PRESENTATION OF 2 BID CALENDAR ITEMS
PURPOSE OF PRESENTATION: Staff would like to inform the Board of Education of Frederick County of upcoming bid solicitations for Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS).
RFP 24HR1, Life Insurance
BACKGROUND/SUMMARY: The intent of this solicitation is to establish a contract for providing life insurance benefits to eligible Frederick County Public Schools employees, retirees, and their dependents.
PRESENTER(S) & TITLE(S):
Kim Miskell, CSBO, Assistant Purchasing Manager
Sarah Minnick, Senior Manager, Employee Benefits
RFP 24HR2, Prescription Drug Benefits for Employees of FCPS
BACKGROUND/SUMMARY: The intent of this solicitation is to establish a contract for providing prescription drug benefits for eligible Frederick County Public Schools employees, retirees, and their dependents.
PRESENTER(S) & TITLE(S):
Kim Miskell, CSBO, Assistant Purchasing Manager
Sarah Minnick, Senior Manager, Employee Benefits
SUBMITTED BY:
Bill Meekins CPPB, CPPO, NIGP-CPP, CSBO, CPCP, Purchasing Manager
Leslie R. Pellegrino, Chief Financial Officer
PRESENTATION OF 2 INFORMATION ITEMS
PURPOSE OF PRESENTATION: Staff would like to inform the Board of Education of Frederick County of current information items.
The Interlocal Purchasing System 230201, Synthetic Turf or Natural Sports Fields, Grounds, Courts, and Tracks Goods and Services:
BACKGROUND/SUMMARY: This contract will be utilized by the Maintenance and Facilities Department for replacement of turf fields for various schools in Frederick County Public Schools.
PRESENTER(S) & TITLE(S):
David Guzman, Purchasing Agent
Brian Staiger, Senior Project Manager, Capital Programs Department
State of Maryland BPO 001B3600369, 2023 Vans & SUVS
BACKGROUND/SUMMARY: This contract will be utilized by the Transportation Department for the purchase of fleet vehicles for Frederick County Public Schools, on an as-needed basis.
PRESENTER(S) & TITLE(S):
David Guzman, Purchasing Agent
SUBMITTED BY:
Bill Meekins CPPB, CPPO, NIGP-CPP, CSBO, CPCP, Purchasing Manager
Leslie R. Pellegrino, Chief Financial Officer
PURPOSE OF PRESENTATION: Staff has reviewed the attached contract and recommends approval by the Board of Education of Frederick County.
BACKGROUND/SUMMARY: This recommendation is to establish a contract for the excavation and backfill repair of site work at various sites within Frederick County Public Schools.
Staff recommends that Bid 24M2, Unit Price Contract for Excavation and Earthworks/Storm Water Maintenance be awarded to Wagner’s Construction of Frederick MD.
PRESENTER(S) & TITLE(S):
David Guzman, Purchasing Agent
Tony Ray, Project Manager III, Capital Programs Department
SUBMITTED BY:
Bill Meekins, CPPB, CPPO, NIGP-CPP, CSBO, CPCP, Purchasing Manager
Leslie R. Pellegrino, Chief Financial Officer
PURPOSE OF PRESENTATION: Staff has reviewed the attached contract and recommends approval by the Board of Education of Frederick County.
BACKGROUND/SUMMARY: The recommendation is to establish a contract to qualify and select a minimum of two licensed environmental and industrial hygiene firms to perform design and construction administration services for abatement/remediation projects, testing and monitoring services for air quality, lead, water and radon presence, water testing, and site environmental assessments.
Staff recommends that RFP 24MISC2, Environmental/Industrial Hygiene Services be awarded to AERO EH&S, Inc. of Ellicott City, MD; ECS Mid-Atlantic, LLC of Frederick, MD; Hillis-Carnes Engineering Associates, Inc. of Annapolis Junction, MD; KCI Technologies, Inc. of Sparks, MD; Soil and Land Use Technology, Inc. of Washington, DC; and Tidewater, Inc. of Elkridge, MD.
PRESENTER(S) & TITLE(S):
David Guzman, Purchasing Agent
Laura Olsen, Manager, Environmental Compliance & Occupational Safety
SUBMITTED BY:
Bill Meekins, CPPB, CPPO, NIGP-CPP, CSBO, CPCP, Purchasing Manager
Leslie R. Pellegrino, Chief Financial Officer
PURPOSE OF PRESENTATION: To seek Board of Education approval of grant funds to support kindergarten readiness.
