001The time is now 7:47. Good evening and welcome back to the June 26, 2025 Prince George's County Board of Education meeting. I am Brandon Jackson, chairman. To hear the meeting interpreted live in Spanish, please call 508-924-5155. Again, it's 508-924-5155. Please focus your attention on the screen to hear this announcement in Spanish. Thank you. For those of us who are unable to observe now, the meeting is being streamed live on our PGCPS channel, could you lead us in prayer? Oh God, we pray to administer that which is just in all educational policies, being ever mindful of your guidance, steer us to action with love, wisdom, and understanding. Amen. Miss Barton, please call the role. Dr. Ander, Miss Boozer Strruther, present. Mr. Briggs, present. Mrs. Brown, here. Miss Goins McCants, present. Mr. Jong Go, present. Dr. Moss,
002present. Miss Olivo, present. Miss Walker, present. Mr. Jackson, here. We have nine board members present. Thank you, Miss Barton. If there is no objection, the June 26, 2020 2025 meeting agenda will be adopted. I I would like to uh Board member Boozer Strers, you'll be recognized. Thank you. Um I would like to ask for 15.9 in the consent agenda to be moved to general order, the adoption of the budget and 15.6 interim superintendence contract. Thank you. point point of a clarification. It's actually 17 for this interim superintendence. Thank you for the correction. Thank you. Yep. I'd also like to Oh, sorry, Boman Walker. Thank you so much. I apologize. also like to pull um item 15.16 um for charter schools. Thank you. All right, the numbers are pulled. Mr. Chairman, Dr. Mos in in addition
003to board member Walker's 15.16 I think for the good of the order uh 1514 uh 1515 just all of our charter schools that are up for renewal tonight. I believe we wanted to include all of them. Thank you. Thank you Dr. Moss. See there are no more lights. No more lights. All right the numbers are pulled. Are there any corrections to the May 8th, 2025 board business meeting, May 29th, 2025 special board meeting, or June 12th, 2025 board meeting minutes? There being no meeting minutes, um, objections, they are approved. The chairman recognizes the communications team for the PGCPS spotlight. The graduating class of 2025. Good morning, accomplished graduates, family, and faculty. First, I want to say congratulations to all of the class of 2025. I know that getting here was a roller coaster of events
004and emotions, but despite all the struggles, you are here today. I would first like to thank my family for their constant sacrifices, time, and effort. We have worked so hard to be standing right here or sitting. But we must tell ourselves that this is only the beginning. Let's take a moment to recognize the staff and teachers who have motivated us throughout our four years here. The ones that made us laugh and smile, submit our work before 11:59, and the ones who always reminded us to come in uniform. We started this path filled with questions. Can I do this? Will I find my people? Who will I become? Along the way, we found answers. Sometimes through challenges, sometimes through achievements, but always through both. Look around. This class has future doctors, artists, business owners, engineers, leaders.
005But more importantly, it has people who care. People who show up for others. People will make the world a better place just by being in it. By being here today, you've demonstrated that you have the skills necessary to go wherever you want. The rest will be determined by your hard work, your determination, and your care for others. As you always hear me say on the morning announcements, show up on time and take pride in your work, and I promise good things will happen to you. And whether your path leads you down south, out west, up north, right here on the east coast, or to global sites around the world, go out and be the best version of yourself. Give your very best to the world and let the world return the favor. Congratulations, class of
0062025. Graduates, at this time, please turn your tassels from right to left. [Applause] So, I would like to uh take this opportunity uh during the community shoutouts to recognize uh district 6, two scholars from district 6, Akila and Isaiah. here. Are they present tonight? Please come to the front. Let's give a round of applause for tonight. We proudly recognize two exceptional young authors and illustrators, Akila and Isaiah Smith, for winning first place in the 48th annual write a book competition hosted by PGCPS and the Office of Library Media Services. Ak Akila's book titled M That Smells Good, The Sweet Tooth and Isaiah's That Smells Good, The Big Win both earned top honors in the illustrated fiction category. Their creativity, hard work, and storytelling are truly inspiring, and we encourage all students to continue participating in
007the meaningful program. Great work to you two. Thank you. Yeah. [Applause] pictures. Come on, boy. Come on, boy. Let's take pictures. Congratulations. A little bit. There we go. All [Applause] right. Okay. Now, I'd like to recognize vice chair for his community shout out. This is district vice chair. All right. Thank you so much, Chair Jackson, and good evening to the Prince George's County community and family. Uh, as you all know, I'm chair vice chair Jonathan Briggs, District 2 board member. Tonight, I'm honored to recognize a story that speaks to the power of belief, partnership, and possibility. A story born right here in district 2 of College Park Academy. This year, College Park Academy launched its very first tennis team. That alone is worth celebrating. But what happened next? Well, it made history. In their debut
008uh season, CPA's girls doubles team made up of Victoria Taylor and Sydney Pounds went up against season programs across the county and emerged as county champions. That's right, first season, first title. But what's even more powerful But what's even more powerful than the win was the journey. Victoria Taylor has been part of the College Park Academy family since sixth grade. When high school came around, she had one request to continue playing the sport she loved since age five, tennis. So, her family reached out to College Park Academy leaders, the athletic director, even coaches. And what they heard wasn't hesitation, it was hope. And that hope turned into action. Coach Lou stepped up with passion and humility. Athletic director Mr. Foreman provided unwavering support. And College Park Academy students and families rallied behind a new vision.
009The result, a championship season filled with grit, grace, and hard work. This is what it looks like when we say yes to student voice. When we build something with our families, not just for them. To Victoria and Sydney, thank you for your courage, your leadership, and your pride. To College Park Academy, thank you for believing in what you could do. And to all our schools, let this moment be a reminder. When we listen, when we partner, when we dare to try something new, remarkable things happen. So this is what makes us PGCPS proud. And let's give it up one more time for Victoria Taylor, Sydney, and the athletic directors at College Park. Catherine here. Board member Amy Olivio. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, good evening everyone. My name is Amy Olivo and I'm so proud
010to represent District 4. This evening, however, I'm honored to speak on behalf of district board member Dr. Tiffany Andraul, who unfortunately could not be here with us this evening. She would like to take a moment to publicly recognize the outstanding accomplishments of the Laurel High School Spartans boys basketball team during the 2024 2025 season. The Spartans captured both the PGCPS County Championship and the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association Class 4A State Championship. An extraordinary achievement that brought home Laurel High School's first state title in 45 years. Their final game on March 15th at the University of Maryland ended with a 6853 victory and forever cemented their place in school history. Dr. Anderfall had the pleasure of visiting the team and the coaches at the school following their win. And although they are not with
011us here tonight, they absolutely deserve this public recognition. The team is not only composed of the young men who played on the court, but also young men and women serving as managers. The team worked so hard to secure this win. And during lunch with Dr. Andrew, some shared that this experience what this experience meant to them. One player and now proud PGCPS graduate stated, "It was honestly the best day of my life." And another said that he learned the value of fighting for something and earning it despite the setbacks. Many of these young men, all of these young men have bright futures ahead with several of them um having college basketball careers on the horizon. Laurel High School has made all of District 1 and PGCPS proud. And on behalf of board member Andraul, congratulations
012again to the Spartans on your incredible season and establishing a lasting legacy for all who follow. [Applause] And then I have my own District 4 community shout out as well. Um I am also thrilled to spotlight um an incredible achievement in my district. Please join me in celebrating the Templeton Elementary School for winning the 2025 Prince George's County Science Bowl Championship. This past April, [Applause] Templeton competed against 32 elementary schools across Prince George's County, showcasing not only academic excellence, but also teamwork, determination, and impressive depth of scientific knowledge. This championship win is the result of months and months of preparation by these brilliant students, their dedicated coaches, and a school community that supports and uplifts them. Although the team couldn't be here here with us this evening, I had the privilege of visiting Templeton where
013I met the outstanding students, educators, administrators, their parents, and even a an older sister who came out to celebrate with them. I'm so grateful to Templeton for opening their doors and allowing me to bring a small token of appreciation on behalf of Prince George's County Public Schools Board of Education. So, congratulations to Templeton Elementary School and our 2025 Science Bowl champions. [Applause] Board member GC. Thank you, chair. Good evening, PGCPS family. I'm Zakia Goins McCants, board member representing District 8. And tonight, I am thrilled to highlight a powerhouse from District 8. A team that didn't just compete, didn't just win, but actually made history. Um, so we're going to celebrate the indoor girls track and field team who closed this past season as regional and state champions for the first time in school history. Um,
014and to highlight some of the records that the team won, uh, Jillian Stevens shattered school records, Taylor Riley shattered school records, and together with Ava Coleman, Carlen Lionel broke the Spirit Medley Relay record and placed seventh at New Balance Nationals. So, out of the entire country, just one spot shy of all American records. Um, there are a few people on this team, so I don't want to leave anyone's name out. um Jillian Stevens, Carlen Lionel, Taylor Riley, Autumn Gravette, Christa Saunders, Maya Slade, Ava Ranken, and Ava Coleman. And a special congratulations to Taylor and Jillian for winning regional and state and county championships. Um both of them in multiple um in multiple meters. And of course, none of this would be possible without their exceptional coaches. Congratulations to head coach Tim Riley who was named
015Washington Post all met girls head coach of the year and coach Emanuel Barnes for ded dedication and vision. So congratulations to the entire team. I believe you all are here tonight. [Applause] I know we got notification very early this afternoon that you all were here. Are you all still here for us to give you your awards? Congratulations. Thank you. [Applause] Okay. There will be no unsung hery this this evening. Uh moving on to the chairman's report. We are pleased to announce the uh standing committees. Um they are as follows. Academic achievement uh committee will be chaired by vice chair Jonathan Briggs. Vice Chair uh Pamela Boozer Strers um Amy Olivo, Zakiyia Gins McCann and Felton C. Moss. Um policy and governance will be chaired by Dr. Moss. Um vice chair will be Amy Olivo. Um
016Jonathan Briggs, Lolita E. Walker, Robin Brown. Um Obafa will be chaired by Sakia Mccantsz, vice chair Robin Brown, Lolita E. Walker, Dr. Tiffany Anderful and Arie. Board audit committee will be chaired by Dr. Tiffany Anderful, vice chair Bam Pamela Boozer Brothers, Arie Ajk, and Brandon Jackson. And board superintendent evaluation will be chaired by uh Zakiyia Mccants, Saki Gan Mccants, Dr. Felton, C Moss, Robin Brown, Brandon Jackson, and Jonathan Briggs. Parent Advisory Advisory Committee will be chaired by Lolita E. Walker. Disability issues advisory board uh by Amy Olivio. Um climate change action plan adhoc committee by Pamela Boozer Strers and PGCPS district steering committee of community schools Dr. Felton C. Moss. Uh thank you. As we come to the close of another school year, I want to take a moment to reflect on all that we
017have accomplished together. This year has been filled with both challenges and triumphs, and I am incredibly proud of the progress we have made across Prince George's County Public Schools. We have continued to move forward with a purpose and a deep commitment to our student success. And I want to thank you all for what you do. Now, I'd like to invite you all to turn your attention to the screen. Tonight, we pause to recognize a truly extraordinary group of individuals, employees who have dedicated 50 years or more to Prince George's County Public Schools. Let's get Let's give them a round of applause. Over 50 years. [Applause] Are they here? Are are any of them here tonight? Come on. Come on down. Come on down. Come on down. Let's go. And I heard that the Oxen Hill
018uh group is here too that board member Goen McCann's um had mentioned. We're here. We have some certificates for you all as well. Can you come to the front? moving along. This is our last meeting of the year. So, we want to recognize all the great people that support us. Um, and it's not a oneman show or just a board of education show. We have a lot of different people to make sure that this um PGCPS that you see before you tonight, man, it's a lot of people to go behind that are behind the scenes to help us through. So, right now, I want to um acknowledge uh the security team. Um please keep your attention on the screen tonight. [Applause] This department works tirelessly, often behind the scenes each and every day to uphold
