[This transcript was generated automatically from audio using AI and hasn't been reviewed by a person -- it can contain mistakes, including plausible-sounding sentences that were never actually said. Treat it as a starting point, not a verbatim record.]

[0:03] Okay, good evening. Call the meeting to order. Welcome everyone to the July meeting of the White
[0:08] Combo County Board of Education. As we always do, we begin the meeting with a pledge to the flag and remind you today's
[0:15] meeting is being live streamed and video taped and you can view it at WCBOE.org. Please stand and I'll lead us in
[0:25] the
[0:42] Okay, 3.2 approval of today's agenda, I'll entertain a motion.
[0:49] Second.
[0:50] Second.
[0:51] All those in favor signify by saying aye.
[0:54] Opposed.
[0:56] Carried.
[0:57] 3.3 moment of silence, which it's a good month.
[1:01] We didn't lose any of our colleagues over the last 30 days, so we won't have a moment of silence,
[1:06] which that's a good thing.
[1:09] 3.4 public comments.
[1:11] We have 4 this evening.
[1:13] The public comment section of the agenda is an opportunity for the superintendent and board to listen to individual's own comments on topics concerning why comical county public schools.
[1:23] The board chairman is the right to limit public comments in length or those concerning personnel or student matters,
[1:29] which clearly identify an individual, individual,
[1:33] individuals, appeals or legal matters
[1:34] are to before the board, that are before the board.
[1:37] Negotiations and topics that are more appropriately addressed
[1:40] in closed session are privately with a staff member.
[1:44] Only verbal comments are permitted during public comment session
[1:47] of a board meeting.
[1:49] Written, printed, audio or video material
[1:51] may be submitted via comments at WCBOE.org.
[1:55] No signs or posters may be displayed
[1:57] by the public during board meetings. Each speaker shall address all comments directly to the board
[2:02] and speak only from the designated location for public comments. And as you know, if you've
[2:07] been to many of these meetings, we limit public comments to three minutes reach individual.
[2:13] And I think Andre will put a big clock up there when we're ready to start. So we'll take them in
[2:18] the order that they've been presented to me. Our first speaker is a retired teacher. Her name is
[2:23] Erin Miller, her issue is CRT and school with a question mark.
[2:29] Good evening, Ms. Miller.
[2:30] form
[2:59] on June 30th was this year and this is following the two things that I found.
[3:04] He said, one of the best values I have learned is that we're going to have some
[3:09] talk away.
[3:10] That's not the stuff.
[3:11] But that's the communication between all parties and all.
[3:15] He also said, I had another talk earlier on.
[3:18] And that's to get rid of this.
[3:19] We aren't key on the all of these.
[3:21] That's enough to me.
[3:23] People will tell you it's not there.
[3:24] And it's hard to convince you it's not there.
[3:26] But ladies and gentlemen, it's there, and I need your help to get rid of it.
[3:31] So I want to lie to it, and again, I know that when you started having to do a stop,
[3:35] which is that between you and your family and your family.
[3:38] But you know, in the afternoon, they were getting a specific example of how,
[3:43] where in which budget or where you have seen it, I have not gotten a response to either you know.
[3:50] When I first started getting things up, they asked me,
[3:53] I reached out to my sense, you know what the key is, and why do I need to do it?
[3:58] Great level and subjects around the town, not one.
[4:03] I would be not one, but verify the key is not at any level or not two.
[4:08] I also reached out to a wide, wide account, on the conservative level.
[4:13] I can't, not one, but give me a single example if you have to use one, two, not one.
[4:20] That it comes wouldn't ever make a public declaration that it is enough, and yet not
[4:26] people would answer my question correctly, makes me wonder what is my invasions from
[4:31] making such a public statement.
[4:34] Teaching me a lot.
[4:38] Teaching me a lot is well within I have ever seen it in the 23 years that I have been
[4:42] and the public.
[4:44] At the same time, we're talking about strangers at the highest.
[4:49] We're only unsacathetic planes out in the public,
[4:52] so it's not like any of them is going to have to be on the boat.
[4:55] It's not that you are comfortable, it's damaging to the public's truck,
[4:59] not to be near and then actually it's going to be.
[5:01] It makes the harder for teachers to make things report from their community,
[5:05] and therefore makes their job.
