For Public Comment at Harford County Public Schools

BOARD OF EDUCATION OF HARFORD COUNTY
NOTICE OF PUBLIC COMMENT PARTICIPATION
MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2024

OPEN SESSION: 5:00 PM – 5:05 PM
This meeting will be conducted virtually with no public attendance due to the brief nature of this meeting
and the logistical issues regarding allowing public attendance in advance of the 6:00 PM meeting.
*The only item the Board will consider during this open meeting is consideration of meeting in a closed session.

CLOSED SESSION: 5:05 PM – 5:45 PM

BUSINESS MEETING: 6:00 PM – ADJOURNMENT
This meeting will be conducted in a hybrid fashion and public attendance will be permitted as explained below:

DOORS WILL OPEN AT 5:50 PM AND THE MEETING WILL BEGIN AT 6:00 PM

The Board of Education of Harford County will hold a hybrid Business Meeting on Monday , April 29, 2024, at 6:00 PM in the Board Room of the A.A. Roberty Building with Board Members, staff, and presenters in attendance both virtually and in-person. Seats will be available on a first come-first served basis. The meeting will be streamed live and archived for later viewing on the HCPS Website.

For this Board of Education business meeting, the President has set the time on agenda for public comment to 75 minutes in order to allow time for the Board to complete its scheduled business.
In accord with established practice and procedure, each speaker shall be limited to no more than three (3) minutes and five (5) minutes for individuals representing groups.
If the total amount of public speaking time is projected to exceed 75 minutes based on the number of registered speakers, each speaker’s allotted time will be reduced accordingly.

Public Comment Participation Call-In and In-Person Process
Individuals or groups recognized by Harford County Public Schools (i.e. – PTAs, unions, and other school system stakeholders) wishing to speak on an agenda item or to comment on an education-related matter not on the agenda may request to do so by sending an email to publiccomment@hcps.org or calling 410-588-5347.

Call-In Registrations must be received by 12:00 PM on Monday, April 29, 2024. All fields on the registration form must be completed.

First and Last name / if speaker is a Group Representative, then please state the name of the Group
Local Address
Email Address
Phone Number
Agenda item or subject your Public Comment pertains to
Will you provide in-person or virtual Public Comment
Registration forms are limited to one (1) per person

*Failure to provide complete information as required above will void the request to provide Public Comment.

Registered virtual speakers will receive an email from HCPS with a Call-in Phone # and a Conference ID #.
Registered speakers are required to call-in and enter the conference ID# at 6:00 PM on Monday, April 29, 2024.
Important: If you are unable to take your phone off mute, you may need to dial *6.
If you are admitted from the virtual lobby to the meeting, you will be greeted by an HCPS staff member when it is time to begin your public comment. Expected hold time in the virtual lobby may vary based on number of registered speakers. The maximum wait time in the lobby is 30 minutes; should you be disconnected please call back.
"Request to Appear Before the Board" cards will be available for in-person attendees prior to the Board Meeting for sign-up and must be submitted prior to the opening of the meeting.

The Board has authorized public comment in accord with its policy Public Participation at Board Open Meetings or Public Hearings and as summarized below:

Each speaker shall be limited to no more than three (3) minutes and five (5) minutes for individuals representing groups. Speakers must state his or her name, and, if representing a group, must identify the group he or she represents. If a speaker identifies themselves as a representative of a group, then only one (1) representative from the group may provide comment for the identified group.

The Board presiding officer may reduce the amount of time allocated to each speaker if allocating 3 minutes to each speaker will impede the Board’s ability to complete scheduled business.

The Board will receive in-person public comment first and virtual public comment second. The Board expects that all comments will be submitted with the decorum and respect appropriate to the conduct of public business.

Topics such as personnel matters, pending appeals, specific student disciplinary matters or which constitute commercial solicitations are not permitted.

Disparaging comments, personal attacks, and inflammatory remarks about specific schools, personnel, any person, or group are not permitted. Speakers who engage in these comments will be reminded of the rules and the Board reserves the right to remove the speaker. In addition, public comment is an opportunity for members of the community to address the Board of Education. Please direct your comments to the Board and not to other members of the public in the audience.

All public comments submitted will be part of the records maintained by the Board office.

Speakers are reminded that public comments are considered public information and,
as such, are subject to the Maryland Public Information Act.