019safety and the well-being of our students and staff. Whether managing school security operations, responding in times of crisis, or building trust with families, their dedication, professionalism, and care are a cornerstone of our success. Their work is critical. Their commitment is unmatched, and our entire community deeply values their presence. We are proud to recognize their outstanding contributions tonight. Please join me in a heartfelt welcome of our security team. Can y'all please come up here to the front? [Applause] All right. On a on a more somber note, on behalf of the board, I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to board member Jamal Jango for his dedicated service as a student member of the board. [Applause] We got you. We have we have a video now from the office staff after which we will open the
020floor for remarks for the board members. [Music] Jamal, you've represented students with grace and conviction. Your voice, leadership, and dedication have truly made a difference. We want to extend heartfelt gratitude for your incredible service as the 44th student member of the board. We are proud of you. Thank you for all you've done. [Applause] Okay. So now I will take uh comments from the board as well as me let you let me let you go first man. Go first. Okay. Um definitely just want to first say um I want to thank God for the opportunity I've been given to serve as the 44th student member of the board of education. Um this year has had a lot of ups and downs. I've learned so much. I've gotten to meet so much so many people. Um of
021course I've got to work with the great board um that are next to me. Um I also want to say thank you to the board members that um I was here with in the beginning also. Um, you guys have, you know, all changed my life and helped me see a different perspective. Um, sorry, a little scared. Um, I also want to just thank, um, you know, the SMAB Advisory Council. That's 52 members from all around the county that came united to be able to, um, celebrate events. Um, you know, make sure that we're, you know, representing every single part of the county. And of course, I want to say thank you. Thank you to my campaign team, my campaign manager, Emanuel Chinz, Farooq um Adosanu. I want to say um you know, thank you to
022all the student me student board members. Um of course, you know, my my next student member of the board um Ajakaya was my chief of staff for the SMA advisory council. So, I want to thank her for, you know, always keeping me on track. Of course, I have some SMA advisory councils in here. um Aena Jones who will be serving as the next PAGRAST president for the 2025 to 26 school year. You know, I just want to thank everybody for um you know, their impact in my life. And of course, I want to make you proud. And also, I just want to you know, state for the record, I'll be attending Temple University in the fall. What's your major? Oh, political science with a minor in economics. You got that economics in there. That's what
023I'm talking about. Yeah. Okay. Now, I'll take I'll take comments from the floor. Okay. Board member Walker. It's fitting that I say thank you on behalf of District 9. Um so, thank you so much for your service. Uh, I wanted to let you know that, um, despite, you know, our gorounds and the good, the bad, the ugly, you truly did bring the students voice to the table and I think that's very much appreciated. So, in case your students didn't know out there, uh, Jamal really takes it to heart and make sure that we know um, every single thing that we must do. So, on behalf of District 9, we simply say thank you, Dr. Moss. Yeah. Um I don't know what to say about this gentleman um or what should be said, but there's been
024a bit of debate around which road you should take uh when you travel up to Temple. And I hope that my comments tonight will remind you of the road most traveled. Um and that's the one that you should take. He knows what that means. Chair Jackson and I are of different persuasion. Um, and and we we we have different intentions in life, but I hope Jamal will make the right one uh when he heads up to Temple University. Um, do not forget the men of Alpha F Alpha, uh, when you get there. Uh, Brenda's going to get me in the end here. Uh, but no, I I appreciate you. I appreciate your leadership. I appreciate your brain. Um, you just said to me a few minutes ago, uh, I'm going to go be a lawyer,
025cuz you weren't. Um, so I I I hope you accomplish that. Um, and you can come back and be the board's attorney uh whenever you get your law degree. All right, there we go. Is that board member Brown? Yes. I wanted to make sure I thanked your mama and your and your dad and your family, you know, cuz they allowed you to come out and, you know, support the work here and support the county that you serve. Um, but I also want to just give you great um, ado because I know you're going to be successful. Um, I know I'm kind of like a second mom to you when I come here. So, or when you come here. So, just know that even if you're at Temple, my husband went there. So, if we got
026to take a trip, we'll make a trip. Um, but I know you'll be successful and I'm just super proud of you. Is that Zakiya? Thank you so much, chair. I will try to keep this brief uh so that the public doesn't see um just how much we enjoy uh working together, especially with um Jamal. It has been an honor and a an honor and a privilege to work with you. I so deeply respect the way that you bring your not just your ideas, but also your entire you thank the SMOP advisory board. you think students, but how much you actually bring in what students have been telling you across the county and so incredibly appreciate that have appreciated your leadership on the academic achievement committee. I don't know what every uh student member of the
027board across the state is doing. Um but having you and your leadership in that particular role has been amazing. I've learned so much from working with you in the student perspective of academics because unfortunately or fortunately uh by the time we get to this age sometimes we have been very jaded in terms of what we expect out of um education and academics specifically. So thank you so much for all of your work and your grounding especially in that space. Board member Boozer. Yeah, thank you so much Jamal. Thank you so much on behalf of district three. I know how much um the student leaders of Northwestern High School and International High School Langley Park have appreciated how you connect with every school, how you appreciate leaders in each school. Every time I would see you,
028you would be with a student from all from different schools and districts all over this county. And that really spoke to um you know, your special brand of leadership that you brought this year. I've so enjoyed working with you. always appreciated your insights during every board meeting and I wish you the best of luck at Temple. Vice Chair Briggs. Um Jamal, I'm going to keep this brief too, but I mean it seems like you it seems like yesterday that you started with us and I don't know if you feel this way, but I mean the year went by like that. I mean we had rain and then we were excited about you and now you're headed off to college and all the exciting things that are coming next in life. I I really echo what
029my colleague shared. I think that you brought so much enthusiasm, excitement, um and I think uh levity to the to the group and it's great because this work is hard as you know behind the scenes. Um but I think you're also really equipped as you're heading off to college. You are going with not only the ability to be a leader in your own right, but I think also all the skills you can probably talk about parliament parliamentarian procedure. you can talk about, you know, other things and I think many of your friends and peers will be looking at you with blank stairs because they'll be like, "How did you get there?" So, continue to capitalize on the success, the leadership, and all the things that you're doing. We're rooting for you to um the sentiments
030that were shared. You have a home here all the time. So, I'm excited for you. Thank you. And if there's no more comments, I'll just end with my comment. Um Jamal it's like like like a little brother to me, you know, here. He's he's an amazing guy. And so when we always hear so much negativity about this upcoming generation, it's these bright spots and these the stories that need to get elevated with kids like Jamal that gives us hope, that tells a real story of a lot of the youth that's coming through PGCPS. Um that he's brilliant. Um he's so clever. Um and he always has a servant heart. Um in every situation, every conversation that we have, he always reminds us where um we need to focus and it's always on the kids and
031he always brings that voice to the conversation. And uh I know it was supposed to be a learning experience for you, but I think we've all learned from you um being here. Um and you showed us always get back to, you know, what's important is making sure that we take care of the kids. So I just want to say thank you. Thank you. All right. So let's give a round of applause for board member John. [Applause] At this time, I would like to take a moment of silence as we honor the memory of fallen PGCPS staff, family, and community members. Oh, I'm I'm sorry. We'll take a moment of silence. David Billings, relative of Brandon Jackson. Teresa Simington, transportation attendant, Gddard Bus. Thank you. And I do want to officially uh give board member Jungo
032um an award for his outstanding service here as a SMAB member. So can you come to the front? Let us take a picture as well. The board informs the public of the following upcoming meetings. Please turn your attention to the screen of the list of meetings. Please continue to check the board web page for updates and more information. Now moving to public comment. The chairman recognizes the registered speakers for the public comments. To our registered speakers, you are allotted three minutes to share your remarks. Speaking time may not be transferred to another individual. The board will not engage in dialogue during this portion of the meeting. Speakers are expected to refrain from using profanity or derogatory language. A warning will be issued once. Continued misconduct may result in the speaker being muted or removed from
033the meeting. To support a professional and courteous environment, speakers are encouraged to refer to individuals by title such as chair, board member, superintendent, or principal rather than by name. This evening, the board received 51 public comments requested from individuals who wish to speak in person. Due to the allotted time of 15, we only have 15 speakers tonight. The chair encourages those who are not able to speak to submit their comments in writing to testimony atpgcps.org. Again, the email address is testimony at pgcp pgcps.org. All right, we have 15 live speakers, but before we move to our speakers, I do want to pause um to recognize um any elected um current or past um officials in the room. If y'all want to stand and wave, please. All right. This is Burroughs Valentine. Thank you. Thank you
034so much. Who was it? And Lupy Grady. Our first public speaker tonight is Courtney Smith, student, Gwen Gwen Park High School. Our second uh public speaker tonight is Curtis Valentine, individual and former atlarge board member speaking on leadership. Good evening. Um Chairman Jackson, Vice Chairman Briggs, board members. Um feel good to be back. Um I sat stood here two years ago on my last day as a board member here and haven't been back since. um spent 10 years of my life here in this board room. Hope I got to lean in. Um and this is this is probably the longest meeting of the year. So I I I'll pray for you all. Um but over those 10 years I realized the two most important functions of this board was a budget set the priorities for
035the system and sure that we're investing in the right things based off of research and data and the voices of those we represent. But the second most important is ensuring that we have the right person at the top. The right leader, the person who is going to be held accountable for ensuring the resources that we put in place are allocated in the right place, the right leadership is in place to carry those things out. And that's why I'm here standing in support of Dr. Shawn Joseph, someone I work with closely, someone over the time that when he was here, I could call on anytime I wanted to. When I came here, I had two personal priorities. One, to ensure that men in education were prioritized because the research told me in my own experience as
036an Oxen Hill Middle School teacher was that we make a difference in children's lives. And when we decided to create the men of PGCPS, he's one of the first people I called and he showed up every single time to every meeting to listen to what the concerns were of male educators. I'm looking over at Dr. Coleman as well because he was there at every meeting as well. I also said I wanted to really prioritize parents. This idea that fathers oftentimes felt that they were second in line that but it research showed Dr. Moss that if we had fathers involved it would have a tremendous and every time we had a father forum event Dr. Joseph was there. I also understand that the school that my children attend F Douglas High School was almost in jeopardy
037of being closed. He played a very intricral role before he left in ensuring that we had a PEK program there to ensure that we had enrollment that my two children attend that school now in district 9 and will graduate with an associates degree. I also followed when he went to Tennessee followed very closely how he was making gains in math and reading in ways that other districts around the country couldn't and also the controversy around his leaving. And so as I stand here in the time I have left, all I ask you to do is what I'm going to do. Hold him accountable when he gets here. Hold him accountable what he says, but also reach out to him every chance you get to sit down with him and find out how he can improve