[5:07] 30 seconds?
[5:09] I have Mr. Fummo or the Lord to respond to my questions in the follow-up.
[5:32] Thank you. Our next speaker, Bishop Marcus Ridell, issue a threat made on
[5:42] tax by student.
[5:55] Good evening, board. Good evening.
[5:59] Last time I spoke on this issue, I was
[6:05] told that this issue was under investigation and I have seen no results whatsoever of
[6:14] an investigation.
[6:17] Still very disturbed that I have actually seen nothing take place other
[6:24] then statements from Mike Lewis,
[6:30] I like to read a couple of things.
[6:36] 12-year-old arrested
[6:37] in connection to a comical middle school bomb threat.
[6:44] A comical county sheriff's office says the 12-year-old female has been arrested in connection
[6:50] to the bomb threat that was called into a chemical middle school Thursday morning.
[6:57] Shortly before 9 a.m. Thursday, a call was placed directly to the administrative office at
[7:03] the school by an unknown subject stating that a bomb had been placed on school property.
[7:10] That is detonation was imminent. The administration immediately began evacuating the building
[7:16] while the fire department and local law enforcement resources responded to to investigate
[7:21] the premises for any possible explosive device.
[7:26] The school was declared safe for re-entry a process.
[7:30] Ultimately, for hours later, further investigation led deputies to identify the subject as a 12-year-old student, who reportedly made the call from a nearby off-campus location that allowed her to watch the response of her phone call.
[7:47] Police say she was taken into custody,
[7:54] and is currently being detained in the Lord Eastern Shore Children's Center pending further adjudication.
[8:00] She is charged with threat of mass violence, threat to explode destructive device, and disturbing school operations.
[8:13] But when I read from the WMDT report of, and I'm not using the young man's name,
[8:22] that made a statement to, let's have some fun and shoot some niggers, was not arrested or removed.
[8:34] And I still don't know that anything other than Mike Lewis is so cold, threat assessment.
[8:42] 30 seconds.
[8:43] was done. So as I said before, it looks like we're just giving time for things to cool off
[8:51] and then everybody's going to forget about it. But I'm not going to forget about it. You
[8:56] didn't threaten students. He said, let's shoot some niggers.
[9:04] Nothing's been done.
[9:15] And the
[9:15] and issue as accountability on racist video.
[9:30] I'm just a comment.
[9:35] I had thank you.
[9:36] I come to the board once again today as a mom to two children
[9:40] in Wakamago County Public Schools.
[9:42] My son just graduated.
[9:44] My son just finished third grade in my daughter
[9:46] just graduated kindergarten.
[9:48] Our experience has been that they've been loving
[9:51] lovingly shepherded by educators and support staff.
[9:55] Your job as representatives like educators
[9:57] is to shepherd our children, most importantly to safety. Many times you will hear board
[10:03] representatives and school leaders say that their most solemn duty is safety. So it's
[10:09] from that concern that I ask for a full accounting of the racial terror video from Ms.
[10:14] Lewis. I believe the statement from President Malone and former Superintendent Hanlon was a very
[10:19] good statement that fully acknowledged the gravity and reality of that video and its repercussions
[10:24] and distrust, pain, and reopening of wounds that viewing it brought to people.
[10:31] Mr. Malone and Dr. Hanland both named the bigotry and threats of violence in that video.
[10:36] That's an important first step because there are some namely misleaders who somehow overlook
[10:41] the step of simply recognizing reality.
[10:43] They want us to assume that we know that they know that racism and bigotry are wrong.
[10:48] But in reality, how in the world could we ever assume that?
[10:52] When families failed to teach their children what racism is and how to counter it, that's where schools can fill in the gap.
[11:00] We need reassurance from the school system that you are working to counter those racist attitudes.
[11:07] From seemingly benign, comments to outright racial terror threats, and we must be vigilant in this.
[11:14] I had a 30 minute phone call with Ms. Lewis, and I'm trying to talk as fast as I can.
[11:21] I realized that the reality of this video and its effect, especially on parents to black
[11:27] children, has not begun to pierce her worldview.
[11:30] Miss Lewis is a mother who, like most of us parents, would walk through raging fire to
[11:34] save our children, and who is wholly consumed by her child's pain.