The following will be sent to all 9th-12th grade families via email and text message on Monday, April 22, 2024 at 5:00 p.m.:

A catalog of available courses for High School Summer School has been added to hcps.org.

The course catalog specifies if a course is virtual or in-person. Registration will open Monday, May 6, 2024, at 7:00 a.m. and will close Saturday, May 18, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. Registration will be available HERE.

Due to budgetary constraints, transportation will NOT be provided for in-person courses.

We encourage you to review the summer programs course catalog and register as soon as possible on May 6, 2024, as space is limited.

Superintendent Dr. Sean Bulson Addresses Impact of County Executive Bob Cassilly's Budget Announcement
Superintendent Dr. Sean Bulson addressed the significant impacts of County Executive Bob Cassilly's budget announcement at the Monday, April 15, 2024, Board of Education Business meeting.
In his response, Dr. Bulson underscored the relevance of Maryland's Blueprint for Education and its direct impact on individual school systems.
“The Blueprint funding framework relies on formulas and calculations, yet in HCPS, we firmly believe that our students' education funding should be tailored to meet their diverse needs," Dr. Bulson shared. "Our students are not mere figures in a formula; they represent the future of our county."
While the Blueprint endeavors to offer a framework for equitable education funding statewide, it does not fully address the diverse and nuanced needs of each locality. In Harford County, the community expects reasonable class size, transportation services, safety and security, world languages, athletics/extra-curriculars, clubs, field trips including Harford Glen, small historic schools, employee benefits, and arts and music programs to be provided to our students. Without local support, funds previously utilized to make these programs available to students must be diverted to the requirements set forth in the Blueprint.
Responding to Mr. Cassilly using buzz words like, “flat funding,” and “maintenance of effort to meet state requirements,” Dr. Bulson explained, “we don’t want anyone to interpret these terms as adequate. Some of the funding formulas are dramatically flawed. The reality is that such allocations effectively translate into cuts from services for our students.”
The Superintendent announced proactive measures being taken by HCPS to address funding shortfalls in the FY25 budget. Among these measures, elementary and middle summer school sessions for this summer have been canceled. These adjustments serve as early indicators of the potential impacts on HCPS programs and services without sufficient local funding.
As part of efforts to engage the community and foster understanding about the FY25 budget, Dr. Bulson encouraged participation in upcoming budget information sessions. These sessions, scheduled for April 17, 2024, at Edgewood High School and April 22, 2024, at Aberdeen High School, both running from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., will provide further insights into the budgetary challenges facing HCPS.
For more information about the FY25 budget and upcoming sessions, please visit hcps.org/budget. To view the entire presentation, visit hcps.org/boe/livestream to access the April 15, 2024, Board of Education Business meeting video archive.

The following will be sent to all high school contacts via phone and email at 5:30 p.m. TONIGHT, Thursday, April 4, 2024:

Good evening. This message is for families at all high schools. We have been made aware of a game primarily played by seniors that may impact all high school students. The game is called “Senior Assassins” and involves students voluntarily participating in a non-school sanctioned game involving “hit” lists, stalking other players, and photos with red “x’s” on players that have been “hit.” Players use water guns in the game. Players are participating off school grounds but have included sites like bus stops. This morning, a community member practiced, “see something, say something,” and called law enforcement when they observed an individual in our community with a gun; it was later found to be a water gun that was designed to look like a real gun, and the individual was a student participating in the game. We thank our law enforcement partners for responding and safely identifying the situation. We want to ensure all high school parents and guardians are aware of the game and the potential repercussions of playing it in the community. The game should not be brought into the schools; If it is, we want to remind you that a weapon of any kind, operational or not, is a violation of school rules. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken if students bring water guns, or any weapon, into HCPS. Please take a moment to review this message with your student as we work to keep all students safe as they travel to and from school as well as in their school. Thank you.

The Harford County Health Department (HCHD) is offering FREE Vaccine Clinics for students entering 7th grade in the 2024-2025 school year.

Clinic Information:

1. Wednesday, April 24, 2024, Aberdeen Middle School, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

2. Thursday, May 9, 2024, Harford County Health Department Woodbridge location, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The clinics are run by the HCHD and will offer the required Tdap, MCV, and optional HPV vaccines to students who will enter 7th grade in the 2024-2025 school year.

