Board Of Education Approves Proposed Budget, Dress Code, 2.0 GPA Requirement, And More

Subject: Board Notes from March 9: Board Approves Proposed Budget, Dress Code, 2.0 GPA Requirement, and More

The Wicomico County Board of Education at its monthly meeting on Tuesday, March 9, approved the following: Fiscal Year 2011 Proposed Consolidated Current Expense Budget, a new dress code, an increase in the GPA requirement to 2.0 for extracurricular and cocurricular activities, the movement of Delmar fifth-graders to Delmar Middle and High School next school year, and a change to the current school year calendar.

PROPOSED BUDGET

The Board of Education approved 5-1 the fiscal year 2011 Proposed Consolidated Current Expense Budget in the amount of $182,219,716, with $165,552,311 in the unrestricted portion of the budget and $16,667,405 in the Restricted Current Expense Budgets. The unrestricted portion of the budget is $254,242 less than the current year's approved unrestricted budget. The fiscal year 2011 approved proposed budget will be posted under Quick Links at www.wcboe.org once the proposed budget has been submitted to the County Executive on March 15.

The proposed budget includes a request of $50,596,892 from Wicomico County, the amount needed to reach the Maintenance of Effort (MOE) level of funding that the state requires for any new state funding to be provided. (The MOE level is $184,819 less than the current year, due to a decline in the school system's preliminary enrollment count.) Board members said they had an obligation on behalf of students to approve a budget based on Maintenance of Effort funding, even though the county has indicated that the school system can anticipate substantial cuts in funding this year.

Additions to the General Fund budget total $5.6 million, and would be limited to increases for fixed charges, increases to bus contract rates, establishing a budget for replacement of lamps for school digital projectors, impact of the new James M. Bennett High on utility bills, changing 1.25 Management Information Systems positions from grant funding to budgeted salaries, and various capital projects to keep schools operating in an effective and efficient manner.

These additions would be more than offset by nearly $5.9 million in budget reductions. The proposed reductions include eliminating the Adult Education Program and the Year Round Education Program at Delmar Elementary; shifting Delmar fifth-graders to Delmar Middle and High; converting Beyond the Limits from a program funded by the General Fund to a self-supporting enterprise fund; reclassifying, eliminating or not replacing 34 positions throughout the school system, primarily due to the Early Notification Program, but also due to program reductions; eliminating the merit incentive for classified employees; and curtailing funding of the OPEB GASB #45 Trust for future benefit costs for current employees.

Wicomico County Public Schools would also address current budget concerns by realigning existing budget dollars to cover items of greater need. These realignments total $1,176,917.

In approving the proposed budget for what is anticipated to be a very difficult budget year, the Board aligned budgeted items with the school system's Bridge to Excellence Master Plan Strategic Priorities of High Student Achievement, Safe Learning Environment, and Effective and Efficient Operations.

DRESS CODE

A new Dress Code Policy will be in effect for Wicomico students when they return to school in August. The Board approved revisions to its Dress Code Policy at the March 9 meeting. The new policy, posted under Quick Links at www.wcboe.org , outlines what is acceptable and what is not for head coverings, tops, bottoms, outerwear, footwear, jewelry, piercings, perfumes, accessories, and appearance and language on clothing, symbols, tattoos and messages. Disciplinary guidelines for infractions of the Dress Code Policy are also covered. Not included in the approved policy, but available for any school considering school uniforms, are the Procedures for a School-Specific Consistent Attire Program (CAP).

NEW 2.0 GPA REQUIREMENT

The Board voted to raise the GPA (grade point average) Eligibility Requirement for Cocurricular and Extracurricular Activities from a 1.6 to a 2.0 GPA effective with the 2010-11 school year. The new policy on GPA Eligibility Requirement is posted under Quick Links at www.wcboe.org.

The Board asked staff to make sure that word of the change is immediately shared with secondary students and their parents/guardians because a student's GPA in the 4th marking period of this school year will determine eligibility for fall sports, clubs, homecoming and other special activities.

"The last report card they receive this year is going to determine whether they can even try out for sports or other activities for the coming year," Board Vice President L. Michelle Wright said. Students whose performance midway through the marking period (starting with the 4th marking period this year) shows them to be in jeopardy of losing eligibility will be notified.

Students who are declared ineligible will remain ineligible for at least half of the next marking period. It will be the student's responsibility to request a GPA check halfway into the next marking period to determine if the student has regained eligibility.

