans. In preparation for this work, MCPS has been monitoring federal and state developments to assess their potential impact upon our own efforts to monitor student learning throughout the district. MCPS staff members are serving on MSDE stakeholder committees, and an MCPS cross-office collaborative work group has been formed to work on ESSA implementation.

Read the memorandum to the Board

Fees for Food and Nutrition Services Program

The Board approved fees for school meals for the 2017–2018 school year. The fees are unchanged from the 2016–2017 school year. Breakfast will cost $1.30, lunch in elementary schools will cost $2.55, and lunch in secondary schools will cost $2.80. For students who receive reduced-price meals, breakfast is free and lunch is 40 cents.

Read the memorandum to the Board  

Facilities and School Construction

The Board appointed an architectural firm for the Takoma Park Middle School Addition Project.

Appointments

The Board approved the following administrative appointments:

Yolanda Stanislaus, currently principal, Francis Scott Key Middle School, as director, Professional Growth Systems, Office of Human Resources and Development

Jennifer L. Webster, currently principal, Damascus High School, as director of school support and improvement of high schools, Office of School Support and Improvement

Rachel Buckley, currently assistant human resources director, County of Tulare, as assistant director, Department of Certification and Staffing/Talent Acquisition, Office of Human Resources and Development

Shoua F. Moua, currently principal, Woodlin Elementary School, as supervisor, Assessment Data Management, Office of Shared Accountability

Edward K. Owusu, currently principal, Shady Grove Middle School, as principal, Clarksburg High School

Mark E. Craemer, currently principal intern, Olney Elementary School, as principal, Darnestown Elementary School

M. Deneise Hammond, currently principal intern, Fox Chapel Elementary School, as principal, Rachel Carson Elementary School

Lisa J. Henry, currently principal intern, Wilson Wims Elementary School, as principal, Summit Hall Elementary School

Xavier D. Kimber, currently acting principal, Brookhaven Elementary School, as principal, Brookhaven Elementary School

Candace M. Ross, currently principal intern, Glenallan Elementary School, as principal, Kensington Parkwood Elementary School

Recognitions

The Board approved the following resolutions:
 

-A resolution recognizing the Distinguished Hispanic Scholars

- A resolution recognizing recipients of the Montgomery County Alliance of Black School Educators Scholarship

-A resolution recognizing recipients of the George B. Thomas, Sr. Learning Academy, Inc. High Achievement Scholarship

-A resolution recognizing the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. scholars

Future Meetings

The Board will hold its next regular business meeting on Monday, June 26, 2017. 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; Dr. Judith Docca, vice president. Members: Ms. Jeanette E. Dixon, Mrs. Shebra L. Evans, Mrs. Patricia O’Neill, Ms. Jill Ortman-Fouse, Mrs. Rebecca Smondrowski, and Mr. Eric Guerci, student member. Dr. Jack R. Smith, superintendent of schools and secretary-treasurer. Office of the Board: 301-279-3617.