Each child must have their parent or guardian present to receive one or all of the vaccines. No appointments will be taken; the clinic will be first-come, first-served. The line will be closed when staff can see that the end time is approaching, and staff will need to begin shutting down the clinic, so you are encouraged to arrive early and be prepared for a potential wait.

The flyer is attached with additional information. All Health Center information is available here.

The following communication will be sent to ALL contacts, staff and families, at 5:00 p.m. Friday, March 22, 2024, via phone, email, text, HCPS app, and social media:

On Monday, March 18, 2024, the Board of Education of Harford County voted to approve changes to a policy that refers to the use of portable communication devices, including cell phones and wearable electronic devices, like smart watches. You can view the entire Board Business meeting or skip to item G, to view the specific conversation around the policy, here.

The updated policy can be viewed here. You can also navigate to the policy page (with ALL Board policies) by clicking on the Board of Education drop down in the hcps.org menu.

Updates to the Portable Communication Devices Policy will take time to implement across 54 different schools and with more than 5,000 employees and close to 39,000 students. Consequently, the changes to the policy are anticipated to go into effect at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year. As details, including enforcement of the policy around electronic devices, are developed, they will be shared with staff, parents and guardians, and students. Please stay tuned!

The following communication will be sent to all contacts Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. via email, text message, and app push alert:

The Board of Education of Harford County is seeking applicants for membership on several Citizen Advisory Committees. Membership is open to all Harford County residents, including those who do not have a student in the school system.

Each committee meets regularly and makes recommendations to a HCPS staff coordinator on the aspects of the school system under the committee's purview.

New members are confirmed to the respective committee during a summer Board of Education meeting and will serve a one-, two-, or three-year term.

The committees include Career and Technical Education (CTE), Family Life Education, and Gifted Education. The Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee is accepting interested new members, but no application is needed.

The Parent Advisory, Advocacy and Action Council (PAAAC) does not have any current openings and is not accepting applications at this time.

Interested parties should complete an application available on the Board of Education webpage. Information requested includes the name of the committee you are applying for, contact information, and background information containing membership(s) in the community, social and civil groups, occupation, level of schooling, and why you want to serve on the committee.

The deadline to apply is April 12, 2024.

On Monday, February 26, 2024, a policy titled, “Display of Flags,” was presented at the Board of Education of Harford County business meeting. The meeting, including the policy presentation and Board conversation, is archived here.

Throughout the year, the Board will seek views and comments from the public on a number of issues. The Board is currently seeking public input on this and other policies via their webpage. The “Display of Flags” policy is posted for 30 days of public comment, concluding on March 28, 2024.

This page is updated frequently, and the Board of Education asks that you visit this page throughout the year to provide your input on presented policies.

At the Monday, February 26, 2024 Board of Education Business Meeting, edits to the 2024-2025 HCPS School Calendar were presented and consequently voted on by the Board of Education.

The updated 2024-2025 calendar is attached and can be viewed on the calendar page of hcps.org. The first and last day have not changed. What has been updated is quarter end dates, and prekindergarten start and end dates. Two early dismissal dates have also been updated; an early dismissal previously scheduled in May has been rescheduled in December and an early dismissal on December 20, 2024, has been updated to reflect an early dismissal for students and staff.

The calendar presentation and Board discussion from last night can be seen here and in the Board of Education meeting archive.

The following message will be sent to all contacts in our Mass Notification system on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. via phone, email, text message, and app push alert:

Harford County Public Schools kindergarten registration, and applications for kindergarten early entrance, and advanced placement to first grade, will be available Friday, March 1, 2024. Kindergarten registration can be completed online on March 1, 2024. Applications for kindergarten early entrance and advanced placement to first grade will be available to print online and submit a hard copy. To submit your application, follow the directions on the cover sheet of the printed application. Printed applications will be available at each elementary school on March 1, 2024.

*Prekindergarten applications will be available May 3, 2024. Details will be released as soon as possible.

Please note, due to state law, prekindergarten and kindergarten instruction are not permitted to be virtual. This means prekindergarten and kindergarten registration is not available at Swan Creek School.

Please share this information in your community as we try to ensure families who may not be connected to HCPS are aware that applications and registrations will be available March 1, 2024.

Additional registration information is available here.