Board members and people from the community who spoke in favor of the new 2.0 GPA requirement said the school system has a duty to see that students perform academically so the students are prepared for success after graduation. Tutoring will be available for students who do not meet the 2.0 GPA requirement. Approximately 1,000 Wicomico students whose GPA is 1.99 or lower would not be eligible to participate beginning in August 2010. "We want to bring them up rather than push them out," Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Fredericksen said.

DELMAR FIFTH GRADE MOVING TO DELMAR MIDDLE AND HIGH

Officials from the Delmar School District joined the Wicomico County Board of Education Tuesday night to announce the joint decision to shift the fifth grade to Delmar Middle and High starting with the 2010-11 school year. The Wicomico Board of Education voted to modify the Bi-State Agreement with the Delmar School District so that approximately 137 students in Wicomico's largest and most over capacity elementary school can spend their fifth-grade year across town to a wing in Delmar Middle and High, where space is available. The shift, which must still be approved by the Delmar Board of Education and state education officials in both states, will relieve overcrowding at Delmar Elementary, which has been serving nearly 1,000 students in a school with a state-rated capacity of 726. At the same time, the shift will keep fifth-graders within the tight-knit Delmar community that straddles the Maryland-Delaware state line.

2009-10 CALENDAR CHANGES

The Board voted to change the May 3 professional day into a school day with dismissal two hours early for students, followed by professional development time for teachers. This will allow the school system to make up an additional missed school day due to inclement weather.

Of the 12 days missed this winter, the school system has arranged to make up seven by changing professional days on March 1 and May 3 to early dismissal days for students, and by using the calendar's approved makeup days from June 14-18 as school days. Wicomico will ask the state for a waiver of the remaining five missed days, and anticipates the state will grant that request, Dr. Fredericksen said.

Students and parents/guardians should note the following changes in the 2009-10 school calendar:

March 10: Mid-term reports distributed (originally scheduled for Feb. 26)
April 13: End of 3rd marking period (originally scheduled for March 30)
April 14: Beginning of 4th marking period (originally scheduled for April 6)
April 21: Report cards distributed (originally scheduled for April 13)
May 3: School day with dismissal two hours early (originally scheduled as a professional day for teachers)
May 14: Mid-term reports distributed (originally scheduled for May 7)
June 9-11: Regular school days (originally scheduled as early dismissal days)
June 14 and 15: Regular school days (added as makeup days due to inclement weather closings)
June 16, 17 and 18: School days with dismissal two hours early (added as makeup days due to inclement weather closings). June 18 is the last day of school for students.

At the March 9 meeting, the Board also:

MOMENT OF SILENCE

Observed a moment of silence in memory of Jatrae Renee Gibbs, a senior at Parkside High, and Greg Wright, a service worker at the Wicomico Early Learning Center.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Heard during public comments from three parents speaking about the benefits of the Magnet Program, and from the president of the School Bus Contractors Association, which would like to meet with the Board in a work session.

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING FOR UNIFIED SPORTS

Signed a memorandum of understanding with Special Olympics Maryland to create a model Unified Sports program that meets the spirit and intent of the Maryland Fitness and Athletics Equity for Students with Disability Law. All four Wicomico high schools will field a bocce ball team this spring with students both with and without disabilities. Practice will begin March 22.

POSTAGE METERS

Voted to utilize the state of Maryland contract with Neopost for a postage machine rental program for schools.

SALISBURY MIDDLE STIPENDS

Approved the payment of $1,500 state grant-funded Advanced Professional Certificate stipends to 41 teachers at Salisbury Middle School.

BENNETT MIDDLE REPLACEMENT PROJECT

Approved the schematic design for the Bennett Middle School Replacement Project for submission to the state; the schematic design will be posted on the Facility Services web page, with access from Quick Links at www.wcboe.org. The Board also approved $10,000 in additional services from Hord Coplan Macht to coordinate professional engineering services regarding a traffic study for the BMS replacement project.

JMB REPLACEMENT PROJECT CONTRACT MODIFICATIONS

Approved change orders totaling $43,358.78 on the James M. Bennett High School Replacement Project.

REPORTS

Approved the monthly personnel report for classified employees and budget transfers for March, and received for information the monthly report on competitive grant proposals and personnel matters for classified employees. Heard the annual report on the Horizons academic and enrichment program, and heard during the Superintendent's Report that Wicomico is closely following the Maryland? Race to the Top grant application and legislation in Annapolis on funding and regulations.