038the things that you care about the most. We're going to hold him accountable as parents. And that's all I ask you all to do as board members. I thank you all for what you all do. Have a good night. [Applause] Attasha James, Individual Legends Public Charter. Good evening everyone. Good evening board members. I am Natasha James, co-founder and CEO of Legends Charter School. Leading legends has been one of the most transformative experiences of my life. And I know for sure without a doubt that this is bigger than me. That we are in fact making history with the children at the center. I often say to my scholars, a legend is who they are and what they will be. At Legends, we are dismantling the status quo. We are using proven standards aligned curricula from basis
039and the District of Columbia public schools, delivering rigorous academics rooted in what we know works. But what we're doing more than that, we're breaking bonds of poverty through our financial education, identity affirming culture, and bold liberatory leadership. We are cleareyed about what we're strong and where we must grow. There's no denying opening up in COVID, being the new kid on the block during severe legislative upheavalss, our fourth superintendent, we've been dealt our fair share of challenges opening up and maintaining our membership, a strong membership of over nine of 900 scholars. Hiring teachers during a great resignation was no easy feat, but we withtood every single one of those challenges and prevailed. Our waiting list still boasts hundreds for very few seats. I also need to note here we are committed to continuous improvement and developing
040legends into the worldclass organization we know that we designed it to be and potential of every child who walks through our doors. We see them as promise. We see our babies as truly our future. We also know that in order for us to do that, we must urgently reimagine how charter schools are regarded and supported here in Prince George's County. Our success is tethered to the district. And to meet this moment, we need courageous collaboration and shared support for our innovation with HR, people, accounting, technology, and finance. We welcome your partnership and extend a heartfelt invitation to visit Legends. Come see for yourself what's possible when equity lives in practice, not just in policy. The best is yet to be. Thank you for your time. Porsche Cameron, Individual Legends Public Charter. Good evening, chair, members
041of the board. My name is Porsche Cameron, and I have the honor of serving as the chief of staff at Legend Charter School. But tonight, I also come before you as a deeply invested parent. Um, my own child is a middle school student at Legend Charter School, and he's thriving in ways I could honestly never imagine. I spent over 20 years in public education, nearly a decade of that as the head of a tier one school. I know what excellence looks like and I see it every day at Legends. Legends was founded with a vision to create something except exceptional, an academically rigorous, culturally affirming and opportunity rich environment for the children of Prince George's County. In just 5 years, we've grown from 592 scholars to 900. And today we have a weight list of
042families who are eager to join our community. That kind of growth doesn't happen by accident. It's the result of commitment, innovation, and belief. Our model merits the worldrenowned basis curriculum and is built on foundational belief that every scholar is tag worthy. Through departmentalized teaching, even as early as kindergarten, our educators bring content expertise that drives both depth and engagement. We've offered financial education, integrated social justice themes, and infused our school culture with high expectations and real world access. Our students infused our school culture with high expectations and real world access. Our students aren't just keeping pace. They're preparing to compete not just locally, but globally. We're also under We also understand that excellence is not static. While our academic outcomes have had highs and lows, our team is laser focused on aligning curriculum, supporting educators,
043and ensuring no child is left behind. Our attendance rates exceed the district average. Our use of exclusionary discipline is minimal, and our families are active, informed, and engaged. We built a strong financial foundation with a healthy cash reserve. And we've actively tightened governance structures to ensure full alignment with all charter and legal requirements. We take feedback seriously. Because we know our mission is too important to settle for anything less than continued growth. James Baldwin once said, "For these are all our children. We will all profit by or pay for whatever they become." At Legends, we refuse to leave the future to chance. We are investing in it boldly, intentionally, and with love. Thank you for believing in our scholars. Thank you for believing in legends. Amina Williams, individual legends charter. Good evening, board members. My
044name is Amina Williams. I speak to you tonight as a co-founder of Legends Charter School, a proud parent of both an LCS alum and a rising sixth grader. Happy birthday, Asa. And a proud Prince George's County resident. I stand before you today not just to advocate for our charter renewal, but with the sincere invitation to recommmit to what's possible when we dare to imagine and reimagine education through the lens of excellence, equity, and community. At Legends, we've changed the narrative. Our scholars, many of whom start with us in kindergarten, are building stock portfolios before they even master cursive. They're immersed in a rigorous liberal arts curriculum taught by subject matter experts from the very beginning. And they're developing the skills and confidence to compete not just locally, but globally as 21st century learners. But this
045is not just about innovation. It's about outcomes. Legends has consistently outperformed the district averages of math and reading. We've met enrollment targets every year since opening in 2020. And we've done it while employing 65 Prince George's County public school teachers, over 20 legendary staff members, and 30 Americanore members annually to create a thriving academic community that uplifts the whole child and their families. And I want to remind the board, we opened our doors in 2020 during a global pandemic. We launched this vision in the middle of crisis and we've remained steady in our growth and innovation ever since. Do we have work to do? Absolutely. But we are committed, we are reflective, and we are focused on continuous improvement and deeper collaboration with Prince George's County Public Schools to reach even higher heights together. We
046are deeply proud of the strong partnerships we've built with our families, our community, and with PGCPS. And with even greater collaboration and teamwork, I believe we can set a new standard, not just for the charter schools, but for public education in Prince George's County. As a parent, I've watched my own children flourish here, growing confident financially literate and intellectually curious young people. As a co-founder, I've watched our team fight for and build something truly transformational. And as a county resident, I know this school is a source of pride and promise for our community. So today, I ask for your support. Vote yes on our charter renewal. Let's continue this bold, necessary work together, and let's keep building the kind of future our children not only deserve, but are already proving is possible. Thank you for
047your time. Shamari James, Individual Equity Now, Legends Public Charter. Good evening, members of the board. My name is Shamaria Kill James of Equity Now, Inc. and co-founder of Legends Public Charter School. First off, I want to thank you, sincerely thank you for your leadership and your commitment to equity, access, and public school choice. Your support has allowed schools like Legends to become beacons of opportunity and innovation for families across Prince George's County Public School System. This is not about me. This is about Legends Charter School. However, this work is deeply personal for me. As a child, I attended multiple schools, including alternative schools. Unfortunately, I earned the name kicked out all from kindergarten all the way through. However, I've experienced those systems from every single angle. And I know what it feels like to be
048overlooked, underestimated, and passed over. That journey shaped who I am today. And it's why I'm committed to making Legends a place of belonging, academic excellence, and transformation. I know how to reach children of all walks of life because I was a part of all of those walks of life. At Legends, we're not just teaching academics. We're teaching life. We are the only school in the state of Maryland offering a full financial education curriculum starting in kindergarten. Our students are learning how to budget, save, invest, and build wealth. And they're bringing those lessons home. True story. Parents tell us their children are teaching them how to open savings accounts. Talk about credit and dream bigger. We're teaching our scholars what it means to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. However, some of individuals don't have
049boots. So, we're teaching them how to build their own because the one thing that we know, Superman is not coming to save us. Tonight, I respectfully urge you to vote in support of our charter renewal. Not just because we meet the standard, but because Legends represents what's possible when innovation, equity, and academic excellence lead the way. Legends is who they are and what they will be. Thank you, Mike. I'll call again Mike L. Okay, moving on. Uh Pat Fletcher, Gary Cameron, Individual, Legends Public Charter School. Good evening, members of the board. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak today. My name is Gary Cameron and I'm here to share a heartfelt appreciation for Legends Charter School and the profound impact it has had on my son who has been a proud scholar since
050their school has opened. As a parent, I can't express enough how refreshing it is to ask my son about his day at school and hear him respond with genuine excitement about every single class. Gone are the days of the typical middle school response of good. Instead, he enthusiastically shares stories about his favorite subject, financial literacy. As a parent, that really resonates with me. It gives me confidence knowing that he is learning valuable skills that will empower him in the future. Skills that will help him navigate life without having to come for me for money later on. As a middle school administrator myself, I often reflect on how I can inspire my own scholars to go home with that same level of confidence and enthusiasm about their educational experience. When I walk into Legends Charter School,
051I can't help but look for ideas and practices I can instill to bring back to my own school community. The palpable culture of love and support is evident, but it's also the academic rigor that truly stands out. The scholars at Legend Charter School are engaging with challenging content that encourages them, excuse me, that encourages them to grapple with complex ideas, prepare them not only for high school, but also for college and their future career choices. Seeing my son thrive at Legend Charter School has been a testament to the nurturing environment they provide. He has blossomed from a shy from a shy child into someone who lights up the dance floor at school events. fully engaged in enjoying the friendships he has built. Friendships that extend beyond the school walls and into our community. One of
052the things I value most about Legend Charter School is the sense of community and the love that is palpable when you walk through the doors. I often joke with the staff when they play Brighter Day by Bill Withers, but the truth is every time I enter that building, I feel reassured that my son's future and all the other scholars are bright. I urge you to grant Legend Charter School their renewal license so they can continue their incredible work and brighten their lives and change generations. Together, let's ensure that more students can experience the love, learning, and growth that my son has enjoyed. Thank you for your time, [Applause] Carol Moses. Good evening. I am Carol Moses and I stand in support of the appointment of Dr. Shawn Joseph as our interim superintendent. Dr. Joseph brings
053with him experience, a national reputation for transformative leadership, and a heartfelt commitment to educational equity and excellence. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated clear ability, a clear ability to lead with vision, communicate with transparency, and inspire real progress in the districts he has served. Our community and our schools need steady, experienced leadership during this time of transition. And I can think of no one more capable of guiding us forward. His proven track record of raising student achievement, supporting educators, and fostering inclusive school environment speaks for itself. Dr. Joseph doesn't just lead with data. He leads with a heart. He listens to students, families, and educators. He understands the importance of building trust while making hard decisions. And he has always kept student success at the center of every initiative. I support his appointment as interim
054superintendent and believe his leadership will serve our district well during this pivotal time. Thank you. [Applause] Tanisha Dixon, Individual Legends Public Charter School. Good evening, board members. My name is Tanisha Dixon and I proudly serve as the principal of Legends Charter School where 900 scholars and their families embody what it means to learn, lead, and liberate in the heart of the gorgeous Prince George's County and the PGCPS system. At Legends, we learn not just to pass a test, but to unlock a future. This year, 77% of our kinder through second grade scholars ended the year reading on or above grade level. In kindergarten alone, students moved from 28% to 47% above benchmark, while those well below benchmark dropped by more than half. In math, our kindergarten through third grade scholars grew from just 12% proficiency