The following is being shared via phone, email, text message, HCPS app notification on Friday, January 26, 2024 at 4:00 p.m.:

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) approved Harford County Public Schools’ 2023-2024 School Year Virtual Day Instruction Plan, which requested the use of three (3) asynchronous virtual instruction days in the event of inclement weather.

This means the next inclement weather day(s) will utilize asynchronous virtual learning day(s). When an inclement weather day is determined, we will confirm the day will be asynchronous virtual instruction in all communications. Students and families may visit the inclement weather page on hcps.org for more information about virtual learning days, including FAQs, resources for Canvas, and more. This page will be updated regularly with additional information; please check it often during this season.

The following communication is being sent to all contacts on Tuesday, January 9, 2024 at 5 p.m. via email, phone call, text message and app push alert.

The Board of Education of Harford County will continue to hold Engage for Education listening sessions in the new year. This is an opportunity to ask questions and share your thoughts on the future of education in Harford County with members of the Board of Education.

Remaining sessions are as follows:
1. Wednesday, February 7, 2024, at North Harford High School
2. Wednesday, March 13, 2024, at Edgewood High School
3. Wednesday, April 3, 2024, at Havre de Grace High School
4. Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at Bel Air High School

All sessions run from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. No pre-registration is required to attend or speak.

For more information, or to provide feedback directly to the Board if you are unable to attend one of the sessions, please visit the Engage for Education page on hcps.org.

The following communication is being sent to all contacts in our Mass Notification System via email, phone call, text message and app push alert on Tuesday, December 19, 2023 at 6:00 p.m.:

The Board voted to approve the 2024-2025 Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) school year calendar at the December 18, 2023, Board of Education of Harford County business meeting.

The calendar can be viewed on the calendar page of hcps.org. As approved by the Board of Education, the first day of school for students will be September 3, 2024. The last day of school, if all 6 inclement weather days are utilized, will be Monday, June 23, 2025. If no inclement weather days are needed, the last day of school for the 2024-2025 HCPS school year will be Thursday, June 12, 2025.

The calendar presentation and Board discussion from last night can be seen here, in the Board of Education meeting archive.

The following communication is being sent to parents of 8th grade student at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 5, 2023.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

For the 2024-2025 school year, 8th grade students who are applying to the Teacher Academy of Maryland Magnet may be offered seats in either Edgewood High School or North Harford High School via an established lottery process.

Students currently enrolled in TAM at Harford Technical High School will continue the program at Harford Technical high School through their graduation.

The following is being sent to all parents/guardians via EMAIL ONLY at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, August 21, 2023:

If your student is a Medicaid member, their Free and Reduced-Price Meals status could be affected if you don't renew your membership when you receive your notice. If your student is a Medicaid member, be sure to follow up when Maryland Health Connection reaches out. Contact them directly with questions. Click here for their flyer.

Click here for the HCPS Health Center.
Click here to complete the Free and Reduced-Price Meals application.

The following message is being sent Thursday, August 10, 2023 to all contacts via email ONLY:

Please be advised that we have been made aware of unauthorized web sites and smart phone apps that accept Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) student credentials, potentially stealing your students’ credentials and or misusing them.

Parents and guardians should check their student's personal devices for apps and web site access to prevent them from unknowingly giving access to their personal information. We use security measures on HCPS devices to ensure this doesn’t happen, but we can’t protect your personal devices. Only you can ensure your student isn’t using an app or visiting a site that may be collecting information in the background!

All HCPS approved apps and platforms are listed on hcps.org; if we haven’t endorsed it, don’t use it. If you want to ask about a specific app/platform, contact User.Support@hcps.org.

The following communication was sent to families on Wednesday, May 31, 2023 at 5 p.m.:

Dear Parents and Guardians,

During the most recent legislative session, the Maryland General Assembly moved the date of the primary election for the State of Maryland. As a result, the primary elections will be held on May 14, 2023, instead of April 23, 2024.

The Board of Education of Harford County (BOE) originally approved the 2023-2024 school year calendar at the Board of Education Business Meeting on December 19, 2022. As a result of the election date change, the BOE voted on Monday, May 22, 2023, to make the following adjustment to the 2023-2024 school year calendar:

HCPS schools and offices will be open on April 23, 2024, and schools and offices will be closed on May 14, 2024, to allow our schools to to function as polling places for the election.

Calendar information can be found here.

Thank you,
Jillian Lader
Manager of Communications
Harford County Public Schools