Board of Education of St. Mary’s County

Meeting of:  Regular Session                                         Held:   November 29, 2006

                                                                                                Board of Education Meeting Room

The regular meeting of the Board of Education of St. Mary’s County was held on Wednesday,

November 29, 2006, in the Board of Education Meeting Room, 23160 Moakley Street, Leonardtown.  The meeting was called to order at 5:02 p.m. by Dr. Sal Raspa, chairman.  Board members present for the meeting were:

            .Dr. Sal Raspa, Chairman

            .Mr. Gary Kessler, Vice Chairman

            .Ms. Cathy Allen

.Mr. Bill Mattingly

.Ms. Mary Washington

Motion to Enter Into Executive Session

Mr. Kessler made a motion that the Board enter into executive session to discuss personnel and property acquisition issues (Article 24, Section 4-210(a)1,11).  Ms. Washington seconded the motion.  Motion carried unanimously.

Reopen Regular Session

Dr. Raspa reconvened the regular meeting at 6:15 p.m.  The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Approval of Agenda

Mr. Kessler made a motion to approve the agenda as presented.  Mr. Mattingly seconded the motion.  Motion carried unanimously.

Superintendent Report

Dr. Michael J. Martirano, superintendent of schools, reported on the following:

• State of the St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS) Address was held on Thursday, November 16^th at the J.T. Daugherty Center where over 170 business, community, and school system staff were in attendance.
• Congratulations to the Leonardtown High School (LHS) Girl’s Soccer Team for winning the State Championship game on Monday evening, November 20^th at the University of Maryland Baltimore Campus (UMBC).
• Congratulations to Kim Summers, principal of Dynard Elementary School (DES), who has been named the Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leadership Award, and was recognized on Monday, November 20^th.

• Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary School has been selected to receive a Maryland Center for Character Education School of the Year Award on December 7^th in Monkton, Maryland.
• Mechanicsville Elementary School has been selected to be featured as a Sherry Unger Award winner on the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) website for their service learning project Caring for Others for the months of October and November 2006.
• Model Congress Session’s were held on Friday and Saturday, November 10-11^th at Leonardtown Middle School (LMS).
• Harvest for the Hungry:  LHS – Collected 185,000 pounds of food.
• Discussed the SMCPS 2006 Annual Report.
• The Automated External Defibrillator’s (AED) will be in place at Chopticon (CHS) and LHS by December 4^th, and Great Mills High School (GMHS) by December 8^th.  Staff training is scheduled for those dates as well.

Recognitions

• Ms. Claudia Wortman, supervisor of instruction-science, and Dr. Martirano recognized Ms. Cheryl Metcalf, and Ms. Michele Hiles, 4th and 5th grade teachers respectively at Ridge Elementary School (RES), and Mr. Bill Moody of Boeing Aerospace for their participation in the Space Camp Program.  Dr. Martirano presented Ms. Metcalf and Ms. Hiles with a certificate of recognition for their selection and participation in the 2006 NASA Space Academy for Educators, and Mr. Moody for his support of Ms. Hiles’ and Ms. Metcalf’s participation in The Boeing Educators to Space Camp Program.
• Dr. Andrew Roper, supervisor of instruction-physical education/health/athletics, and Dr. Martirano recognized Mr. Rocco Aiello, physical education teacher at CHS for being named the 2006 Maryland Adapted Physical Education Teacher of the Year.  Dr. Martirano presented Mr. Aiello with a certificate of recognition.

Public Comment

There were no speakers for public comment.

Consent Agenda

Ms. Allen made a motion that the following consent agenda items be approved:

.Regular and Executive Session Minutes of November 8, 2006

.New Employment

            .Bus Contract Transfers

Ms. Washington seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously.