055at the start of the year to 51% by year's end. This is what it means to learn with urgency, equity, and joy. At Legends, we lead not in theory, but in practice. Our inaugural student government association continued our school's legacy of civic engagement by attending advocacy day in Annapolis, where they met with state leaders, visited the state house, and participated in live delegation meetings. Our scholars are not just preparing to lead tomorrow. they are leading right now. And at Legends, we liberate because we know that true education is freedom work. Through our Legends Fellows program, we offer young adults ages 18 to 25 a meaningful service experience and a direct pathway into education, helping to build a diverse and communityrooted educator pipeline. We integrate financial education into every grade level, open investment accounts for our
056students, and remain steadfast in our mission to close the generational wealth gap. As Mary Church Terrell taught us, we lift as we climb. And as Mary Mloud Bthun proclaimed, the whole world opened to me when I learned to read. At Legends Charter School, we are climbing with every scholar. We are learning. We are leading. And yes, we are liberating. With your continued support, we will keep doing the work our children and our country deserve. We will ensure every child has the opportunity to learn deeply and confidently, to lead boldly and unapologetically, and to be liberated through an education that honors their brilliance, builds their future, and breaks generational barriers. Together, we are not just renewing a charter. We are renewing a commitment to possibility, purpose, and power for every scholar we serve. Thank you. Britney
057Woods, individual speaking on the CEO, which is a superintendent. Tiffany Anderson, Calvin, individual speaking on appearing to support the interim superintendent. Oh, I thought she was coming down here. All right. Um, Dominic Carter Justin divorce. Good evening. Good evening, board members and respected leaders. My name is Justin Devos and I serve as the director of financial education for Equity Now, which also serves as the program direction for Legends Charter School. I just want to take a moment to speak with clarity and conviction. Legends Charter School is not just a school. It is a movement. A place where children don't survive, but they thrive. where they walk with curiosity and walk with convict, confidence, and character. I've seen it with my own eyes with my son Ashton standing next to me who is a rising fifth
058grader and who was started at Legends during a pandemic in 2020. Our children are mastering math, decoding literature, and yes, learning financial education. You show me another elementary student that can explain the stock, define a budget, or break down compound interest, and I'll show you a legendary scholar leading the way. We're not just teaching academics. We're building legacies. This school, our school, has created a culture of excellence rooted in love, discipline, and liberation. You walk through our halls and you feel it in your chest, a sense of pride. You see it in the way our students carry themselves. You hear it in their voice when they present. You sense it in the deep relationships that are shared between educators and families. Legends believes in the whole child. That's why we embed financial education from the
059ground up. We're not just preparing our children for the next grade level. We're preparing them for generational wealth, ownership, and economic freedom. We all know the numbers, test scores, attendance, parental engagement. But the real data is the soul of legends is in the stories. The student who opened their first investment account at age 8. The young man who told his mother he wants to buy a house one day because that's what he learned in class. This is the work. This is the mission. This is legends. So to the board I say please renew this charter because what happens inside legends changes what's possible outside of it. Let's not just maintain the momentum, let's multiply it. Let's keep building legends one scholar at a time because heroes get remembered but legends never die. Thank you. We
060received four public comments, all which have been uploaded uh to board docs for viewing. The written comments will continue to be uploaded to board docs as they are received. U right now the four uh written comments were from Anita Williams, Marvin Burton Jr., Sherman Elg Elg Good, Dr. Lynn Strange. And there was one pre-recorded video. Thank you for all who commented tonight. Now for a report of the superintendent. At this time, the chair would like to present a gift of appreciation to Mr. Miller House. In recognition of his leadership and service, the chair asked M. Dr. Coleman, um, the chief operating officer, to kindly accept his gift on his behalf. Thank you. [Applause] All right. Report of the committees. The chair down recognizes board member Moss of the chair and policy and governance committee. Thank
061you, Chair Jackson. Um there are two things we have from policy and governance tonight. We have a set of policies um that we want to approve. Um and then um tonight we will announce that we will have our legislative day where we'll bring in our delegates and senators and county council members on September 19th. Um board member Walker is is chairing and taking leadership of that. Um I think she'll have a comment at the end of my um policies here, but I'll start with our policies for second consideration enactment in accordance with board policy 8100 policy development. The following policies are for board consideration tonight and there are 12 of them. Um, policy 011, the sustainability plan. Policy 0123, artificial intelligence. Policy 0124, -ate management. Policy 3100, investments. Policy 3120, debt management. Policy 3160, transfer
062of funds. Policy 4113, community involvement and principal selection process. Policy 4135, activities, organizations, political. Policy 5111, legal age of admission. Policy 5150, student involvement, rights and responsibilities. And then we have two policies for rescention tonight. The first one being policy 5206, yearbooks and photographs, and then policy 9366, order of business parliamentary procedures. That policy is being rescended. I'll defer to my colleague, board member Walker, uh, to speak about our upcoming legislative day, uh, in September. Hello everyone. We are beyond excited to um, come back again once more with legislative day. For all of you all who don't know, we as a board in policy and governance work really hard with our uh, legislative partners in order to talk about priorities not only with PGCPS uh, their platform, but also with the board of education. And
063so I wanted to thank Chief of Staff uh Quincy Boyd for her thoughts around our legislative day. We look forward to continuing to partner with PGCPS on September 19th will be that date. Uh more will come, but this is a date where we get together not only with PGCPS but with our board to really work with our legislators in advance for the priorities um of our school system and how we're looking for advocacy. We want to and thanks in advance for all of you all in here tonight and our other uh parents who are looking on that are going to help us with this advocacy as well as in the community. So, we look forward to getting back to you and we've pulled it all together and if there are any priorities that you all
064have for overall education when it comes to bills and legislation, please be sure to send that in or register for public comment with policy and governance. Thanks so much, Chair. Thank you, Chair Jackson. That concludes our public comments. I mean, our our uh It's been a long night, brother. I know. report from the policy and governance committee. Yeah. So without objection, I would like to accept the recommendations of the policy and governance uh committee by Dr. Moss. Board member Brown, thank you so much. I did see that there were two, this is just for edification purposes, there were two policies that were being rescended. um one in particular, order of business, parliamentary procedures. Can you talk about why that's being rescended? Are we having another uh policy that's going to be in place for it?
065Thank you. Yeah, Dr. So um essentially um when you state that policy, it it is it was duplicative of work that is already across our board policies. Um and it's common understanding that a board uses Robert's rules of orders procedure. And so in order to clean up our policy documents, um that is one of the policies that we rescended as a committee. That does not mean we don't follow Robert's rules of order uh for the general public. Does that does that complete your comments, Miss Brown? All right. Thank you. Without objection, we would like to accept the recommendations by the policy and governance committee. The motion carries. Next committee is the committee is the disabilities issue advisory board report board member Brown. Yes, thank you. Because I'm just the liaison, I did want the chair
066or the vice chair to present on behalf of their uh advisory board. So, Miss Terresa Smith, please. Thank you so much. I'll point a word real quick. Mr. Mr. Chairman, um it would be good to see the other committee members who are on. I know Miss Teresa has a band. She probably would want them there. So, it'd be good to see some of them who are in the room, too, uh to join her behind her. Yeah, there just such an amazing group that we That's fine. If y'all want to crowd around here at the podium so we can recognize y'all. Matter of fact, let's give them a round of applause as well. Yes. My apologies. I couldn't see all the way over there. [Applause] Good evening everyone. If I could just take a moment. This
067is Chair Blackwell. This is Miss Britney Patrick. She was our leader over policy 1700 subcommittee. And then this is Miss Vickery who has been on our exec board for this term. So we thank we are grateful for their work. All right, we can get started. So, good evening, chair, interim superintendent, and board members. On behalf of the disability issues advisory board, thank you for the opportunity to present. I am Teresa Smith, vice chair, and as I share our preliminary report today, please know that it's abbreviated and you all along with the public may reference the more detailed document for additional information. DEAP reconvened in November 2024 and since then our members in districts 2, three, five, six, seven, eight and nine along with the department of special education and CCAC have worked diligently to examine
068key areas outlined in board policy 1700. We also could not have achieved our work without the support of our board member liaison and board support staff. So, thank you all. This report is the product of months of collaboration, research, and engagement to improve access, equity, and outcomes for individuals with disabilities across PGCPS. The efforts were split between three subcommittees in the areas of staffing and operational practices, infrastructure, accessibility, and policy alignment. I will now highlight key recommendations, and we welcome any follow-up discussions regarding the items. Policy and governance. We recommend renaming the board to better reflect our commitment to inclusion, access, and equity with a positive focus on the social model of disability. Suggestions include advisory council on disability affairs or advisory board on disability rights. We propose expanding the scope to include key key
069disability issues like IDA compliance, seclusion, restraint practices, and digital accessibility. We recommend flexible reporting timelines, clearer legal references, and staggered appointments to ensure long-term continuity. And lastly, clarification on the distinct role of DIAB and its engagement with CCAC. Please note, we are not in support or even suggesting that the board have any authority over the state and federallymandated CCAC. We seek to have both groups work collaboratively for the benefit of students, families, and community stakeholders. Facilities and accessibility. Our facilities and new construction subcommittee began an inquiry into accessibility compliance. While early findings are promising, further expert consultation is needed to identify specific infrastructure barriers. Therefore, we do request the support of district subject matter experts to help us advance this work. Staffing, HR, and equity. The dedicated aid role must be restructured with better pay,
070benefits, and training to retain talent and improve support for our most vulnerable students. We urge human resources to adopt modern, transparent hiring strategies, especially in today's competitive educational market. From our review of information, there are severe delays in processing reasonable accommodation requests, now averaging over 100 days. DIAB recommends restoring that timeline to 30 days within 6 months and providing principles the autonomy to take interim action, inclusion, and family engagement. Professionals like social workers must be trusted to use their training to support families without unnecessary legal delays. We also ask PGCPS to promote parent volunteering by making fingerprinting more accessible, streamlining, verification, and identifying model schools to benchmark from for the development of a guidance document. As I close, there are a few requests. We ask the board to review the detailed report and formally respond
071by August 31st, 2025 and include any questions or directions for next steps. We also request a meeting with the policy and governance committee and support in creating a cross a cross reference guide of disability related policies. We ask that you please address the delays with data collection requests. And lastly, a staff facing survey regarding ADA should be developed and launched. Thereafter, a subsequent meeting should be held with DIAB to discuss the findings. We would like to thank each one of you for your leadership and for continuing to center disability affairs in the work of this district. This concludes the report for DIAB. Thank you. [Applause] Thank you. Um, uh, Miss Smith. Uh, parent and community advisory council update. Board member Walker. Hi everyone again. Um, I'm Lolita E. Walker, the PACAC board liaison, and the
072the parent and community advisory council held its final committee meeting of the school year on June 4th, 2025. And during the meeting, elections were conducted, and the newly elected officers are as followed. I just wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you to PAC. They are an advisory group of volunteers and really have the pulse of the parents in mind as they make recommendations and advisory to um not only the board, but also to the superintendent. Um, as of July 1st, the committee chair will be Dolores Milhouse, vice chair Terresa Smith, and the new secretary who was voted in is Miss Akimbra Lawrence. The council is currently working toward organizing a summer retreat for Peacock members to support their planning and engagement for the upcoming school year, and we look forward to the recommendations
