The Wicomico County Board of Education at its monthly meeting on April 12 approved the school calendar for 2011-12, and extended and expanded the Voluntary Retirement Incentive Option (VRIO) until May 2.
2011-12 Calendar
The approved 2011-12 calendar will be posted at www.wcboe.org under Quick Links. The school year will begin on Monday, Aug. 29 for most students. The school year will end June 8, 2012. Students will be off Nov. 23-25 for the Thanksgiving break, and Dec. 23-Jan. 2 for the winter holidays (schools will reopen Jan. 3). Due to Maryland’s Primary Election being moved to Tuesday, April 3, schools will now be closed for the spring holidays for students from dismissal on Friday, March 30 until Tuesday, April 10. June 6, 7 and 8 are half-days with early dismissal.
Schools will also be closed Sept. 5 (Labor Day), Oct. 21 (MSEA Convention), Jan. 16 (Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday), Feb. 20 (Presidents Day) and May 28 (Memorial Day). Schools will be closed for students (but open for teachers) for professional days on Sept. 30, Nov. 4, Jan. 23-24, and April 2; the September and November professional days that were on Wednesdays on the draft calendar are now on Fridays. Five days are listed as makeup days in case of school closings: April 2, 4 and 5 and June 11 and 12.
VRIO Extension
The Board approved an extension and expansion of the Voluntary Retirement Incentive Option (VRIO), which had been approved at its February meeting and offered until March 15. Thirty-six employees who are eligible for full-service retirement signed up for VRIO under the initial offering. VRIO will now be offered until May 2, both for employees eligible for full service retirement and those eligible for early service retirement, subject to the guidelines established by the respective retirement plans. Employees will have the chance to meet with financial planners to discuss tax and financial planning questions about the retirement offer.
While Board members and the Superintendent continued to express mixed feelings about losing experienced teachers and other staff members through VRIO, the school system hopes to use VRIO to reduce salary costs in a very difficult budget year. A voluntary retirement is preferable to a tap on the shoulder to lay someone off, Board members said.
Information about the extension and expansion of VRIO is posted online at http://www.wcboe.org/departments/HR/Voluntary%20Retirement%20Incentive.htm, and has been shared with employees through a special edition of HR Headlines.
In other business, the Board of Education:
Public Comments
Heard comment from Fred Peterson, as co-chair of the education committee of the Wicomico County Chapter of the NAACP, who read a statement asking the Board to require school uniforms to improve discipline, eliminate gang clothing, reduce bullying, remove class and income differences, and make wardrobes more affordable for families.
Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent of Schools Dr. John E. Fredericksen reported to the Board that:
The school system is still weighing the impact of the state budget, and that a cut likely to be more than $5 million is anticipated in the County Executive’s budget. The Board will have a public budget hearing at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 24, in the Parkside High School auditorium.
Business Support Services staff members are to be commended for receiving the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association. The certificate was awarded for the school system’s first Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). The certificate of achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting. Comptroller E. Bruce Ford credited the Superintendent for his leadership in supporting the CAFR, and staff members Gary Green, Accounting Manager, Mary Chandler, Accountant I, and others for creating the comprehensive document that is posted on the Board’s website at http://www.wcboe.org/departments/BusinessSupportServices/reports.php?section=accounting.
Race to the Top (RTTT) continues to be an important area. A number of Wicomico teachers are master teachers who will train other teachers at a state summer institute on RTTT that will be held at James M. Bennett High School.
Shared, in response to some of the public comments given at the March Board meeting, that the school system and the Wicomico County Council will meet on May 17 to talk about the Bennett Middle School project and other capital priorities and find ways to move forward. Another commenter had criticized the lack of parent involvement on the committee to revise the Magnet Program criteria, and the Superintendent said that eight parents were on the committee and their input was considered in setting the new criteria. Changes to the criteria and process will be made as needed, and a major review will be done in three years.
Two people attended the March Superintendent’s Open Door Session. Their topics of interest were technology and auditorium upgrades. The next Open Door Session is scheduled for 4-6 p.m. April 27.
The school system is continuing to work on adjustments to school start and end times for next year, to make the most efficient use of transportation resources. Start and end times would change by no more than 15 minutes.