[11:38] As a mom, I can understand that fully, and I desperately hope that Miss Lewis could begin
[11:42] to take a step outside the world she's currently in, and into the shoes of those black
[11:46] to view that video, to feel the smallest bit of their pain and tiredness.
[11:52] It's my understanding the black folks are tired of showing up to meetings and asking for you to protect their children,
[11:57] asking for representatives to simply acknowledge reality.
[12:01] I asked Ms. Lewis why in God's name she could not nearly one month later simply acknowledge that this thing happened in this thing caused pain.
[12:08] She shared with me that the new stations had covered it, so why would she need to?
[12:12] This is not a moment for her to simply say hashtag teenagers, it's more of a moment where
[12:20] she needs to step into that pain.
[12:24] I give her the example of when my child's on a playground and he gets into a fight with
[12:28] someone else.
[12:29] We talk about what happened.
[12:31] My son apologizes and then I don't take my son after he's gotten into an argument.
[12:37] I don't take him and bring him into the house and slam the door and not talk about it again.
[12:41] So we need to recognize reality and we also need reassurance that the guns have been removed from the premises.
[12:50] Thank you.
[12:51] Thank you.
[12:53] Final speaker is Mr. Kevin Lindsay.
[12:56] Issue is School Safety.
[13:04] Good evening, Board.
[13:06] Congratulations, Dr. Stoffer.
[13:09] I'm being the new superintendent, but I'm a personally tell you I was rooting for my friend Mr. Brakes over there.
[13:16] Hello, Miss Lewis, you probably know who I am and first of all, I want to apologize for
[13:24] tagging you on your personal pace and I went to your pace with your running for election
[13:32] and I just want to say a couple of things face to face.
[13:37] I just feel as raising two African-American children in your district that I still do not feel
[13:51] comfortable with you making any decisions for my kids or any other kid you have stated
[13:57] that you're continuing to run and that's your right and it's my right to vote whoever I want
[14:01] of O4 was very impressed with you once you
[14:04] owned their very impressed at the phone.
[14:07] What I'm not impressed with is the previous speaker
[14:11] stated that there is no statement.
[14:15] And if there is one I'm sorry, but I believe
[14:17] there should have been one on your personal campaign page.
[14:21] And if the rumor is true that other African Americans
[14:25] say that word, so it's OK.
[14:28] That is not your place or anybody that doesn't look like me's the place to make that decision
[14:37] My wife's family nickname is precious if any of you guys called her precious
[14:42] I'm going to be upset and I know we live in the world where people don't look like me
[14:47] Can just walk around freely say what they want and don't even think about the repercussions, but this is serious
[14:55] Saying the word I'm not going to say it
[14:58] and actually
[15:00] You know, holding a fake whatever they want to call it, I'm not happy with it. Your silence is a statement to me. One month I haven't heard anything. A simple look. I can't talk about it. I apologize. This is wrong. We're working and we're moving forward with a bit of enough. But the fact that I haven't heard anything from you as my representative is really concerning.
[15:27] My daughter is concerned. She goes to school at Parkside. My son is concerned and don't think
[15:35] these kids don't know what's going on. 30 seconds. Thank you. That is the issue. I really
[15:41] think we are doubting our children, our students ability to process everything that's going
[15:47] on. And the lack of accountability and leadership from every official locally that what can't
[15:54] anything because it's election time, it's just, it's just disheartening. So, I appreciate everything
[16:00] you guys do. Dr. Malone, you'd reference my son, son, son again. I appreciate that. I know
[16:05] us a tough job, but thank you, and thank you for letting me speak. Thank you, sir. Okay, that concludes
[16:13] public comments. As always, we take all these comments seriously. We all take notes, take them
[16:19] under advisement, post answers to questions on our website, which we began, I think, a January
[16:24] February and we'll continue that practice. So 3.4 superintendents report before I turn it over to
[16:33] our superintendent. It's appropriate to say welcome to your very first board meeting Dr. Stoffer.
[16:40] He's been on the job now officially 12 days. So this will be his first evening with the board to
[16:47] do a superintendents report so we want to say welcome glad to have you and turn the meeting over to you
[16:54] Now, Dr. Stoffer.