073and the advisory that they'll give to uh both the board and to the superintendent. Thank you so much. We can clap. They're doing a great job. Thank you, board member Walker. The chairman recognizes Dr. Coleman for the transportation presentation. [Music] Thank you. If we could have the presentation pulled up. Thank you so much. So, good evening, Board Chair Jackson, board members, fellow staff, and members of the public. Thank you. Thank you for this opportunity to provide an brief update on the transportation action plan. In this presentation, the director of transportation and central garage, Mr. Ka Baldwin, and I will walk through the progress we've made this year implementing phase one of the transportation action plan and outline key actions we're launching as we move into phase two next school year. Tonight's presentation focuses on three
074primary goals. First, to provide a snapshot of our results from the five phase one recommendations implemented this school year. Second, to introduce the strategic recommendations that make up phase 2 for implementation in school year 2025 2026. And finally, to provide an overview of the core challenges we're still working to solve and the targeted strategies we're putting in place. Thank you, Dr. Coleman. Good evening, board chair, members of the board. While we've made meaningful slots strides in streamlining operations and improving our system performance, our seat utilization has increased as we've removed underloaded trips from the schedule. More than 300 trips have been eliminated and over 3,000 stops have been consolidated, creating a leaner and more efficient system. We are freing in a new parent app. Let me say that one more time. We are phasing in
075a new parent app. At the same time, we're collaborating with our safe passage coordinators to conduct walk zone audits that ensure bus stop safety. While these efforts have helped strengthen our system, our current bus driver fill rate remains at 85% with 137 full-time equivalent positions still unfilled. our core challenges. While we've made this pro progress, we still face three primary challenges. First, the high call volumes and the transportation resolution system entries that have created delays in communication and responsiveness to parents. Second, our excuse me, our current technology limits, our ability to make fast, accurate and substitutions, which affects the reliability of our parentf facing app. And third, we continue to feel the effects of the driver shortage with 129 routes currently uncovered or doubled up, placing an added strain on our workforce. To tackle these
076issues, in addition to our temporary communications staff of 30 positions, we are doubling our permanent communication staff from nine to 18 full-time positions and adding a dedicated supervisor to better manage the high call volume and the many submitted transportation resolution system requests, especially at the beginning of the school year. We are also investing in additional customer service focused professional development for our phone bank team to improve the timeliness and tone of of staff responses. On the operations side, we're expanding our driver pool by hiring 25 additional nonCDL drivers, increasing the number of available vans from 16 to 36 to expand the flexibility of our routing options, and contracting out certain unique trips. In addition, we are continuing to implement and refine the phase one prioritized recommendations. In addition to workforce improvements, we're focused on technology
077and process modernization. We are phasing outfinder and phasing in a new parent app over the course of next school year that will improve communication and reduce errors tied to manual inputs. This summer, we'll parti we will participate in a planning meeting to align student program codes and ensure more accurate routing at the start of the school year. We are also partnering with the division of monitoring and accountability and the division of school support and leadership to engage school registars earlier in the summer registration process enrollment process so that we can route students more quickly and accurately. Finally, we're working with human resources to explore financial incentives and assigning a dedicated human resources partner to transportation to help us move more effectively through the hiring pipeline. We're also introducing a hubtop pilot program in partnership with
078the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission. This program will serve three specialty schools, Overlook Elementary, MyAngelou French Immersion, and PE Williams Elementary by creating centralized pickup locations at community centers. The goal is to reduce ride times, improve on-time performance, and simplify routing for these programs. the impact that we're proposing for 2526. Looking ahead at next school year, we're projecting several key impacts. We aim to raise our driver fill rate above 90%, reduce the number of days transportation resolution system entries, remain open by 10%, and fully phase in the new parent app. The roll out of the new parent app will begin with special education trips in the first semester, followed by a broader implementation across all routes in the second semester. These actions position us to deliver a more responsive, efficient, and parent centered
079transportation system. With that, we open for any questions. Board member Walker. Oh, that's Brown. Sorry, Brown. That's okay. Thank you so much, Chair Jackson, and thank you so much, transportation team. I feel for you all. Um, I did have a couple of questions. So, of course, because I'm a PGCPS parent and the the app was not necessarily successful app, I don't know, maybe 10 years. you're say you're phasing it out and you're going into a new parent app. What is it? When will it be implemented and what does it actually do? Good question. So, the name of the new parent app is called Chipmunk. It is more user friendly where it would allow the parents to actually more accurately track the bus and our bus drivers going to be equipped on knowing how to use
080the app as well. Is that going to be connected to a device? How are how is that communication going to go through? So right now the app does not necessarily correlate with the bus drivers and the equipment on the bus. There's functions that we will be phasing in to do that to create a more accurate timely effect. So drivers will learn about the app. But as far as the actual application for bus driver knowledge with it, it will not correlate. So when is the implementation? So the implementation will be through the first semester with our special education students. Got it. And that allows us to have a smaller subset target to really work out any kinks that we may have so that second semester we will fully roll that out with everyone else. And do
081you all have a modernization plan for the bus drivers to be able to use? Yes, ma'am. We do. Okay. I just want to make sure because the right hand needs to talk to the left, especially when it comes to the transportation. I also had a question about security. I don't know if we're going to be in charge of that because we're going to be merging in with parks and wreck. What have they discussed about that or have you all had a conversation regarding security over the hub stops? That is correct. Yes. Correct. So, we're still in discussion. Uh right now we are planning stops where the centers are actually open. So, there will be staff there. But essentially the first part of or the first option is a hub stop where parents can be there
082waiting on the bus. Some of those sites also offer extra services as a before and after school care that right now that's an opportunity for parents to take advantage of themselves. Uh but those are the opportunities that we're talking to ensure that number one it's a safe location for our students. um and that we are able to get buses there on a timely manner. Okay. Thank you so much. I just want to make sure that I respect the time. Thank you. All righty. All righty. So, board members, I just want to remind us to keep our comments and responses to 2 minutes and 30 seconds. We got to we got to keep it moving. All right. Um board member Amy. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um like board member Brown, I'm a PGCPS parent. had kids
083on buses for the last decade um across PGCPS. So, like many others, I've been very frustrated with Stopfinder. Um I am curious though, will Stopfinder be available um still in the first semester of the year? Yes, ma'am. Okay. We will still start the year utilizing Stopfinder. Okay, great. So, we'll have something. We'll we'll hope that it works. How is the tech um how is the tech different and or what are we doing differently to ensure that Chipmunk doesn't end up with the same issues that Stopfinder has? And director Baldwin, if you could just speak to the substitution piece, I think that'll help uh right speak to why this is a superior solution. So that's a good point. So right now with the stopfinder app in our reality, we have to assign multiple trips to one
084bus for a tier time. Currently the app cannot correlate the GPS events to say the four individual trips that we have assigned to that bus. So even though you will see that start time on that app, you won't see the bus if there are multiple trips. That's been our deficiency utilizing fully operationally with the Stopfinder app. What the new app will allow through the routing system attached to it is to separate that out. So you will not know but what you see in terms of the bus and your trip coming to your stop. We will still have a sort of form of the geo alerts that are there. But as far as an operational system in the background, much more fluid, much accurate, so that you as the parent facing, you see what you need
085to see. You see that bus, you see it tracking, you see it when you hit the stop. That sounds great. Um, and I just I'll just also commend um the partnerships with MNCPPC to have these hub stops um at um park and wreck buildings. because I think that's a phenomenal idea and I I look forward to supporting that and hopefully growing it. And then I also want to commend the concept of um using vans for you know smaller trips which then allows us more flexibility in hiring because the CDL license is not required. So I just want to commend those two things also and thank you. Thank you so much um board member Olivo. Next up we have board member Briggs, did you just say that? Go ahead and go. All right. Thank you, Chair
086Jackson. Um, I want to say first, thank you, Dr. Coleman and team for the presentation and um, also taking action on the HubSpots. I know that this was something you heard from the community and you've taken um, steps to address that. And so, I think that's that's definitely appreciated. Um I wanted to know really quickly have parents and the community been engaged in any way in the changes that are slated to be implemented and then if you could just briefly discuss how if so. Yes sir. So when we have uh proposed the conversation with the hub stops we talked to u our PCAT we've talked to some of our uh well actually we talked with our parent engagement specialists and talked with them about engaging with their families. uh we created a survey with the
087help of our data monitoring team. We pushed that out to the schools affected uh that we targeted with the hubtop to gather that information uh just so that we have an idea and that's why this pilot hub program. We're labeling it as a pilot because we did want to gather the input from our families to see how it felt. Um and and so we have that information and we're taking that and and making our steps. And in addition to that, board member, we will be continuing those community engagements so we can get real-time feedback as we move through the summer and into the fall. Okay. Thank you for that. And I just want to clarify. So I hear you saying I'm going to move to the next question, but I hear you to be saying
088that maybe you had a targeted question that you were posing to the community. Was there an opportunity for them to share their concerns kind of broadly about I know I've received a lot of calls and emails about various things. I just want to make sure that there was a comprehensive um and robust process with the community. Yes. Through the survey process, parents were able to give feedback um about the Hubtop program that we pushed out and so we have that collected as well. Okay. Thank you. And then the last question is could you elaborate on the steps for aligning with students routes? I know you talked about that happening over the summer. if you could just clarify a bit more what exactly that means. So I think you're speaking to the specialty program coding that
089we talked about the meetings that we're going to have this summer. Yes. So one of the things that we need to verify um that we learned last year are the specialty program codes for students who go to schools that are not their boundary program. Uh and so we work with monitoring and accountability uh as well as each school site to make certain that the spe we will do that this summer to make certain that every specialty program code is verified so that by the time it gets to our transportation scheduling and routing team they can schedule the students more efficiently. Thank you Dr. Coleman uh board member Gen McCann. Thank you, chair and uh Chief Coleman and your entire team for giving us this presentation tonight. Most of my questions have been already asked by
090my fellow board members. I just wanted to ask specifically about the bus planner and how that's going to integrate with Chipmunk and the transition between Stopfinder and Chipmunk. Right. So bus planner is the um operation system that houses chipmunk. They house our GPS system and they will house our routing system. So in the background our team of routers and schedulers will be building the stops, building the routes that then affect the parent app. And so u bus planner again is is the um organization. Yes. And so and so what's important to note is that we will be operating in two routing systems over the course of next year. We are still going to be using Transfinder which partners with Stopfinder. We're still we're going to integrate bus planner that utilizes Chipmunk as the parent app.
