The Montgomery County Board of Education (Board) met on Tuesday, June 12, 2018, at Carver Educational Services Center, 850 Hungerford Drive in Rockville. During the meeting, the Board approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Operating Budget; 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 2019 Operating Budget

The Montgomery County Board of Education on Tuesday (June 12) unanimously adopted a $2.60 billion Operating Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019. The budget represents a $77.2 million increase over the current fiscal year. This will allow the district to manage growth and make investments in critical areas to ensure all Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) students are achieving at high levels.

A majority of the $77.2 million spending increase will be used to maintain services for a growing number of students, ensure operational excellence, and invest in strategic priorities.

The budget includes $16.1 million to expand programs and key areas of work, including:

• Introducing new career readiness pathways, including Aviation and Aerospace; Cybersecurity; Fire Safety and Rescue; Law Enforcement and Leadership

• Adding more two-way elementary language immersion programs

• Expanding programs in Computer Science, Coding and Robotics

• Implementing extended-year programs at two elementary schools beginning July 2019

• Launching a Recovery Education program

• Expanding the College Tracks and Achieving Collegiate Excellence and Success (ACES) programs

• Expanding Middle and Early College programs
   

  Read the memorandum to the Board

  Read the News Release

   

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 Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) to ensure success for all students.

MCPS and all school districts throughout the nation, will be required to report on levels of per-pupil spending at the district and school levels. These reports must be based on actual expenditures, including actual teacher and other staff salaries, as opposed to the averages currently reported in the MCPS annual publication, Schools at a Glance, and other formats. After the administration of President Donald J. Trump rescinded proposed regulatory guidance on this new requirement, the U.S. Department of Education wrote a letter on June 28, 2017, providing states and school districts an additional year to update their reporting systems. Accordingly, the requirement will go into effect with reporting for the 2018?2019 school year.

The district is exploring the complexities of designing a reporting system that accurately and reliably accounts for actual expenditures, as well as the potential implications for funding,staff allocations, equitable distribution of resources, return on investment, and the accountability system that the state of Maryland is developing to implement ESSA, as well as our local work on the Evidence of Learning Framework and the recommendations emerging from the Maryland Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education. In the coming months, MCPS staff will provide further updates as the work on this important topic is developed and refined.

Read the memorandum to the Board

Administrative Appointments

The Board of Education approved the following administrative appointments:

Randy J. J. Rumpf, currently Curriculum Specialist for Secondary Visual and Performing Arts, Frederick County Public Schools, as Supervisor, Pre-K–12 Fine Arts, Office of Curriculum and Instructional Programs

Michelle L. Fortune, currently Assistant Principal, Rock View Elementary School, as Principal, Benjamin Banneker Middle School

Shauna-Kay J. Jorandby, currently Principal Intern, Roberto W. Clemente Middle School, as Principal, Sligo Middle School

Stephanie S. Sheron, currently Principal Intern, Herbert Hoover Middle School, as Principal, Briggs Chaney Middle School

Amy J. Alonso, currently Assistant Principal, Strawberry Knoll Elementary School, as Principal, Washington Grove Elementary School

Michael D. Bayewitz, currently Director of School Support and Improvement of Elementary Schools, Office of School Support and Improvement, as Principal, Cloverly Elementary School

Carrie L. Zimmerman, currently Principal Intern, Strathmore Elementary School, as Principal, Greenwood Elementary School

Recognitions

The Board approved the following resolutions:

• A resolution recognizing the Distinguished Hispanic Scholars
  A resolution recognizing The George B. Thomas, Sr. Learning Academy, Inc. High Achievement Scholarship Recipients

• A resolution recognizing the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Scholarship Recipient

Facilities and School Construction

The Board of Education awarded a contract for the installation of artificial turf fields at Julius West Middle School and Albert Einstein High School.

Future Meetings

The Board of Education will hold its next regular business meeting on Monday, June 25, 2018. 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: 240-740-3030.