[16:55] Thank you, Mr. Maloon.
[16:56] I want to thank all the board members and all of those around the community that have supported
[17:02] me as I have entered this new role.
[17:06] I would also be remiss if I did not acknowledge the great team that I work with each and
[17:11] every day.
[17:12] Those around this room, my senior leadership team, Dr. Briggs, Mrs. Smiles, all of our directors
[17:19] in each of the areas and really the entire staff around our school system.
[17:24] is truly a team effort and I'm just very humbled and honored to be a part of that.
[17:29] So thank you all very much.
[17:31] Thank you, Mr. Mulan and the Board for your confidence.
[17:34] As we move forward, I will say that getting started on July 1st.
[17:39] I was very excited to do so.
[17:42] Talk with our senior leadership team with Mrs. Miles and Dr. Briggs,
[17:46] and we wanted to reach out to all of the new administrators
[17:50] and administrators and new positions around our schools.
[17:56] So we did that. I was able to visit each of the five new principles and the schools that they are now taking over in that leadership role on that first day.
[18:07] I know that other members of senior leadership made visits and a number of phone calls to new administrators as well.
[18:14] We were also able to welcome staff and new staff, especially at Central office as well as out of the school.
[18:22] So since that time we've been busy doing a number of various community meetings, trying to be as visible as possible.
[18:30] My goal is to engage as many members of the community.
[18:33] As I can, I was blessed to be able to speak with the Greater Salisbury Committee at their lunch in yesterday.
[18:39] We'll be speaking again tomorrow with our own facilities department.
[18:45] We had an exciting conference today for all of our supervisors, directors, administrators,
[18:51] principals, assistant principals around the school system at Salzburg University and it was
[18:58] a tremendous leadership event for each of them and that was an honor to be able to speak
[19:03] with them this morning as well and we had a great motivational speaker this afternoon.
[19:08] And so we've been doing a good job of getting down to the community, but my goal over the
[19:15] next four months is to do just that, to make as many connections as I can, learn as much
[19:20] from our community members as possible, and bring that back to the work that we do around
[19:27] our school system.
[19:28] I would encourage everyone to visit our website and take a look at the superintendent entry
[19:33] plan and read through that.
[19:35] It talks a little bit about the things that I just mentioned.
[19:38] It talks about the foundation that we currently have, our vision, and our mission within
[19:43] what kind of good-counting public schools talks about my thoughts regarding principle, leadership,
[19:49] and how we are all leaders in our community.
[19:52] We all influence others and the importance of the work that we do and the importance of that
[19:57] that work must be principled in just that.
[20:01] So I think we all need to think about what influence we do have in the leadership values
[20:06] that we want to instill in others and that others see through us.
[20:11] That's very important to me and that's guiding force in the work that I see all of us
[20:16] as a community working together, moving forward and engaging in that planning process, which
[20:23] would be the last stage of that entry plan as we move forward with the blueprint for Maryland's
[20:29] and the strategic plan that we have to do, not only at the state level, but here locally as well.
[20:35] So it's been an exciting 12 days and I have really enjoyed it and if you haven't seen me at please continue to look
[20:44] because my goal is to be as visible as possible as we move forward.
[20:49] Just some very quick stats on our summer programs.
[20:53] We have eight different types of summer programs happening right now
[20:58] in what comic book accounting public schools.
[21:00] These programs are incurring in nine of our schools
[21:04] across all corners of accounting.
[21:06] Currently, it is involving 1,243 students.
[21:11] In these summer programs, topics
[21:13] include academic enrichment, STEM, financial literacy,
[21:18] and business, creative writing, and musical theater.
[21:22] So I would applaud all of our staff that are involved
[21:25] in coordinating those programs. Also want to thank Dr. Briggs and Mr. Brady, Dr. Jones,
[21:32] large Jones and many others that are involved in planning and coordinating these opportunities
[21:37] around our school system. And they are tremendous opportunities for our students in something
[21:44] that I think our students benefit from each and every summer. But this summer is I think bigger and better
[21:50] than ever. So I'm proud of that. And since filling the role of Superintendent, it has left
[21:57] a vacancy in the role of the Chief Finance and Operations Officer. So I am excited to say
[22:06] that the last few weeks that we have posted this position, we had a number of qualified applicants
[22:16] but internally within our system as well as some that applied externally.
