The Board of Education of Anne Arundel County will take its first in-person public testimony in 14 months when it holds a pair of meetings next week.
The Board has scheduled a special session for 3 p.m. on Monday, May 17, 2021, at which it will discuss the impact of recent executive orders announced by Gov. Larry Hogan and County Executive Steuart Pittman on the school system’s ability to bring additional students into buildings for instruction and on virtual and hybrid students. The Board will then hold its regularly scheduled meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 19, 2021.
Both meetings will be held in the Board Room of the Parham Building. Public attendance will be limited only to those offering public comment to the Board. Everyone attending the Board meeting must wear a mask.
“This is the next incremental step in our Board’s return to normalcy and I am pleased that we are in a place where we can hear directly from members of the public as they stand before us,” said Board President Melissa Ellis.
At the May 19 meeting, the Board will, among other items, hear a presentation about the role of Community Ambassadors in the school system and vote on more than $36 million in contracts related to the construction of the new Rippling Woods Elementary School.
PROCESS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS
The Board will hear in-person public comment on agenda items from up to 10 speakers per agenda item during a single section in the early portion of each meeting, prior to Board discussion of those items. No virtual testimony will be taken.
The link to register to deliver in-person testimony at the May 17, 2021, meeting will be posted online here at noon on Sunday, May 16, 2021.
The link to register to deliver in-person testimony at the May 19, 2021, meeting will be posted online here at 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 16, 2021.
Those wishing to provide in-person testimony must register, space permitting, through that link. In order to allow for a maximum diversity of those who wish to comment, the Board will allocate speakers by their first choice of agenda item on a first-come, first-served basis until available slots are filled. Should additional spots remain open, speakers will be allocated their second choice, again on a first-come, first-served basis. Speakers may sign up to comment on no more than two agenda items.
Speakers who secure a slot to speak will be notified by email at the email address they provide when they register. All speakers will be allotted 2 minutes Registration will be open through 5 p.m. on the evening before a Board meeting or until all spaces are allocated.
Written comments on agenda items can be submitted through an online form that can be found here beginning at 5 p.m. on the Sunday prior to a Board meeting. Written comments must be no more than 250 words and must be submitted by noon on the day prior to a Board meeting. In the case of the May 17, 2021, meeting, they must be submitted by noon on the day of the meeting. Comments can also be dropped off at the Parham Building, located at 2644 Riva Road in Annapolis, by that time.
Comments on non-agenda items are only accepted in writing.
The complete process for registering to speak and submitting testimony in writing can be found here.
Those who require the services of an interpreter to offer comment to the Board should call 410-222-5311 to make those arrangements after receiving confirmation of an opportunity to speak at the meeting.
On May 19, 2021, the Board will also meet in a public session at 4 p.m. for the sole purpose of voting to immediately go into closed session, during which time it will discuss confidential matters as permitted by the Maryland Open Meetings Act including, but not limited to, legal advice, personnel, and negotiations. Closed session is not open to the public.
The public may listen to the open portion of the meeting, including the vote to go into closed session, by calling (605) 468-8781 and entering access code 685333 followed by the pound/hashtag symbol.
The public portion of the meeting will resume at 6 p.m.
A complete agenda for both meetings accompanies this news release. More information on agenda items will be posted on the AACPS website in the Board Docs section under the Board of Education tab.
The general session of both Board meetings will be broadcast live on AACPS-TV, which can be found on Channel 96 on Comcast and Broadstripe, and Channel 36 on Verizon. High definition broadcasts can be seen on Channel 996 on Comcast, Channel 496 on Broadstripe, and Channel 1961 on Verizon.
The meeting can also be viewed live on AACPS’ YouTube channel.
Archived videos of Board meetings can be found online here.
Board of Education Meeting Agenda, 5/17/21
Board of Education Meeting Agenda, 5/19/21
UPCOMING COMMITTEE MEETINGS
The Board of Education’s committees will hold upcoming virtual meetings according to the following schedule. The meetings will not be broadcast, but those wishing to listen to the meetings can access them through the codes listed below.
- Budget Committee: 3:30 p.m., May 18, 2021. Call 301-960-3676, enter the Conference ID 697143628#.
- Equity Committee: 11 a.m., May 26, 2021. Call 301-960-3676, enter the Conference ID 784427113#.
- Policy Committee: 3:30 p.m. June 1, 2021. Call 301-960-3676, enter the Conference ID 770968891#.
BOARD ETHICS PANEL TO MEET
The Board of Education Ethics Panel will meet at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, May 24, 2021, at the Parham Building, located at 2644 Riva Road in Annapolis.
The duties of the ethics panel include devising, receiving, and maintaining all ethics forms generated by school system regulations; providing advisory opinions on ethics matters; making determinations as to complaints filed by any person alleging violations of regulations; referring findings regarding complaints and other enforcement matters to the Board for action; and conducting an information program regarding the purposes and application of regulations.