Notes from the Jan. 12 Meeting Of The Wicomico County Board Of Education

The Wicomico County Board of Education at its monthly meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 12, voted on first reading to raise the minimum GPA for extracurricular activities to 2.0 starting next school year, approved most of the calendar for the 2010-11 school year, and adopted a plan to pilot bocce in high schools this spring in cooperation with Special Olympics Maryland.

The Board heard a number of public comments Tuesday about the proposal to raise the minimum grade point average (GPA) for participation in cocurricular and extracurricular activities from the current 1.6 to 1.85 next school year, and 2.0 the year after that. A number of speakers urged the Board to raise the standard to 2.0 for next school year and said students would rise to the challenge. Others endorsed the interim step of 1.85 next school year, saying that students would benefit from time to meet the new standard for participation. Others asked the Board not to further limit eligibility for extracurricular activities because of the benefits all students receive from participation in activities beyond the classroom.

Following its own discussion on the issue, the Board voted 4-3 against the plan to step from 1.6 to 1.85 to 2.0, then voted 5-2 on first reading to raise the minimum GPA to 2.0 starting with the 2010-11 school year. A second and final vote on the 2.0 GPA proposal is anticipated at the Feb. 9 Board meeting. If the 2.0 minimum GPA is approved on second reading, students would need a 2.0 GPA in the 4th marking period of this school year to be eligible for sports and other extracurricular activities such as dances and clubs – this August.

The Board approved the 2010-11 school calendar with the exception of commencement dates. The Board said it wants further input on the proposal to hold all four commencement ceremonies at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center, with Mardela High School students graduating on Friday, June 3, and ceremonies for the three in-town high schools at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 4. Scheduling commencement ceremonies for two days instead of four would save approximately $2,500. Some speakers advocated not changing the tradition of having each school’s ceremony on a different day. Comments about commencement for 2011 may be made to comments@wcboe.org or to 410-677-4421. The Board will approve commencement dates at an upcoming meeting.

The 2010-11 school year will begin Monday, Aug. 30 and end June 10, 2011. Students will be off Nov. 24-26 for the Thanksgiving break, Dec. 23-Jan. 2 for the winter holidays (schools reopen Jan. 3), and April 21-25 for the spring holidays. June 8, 9 and 10 will be early dismissal days.

Schools will also be closed Sept. 6 (Labor Day), Sept. 14 (Primary Election), Oct. 15 (MSTA Convention), Nov. 2 (General Election), Jan. 17 (Martin Luther King Birthday), Feb. 21 (Presidents Day) and May 30 (Memorial Day). Schools will be closed for students (but open for teachers) for professional days on Oct. 18, Jan. 24 and 25, Feb. 28 and May 2.

In other business, the Board voted to go forward with a pilot bocce (lawn bowling) athletic program in all four high schools this spring, in cooperation with Special Olympics Maryland. Under the Maryland Fitness and Athletics Equity for Students with Disabilities Act, all Maryland school systems must provide appropriate and meaningful athletic opportunities to students with disabilities by July 1, 2011. Launching bocce teams in the four high schools this spring, with funding and other support from Special Olympics Maryland, will be a first step toward meeting that deadline and will allow Wicomico to meet a May 15, 2010 deadline to report on its progress to the Maryland General Assembly.

The bocce teams will have eight athletes, evenly divided between students with and without disabilities, an approach the Special Olympics calls Unified Sports. Special Olympics Maryland will fund the Wicomico pilot through a federal grant, providing stipends for a Unified Sports coordinator for the bocce season, coaches at the four high schools, uniforms, equipment, transportation, and a state championship event in May. Other sports that provide the opportunity for meaningful competition for both athletes with and without disabilities include team track and field, team aquatics, team powerlifting, bowling and team tennis.

In other business, the Board:

PUBLIC COMMENT

Heard from a parent from the Advocates for Accelerated Learners who said the Magnet centers are the best option for educating high-performing learners, and another parent who said the community might want to consider a charter school for high-performing students.

REPORT FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT

Heard from Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Fredericksen that:

Anyone seeking H1N1 vaccine can contact the Health Department at 410-543-6943.

The 2010 Maryland General Assembly will convene on Wednesday, Jan. 20, and key issues this session will likely include legislation on maintenance of effort funding, student performance, underfunded and unfunded mandates, and budget.

Wicomico has been invited to express interest in joining Maryland’s application for federal Race to the Top funding of $150-$200 million to target the lowest performing schools and student subgroups.

The Redistricting Task Force had begun moving school boundary lines and will meet two nights next week to develop a redistricting proposal that could be shared with the Board Jan. 22 and discussed at the Board work session Jan. 26. Comments may be made at any time at 410-677-5251 or comments@wcboe.org.

Wicomico will appeal to the Board of Public Works on Jan. 20 for almost $3 million in state funding needed to finish the James M. Bennett High School project. The Maryland Interagency Committee on Public School Construction has recommended $7 million in state funding for fiscal 2011, but nearly $10 million is needed. Wicomico may know next month whether the building can be done in time to open in August 2010, a full year ahead of schedule.

Results of the school climate survey done last fall will arrive next week. The school system will then review the results and data to begin planning next steps.

A proposed revision of the dress code is posted on the web site at www.wcboe.org and input is being taken at comments@wcboe.org.

A firm and appropriate response is being made to recent student misbehavior.

Negotiations on the Bi-State Agreement with the Delmar School District will begin Friday.

The school system continues to work on the capital budget with the County Executive, with the goal of securing funding for the Bennett Middle School project. In other budget news, the Board has received for consideration Tiers I and II of the superintendent’s proposed budget reduction for fiscal 2011, and four additional tiers of reductions have been drafted. The Board will hold a budget input session to receive public comments for the fiscal 2011 budget process at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 14, in the Wicomico High School Auditorium.

The staffs of Wicomico Middle School, East Salisbury Elementary and Beaver Run Elementary, as well as support staff from the school system and staff from the Wicomico County Health Department, responded very well to the tragedy of Sarah Foxwell during the winter holidays, and will continue to support students and staff members as needed.

Wicomico can be proud of 2009 James M. Bennett High graduate Derek Wu, now a freshman at Princeton University, who because of his community and academic achievements will represent his country as a 2010 Olympic Torchbearer.

The First Lego League Regional Tournament held at Salisbury Middle School Jan. 9 was a great success, with three Eastern Shore teams moving on to the state competition.

GRANTS REPORT

Received for information the latest update of the 2009-10 grants report and updated information on 2008-09 grants. In 2008-09, Wicomico County Public Schools applied for almost $3.6 million in grants and received $2.9 million, an 80.1 % success rate. So far this school year, Wicomico Schools have applied for $2,039,140 in grants and received $1.9 million, a 93 % success rate. Dr. Fredericksen said Wicomico has also been invited to participate with lead applicant Anne Arundel County Public Schools on a state STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) grant, as well as a grant for arts instruction in Maryland schools.

REPORTS

Approved the monthly report of personnel matters for certificated employees, received for information the monthly personnel report for classified employees, and approved January 2010 budget transfers within category in the amount of $2,870.

CONTRACT EXTENSION

Authorized a five-year voluntary contract extension with Sunesys LLC for the Board of Education’s Managed Leased Lit Fiber Wide Area Network.

REFLECTIONS ART RECEPTION

Heard from Ben Brumbley, president of the Wicomico County Council of PTAs, that the Reflections Art Reception will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27, at the Parkside High Auditorium.