[22:22] We were able to conduct interviews through our senior leadership team
[22:26] and all of the directors among the division of...
[22:30] Business and operations that were a part of that. We had at the depth of leadership that we have in this county is truly tremendous, and it was something that I already knew, but really something that hit home with all of us as we conducted those interviews.
[22:46] and we were able to talk with the top candidate yesterday and finalized our decision so it
[22:54] is my pleasure to announce the new chief finance and operations officer for what come
[23:00] at Cook County Public Schools, Dr. Brian Regger.
[23:04] I'm asking him to come forward and he
[23:25] can take his new seat over there on the side.
[23:29] By next meeting we'll have a name plate for you.
[23:32] You can name plate for sure.
[23:34] I heard you.
[23:36] So with that that concludes my part and then I will ask for Dr. Briggs to do the grants report.
[23:44] Thank you Dr. Stalfer.
[23:46] I'm pleased to be able to share some brief information from our June grants report.
[23:50] This past month we received funding for seven grants totaling almost $8 million.
[23:54] As I shared during the June board meeting we received over $7 million from MSDE as part
[23:59] of the Maryland Leeds Grant Opportunity, the majority of this funding will enable us to provide
[24:04] a retention and recruitment incentive of $2,500 for all full-time employees this coming
[24:09] school year. Also, from MSDE, we received Judy Center grants for Beaver Run and Pembratin
[24:15] to assist in ensuring our students are entering school ready to learn. Additional grants
[24:19] received included funds from the lower shore workforce alliance, the foundation for impact
[24:24] on literacy and learning and the Music Teachers National Association Foundation.
[24:29] Also, we submitted applications for another seven grants and I look forward to updating everyone on their status at an upcoming board meeting.
[24:36] Thank you.
[24:37] Thank you, Dr. Briggs.
[24:39] Okay.
[24:40] Thank you.
[24:42] Thank you.
[24:42] Your first report of many, I hope.
[24:46] Well, thank you.
[24:48] Thank you.
[24:49] So 4.1 approval of open session minutes from our June 23 meeting.
[24:54] You've had them time to review a mile and retain a motion.
[24:57] Move to the left for it.
[24:59] Sir, a second.
[25:01] Second.
[25:01] All those in favor signify by saying aye.
[25:05] Any opposed?
[25:07] abstain.
[25:09] This is Lewis wasn't at the last meeting.
[25:11] That's appropriate.
[25:12] You have that.
[25:14] It's carried.
[25:17] Next section, consent items.
[25:19] 5.1 to 5.7.
[25:21] So 5.8 upon the recommendation of superintendent
[25:24] is there a motion to approve the consent items?
[25:27] Motion to approve?
[25:28] Is there a second?
[25:30] Second?
[25:31] All those in favor signify by saying aye.
[25:34] Aye.
[25:35] Opposed?
[25:36] Opposed?
[25:37] 5.6.
[25:42] I approve of the rest.
[25:44] You have it.
[25:47] All right.
[25:47] It's carried.
[25:50] 6.1.
[25:55] Since the 2000-2001 school year, W.C.P.S. has partnered with the Sol's Brain Neighborhood Housing
[26:02] Service to have single family homes constructed, onsite at our Career and Technology Center.
[26:08] The proposed contract would extend this partnership into the 2022-23 school year and lead
[26:14] to the 13th home produced by students in our CTE program.
[26:18] Upon the recommendation of the superintendent is our motion to prove the contract with the
[26:25] So our second. Okay, I'll turn it over to the Brian's Ashby and Rager.
[26:40] Okay, let's trash be.
[26:42] There are
[26:49] about 10 to 2,000 to 1,000 years.
[26:53] Here in that time, we constructed 12 homes.
[26:57] After a week, we didn't build for several years.
[27:03] We didn't build for several years.
[27:07] program and our last home was constructed in 2019.
[27:12] During COVID, this project was impossible, it was impossible to build a home virtually.
[27:18] We talked a lot about it, but we didn't get any construction done.
