December 9 GC BOE Meeting Summary

Rodney Glotflelty opened the meeting in place of the chair, who was absent due to illness. With no public comment scheduled, the board entered executive session to discuss personnel matters and receive legal advice. After returning to public session, the board approved the agenda and consent items.

Policy & Procedure Updates

• ADA Goals: A minor revision was presented to renumber priorities to better align with existing goals. Final vote will occur in January.

• Homeless Policy (JLG): Updates were made following an audit. Procedures were separated from policy, formatting corrected, and definitions updated. Input was received from MSDE’s homeless education director.

• Student Transportation to Extracurricular Activities: A new policy aligns with COMAR and allows use of 10-passenger vans. Board members raised concerns about unclear language regarding parents transporting their children from events. Administration will revise wording and clarify procedures for parent pick-ups before the January vote.

School Calendar

• Current Year Makeup Days:

  • The state denied the district’s request to use Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 19, 2026) as a makeup day.

  • Schools will be closed that day.

  • The superintendent will request permission to use Presidents’ Day and, if needed, Easter Monday as makeup days.

  • One additional day will be added to the end of the school year due to the loss of MLK Day.

• Proposed 2026–2027 Calendar:

  • Calendar committee recommends a pre–Labor Day start on August 31, 2026.

  • The committee also recommends adopting a standard rule:

    • If Labor Day falls before Sept. 5, then post–Labor Day start

    • If Labor Day falls on or after Sept. 5, then pre–Labor Day start

  • Over the next 10 years, this would result in 4 pre-Labor Day and 6 post-Labor Day starts.

  • The committee also requests reinstating a prior pilot program permitting students to take two excused work-related absences before Labor Day.

  • Other notes: schools closed on Autumn Glory; open on Veterans Day; graduation proposed for May 22, 2027.

  • Public comment is open through January 1; final vote scheduled for January 13.

Legislative Priorities

Dr. McCartney presented the district’s annual legislative positions, emphasizing:

• Protecting local control over curriculum and operations.

• Support for hold harmless provisions (particularly for enrollment and low-wealth funding), which are critical to county finances.

• Requesting greater flexibility to aggregate funding streams when reporting Blueprint requirements.

• Ensuring the district does not receive reduced compensatory education funding.

Student Board Member Report

Highlights included:

• Winter sports underway; multiple school theater productions held.

• Student achievements in band, volleyball, and unified bocce.

• Schools conducting holiday service projects and incentives.

• Student members recently held a general assembly and completed community service initiatives.

Superintendent’s Updates

• Midterm progress reports released December 11.

• Winter break is December 24–January 1.

• January 2 is a staff development day; students return January 5.

• Reminder: No school on MLK Day (Jan. 19) due to the denied waiver.

• Encouraged families to monitor weather updates and school announcements.

Watch the full meeting recording here.