From the Harford County Board of Education:
The Board of Education of Harford County met for an open business meeting at 6:30 p.m., on Monday, September 23, 2013, in the Board Room of the HCPS/A.A. Roberty Building and took the following actions and received the following presentations:
– 2013 Nurse of the Year, Janet L. Mueller, Havre de Grace Elementary School
– HealthierUS School Challenge (HUSSC)
– Custodial Award Program
Approved the Consent Agenda with the removal of the Benefits Advisory Committee Report:
– Minutes of Previous Board Meeting: September 9, 2013
Voted to hold the decision on both policies for another 30 days to allow for public comment due to the revision of language since the last presentation. HCPS Board Policies:
– Clubs (06-0010-000) – revised regulatory language in existing policy, definitions added, added language to regulate scheduled club activities, and addressed meetings in private homes and residences of sponsors.
– Curricular and Extracurricular Activities (06-0007-000) — revised regulatory language in existing policy, definitions added, added language to regulate scheduled club activities, and addressed meetings in private homes and residences of sponsors.
Received a presentation on the scope study for Havre de Grace High School. The Board was provided with three options: limited renovation, modernization alternate and a replacement building. The third option was the recommendation of the committee. Alternate schemes were also developed to include a combination middle/high school plan. The Board voted to approve the scope study option C with a vote of 6 – 3.
Approved the FY2015 Capital Improvement Program as presented with the following amendments:
– Technology Infrastructure project ($21,866,900) to number 11 on the priority list.
– Eliminated the request for $2.294 million in county funding request for Prospect Mill Elementary School HVAC project to request local funds for the structural needs in order to eliminate the security issue at the three remaining open space elementary schools (Bel Air Elementary, North Harford Elementary, William Paca/Old Post Road and William S. James). An amendment was also made and approved to include the fifth open space school in need; Prospect Mill Elementary School.
– Removed $400,000 from the Major HVAC Repairs line item and move the funding request to the line that would be necessary to cover the costs of the open space classroom project.
Received a presentation of the Quarterly Financial Report for the period ending June 30, 2013.
– Due to the late hour, the Superintendent declined to provide a report this evening.
The next Board of Education business meeting will be held on Monday, October 14, at 6:30 p.m. All Board meetings are held at the A.A. Roberty Building in Bel Air. To access all future Board meeting dates, log onto the school system website at www.hcps.org.
you don’t think because mr craig is from hdg that has anything to do with the high school funding being approved do you? No-couldn’t be right???? but then again his current administration is renowned for nepotism so who knows!
Or could it be that Havre de Grace has the oldest, most dilapidated school buildings in the county, have a street passing through the school, and sits between train tracks and chemical factories? Cronyism/Nepotism much be why Youths Benefit got approved, and many other schools have been built as well, right?
You ever been to William Paca OPR? Not saying Havre de Grace is not old and in need of some work but dilapidated meets a whole new definition at OPR!
Yes I have, and I agree it’s terrible, however from the hcps.org website…
William Paca OPR:
FACILITY OPENED 1956
ADDITIONS/RENOVATIONS 1964, 1985, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
Havre de Grace High:
FACILITY OPENED 1955
ADDITIONS/RENOVATIONS 1983
Havre de Grace Middle:
FACILITY OPENED 1967
ADDITIONS/RENOVATIONS None
Havre de Grace Elementary:
FACILITY OPENED 1950
ADDITIONS/RENOVATIONS None
Boy, David Craig sure has used his influence to skip the other schools int he county and pour money in to HdG!
Just because a school had an addition renovation does nopt equal better condition. That said having been to all 4 of the buildings. I think Havre de Grace High is in the best shape of the 4 you named! Probably because it had some really great custodians who took great care of it!
Also, I do believe the best solution would have been to build a larger Aberdeen High School on the site of Roye Williiams Elementary (which is way under capacity) and sell back the land the current AB and HDG High schools sit on while combining schools. It makes no sense to have so many schools in Harford County on the edges where you can only pull kids one direction…
Havre de grace high school is old as hell, two buildings, and the building is run-down due to age
Other schools are in even worse shape.
What high school is in worse shape? The answer is none. Bel air was in better shape than hdg, and it was replaced. Same with Edgewood and Aberdeen.
I never said high school but anyone with an objective point of view would agree there are other schools buildings in worse shape.
Schools which you have not named… I guess the hdg schools are magical and have never required the renovations that the rest have. The high school renovation in 1983 was simply the addition of the gym and auditorium building.
Havre de Grace High School should be reduced to rubble and not replaced. Let’s make HdG HS the first online school in Harford County. That’s right, no $50 million building, no $10 million in furnishings, no bus contracts, no crappy cafeteria food, no utility costs, no janitorial staff, heck you don’t really need a principal to handle discipline and crowd control. Issue every student a $500 notebook with software and join the 21st century.
Good call, Sam. In the future, we won’t have any need for personal interactions. They will become obsolete. One’s ability to argue with his peers, face to face, without losing their temper or patience, will just be learned on forums just like these, where everyone respects everyone!
A $500 notebook with software, an online education, and a complete ignorance of how to engage with one’s peers in a socially acceptable manner!
The 21st century…
I want to go to there.
Majority of most kids are electronic hand held device zombies anyway. Sam Adams has it right.
Awesome idea Sam Adams. Every HCPS teacher could be paid thousands of dollars more a year without spending all that money on a new school, and having online education.
Thumbs up for a raise.
The safety of the Elemantary Schools debate was well over 45 minutes. If it is about safety shouldn’t that be a top priority. They were talking about pushing some of these changes all way out to 2018. Wonder why we have problems at HCPS.
School safety is of paramount importance. That is why the school board opted to spend millions over the past year and more next year to make schools more secure. Obviously the school board did not want to follow the more extended timeline to get the work done. Now lets see if the County Executive and County Council will give the school system the money to make it happen.
I see the the Annual list of Blue Ribbon Schools came out today. How many HCPS schools were on it?????
Hint – Same number as Baltimore City
P.S. congrats to St. Margarets