[27:22] And the students of the Parkside Career and Technology Center under the direction of their
[27:26] instructors, and that includes the Carpentry Program, our Electrical Program,
[27:37] our
[27:37] of this home. We begin on the home in September when the students return,
[27:43] were able to finish construction by June. The home is moved in June to a lot
[27:49] within the city of Salisbury for final placement. And over the past 12 homes,
[27:54] we've involved approximately 450 students. It is a wonderful project. Not only for the
[28:06] students also take great pride in being able to place a home in their community and this has
[28:12] been a wonderful partnership. It's something that means a lot to our CTE facility and I would
[28:19] ask that you give this consideration and approve this project so that our students can once again
[28:26] build a home to put back into our community. Thank you for any questions. Okay. I can honestly say
[28:36] support this we were asked so many times in 2021 as we went back to school when are we
[28:41] going to build a house and it's expanding this program and expanding anything we can do
[28:46] expand CTE is wonderful that's my comments. I remember reading about this project before I
[28:52] came on the board and I've been wondering you know why we had not heard of it and thank you
[29:00] for all that you do and that's good luck.
[29:04] Thank you.
[29:05] Brian, do you remember a problem?
[29:07] How many houses have been built?
[29:09] Because I know we did it prior to 2008.
[29:12] From my count, this, we've completed 12,
[29:14] with Saul's brain neighborhood housing.
[29:16] This is our 30 or 31st home in CT.
[29:20] Prior to the relationship, Saul's brain neighborhood housing.
[29:25] We advertised the home and built
[29:27] built for a family in the community, and the relationship and that was wonderful.
[29:34] We actually built a larger home at that time, but the relationship that solves our
[29:38] rain-avered housing from the point of financing and ease of construction has really helped
[29:45] streamline things.
[29:47] So we're hoping to use a community partner.
[29:50] Mr. Ashby, thank you so much for your perseverance on getting these projects up in
[29:57] going. I know that it's definitely something we have heard of.
[30:00] The committee was going to start up. Thank you for making this happen. Thank you.
[30:07] Any other questions or comments? All right. I assume we're ready to vote on the motion. All those of favor signify by saying aye.
[30:14] Aye. Opposed? It's carried. Thank you, sirs. Thank you. Six point two personnel matters is for information only.
[30:25] So, 7.1 board members reports, last time I started to my left, so this time I'll start with my right with Mr. Palmer.
[30:39] Don't in the last month I've been actively involved in our election process, and I mean really active in our election process, and there's no doubt that my attention to emails from all over have been not where they should be.
[30:58] But I guarantee you I do answer him. I will go back to look at the ones that I've been said to miss and I guarantee you
[31:08] I will have responses and I still asked all parents to come to these meetings to express their opinions about what they think is wrong
[31:18] What they think is right?
[31:20] Thank you
[31:21] Thank you Mr. Fitzgerald
[31:29] I'll
[31:40] go to Mr. Valsky.
[31:50] I attended the county council meeting on Tuesday July the 5th
[31:55] where our student athletes were acknowledged for winning state championships in track and field.
[32:04] People who know me know that I like to go around the community and I talk to people.
[32:09] And while talking to people in the community and listening to their comments, I have compiled a list of suggestions given to me that I would like to share.
[32:21] And I have also submitted these in writing to Dr. Stoffer.
[32:27] Number one, parents and especially grandparents would like to have the reinstatement of American education week.
[32:37] Number two, the reinstatement of the superintendents opened doors meeting each month.
[32:46] Three, and I'd like this one because I had never ever thought of this.
[32:52] That members of the school board have meet and greets in various parts of the county,
[32:58] quarterly, not official meetings, but maybe have a Sunday afternoon meeting agreed at
[33:04] Allen Community Hall, or go over to Mardalla, or different places in the county, so that
[33:12] people out in the county, they may know their board representative, but they would not know
[33:18] those of us who represent other parts of the county. Fourth suggestion, to encourage our schools
[33:27] to reinstate PTAs, and also, chapter one,
[33:32] parent and student nights.
[33:34] I know I have attended a fabulous paint night
[33:38] at Glad Avenue School.
[33:41] I attended parent and student nights
[33:45] at both Fruitland Intermediate and at Princeton School.
[33:49] People would like to have these reinstated.