BACKGROUND/SUMMARY: Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) has been awarded a $130,724 Ready for Kindergarten grant from the Maryland State Department of Education to support prekindergarten (Pre-K) programming and school readiness.
In 2016, FCPS opened its first full day Pre-K classroom at Monocacy Elementary School. For the 2023-24 school year, FCPS is now operating 71 full day Pre-K classrooms, totaling 1,340 seats. This is a 35% increase over the number of full day Pre-K seats available during the 2022-23 school year.
The expansion of Pre-K from half-day to full-day resulted in the hiring of more teachers and teaching assistants. In addition, the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future requires that by the start of the 2025-26 school year, all Pre-K teaching assistants either hold an Associate’s degree from an accredited college or a Child Development Associates (CDA) certificate. Lastly, the Blueprint calls for local education agencies to partner with the private child care industry so that there is a 50-50 split between public school Pre-K seats and private provider seats.
Ready for Kindergarten grant funds will be used to provide high leverage professional learning to meet the need for Pre-K seats taught by highly qualified FCPS teachers and teaching assistants, as well as private providers. Teachers, support staff and private providers will be offered training and workshop opportunities that support:
Grant funds will be used to purchase supplies for the ten Pre-K classrooms pursuing Maryland EXCELS and accreditation, as well as materials for the family engagement events.
Ready for Kindergarten funds will be made available to private providers to hire a grant writer to support their efforts to secure state Pre-K funds. Incentives will also be provided to private providers to participate in professional learning offered by FCPS.
Acceptance of this grant does not obligate FCPS to expend additional local resources.
Staff recommends approval of this grant.
PROCESS STATEMENT: According to FCPS Regulation 500-21, all grant awards over $50,000 must be approved by the Board of Education.
PRESENTER(S) & TITLE(S):
Leslie Frei, Supervisor of Early Childhood Education and Judy Centers
SUBMITTED BY:
Michael Markoe, Ed.D., Deputy Superintendent
Kevin Cuppett, Ed.D., Chief Academic Officer
PURPOSE OF PRESENTATION: To seek Board of Education approval of grant funds to support the prekindergarten (Pre-K) program at Ballenger Creek Elementary School.
BACKGROUND/SUMMARY: Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) has been awarded a $200,000 Prekindergarten Capacity Building Grant from the Maryland State Department of Education to support the expansion of the Pre-K program at Ballenger Creek Elementary from a half-day to a full-day program.
The competitive grant program, designed to align with the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, supports local education agencies and private providers in serving four-year old children from families with an income at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level in full-day (6.5 hours) Pre-K settings.
For the 2023-24 school year, Ballenger Creek Elementary will operate three full-day Pre-K classrooms. Grant funds will be used to cover the costs of the 1.0 FTE teacher and 1.0 FTE teaching assistant in one classroom. FCPS local funds will be used to cover the costs of instructional staff in the other two classrooms.
In addition to covering the costs of the instructional positions in one full-day Pre-K classroom, grant funds will be used to provide:
Acceptance of this grant does not obligate FCPS to expend additional local resources. The in-kind contributions listed in the attached budget reflect already-existing costs included in the FCPS operating budget.
Staff recommends approval of this grant.
PROCESS STATEMENT: According to FCPS Regulation 500-21, all grant awards over $50,000 must be approved by the Board of Education.
PRESENTER(S) & TITLE(S):
Leslie Frei, Supervisor of Early Childhood Education and Judy Centers
SUBMITTED BY:
Michael Markoe, Ed.D., Deputy Superintendent
Kevin Cuppett, Ed.D., Chief Academic Officer
PURPOSE OF PRESENTATION: The Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) Trust Fund Investment Committee has reviewed and recommends the attached updated Investment Policy Statement for approval by the Board of Education (BOE) of Frederick County.
BACKGROUND/SUMMARY: The purpose of the Investment Policy Statement (IPS) is to set forth a clear understanding of the investment policy, guidelines and objectives for the Retiree Benefit Trust of Frederick County Public Schools (“Public Schools OPEB Trust”). This written IPS establishes the framework through which the appropriateness and suitability of the Public Schools OPEB Trust’s investments are evaluated.