An evaluation of the Exam Exemption Incentive Program is continuing, as is a review of commencement seating and security, and the naming policy for school facilities.
The March 28-31 Registration Fair for Kindergarten and Prekindergarten went very well, with only two complaints that will be evaluated.
The monthly grants report will be available online next week. A $338,935 grant has been applied for that would allow a current after-school program to continue with a new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) focus. Another grant application has gone in, in collaboration with Salisbury University and the Nabb Center, for Teaching American History.
Thursday, April 21 will be a makeup professional day for many staff members.
Comments and input can be made to the Board and school system by contacting comments@wcboe.org or leaving a voicemail on the comment line at 410-677-5251. Families and community members should visit www.wcboe.org for updates on school news; a new format for the website will be launched soon.
Agreements Ratified
Voted to ratify the agreement between the Wicomico County Board of Education and the Association of Public School Administrators and Supervisors, and the agreement between the Board of Education and the Wicomico County Education Association for 2011-12. The two associations agreed to forgo negotiations and operate under the current agreements, in recognition of the challenging budget times the school system faces. Wicomico is likely the only Maryland school system where this level of cooperation has taken place.
Technology Plan
Approved new 3-Year Technology Plan for school years 2011-12 to 2013-14, to extend the work of the current plan and to address instructional and administrative use of technology, access to technology, infrastructure, and evaluating the use of technology.
Bennett Middle Book Approved
Approved the use of “The Skin I’m In” by Sharon Flake for the Bennett Middle One School, One Book Challenge. The book was not on the Middle School Approved Literature list, but students, staff members and parents selected the book as the best choice to engage the entire school in the reading challenge. Students have also invited the author to visit.
Revised Travel Policy
Voted, on first and final reading, to revise the Mileage Reimbursement Policy to reflect current practice. The renamed Travel and Mileage Reimbursement Policy will be posted on the website. The Board received for information the guidelines for travel on school system business.
Spare Vehicle Contracts
Awarded a paid special needs spare vehicle contract to Matthews Bus Service Inc. and a paid spare vehicle contract to Bruce Lewis, after an extensive selection process.
Contract Modifications
Approved credit of $2,185 in contract modifications on the Northwestern Elementary HVAC project, at the recommendation of the engineering firm. The Board acknowledged the broad community support that made this project possible.
Approved contract modifications not to exceed $4,500 act modifications on the James M. Bennett High School project to address a problem with city water pressure. This short-term solution is needed, but in the long term, improvements to the city water system should resolve the problem.
Retirement Plan Amendments
Amended the Retirement Plan for the Employees of Wicomico County and the Board of Education of Wicomico County to clarify the credit for military service that employees can receive on retirement. Employees who have served honorably in the military can receive up to five years of service credit at retirement, unless they are receiving military retirement benefits.
Bid Awards
Awarded the contract for bus digital video system maintenance and equipment to Fairs LLC as the low responsive and responsible bidder.
Awarded the contract for domestic hot water replacement at Parkside High School to T.E. Smith and Son. Inc. as the low responsive and responsible bidder at $94,970. The unit will be replaced this summer.
Reports
Approved the monthly personnel matters report for certificated employees and a budget transfer for April, and received for information the monthly personnel matters report for classified employees.
Received for information the annual report from School Food and Nutrition Service Department on its budget and operations. The Board was informed that due to mandates in the Child Nutrition Act of 2010, portion sizes of fruits and vegetables will be increasing. The cost of paid meals will also rise, to conform to federal pricing guidelines, with 25 cent increases for both elementary and secondary lunches needed for the next school year.
Board Member Reports
Board President L. Michelle Wright noted that there would be a Parent Advisory Committee meeting at the Board office on April 14, and that the annual Wicomico County Council of PTAs banquet would be held at 6:30 p.m. April 28 at Parkside High School. The Rededication Ceremony for James M. Bennett High will be held at 10 a.m. April 18.
Board member Ronald Willey said he has been watching dismissal at James M. Bennett High and Bennett Middle schools, and he continues to be concerned and unhappy with the lack of progress on improvements at the Onley Road intersection that would enable JMB to begin using Onley Road for buses as planned. The Superintendent noted that the school system handed over to the city some years ago the funds to cover its share of the intersection improvements, and the school system continues to await action by the city.