[33:52] Another concern was curriculum, transparency, and parents would like to have posted on the
[34:01] individual school websites, what is being taught in each classroom, and parents want to
[34:09] know more about the social and emotional curriculum that is mandated by the state of Maryland.
[34:16] But I'm going to ask parents and concerns citizens to please continue to contact me and other members of the board with your concerns.
[34:28] I will address these and you know that I do. I almost immediately return all phone calls and emails.
[34:37] And I will pass them on to Dr. Stoffer. Thank you.
[34:43] Thank you, go back to Mr. Fitzgerald, we want to go around.
[34:47] Before I go to Mr. Brown, Vice Chairman Murray, Mr. Michael Murray, is not with us obviously.
[34:52] He is in Nebraska and another state and probably nearby, but geography wasn't my best subject.
[35:01] It's in the continental U.S. though, I'm sure.
[35:03] He is president of the carouser, some carouser, Pontiac carouser association, he's presenting
[35:11] scholarships to deserving students, not only from this country, but from other countries.
[35:16] So I wanted to make note of that.
[35:18] He didn't just decide to not come to the meeting.
[35:20] He's doing it's a very, very important thing, present scholarships to very deserving students.
[35:27] He decided to do it by driving there, so he had to leave today to get there by tomorrow
[35:32] in Thursday.
[35:33] Thank you.
[35:34] Mr. Brown.
[35:35] Okay.
[35:35] As I'm right around the county, I'm pleased to see a couple of projects going on in some of
[35:42] her schools.
[35:43] The grounds really looked good so far, but I'm pleased to see that we're finally going to get
[35:49] some new Windows Enchipment Elementary School.
[35:51] I've had a number of parents who have been concerned about that for some time now and they're
[35:55] renovating it and putting in new doors and windows them up the well.
[35:59] Also, I was by park pinehurst Elementary School and I saw some trailers there, so I know
[36:05] with something happening at pint or sell a memory school.
[36:08] And I'm certain that everybody's looking forward to opening up Beaver Run just coming
[36:13] year.
[36:14] We all had an opportunity to visit it about a month ago, and things looked terrific.
[36:19] It's going to be the state of the art, and I'm certain that the students staff and parents
[36:23] are going to be very proud of Beaver Run, now I'm in a memory school, and we're moving forward
[36:28] with Mardellot.
[36:30] Also, I'm pleased to see school buses running again, so that means that we have
[36:35] some of school programs, and as Dr. Stauffer just mentioned, we have programs going on
[36:40] about nine different schools, with over 1,000 kids in those schools, with various kind of enrichment
[36:45] programs, and some of them even for original credit, some students want to get ahead.
[36:52] The other thing that really concerns me that I miss most of all is that there are no student
[36:57] representatives in this meeting looking forward to seeing them come September. It's amazing to
[37:02] You know, we got four high schools pretty much close together, but they're always different things going on,
[37:09] different exciting things, and each one of the schools even though we are in a close proximity.
[37:14] And finally, to Dr. Stoffer and the staff here at Central Office as well, the entire school system and the board,
[37:21] we look forward to working with you, and we certainly will have an enjoyable and rewarding year.
[37:27] I know that they're going to be challenges, but we're going to have to meet.
[37:30] Those challenges just buckle down and do what's fair, do what's firm, be flexible, and when things go wrong and they will, there will be some things that go so, and we'll just have to band together and fix them. Thank you.
[37:45] Thank you, Mr. Brown, Mr. Laird Lewis.
[37:50] Hello, it has definitely been a very busy end of the school year and start to the summer.
[37:55] I first would like to extend congratulations again to Dr. Schoffer and his new position as superintendent and Dr.
[38:04] Regger for his advancement.
[38:07] I actually had the opportunity to teach Dr. Regger and I will say it was a wonderful experience.
[38:16] So I'm looking forward to working with you in this degree.
[38:20] So congratulations on that.
[38:24] There are lots of things going on in our county right now.
[38:26] I know that there is a county-wide reading incentive.
[38:31] I will say that I am three books in so far,
[38:35] so I'm participating in that reading challenge,
[38:39] as well.
[38:39] I know that there are some reading challenges
[38:41] that are going on per school.
[38:43] And I see a lot of teachers who are posting
[38:45] what they're reading wherever they are reading at.
