Harford County Board of Education Agenda Oct. 14: Aberdeen High School Athletic Facility Upgrades; FY2013 Financial Audit Results; Policy Revisions

The Harford County Board of Education plans a business meeting October 14th to include approval of promotions and appointments, revisions to Board policies on advertising and collecting funds from students, and results from recent surveys of teachers and students. The Monday meeting agenda also includes Board approval of a contract for athletic facility upgrades at Aberdeen High School, and results from the financial audit for the 2013 fiscal year.

On the consent agenda, the Board will approve a $134,195 contract award to Grimm + Parker Architects to develop construction documents for stadium and weight room upgrades at Aberdeen High School. The $1.6 million project overall will, according to the agenda, “expand the weight room approximately 1,500 square feet at the existing high school and add a new home-team room/visitor-team room/storage building with associated hardscape and utilities at the Aberdeen High School stadium.”

Also on the consent agenda, the Board will appoint its representatives in labor negotiations with employee unions for the 2014-2015 contract year.
The Board also plans to ratify a negotiated agreement with the Harford County Educational Services Council (HCESC), the union representing education support professionals in HCPS. No further details were published for this agenda item.

Presentations on the agenda include reports from the Citizen Advisory Committee for Family Life and the Citizen Advisory Committee for Career and Technology Education. The published reports appear below and include committee recommendations for Board consideration during budget deliberations for the 2015 fiscal year.

Action items on the agenda include promotions and appointments recommended for Board approval by Interim Superintendent Barbara Canavan. The names of recommended employees will be announced on Monday evening.

Other action items include Board approval of proposed revisions to the Advertising Policy, and the policy entitled Collection of Funds from Students.

A number of potential changes to the Advertising Policy have been discussed by Board members since February. Among them are proposed revisions allowing advertising that defrays the cost of a school activity or school construction, and revisions that expressly prohibit advertising on school buses unless approved by the Board. Additional revisions to be formally presented Monday evening call for the Office of General Counsel to review written advertising contracts, and a requirement that advertising contracts include a “termination for convenience” provision.

Following the Board’s decision to implement pay-to-play and student activity fees this school year, the Board is expected to approve related revisions to its policy entitled Collection of Funds from Students.

Also on the agenda, Jim Jewell, HCPS assistant superintendent of business services, will present the required annual financial audit report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013. According to the published report, the certified public accounting firm of SB & Company, LLC, has issued an unmodified, or “clean” opinion on the school system’s financial statements for the fiscal year.

Planned presentations include survey results for Harford County Public Schools in the 2013 Maryland Teaching, Empowering, Leading, and Learning (TELL) Survey. The anonymous, web-based survey of school-based educators gathers input on teaching conditions, and provides data to inform school and district improvements. This year’s survey was made available to educators from February 4 – March 1.

Results will also be presented at the Monday meeting from a Harford County Public Schools survey of all students in grades K-11. The anonymous survey conducted in April measured student perceptions of school climate and academic engagement.

As usual, the meeting agenda concludes with the superintendent’s report, which will be provided Monday evening by Interim Superintendent Canavan.

The October 14th meeting of the Harford County Board of Education is planned to begin at 6:30 p.m. in the A.A. Roberty Building in Bel Air, with a public comment period set for 6:35 p.m. The published agenda appears below. Please note that published agendas are subject to change.

Agenda
Monday, October 14, 2013
Board Business Meeting – 6:30 PM – Board Room
*Times are approximate

6:30 PM
Call to Order – Mrs. Nancy Reynolds, President
Quorum Roll Call
Adoption of Agenda
Pledge of Allegiance

6:35 PM Public Comment

6:50 PM Board Committee Reports and Comments

Old Business
Action Item(s):

7:05 PM A. Consent Agenda:

1) Affirmation of Monthly Contracts (Goal 4)

2) Minutes of Board Business Meeting: September 23 2013 (Goals 1 – 4)

3) Award of Contract: Architect and Engineering Services for Aberdeen High School Comprehensive Design Services for Stadium and Weight Room Upgrades (Goal 4)

4) Appointment of the Negotiating Teams for the 2014-15 Contract Year (Goal 3)

5) Ratification of Negotiated Agreement: Harford County Educational Services Council (HCESC) (Goal 3)

Presentation(s):

7:10 PM B. Presentation on Citizen Advisory Committee Reports: Mrs. Susan Garrett (Goals 1-4)

– Career and Technology Education

– Family Life

New Business
Action Item(s):

7:30 PM C. Decision on Promotions and Appointments, Mrs. Jean A. Mantegna (Goal 3)

7:40 PM D. Decision on HCPS Board Policies, Patrick P. Spicer, Esq. (Goals 1-4)

– Advertising Policy (06-0024-000)

– Collection of Funds (06-0017-000)

8:00 PM E. Decision on Annual Audit for Year End June 30, 2013, Mr. James M. Jewell (Goal 4)

Presentation(s):

8:20 PM F. Presentation on Strategic Plan Updates: Dr. Susan P. Brown, Mr. Phillip E. Snyder, Mrs. Leann Schubert (Goals 1-4)

– Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning (TELL) Survey

– Student Motivation Survey

8:40 PM G. Superintendent’s Report

Closing

8:50 PM Future Meetings Review
Adjournment