2011-12 Calendar
The approved 2011-12 calendar will be posted at www.wcboe.org under Quick Links. The school year will begin on Monday, Aug. 29 for most students. The school year will end June 8, 2012. Students will be off Nov. 23-25 for the Thanksgiving break, and Dec. 23-Jan. 2 for the winter holidays (schools will reopen Jan. 3). Due to Maryland’s Primary Election being moved to Tuesday, April 3, schools will now be closed for the spring holidays for students from dismissal on Friday, March 30 until Tuesday, April 10. June 6, 7 and 8 are half-days with early dismissal.
Schools will also be closed Sept. 5 (Labor Day), Oct. 21 (MSEA Convention), Jan. 16 (Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday), Feb. 20 (Presidents Day) and May 28 (Memorial Day). Schools will be closed for students (but open for teachers) for professional days on Sept. 30, Nov. 4, Jan. 23-24, and April 2; the September and November professional days that were on Wednesdays on the draft calendar are now on Fridays. Five days are listed as makeup days in case of school closings: April 2, 4 and 5 and June 11 and 12.
VRIO Extension
The Board approved an extension and expansion of the Voluntary Retirement Incentive Option (VRIO), which had been approved at its February meeting and offered until March 15. Thirty-six employees who are eligible for full-service retirement signed up for VRIO under the initial offering. VRIO will now be offered until May 2, both for employees eligible for full service retirement and those eligible for early service retirement, subject to the guidelines established by the respective retirement plans. Employees will have the chance to meet with financial planners to discuss tax and financial planning questions about the retirement offer.
While Board members and the Superintendent continued to express mixed feelings about losing experienced teachers and other staff members through VRIO, the school system hopes to use VRIO to reduce salary costs in a very difficult budget year. A voluntary retirement is preferable to a tap on the shoulder to lay someone off, Board members said.
Information about the extension and expansion of VRIO is posted online at http://www.wcboe.org/departments/HR/Voluntary%20Retirement%20Incentive.htm, and has been shared with employees through a special edition of HR Headlines.
In other business, the Board of Education:
Public Comments
Heard comment from Fred Peterson, as co-chair of the education committee of the Wicomico County Chapter of the NAACP, who read a statement asking the Board to require school uniforms to improve discipline, eliminate gang clothing, reduce bullying, remove class and income differences, and make wardrobes more affordable for families.
Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent of Schools Dr. John E. Fredericksen reported to the Board that:
The school system is still weighing the impact of the state budget, and that a cut likely to be more than $5 million is anticipated in the County Executive’s budget. The Board will have a public budget hearing at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 24, in the Parkside High School auditorium.
Business Support Services staff members are to be commended for receiving the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association. The certificate was awarded for the school system’s first Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). The certificate of achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting. Comptroller E. Bruce Ford credited the Superintendent for his leadership in supporting the CAFR, and staff members Gary Green, Accounting Manager, Mary Chandler, Accountant I, and others for creating the comprehensive document that is posted on the Board’s website at http://www.wcboe.org/departments/BusinessSupportServices/reports.php?section=accounting.
Race to the Top (RTTT) continues to be an important area. A number of Wicomico teachers are master teachers who will train other teachers at a state summer institute on RTTT that will be held at James M. Bennett High School.
Shared, in response to some of the public comments given at the March Board meeting, that the school system and the Wicomico County Council will meet on May 17 to talk about the Bennett Middle School project and other capital priorities and find ways to move forward. Another commenter had criticized the lack of parent involvement on the committee to revise the Magnet Program criteria, and the Superintendent said that eight parents were on the committee and their input was considered in setting the new criteria. Changes to the criteria and process will be made as needed, and a major review will be done in three years.
Two people attended the March Superintendent’s Open Door Session. Their topics of interest were technology and auditorium upgrades. The next Open Door Session is scheduled for 4-6 p.m. April 27.
The school system is continuing to work on adjustments to school start and end times for next year, to make the most efficient use of transportation resources. Start and end times would change by no more than 15 minutes.
An evaluation of the Exam Exemption Incentive Program is continuing, as is a review of commencement seating and security, and the naming policy for school facilities.