091because we are so large and complex, it would be um uh irresponsible for us to make a shift without first working it out uh with a backup as a system. So, we're going to be operating out of both. And that's why the phased approach. So, for clarity, we're going to have both of them, if this uh procurement is approved tonight, we're going to have both of them running simultaneously phasing in to fully having chipmunk operational second semester. That is correct. Most of our families will start the year in stopfinder under transfinder. We are going to move to implement uh bus planner with the chipmunk parent app in the first semester only for our special education students. Make sure that the routing side is is sound. Make sure that the app is working as needed. and
092then we'll integrate the other uh the majority of our families into the new uh routing system and parent app second semester. I know there's limited time. We're really excited about this, but just wanting to make sure that we have a fully robust plan to make sure all parents are notified about this second semester change because that's going to be a huge uh drop off in time for the new system. Absolutely, Dr. Moss. Yeah. Thank you so much. Uh, my first board meet, this is exciting because you probably remember this. My first board meeting, I said Stopfinder stopped finding children a long time ago. Um, so I'm I'm pretty excited about this change taking place because of some of our challenges with Stopfinder. Now, now, now Chipmunk is an interesting name and I hope that this
093app works just as fast as Chipmunk moves. Um, that's the only thing that we can hope, but I do want to underscore the importance of ensuring that we have training sites set up for parents to be able to use this. A number of the emails that I've received just in my short six months on the board have really been about technicalities and I know this is what this effort is to be able to change some of those technical glitches that we are having, but I hope we have a robust plan to do that. The second question I want is is a bit of a quandry for me in that I've got one school who would like to be a pilot uh for this hub and I got another school wondering why am I a pilot
094for this school? Um so uh I'm going to represent both of their interests and could you all talk a bit about the methodology that went into selecting those schools. Um that'll be my first question. Yeah, simply the boundaries of these schools. Um, we have the specialy schools I mentioned have tremendous boundaries that pretty much take up half the county. So, if we're talking about 214 Central Avenue as a medium point, their boundaries go from 214 north to Laurel and 214 South down to Aake. And so, right now, that is a tremendous strain on our transportation system and trying to get those kids to school in a timely manner. So this was one of the thought process to be able to cut down some of the stops so that we can get there in a timely
095manner and get these kids to school on time. Now, now one other question I have in the balance of my time. Uh Park and Planet has way more money than we do uh here in PGCPS. Um are they going to absorb the cost of this and are they going to lace this uh with after school programs for our kids? That is the conversation that we are still having right now. The A part or the B part? They're going to pay for it. Um both. Um, I don't think we've talked about the conversation of payment just yet. Yeah, I really want to push that. I get a tax bill and I got a parking plan and land line item on it. So, I I'd hope they take up some of the cost and help us out
096here. Appreciate you. Thank you. And let me say this. Thank you all so much for your work. I wasn't on the board when they were getting thousands of emails, but my colleagues tell me they have reduced tremendously. So, I just want to thank you all for your leadership and the tremendous work that you all have done to really get us to this place. Uh, I can't say thank you enough. Thank you. Thank you, board member Walker. Yes. Thank you so much. Um, luckily I'm almost last, so you've answered a lot of them, but I really wanted to talk a little bit about training and communication, which are going to be extremely important, especially when we're working in dual systems. So the first I wanted to confirm that there'll be an FAQ about a number of
097things you've talked about uh today including that you're starting with a pilot and the special needs population um with and the reason for that uh which you've explained tonight. But the second piece I wanted to talk about is because you're starting small with the special needs population specifically. I just wanted to double check that you're going to go back and look at the concerns that have been posed just with buses for special needs pickup times. um concerns that's happened that we've gotten and if you could just make sure that that is taken into consideration as you all um do this pilot that'll be amazing. Yes, ma'am. Um I'm thinking all of these are yeses. So just pop in if if none of them are yeses. Okay, it's a yes because that's part of why we
098wanted to start with our special needs most vulnerable populations in this with this improvement. Perfect. Thank you so much. And then I also wanted to talk about hubs. So are will you can you confirm that before the hubs because there are going to be hubs the three that you talked about that you'll have early walks to those just make sure that uh folks are the special needs population that you're going to be working with or wherever the hubs are going to be that you're going to do some prior training to that with the parents of those scholars. Yes, that is our plan. Uh we're still reviewing with safety and security of those sites targeted sites to ensure that there's safe passage uh from the whole gamut. So training is coming um as well. Excellent. Um
099when we did stopfinder, we also had a pilot with some board members just to make sure that we could go through the system and give you all any feedback up front. If we can make sure that we plug that in as well, that'll be super helpful, especially us with that have um parents, that'll be amazing. Um I'll sign up for that already like I did last time. And then the last piece is for this look, we got through all my questions. Uh the last piece is with the the second roll out of the second quarter that we're going to have some training and communication on that as well. Absolutely. Okay, perfect. Yes. Thank you. And FAQs because I still have 21 seconds. You'll go ahead and send those out so we can get it out
100to our communities. Correct. It's going in my next newsletter, so let's just make sure we have those. Thank you so much. Yeah. And one of the added benefits to Chipmunk over Stopfinder is also the fact that parents are no longer going to have to set geo alerts manually. uh it will be automatically built into the system because despite our best efforts, it just was difficult for families to navigate that process. Thank you. All right. Uh moving on to the consent agenda. On behalf of the superintendent, the chair presents the consent agenda items 15.1 through uh 153. Uh seeing that 15.14, 15.15, 15.16, and 15.17 has been moved to general orders for later discussion. Thank you. Board members, would you like to pull any other items for discussion under general orders? Board member Brown, um I'm
101Can you hear me? I'm sorry. Yes. Oh, okay. Just real quick, um item 15.6, the non-resident tuition rates. Um I did see in the in the documents that the price went up. Can somebody kind of discuss that or can we just pull it for Yeah, item needs to be pulled. Hold on one moment. I know that we just had a quick technical glitch. Are we offline? Are we good to go? Yeah, we're going to pause until it gets back online. It's It's a requirement. We back. We're back. We're back. Everybody spin. Spin. Board members, would you like to pull any of the item other items for the discussion of the general orders? Okay. Um with if there is no objection, the consent agenda items 15.1 through 15.13 will be adopted. All right, the motion carries.
102All right, now moving on to unfinished business. There's no unfinished business. Now moving to 17.0 know to recognize the items that we pulled from the consent agenda. Um if there is no objection, I would like to actually what was so going to be recording at the same time and we consulted with legal counsel um and they said it's okay to proceed as long as we record and it can be posted afterwards due to the technological difficulties. So, um, we're in good standings, um, according to our legal teams, both from the administrative side and also from, uh, the board of education side. We're just one PGCPS. And so, uh, with that being said, without objection, just because of the technological difficulties, I I was hoping that we can move, uh, item 15, um, 17, uh, to
103the top just so we can make sure we get it done before, um, any other technological uh, difficulties happen. Is there any objection? Yeah, that's the interim contract. We're We're going to Yeah, we're going to do Yep. You want to make the motion? Go for it. I'm ready. Um, Mr. Chair, I on item 15.17, the interim superintendent contract. I moved at this time for approval of the interim superintendent contract for Dr. Sean Joseph. Be be moved to the front. We going we still going to present it. We just moved it to the front. Yeah. Okay. Move it to the front. Is there any objection? No. Okay. We'll move 15.17 um to the first item on the general orders list. So, the chair recognizes Dr. Coleman um to present. I'm sorry, Mr. Horn. Excuse me. Uh
104thank you, Mr. Mr. Chair. Uh just want to point out that um the I understand from the board members that they've received some comments about the process that took place with the interim superintendent. I wanted to point out that um this situation is uh set forth in the Maryland Education Annotated Code section 4-201.1 which discusses the process that takes place uh when you have a vacancy uh in the superintendent's position. And in that particular case, as we've had here, we had the county executive make a recommendation and the board to vote on the superintendent uh in an interim position uh as set forth by the statute. Uh as um this the statute says the uh appointment must be uh confirmed by the state superintendent and the appointment the interim contemplates the appointment through July 1st
105and then from July 1st through June 30th of 2026. Uh there was a uh contract that was proposed and and uh the board has the ability to vote on that to support or not support the contract. Thank you so much um Arthur Horn. And so what I did what I did want to add is um a bit of context around you know um the way we were moving um so fast. So uh between the separation of the previous superintendent and the end of the school year um I think it was like about eight days roughly eight days or so. And so um we didn't have a a superintendent in place, a interim superintendent in place. So um Dr. Coleman as the chief operating officer, the highest ranking official um or cabinet member in PGCPS has
106led the charge on day-to-day operations. So there was no interim superintendent in place. Um so tonight um what we had to do is um get a contract in place um that can essentially bridge the gap between now today in the 30th because of the fiscal um we need signatures for um different um financial documents and different um um you know documentation that need uh authority um from the superintendent. So, we need a superintendent in place from today until the 30th that can sign all of the documentation um needing that signature. Um and then we also need a contract which the same contract was the addendum. So, we need the primary contract to be able to take care of from July 1st until June 30th of 2026. Um so, I just wanted to make that clear.
