Clarification on March 16th Special Board Listening Session

The Garrett County Board of Education and Ms. Barbara Baker, Superintendent of Schools, would like to issue further clarification about the upcoming Board of Education Listening Session on March 16th. The Board is going to first concentrate on the southern end of the county and determine its feasibility for the Pre-K ~ 6th and 7th ~ 12th grade-band alignment. There will be another listening session scheduled on the northern end at such time that examining feasibility and alignment initiates in that area. That meeting will be determined at a later date. The meeting Wednesday is only the first step in what will be a major assessment of the operations of Garrett County Public Schools.

The meeting is open to the public, but the focus of the meeting should be concentrated on the pros, cons, positive reactions, questions, and concerns regarding the recommended grade-band alignment. One of the primary goals of the meeting is to gather feedback on the true concerns of students, parents, staff, and the community, so that adjustments can be made to the plan as needed, based on the feedback received during the meeting.

Public comment will be limited to three (3) minutes, just as it is during Board meetings. For anyone unable to attend the meeting, you may email your comments. All comments received will be shared with the Superintendent and each Board Member, however, they will not be read aloud at the meeting. There will be no answers provided to questions at the meeting, as it is a listening session for the Board. For a full review of the plan, please visit the main page of our website.

The meeting will be held at Southern Garrett High School, Wednesday, March 16, 2022, 6:00-8:00 p.m. Those wishing to speak can sign up that evening. Anyone signed up by 8:00 p.m. will be heard. Comments are limited to three minutes and you may not give your time allotment to someone else.