Fiduciaries for the Trust include the Trustee, Investment Managers, and the Investment Consultant. The IPS assists the Trustee and Investment Committee in effectively supervising and monitoring the investments in the Public Schools OPEB Trust.
The Investment Committee and Trustee reviews the IPS periodically to determine the continued feasibility of achieving the investment objectives and the appropriateness of this IPS for achieving those objectives. When updates are recommended, the IPS is presented to the BOE for approval.
Please note the following proposed revisions and additions below which are intended to bring the document into alignment with best practices and provide further clarity:
PRESENTER(S) & TITLE(S):
Leslie Pellegrino, Chief Financial Officer and OPEB Trustee
SUBMITTED BY:
Leslie Pellegrino, Chief Financial Officer and OPEB Trustee
PURPOSE OF PRESENTATION:
To provide the Board of Education with an update on the status of the use of virtual instruction days during inclement weather events in the 2023-24 school year and to seek Board approval to forward the plan to the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) for final approval.
BACKGROUND/SUMMARY:
Beginning in 2022-23, MSDE afforded local school systems the opportunity to repurpose certain days as virtual school days. Frederick County Public School (FCPS) staff gathered feedback from the community, presented to the Board of Education at the January 11, 2023 meeting, and received approval from MSDE for 2022-23. As these plans are subject to approval each year, FCPS is again seeking approval for virtual instruction days as an option during inclement weather events should they occur in the 2023-24 school year. This plan does not mean that virtual learning would be the first option on inclement weather days. However, the potential option would provide FCPS some flexibility in responding to emergency weather events.
The purpose of taking advantage of these virtual instruction days would be to: (1) mitigate disruption to learning mid-year; (2) minimize the additional days at the end of the school year when instructional benefits are less meaningful; and (3) keep students connected to learning in the event of an extended closure.
PROCESS STATEMENT:
The plan is similar to what was approved for the 2022-23 school year. FCPS gathered additional feedback through a community survey and through existing teacher and principal stakeholder groups. Building upon last year’s plan and stakeholder feedback, the 2023-24 draft plan was drafted. Staff are seeking support to again submit the plan to MSDE for approval.
PRESENTER(S) & TITLE(S):
Dr. Dan Lippy, Director of School Management
Scott Murphy, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Innovation
SUBMITTED BY:
Jamie Aliveto, Ed. D., Chief of Schools and Accountability
Kevin Cuppett, Ed. D., Chief Academic Officer, Curriculum, Instruction, Innovation
Mike Markoe, Ed. D., Deputy Superintendent
PURPOSE OF PRESENTATION:
BACKGROUND/SUMMARY:
Policy 102.D.7 states:
The first Community Listening Session was held on October 18, 2023 at 6 p.m. in the Board Room. Future Community Listening Sessions will be held in different school settings.
PRESENTER(S)/TITLE(S):
Sabrina Nail, Board Ombuds
In accordance with Maryland’s Open Meetings Act, General Provisions Article § 3-305(b),(1), (2) the Board will meet in Closed Session at 4:00 pm in the Board Room to consider matters related to an appeal.
In accordance with Maryland’s Open Meetings Act, General Provisions Article § 3-305(b),(1), (2) the Board met in Closed Session at 4:00 pm in the Board Room to consider matters related to appeals.
The Board views public comment as an opportunity to hear concerns of the public, with the understanding and expectation that it is not considered a question and answer platform with Board members. Consequently, the Board will not provide a response to public comment presented in its meeting or by submission of a written comment, although it may follow-up with the individual as may be appropriate.
Public comment will be received by the Board on issues relating to the school system, except those that pertain to individual personnel issues, complaints identifying individual students, matters that are on appeal, or advertising or solicitations for products or services. If individuals have specific concerns relating to actions of staff members, such concerns may be communicated to the Superintendent.
Allocated Public Comment Time:
Pre-Registration:
For those persons wishing to speak, the Board will provide the opportunity to pre-register for public comment. The window to pre-register will open five (5) days in advance of each scheduled Board meeting concurrent with the public posting of the meeting agenda and will close two (2) days before the scheduled Board meeting. A person wishing to speak may pre-register by completing the form linked here or by calling (301) 696-6965.