The following action items were presented to the Board of Education (BOE):

• Mr. Dan Carney, chief financial officer, presented the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Healthcare Procurement for approval.  Mr. Mattingly made a motion to approve and sign the MOU between the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) and the BOE for the Joint Solicitation and Contract for Health Benefits.  Ms. Washington seconded the motion.  Motion carried unanimously.
• Mr. Brad Clements, chief operating officer, and Ms. Kimberly Howe, supervisor of capital planning, presented the FY 2008 Local Capital Improvements Program for approval.  Ms. Allen made a motion that the BOE approve the FY 2008- FY 2013 Local Capital Improvements Program as presented.  Mr. Kessler seconded the motion.  Motion carried unanimously.
• Mr. Clements and Ms. Stacy Maffei, planning manager, presented the Chesapeake Public Charter School (CPCS) Charter-Amendment to Charter for approval.  Ms. Washington made a motion that the BOE approve the CPCS’s request to amend their charter to include grades K-5 with the capacity of up to 160 students in the first year.  Mr. Kessler seconded the motion.  Motion carried unanimously.
• Ms. Linda Dudderar, chief academic officer, and Mr. Theo Cramer, director of academic support presented Policy “IEA” (Comparable Services: Title I) for approval.  Ms. Allen made a motion that the BOE adopt Policy IEA Assurance of Comparable Services: Title I as

required by the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation.  Mr. Mattingly seconded

the motion.  Motion carried unanimously.

The following information items were presented to the BOE:

• Ms. Kathleen Lyon, executive director of student services, Dr. Kathleen O’Brien, executive director of Walden Sierra Center, Mr. Walter Biscoe, alcohol and other drug abuse prevention coordinator for St. Mary’s County Government, and Mr. Kelsey Bush, youth coordinator for St. Mary's County, provided a report on Multi Agency Prevention Efforts for Underage Drinking.
• Ms. Lyon provided a report on Pandemic Response Preparation.

Reports

.Ms. Allen noted her attendance at the following events:  All-County Middle and High School Honor Orchestra Concert at CHS, Visit to Piney Point Elementary School (PPES), Rode on the Leonardtown Elementary School (LES) float at the Veteran’s Day Parade in Leonardtown, Read at the First Annual Pajama Party at Lexington Park Elementary School (LPES), Celebrated Principal Kim Summers recognition as the Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leadership Award winner at DES, All-County Elementary and Middle School Honor Chorus Concert at GMHS, All-County Middle and High School Honor Orchestra Concert at LHS, Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE) Legislative Committee meeting, MABE Board of Directors meeting, State of the School System Address, Celebration for Milken Award winner Evelyn Sweeney at LES, and a tour of the proposed site for CPCS.

.Ms. Washington noted her attendance at the following events:  All-County Middle and High School Honor Orchestra Concert at CHS, Veteran’s Day Parade in Leonardtown, Read at the First Annual Pajama Party at LPES, Celebrated Principal Kim Summers recognition as the Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leadership Award winner at DES, All-County Elementary and Middle School Honor Chorus Concert at GMHS, National Honor Society Induction at CHS, All-County Middle and High School Honor Orchestra Concert at LHS, State of the School System Address, National Honor Society Induction at LHS, Mr. Chopticon Contest, and a tour of the proposed site for CPCS.

.Mr. Mattingly noted his attendance at the following events:  MABE Federal Relations Network (FRN) and Legislative meeting, BOCC Multi-Agency meeting, Celebrated Principal Kim Summers recognition as the Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leadership Award winner at DES, BOCC & Delegation Legislative Proposals, National Honor Society Induction at CHS, State of the School System Address, Retirement Party for Mrs. Evelyn Arnold, and a tour of the proposed site for CPCS.

.Mr. Kessler noted his attendance at the following events:  All-County Middle and High School Honor Orchestra Concert at CHS, All-County Elementary and Middle School Honor Chorus Concert at GMHS, All-County Middle and High School Honor Orchestra Concert at LHS, and a tour of the proposed site for CPCS.

.Dr. Raspa noted his attendance at the following events:  State of the School System Address and a tour of the proposed site for CPCS.

Future Board Meetings

The following future meetings will be held:

            .Oath of Office Ceremony, Monday, December 4, 2006, 5:30 p.m., Auditorium, Great Mills

              High School, Great Mills

.Regular Board Meeting, Wednesday, December 13, 2006, 9:00 a.m., Board Meeting

              Room, Leonardtown

.Breakfast Meeting with Legislators, Thursday, December 14, 2006, 8:00 a.m., Dr. James A.

              Forrest Career and Technology Center, Leonardtown

Adjournment

Dr. Raspa adjourned the regular meeting at 9:09 p.m. 

Dr. Salvatore L. Raspa                                    

Chairman

Dr. Michael J. Martirano
Secretary-Treasurer