107And then I also wanted to uh talk to uh allow Dr. Coleman to speak as well. Yeah. Thank you, board chair Jackson. And just to that point, around that period, while we do not have an interim superintendent, uh there is a significant and growing operational impact uh to our school district uh during this intermediate period. Uh this absence impedes our staff from exercising the fiscal authority needed to move critical work forward. Uh as a few examples, this impact extends to our ability to execute purch purchase requisitions and contracts to support critically important capital improvement projects and transportation improvements that we just spoke of. This impact also extends to approvals needed for the school system budget and finances just for a few examples. Thank you so much, Dr. Coleman. Um board members, do we have any
108questions? All righty. Um, Dr. Moss. Yeah, I I I do want to clarify uh for the for the public what we're voting on here. Um, and and you can correct me, Mr. Chair. Uh, but what we are voting on now is the contract. The board has already voted to appoint uh the superintendent as the interim superintendent in the 4-day phase between now and the 31st. and the board has already voted to um appoint the superintendent for a year. This this scope and this vote um for the rest of tonight is relative to the interim superintendent's contract. Is that is that correct? I just want to make sure the public is clear about Absolutely. Thank you. Thank you. Number two, board member Boozer. Yeah. Thank you so much, Chair. Um, I'm going to speak to why
109I'll be abstaining from this vote for the interim superintendent contract for the next year. My vote will not be a yes or no because this is not solely about the person named in the contract. The voters elected this board to make important policy and budget decisions for the school system and provide oversight of the superintendent. And in this moment, many stakeholders are now learning that the state lawmakers did not return this traditional role of the hiring of a superintendent or interim superintendent to this selected board when the appointed elected hybrid structure was ended on July 1st, 2024, essentially keeping the political power dysfunction intact. and many of our stakeholders are left worried that these politics will continue to impact their children in PGCPS. Once the board passes a motion for the hiring of an interim
110superintendent for a full year, only we, the board, are held accountable. There has not been an inclusive vetting process for this candidate since the county executive executive introduced him to the public. The board has not met officially to discuss important questions such as our philosophy of the role of an interim during this next school year. The board did not consider choices for the interim because this decision was made before we could even get started. And this decision was made for the students, staff, and parents who were denied input. And I would wanted to say that the selected board had an opportunity to stand for good governance and not pass this motion tonight. But I would be asking my colleagues to also no not look at the good governance decisions put upon us in the short
111timeline that Dr. Coleman has noted about operations and contracts. So the people of the county expect democratic practices from their elected school board members and that is the vote. I am I that is why I'm voting this way this evening because this has not been democratic. So thank you. Thank you board member Boozer Strers. Um, I do want to um make mention that we did do um a background investigation and a financial analysis um on uh Dr. Sean Joseph which um our legal team um has a documentation and everything came back um clear. Um so we did do our due diligence as far as like um you know his um integrity and standing with financial um and his uh background history. Uh so next I do want to uh recognize board member Brown. Thank you
112so much Chair Jackson. Um I too along with my colleague board member Pamela Boozer Strers will be abstaining from this vote. Um I do think that Dr. Sean Joseph is a wonderful candidate. I think he's actually a wonderful person. Um however the decision was made when the county executive was in the elect position um and protocol was not followed. Um I am huge when it comes to protocol and policy. Um and so that was a concern for me. The other concern for me as well is that I just received his contract today. Um and so I have not been able to have a thorough reading um of what exactly he is asking for. though it may be similar to the previous superintendent, because I am a new uh person of the board, I need to
113be able to read and speak to my constituents on that. Um, and so I am not confident to vote and so I will be abstaining. Thank you. Board member Walker, I will not be abstaining tonight. I will be voting. Um, I think it's imperative and I know that District 9 expects me to vote a yes or a no. Um, we did just get the contract today. I have had the opportunity to go through through the contract. Um, what I will say is that our legal counsel has had the opportunity to present um his findings of um the key critical areas of the contract, key critical criteria of the contract and what those things mean. And what I will note is that we are in a situation as a board, let me just talk about me
114for district 9 specifically. I'm in a situation as a board member where I know from our chief operating officer that we are at a standstill for a number of contracts and that does not behoove our children or our scholars. When I take a look at my vote on this board, it is really because our scholars are at the forefront, not politics. And I think that we can fight the politics on the back end, but what we do need is somebody inside of this seat, somebody inside of this seat now, and the process to begin for a full-time and a full-term superintendent. And so, as I vote tonight, it'll be because I see the future for our children. I think accountability needs to be had inside of this seat, but there's a lot that is on
115the the table for us for contracts that's not being signed, for things that's not being moved, and that needs to happen now. Now how we hold him accountable inside of that role I think is up to each and every one of us. The year contract um there were a number of questions that were asked by board members and I thank each of the board members for having this amazing um conversation but what I will say is that um it is imperative in my estimation that we continue to move forward for our scholars the betterment of that hold somebody accountable inside of the role and keep on moving for our scholars. That's so important. Um meanwhile, we need to ensure that we are following our processes and where we're not to check ourselves because that means
116that our processes need to be um governed um accordingly. [Music] Did I miss any other board members for the first round? Because I have a second round. Okay. Uh Dr. Moss. Yeah. Uh thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, as I preface my previous question to move to the vote, um, I strongly stand in support of the opportunity to name Dr. Shawn Joseph, interim superintendent. As someone who has been a teacher and a school principal, when I look at the work this gentleman has done to move math and reading scores, I think that's what we need at this time in our school district. Uh, one other nuance I wanted to talk about of of what we face in terms of the law. Um, Maryland state law does not allow you to negotiate a superintendent contract subsequent to
117July 1. And so there is there is a a weave here that we have to do. Um and the second thing I want to line out, there are two code sections in the law. One speaks to what happens when you are preparing to hire a superintendent for four years. One speaks to when you are filling an interim vacancy. Those processes are not similar. When you are hiring a superintendent for four years, you are expected by the law to go through a full process where you elect, you have a committee of three individuals. I believe the county exec has laid out she intends to follow that process and should she not it's up to the people to hold her accountable to follow the law. But in this process, the relevant code section says that what the
118county executive is expected to do is appoint an interim. Um and that is what we're doing today. Uh we're voting on a one-year contract. And so with the balance of my time, I call previous question to the vote on this item. [Music] Miss Barton, please call the role. Miss Boozer abstain. Mr. Briggs I Mrs. Brown abstain. Miss Goen McCants I Dr. Moss. I Miss Olivo. I Miss Walker. I Mr. Jackson. I. We have six in the affirmative and two abstensions. Motion carries. Moving on to item 14.14. The chairman recognizes Dr. Coleman to present the consent agenda item 14.14 for approval. No, no, no. This is the uh renewal recommendation for the following public charter schools at College Park Academy. 15.14 Dr. E. Coleman. Did we did we separate them out or we wanted to put
119them all lump them all together? I thought we'd separated them, but certainly board chair uh we can we can just move forward because I have them here separated as 15.14 then I have 15.15 and then 15.16. Yeah. So board chair, items 15.1 through 15.17 require board approval. Items 15.9, 15.14, 15.15, 15.16, and 15.17 have been pulled for separate discussion. So what do we So we move to approve these items. Uh 15.1 school-based health centers. Okay. Thank you. No, no, no, no, no, no. Point of order, point of clarity. So, we approved the 15.1 through 15.13. So, now we're hold on two. Yeah. Minus 9. So, now we're uh talking about 15.14, the renewal recommendation of the following public charter school for College Park Academy. Um we're talking about the renewal renewal recommendation for CMIT uh
120Northeast MS and High School and then we are doing the renewal of Legends public charter. So we pulled them all as separate items. Thank you. I move to approve items 15.14 renewal recommendations for the following public charter schools. College Park Academy 15.15. Renewal recommendations for the following public charter schools. CMIT North, CMIT Ele uh Elementary North Elementary School, Elementary uh excuse me, CMIT Middle School and CMIT North High School. 15.16 Renewal recommendations for the following public charter schools, Legends Public Charter School. Right. Thank you, board members. Are is there any discussion? So, how is there no discussion and y'all pulled them from general orders? All right, without objection. You do have a Yeah, those are the charter schools. Thank you so much. Sorry about that. Board member Walker. Yes, I did pull the charter schools
121because I was hoping that our charter school There you are. Thank you. I was hoping that you could just share two and a half minutes on or the remainder of my time on um the the next steps you all are doing for improvements inside of the charter school area. Thank you. Sorry about that. Thank you, board member Walker. Um yes. So um one of the things we are looking to have happen in support of renewals next um upcoming school year is to start earlier so that we have a longer runway um in support of the renewal process. So whereas this um we're looking to begin in as early as September of 2025 school year. Thank you. There was just a number of questions that I know that I've come um through with from charter schools
122uh even some that are going to be renewed tonight uh for discussion and I just think it's important for you to be able to have time to talk about uh some of the wins that you're going to or improvements you're going to make. Um you named about three of them for us. So maybe you can just talk to those two as a over the additional two as an overview. Not to put you on the spot or anything. Thank you. Yes. So, one of the things that I highlighted here is developing a renewal framework. So, we are looking to launch a multi-year process that allows us to um work in a collaborative fashion across all stakeholder groups um in support of the renewal um process. The second thing we're looking to have happen is um embracing
123an opportunity for learning. So, we're looking to partner with the National Learning and Professional Development Organization on behalf of improvements across the the our district and our charter school office. A third thing we're looking to do, we think that we have um um started this work in reference to communicating and collaborating um across not just the charter school office with our operators, but across our district. We're looking to um build around build on the cadence uh with operate operators, school leaders, and internal teams. One of one of the other things we're looking to have happen is to strengthen our cross district partnerships. And lastly, we which is very important, we're looking to realign our renewal and new charter school application timelines. [Music] Thank you. Are there any more questions? Dr. Moss, just call previous question
124on this item. We're going to take the vote. The question is, should the Prince George's County Board of Education adopt the agenda items 154 through 15.16? Miss Barton, please take the role. Take the vote. Miss Buzza Stre. Mr. Briggs. I Mrs. Brown. I Miss Goen McCantsz. I Mr. Jongo. I Dr. Moss. I Miss Olivo. I Miss Walker. I Mr. Jackson. I. We have nine in the affirmative. [Applause] All right. 15.9, the adoption of the FY 2026 board of education approved operating budget. Okay. Um, board member Zakia wants me. Thank you so much. Uh, Chair Jackson and um there was a very very long road to get here tonight and I know there has been a lot of back and forth, a lot of stress. Um, I want to make sure that I am extending a
125heartfelt thank you to our excuse me, a heartfelt thank you uh to you, Chief Howell, for all of the things. I know we haven't always seen eye to eye. I know we've had some very uh tense uh board meetings. Um but thank you so much for all of the hard work that you and your team have put into making sure that we had this here tonight, all of the overtime that you all put in. Um fully understanding all of the issues that you all had in terms of our infrastructure. So I want to make sure publicly that we as a board are thanking you for all of that hard work, all of the extra hours. Um given that uh chair, I would like to move that we approve our fisc year 206 budget. Thank you.