The March 28-31 Registration Fair for Kindergarten and Prekindergarten went very well, with only two complaints that will be evaluated.
The monthly grants report will be available online next week. A $338,935 grant has been applied for that would allow a current after-school program to continue with a new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) focus. Another grant application has gone in, in collaboration with Salisbury University and the Nabb Center, for Teaching American History.
Thursday, April 21 will be a makeup professional day for many staff members.
Comments and input can be made to the Board and school system by contacting comments@wcboe.org or leaving a voicemail on the comment line at 410-677-5251. Families and community members should visit www.wcboe.org for updates on school news; a new format for the website will be launched soon.
Agreements Ratified
Voted to ratify the agreement between the Wicomico County Board of Education and the Association of Public School Administrators and Supervisors, and the agreement between the Board of Education and the Wicomico County Education Association for 2011-12. The two associations agreed to forgo negotiations and operate under the current agreements, in recognition of the challenging budget times the school system faces. Wicomico is likely the only Maryland school system where this level of cooperation has taken place.
Technology Plan
Approved new 3-Year Technology Plan for school years 2011-12 to 2013-14, to extend the work of the current plan and to address instructional and administrative use of technology, access to technology, infrastructure, and evaluating the use of technology.
Bennett Middle Book Approved
Approved the use of “The Skin I’m In” by Sharon Flake for the Bennett Middle One School, One Book Challenge. The book was not on the Middle School Approved Literature list, but students, staff members and parents selected the book as the best choice to engage the entire school in the reading challenge. Students have also invited the author to visit.
Revised Travel Policy
Voted, on first and final reading, to revise the Mileage Reimbursement Policy to reflect current practice. The renamed Travel and Mileage Reimbursement Policy will be posted on the website. The Board received for information the guidelines for travel on school system business.
Spare Vehicle Contracts
Awarded a paid special needs spare vehicle contract to Matthews Bus Service Inc. and a paid spare vehicle contract to Bruce Lewis, after an extensive selection process.
Contract Modifications
Approved credit of $2,185 in contract modifications on the Northwestern Elementary HVAC project, at the recommendation of the engineering firm. The Board acknowledged the broad community support that made this project possible.
Approved contract modifications not to exceed $4,500 act modifications on the James M. Bennett High School project to address a problem with city water pressure. This short-term solution is needed, but in the long term, improvements to the city water system should resolve the problem.
Retirement Plan Amendments
Amended the Retirement Plan for the Employees of Wicomico County and the Board of Education of Wicomico County to clarify the credit for military service that employees can receive on retirement. Employees who have served honorably in the military can receive up to five years of service credit at retirement, unless they are receiving military retirement benefits.
Bid Awards
Awarded the contract for bus digital video system maintenance and equipment to Fairs LLC as the low responsive and responsible bidder.
Awarded the contract for domestic hot water replacement at Parkside High School to T.E. Smith and Son. Inc. as the low responsive and responsible bidder at $94,970. The unit will be replaced this summer.
Reports
Approved the monthly personnel matters report for certificated employees and a budget transfer for April, and received for information the monthly personnel matters report for classified employees.
Received for information the annual report from School Food and Nutrition Service Department on its budget and operations. The Board was informed that due to mandates in the Child Nutrition Act of 2010, portion sizes of fruits and vegetables will be increasing. The cost of paid meals will also rise, to conform to federal pricing guidelines, with 25 cent increases for both elementary and secondary lunches needed for the next school year.
Board Member Reports
Board President L. Michelle Wright noted that there would be a Parent Advisory Committee meeting at the Board office on April 14, and that the annual Wicomico County Council of PTAs banquet would be held at 6:30 p.m. April 28 at Parkside High School. The Rededication Ceremony for James M. Bennett High will be held at 10 a.m. April 18.
Board member Ronald Willey said he has been watching dismissal at James M. Bennett High and Bennett Middle schools, and he continues to be concerned and unhappy with the lack of progress on improvements at the Onley Road intersection that would enable JMB to begin using Onley Road for buses as planned. The Superintendent noted that the school system handed over to the city some years ago the funds to cover its share of the intersection improvements, and the school system continues to await action by the city.
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