Same-Day/Walk-In Registration:
For those persons wishing to speak who do not pre-register or who are not selected to speak from those who do pre-register, the Board will provide the opportunity to sign-up for public comment thirty (30) minutes prior to the start of the regular evening meeting. Speakers will be asked to provide the same information as those who pre-register by completing the registration form electronically on a device that will be made available by the Board for such purpose. Registration will close no later than five (5) minutes before the start of the meeting.
Written Comments:
Individuals are provided the opportunity to and encouraged to submit written comments electronically and email them to BoardPublicComment@fcps.org. Written comments must be submitted as a PDF attachment (strongly preferred) or a Microsoft Word document with the .doc or .docx extension and will be uploaded to BoardDocs as part of the official meeting record. Comments in the body of an e-mail will not be accepted.
PURPOSE OF PRESENTATION:
To add an additional member to the approved FASSE negotiating team.
BACKGROUND/SUMMARY:
In accordance with §6-408 and §6-510, Education Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, the Superintendent recommends the Board appoint the negotiating teams to serve on behalf of the Board in upcoming negotiations for contract terms effective July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025, with the Frederick Association of School Support Employees (FASSE), the Frederick County Administrative and Supervisory Association (FCASA), and the Frederick County Teachers Association (FCTA).
Board’s Team for Negotiations with FASSE
Subject Matter Expert, Lisa Heinrich, Classification Specialist
Board’s Team for Negotiations with FCASA
Subject Matter Expert, Lisa Heinrich, Classification Specialist
Subject Matter Expert, Jessica Sedgwick, Assistant Data Manager
Board’s Team for Negotiations with FCTA
Subject Matter Expert, Lisa Heinrich, Classification Specialist
Subject Matter Expert, Jessica Sedgwick, Assistant Data Manager
PRESENTER(S) & TITLE(S):
Dr. Cheryl Dyson, Superintendent of Schools
SUBMITTED BY:
Dr. Cheryl Dyson, Superintendent of Schools
PURPOSE OF PRESENTATION: To provide a Special Education staffing update and an overview of the Public Consulting Group (PCG) recommendations implementation and crosswalk between the audit, Blue Ribbon Task Force and SECAC recommendations.
PRESENTER(S) & TITLE(S):
Katie Buckley, Director, Special Education
Troy Keller, Director, Special Education
SUBMITTED BY:
Jennifer Bingman, Associate Superintendent of Special Education and Student Services
Mike Markoe, Ed.D., Deputy Superintendent
PURPOSE OF PRESENTATION:
To review baseline data for Key Performance Indictors (KPIs) 3, 17 and 18 aligned to FCPS Goals 1 and 5. KPI 3 established a goal for pre-kindergarten enrollment; KPI 17 established a goal for identification of all student groups for Gifted and Talented education; KPI 18 established a goal for access to advanced coursework (Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate [IB], Dual Enrollment, & Career & Technology Education [CTE]) for all student groups.
BACKGROUND/SUMMARY:
The five Board of Education (BOE) goals were first initiated in 2016. Dr. Dyson has aligned her vision for the five goals to include: organizational culture of achievement, operational excellence, safety and wellbeing, stakeholder engagement, and the student and staff experience. From 2016 to 2019, progress was reported on the initial measurable goals. Post pandemic and beginning in the 2022-2023 school year, new Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been identified to align to a new vision. These data have become the system’s new baseline and all School Improvement Process work will align to the new KPIs.
These data will continue to be presented for each of the five goal areas throughout the 2023-2024 school year.
PROCESS STATEMENT:
Through a cross-departmental collaboration, the System Accountability and School Administration (SASA) department collects data on strategic plan measures. Progress reporting on the Key Performance Indicators will be presented across multiple BOE meetings this school year.
PRESENTER(S) & TITLE(S):
Dr. Frank Vetter, Director of Assessment, Data Reporting, & Strategic Improvement
Leslie Frei, Supervisor of Early Childhood Education
Dr. Jessica Reinhard, Supervisor of Advanced Academics
SUBMITTED BY:
Dr. Jamie Aliveto, Chief of Schools and Accountability
Dr. Mike Markoe, Deputy Superintendent
Items that appear in this agenda item are for informational purposes only. The Agenda Item Request form is completed by a Board member when they would like for an item to appear on a future agenda. Once the requesting Board member obtains two (2) other Board member signatures, the item is placed on a future agenda. The Agenda Item Requests will be placed in the Informational Items section of the agenda to allow the public to see items that are being requested by Board members.