126Um with no object, no objection discussion. So I Yeah. So I think we got a couple of lights on. We can't do no objections. So uh uh if there's any discussion, um let's have it now. So, uh, board member Boo Strers, thank you so much. Um, I always think of this moment of the passage of the budget is absolutely defining of who we are, who our what our values are and um, presenting that to the public after this process. I I definitely want to give a shout out to our colleague Goins McCanns for chairing this process. Your first year on the board, not even a full year to uh, lead us as you did. um uh grateful for the time that you put in it because it was extremely difficult this year as we all
127went to Annapolis to essentially fend off massive cuts in SB529 that um were a broken promise by our state legislature. Um and then through our collective efforts and around the state uh we we stopped the worst of that bill. But we haven't stopped it for the next couple years. And that work continues. Uh Chief How, you of course had to weather that that same difficulty. And through this process, we we've seen and heard you very clearly that these aging infrastructure resources to manage a budget that's basically grown over about a billion dollars since I've been on this board that we didn't keep pace. And so our commitment to you to solve those those issues. Um but you know again our our work is not done. The legislative session must be able to cover uh increases
128in our budget. Those final increases will be known later when there is a contract with PGCEA and we have to show up together to uh ensure that our teachers uh get what they deserve. Thank you. Board member Brown. Yes. Thank you so much, Chair Jackson. Uh, I had a question. Uh, do we not receive any federal funding? I just want clarity on that. Yes, we do receive federal funding. We have quite a few um entitlement grants. Um, obviously our budget is going through changes um as we move into fiscal year 26. So, our funding levels are going down on a federal basis. And then of course we have the runoff or the expiring of our CO relief grants. But we do have federal funding. So the federal funding, if I'm reading this chart right, it
129went down over $4 million. Um that's one component. We had quite a few decreases in federal funding uh in excess of $4 million. And what type of federal funding did we did we actually receive? just a well whether it's grants whether it's you know we receive very little unrestricted federal funding the majority of our federal funding is tied to restricted funds to our grants so all of our entitlement grants title one through title 4 um we have our special education grants um which are p and much of the federal funding that we do receive is passed through to the state down to us but we do receive a substantial amount of federal funding okay excellent and And for hypothetically speaking, in the event our restricted funds are not being able to cover things like special
130education, the blueprint, are we going to be liberal in using our unrestricted funds to cover that? Well, we do have a substantial amount of our unrestricted budget that also covers special education as well. So the the grant funding that we do have is very specific to our specific needs and specific allowable activities and costs. And so that is what is typically covered on those grants. But a substantial portion of our unrestricted budget also covers various activities and resources and operations of the district as well. And have we received a reconciled budget yet? We have received the approved budget from the county which was transmitted back to us at the beginning of June and we have then reconciled the budget that's before you today with the budget that was submitted by the county. And that's what
131you see in the reconciliation section of the board action summary that sort of outlines where we were in the requested budget and where we are now in the appro uh approved budget. Okay. Thank you so much. Hopefully soon approved budget. Thank you, board member Walker. Thank you so much. Um board members, I still remain um concerned at the um board positions that's was moved with amendments. Um particularly because it is a very difficult time um fiscally of what we're hearing right now. Um, and I just think that we should really challenge ourselves to look at where we're spending our money inside of this budget. Um, also we see that blueprint dollars have gone down, if I'm reading this correctly, $3.6 million reduction in the local share of blueprint funding for foundation. We can go on
132and on. I know that we have a number of things that we're looking at. the council has already sent it to us. But what might be value added and thank you for giving us this summary really is to see the breakdown of where some of our costs are, whether it's the board office or other areas where we can also um assist. And I say this only because I haven't seen a total reconciled budget as of yet. I do see this, which I can make some determinations on tonight and I will, but I just want to encourage board members to really think about um the money that we're spending, especially when we know that um we also are hearing from our teachers and contracts and where other money can be um filtered throughout our our little
133budget that we do have. Thank you. Is that number eight? Is that is that you Amy or Robin? Okay, so round two I guess is Dr. Moss. I think this is round one still. Okay. Okay. Um I I won't have a round two though. Um so I I do want to we've acknowledged Chief Howal. um and I've gotten on her nerves um about this asking all my questions, but I believe if Miss Hal had a moment to talk, she would also recognize Siobhan, who is her um sidekick in all of this. And so, I want to make sure we honor and recognize you for your work. Um these folks, I sent an email on Friday and they somehow responded on Saturday and we're at a meeting on Monday to help parents in district 7 understand
134the budget. Um and stayed up late hours. I literally asked Miss Hal, "Are are you not ready to go to sleep now?" Um, when I walked over a few minutes ago. So, um, we have really good folks who are doing hard work to make sure our budget is there. But I also be remissed if I didn't, um, talk about the fact that this budget was built, um, under some updated revenue assumptions that went in the opposite direction. Um, we expected the county the county reduced $6.5 million in our contribution um for three major entities in PGCPS and the county said they were not going to fund that which means we have to take those dollars from other places to do this work. One being the office of integrity and compliance, the office of sustainability and
135resilience and um the maintenance share of our retention fund. So I mean we did lose money and so we did have to tighten um our belts. We lost 3.6 million uh in local share for blueprint funding as it relates to the foundation. As one of my colleagues shared with you, we were in Annapolis. Um I'd also be a bad board member if I didn't tell you that if you just read the local newspaper, we're seeing huge revenue declines in the state and the state is having to make hard choices. And so we will need to be on the front lines come next year to defend um our state revenue. And so, while we're excited tonight that we're putting forth a $3 million budget and we didn't have to lay people off and do any of
136that work because these folks did the hard work of finding cuts inside of the district, um if we're not advocates uh for funding and to protect and defend the blueprint, um then we may be in a different place next year. And so, I would encourage you, we have elections coming up, um hold folks accountable uh for supporting our school system, our public school system. And then finally, um I I must do this. I I've made a commitment to do it to the former chair of this board. Um, no matter what anybody tells you, Prince George's County doesn't get 62% of the county's budget. Uh, we in fact get 51% and if you do the math a little bit more, we actually get 48% because it goes to the community college and other education initiatives. So,
137we do not get 62% of the county's budget, but we are happy for the 48% um that we get. Uh, thank you again, and I'm excited about this budget and um, my colleagues, I hope we'll we'll pass it unanimously. All right. Miss Barton, please call the vote. Miss Boozer Shrether. I. Mr. Briggs. I Mrs. Brown. I Miss Goen McC I Mr. Jong Go. I Dr. Moss. I Mr. Olivo. I Miss Walker. I Mr. Jackson. I He have nine eyes. Motion carries. [Applause] Great work. All right. Uh, moving on to new business. Uh, the chair recognizes board member Jongo. Okay. Okay. Um, I I I do want to acknowledge the time. It is 10:15 p.m. And I, you know, I'm going to make this quick because I do kind of have like a couple. Um, of
138course, I want to, you know, acknowledge again that, you know, the class of 2025 is the biggest graduating class in the US with 3.9 million graduates. So, I just want to first say that, you know, we also had a really great amount of graduates here in Patrones County. One thing that I did, um, get a lot of concerns about was the, um, commencement tickets for our students. Um, you know, there was about, um, we get six this year. So, wait, I was trying to say we do we might get six, but you know, since I graduated, we did get six. Um, and I do want um to you know make sure that our students have everybody at the table with them um that you know to help them in their um careers um as students.
139So with that being said, I move that the board of education or PGCPS increase the number of um tickets provided to each student for PGCPS commencement ceremonies from 6 to 10. Thank you. Um, well, well, I appreciate that uh motion. I'm sorry. Did you was that does that conclude your comment? Yeah. Okay. Well, I while I appreciate that motion because it wasn't on agenda, I can't add it to the new business section. But what I will do is note it for the next upcoming agenda and we will definitely get it done and we will let everybody know that was because of our smile Jamal John Go. We going to put it out there. Yeah. If that's the case, um, am I able to say the um, go ahead. Say say all of them. I'm just
140going to say all of them right now. Put it on the record. So, um I also um move that the board of education amend um board policy 9271, which is the student member of the board to include language granting the student member of the board the opportunity to deliver remarks at the Prince George's County Public Schools systemwide commencement ceremonies. Um our student, you know, student member board works really hard, not just me, but the people past and the ones in the future. So, I do want to give them the chance to be able to um express their remarks to their um graduating class. Um shoot. Okay. Um next one. Um this is a little bit more I guess you could say I just want I want to be able to see the most I want
141our students to leave this county with the most um amount of knowledge and opportunities that they could get while they're here. So, um, with that being said, I move that the board of education, um, or the superintendent's office to conduct a comprehensive review of the current grading system to explore potential improvements and adjustments. you know, I don't want I don't want our students just to grad. Of course, I want them to graduate, but I want them to, you know, leave here with um you know, just learning with the most amount of experience that they can get because I I we do learn a lot here and it's a lot that I will be taking with me to college. So, I know that I want our our students to really truly be able to, you know,
142um get the most experience out of that. And then the last thing is that um it's about our internet filteration system. Um personally um you know of course I you know as a student I get to see both sides of content keeper as a staff and a student. Um, of course, you know, there's a difference and there's supposed to be a difference, but, um, I definitely have heard a lot of concerns about a lot of really great educational sites, um, be blocked and, you know, it I don't want to say it's a long process to get them unblocked, but it's definitely something that, um, you know, I think that, um, as a county or as a board of education, we can be able to, you know, kind of push um, a better filtration system into
143it so that we're able to you know not put too much um stress on the IT department giving them a lot of um you know requests to um to unblock sites to you know go through sites again. So again I move that the board of education start looking for a more modern and effective internet flueration system for PGCPS with appropriate safeguards to support both students and instructional access. And that's it for my new business. [Applause] All right. All right. Um, I do want to recognize board member um, Walker. Thank you so much. And this will be short for the folks that are still here. Um, because I was unable to make the last executive board meeting just during the scheduling, I did want to recognize and thank Mr. House. I don't even know if he's
144watching tonight, but really just thank him for his tireless work as superintendent of PGCPS. Um, there we've had wins, collaborations, impact, and openness. and I just wanted to take the opportunity to publicly say thank you if you're watching um for the work that you did do for Prince George's County Public Schools and your um imprint uh will continue to be here in Prince George's County. So, thank you so much. Thank you, board member Walker. [Applause] We want to thank you all for joining us tonight for tonight's meeting. To our online viewers, if you can see us still, I don't know. Thank you for watching. On behalf of the board, have a great summer. There being no further business, the time is now 10:20. Um, and the June 26, well, we've been getting out at 9:00
145for most of the year. So, I mean, we were long overdue for the last meeting. So, excuse me, chair. June 20, excuse me. I'm sorry. Did Mr. Junko have a motion on the floor? No. Yeah. What? But it couldn't. Yes. We going to put it on the agenda for next time because it wasn't new business. Thank you. Okay. And June 26, 2025, Prince George's County Board of Education meeting is adjourned. Thank you.