[38:49] and then they're doing small reviews and hashtags and things of sorts.
[38:53] So that's wonderful to see.
[38:55] So I am doing that.
[38:56] I'm also still working with my reading therapy dog.
[39:00] I've been English Bulldog.
[39:01] So we did a lot of visiting at the end of the school year,
[39:05] taking her around just to reach a student at the end of the school year
[39:09] and things about getting prepared for summer
[39:12] and moving on to the next grade.
[39:15] And some wonderful books that I received from the media specialists.
[39:20] I have been to many of the same community events that the other board members have, so I'm not going to
[39:26] for you by listing all of those.
[39:29] I will say we did have a wonderful send off for Dr. Hamlin in the beginning for her retirement.
[39:37] Maybe has a lot of seminars and webinars that are available this summer, so I've done some research and looked into those
[39:43] that once that I will be taking advantage of.
[39:46] And let's see, I did attend a county council meeting, I was not in attendance to the board meeting last month, I apologize for that, as many people know my daughter's in high school radio association, and we do a lot of traveling, so I was not able to be at the board meeting, I was with her and our horse, Ruby.
[40:12] But I did attend the County Council meeting where one of our youngest members was given a
[40:18] proclamation.
[40:19] Allie Gray, she attends North Solstery, and she was given a proclamation for being miss
[40:25] a little princess for the Maryland High School Radio Association, which was a wonderful
[40:31] thing for her.
[40:31] She is in the fourth grade, so she was definitely excited.
[40:35] And we were also there.
[40:36] Ms. Ann was there, we recognized a lot of athletes who had gone above and beyond in their
[40:43] academics as well as their athletics.
[40:47] And I did have some additional words to state tonight, but has having a conversation with
[40:55] Mr. Craig, who is the board's legal counsel, it was deemed that this was not the place
[41:02] to read that statement or go into that. The board members up here. We are a seven member entity.
[41:12] We work together. We decide together. We collaborate together and we did decide that this was not
[41:19] the appropriate setting for me to give a personal statement of the events that have occurred within
[41:26] the past 30 days. I will tell you that there has been contact and again there will be a statement that will be made.
[41:34] So thank you all very much.
[41:36] Thank you, Mr. Fitzgerald.
[41:39] Seven of the work.
[41:52] So my board report.
[41:57] The school fiscal year begins July 1st and runs to June 30.
[42:01] So it's 22, 22, 23, and it puts me in mind of New Year's Day for the rest of the world as
[42:08] January 1st for the school system New Year's Day is July 1st.
[42:12] And so this year we began the new year, the new school year with a new leader, and now we have
[42:17] another new team member on the executive level with Dr. Rager.
[42:23] So I would say at this point in time, I don't make new year's resolutions, but I would say
[42:28] that we should all be resolved at the beginning of July 1st to move the ship forward.
[42:33] I mean, public education is important.
[42:36] As everyone knows, and as Mr. Brown pointed out, things do go wrong.
[42:40] We try to fix them.
[42:42] Public education is imperfect, but it's still pretty good in white comical county.
[42:46] And I'm very, very happy with the performance of the public schools, but we can always get better.
[42:52] And so with Dr. Stalfa in the lead and the administrative staff and all the wonderful teachers
[42:57] and staff members we have, the new hires we're making, look forward to a great school year,
[43:03] and over the next 30 days before we meet again, I'm sure there'll be a lot of activity
[43:07] to prepare for the new school year, and we're all looking very much forward to that.
[43:12] As I travel around the county, as Mr. Lindsey pointed out, I refer a youth soccer, I see
[43:17] a lot of youth playing soccer, and a crown, there's a high school league, and it's probably
[43:22] the largest high school league I've seen in the three or four summers I've been doing it,
[43:27] which is a very good sign. We have all the people back playing soccer and they're all
[43:31] out there participating and it's great to see and we're all hoping and I think it will come to
[43:40] pass if we come back to school after the day after Labor Day this year with no masks and no virtual
[43:46] unless you do that by choice it'll be the first time since what 2019, 2020, 2019 school we began
[43:52] that year. So here's hope in that continues and with that. No quotes tonight. I'll save
[44:02] them up for August. With that, we're adjourned. Thank you for attending all of you.