2026 May BoardNotes

Caroline County Board of Education meetings are livestreamed and may also be viewed after the meeting has concluded. For information about the Board of Education, including agendas and meeting schedules, please visit the Leadership page of our website.

Ridgely Elementary School students opened the meeting by leading the audience in the Pledge of
Allegiance.

The Board approved the agenda for the meeting.

At the start of each meeting, the board of education president reads the Mission Statement, "In partnership with families and community, we prepare all students to achieve college, career, and life readiness through a challenging and progressive educational experience."

Jeffrey Lin from Colonel Richardson High School reported on activities from his school and CRHS feeder schools. North Caroline High School Representative Kadeen Belle reported on activities from North Caroline High School and the feeder schools.

Student Representative Reports

In the Consent Agenda, the Board approved:

• Personnel items as presented by Dr. Robert Willoughby, Director of Administrative Services
• The minutes from the most recent board of education meetings

Also in the Consent Agenda, the Board approved the Apple Inc. Education for Caroline County Public Schools' device replacement plan.

This Apple proposal supports the district’s device replacement plan by completing staff

laptop refreshes, providing instructional assistants with needed classroom technology, and replacing

aging desktop computers with cost-effective Mac Mini desktops.

Competitive, formal bidding is not required for this purchase. Apple Inc. supports K-12 procurement

procedures through their membership with University System of Maryland/Maryland Education

Enterprise Consortium (MEEC). MEEC is a participating state cooperative member of OMNIA.

Consent Agenda - Apple Inc. Education .docx.pdf

The Board approved the Superintendent's recommendation of Brittany Baker as Supervisor of Instruction for Mathematics.

The Board approved the adoption of the book The Business of You, co-authored by Dr. Marnie Stockman and Nick Coniglio, as a text for all students taking the required financial literacy course. The book was reviewed by students, parents, teachers, and administrators during a public preview period in spring 2026 before being brought before the Board.

The Board voted to amend the 2026–2027 school calendar to specify the designated inclement weather make-up days to align with the Maryland State Board of Education’s Resolution 26-01 adopted on March 24, 2026.

Resolution 26-01 from Maryland State Board of Education provides updated guidance on how school systems must schedule and apply inclement weather days. The existing calendar includes three make-up days at the end of the school year. Should additional days be required, the district will utilize February 15 (President’s Day, March 8 (a full professional development day), and March 25 (the first day of spring break) as the next designated make-up dates.

2026-2027 FINAL Calendar.pdf

XI.110.20 Complaints Concerning Federally Funded Programs

III.33.20 Graduation Exercises

X.100.10 Senior High School Interscholastic Athletics

District instructional staff, the District College and Career Planning Committee, school administrators, CCPS mathematics teachers, math coaches, and parents participated in discussions regarding the addition of Data Science to the course catalog. Given the minimal cost, no impact to staffing or scheduling, and expanded opportunities for students to meet CCR expectations, offering Data Science is a strategic and beneficial addition to the CCPS academic program.

Data Science Course

Data Science Presentation

The Board approved the CCPS Prolonged State of Emergency Plan.

In response to prolonged interruptions in in-person instruction, Caroline County Public Schools has crafted a Prolonged State of Emergency Plan in accordance with Senate Bill 610. This comprehensive plan includes various components essential for ensuring the continuity of education and support services during extended school closures. It includes strategies to maintain adequate staffing levels and deploy resources effectively, implement a structured framework for delivering high-quality remote instruction, conduct ongoing student assessments and provide targeted learning support, and address the social and emotional well-being of students. In addition this plan includes strategies to establish clear communication channels with the community, ensure access to necessary technology resources, continue essential nutritional and health services, and develop a phased approach for the safe return to in-person instruction when feasible. This document serves as a roadmap for navigating the complexities of managing education during prolonged state emergencies, prioritizing student learning, well-being, and community resilience.

Prolonged State of Emergency Virtual Plan 2026

April 2026 Finance Report

Dr. Simmons discussed Staff Appreciation Week activities throughout the district.

Superintendent Report - May 2026

Ms. Wayman shared that she attended the NCHS Unity Fair, noting that it had grown since last year, with a huge number of community members.

Ms. Johnson reported on attending the Rhythm of the Ridge Induction and particularly enjoyed the students speaking about the importance of the program. She also enjoyed visiting DES with Dr. Simmons and seeing all the good things going on.

Ms. Bartz appreciated the opportunity to attend the NSBA Conference and take advantage of beneficial workshops, especially on the topic of AI. She also attended the NCHS Unity Fair and the Community Schools Business Partner Meeting.

Mr. Plutschak shared that he attended PES Springfest, which had excellent attendance by the community.

The Board approved the Lexia Core 5 Contract Renewal.

Core 5 by Lexia is a Tier II/III online supplemental reading intervention program for students in K-5. Core 5 is in alignment with the Science of Reading and with the LETRS training received by Caroline County teachers. In addition to the instructional program for students, training is also included in this purchase as well as year long coaching for all elementary schools. The Core 5 program is created by and solely available via Lexia as they are the sole proprietor. This tier II/III reading intervention program will be offered in CCPS for K-5 students who require intensive support in learning decoding and encoding.

Contract Renewal: Lexia Core5

Caroline County - Core5 Renewal

Supervisor of Special Education Erica McDonald presented the Annual Special Education Staffing Plan.

Ms. McDonald highlighted positive accomplishments from the current schools year which included strengthening instruction and support for students with disabilities, professional development and coaching which built staff capacity, improved collaboration across the district, and enhanced engagement and support systems for families.

For the coming school year, Ms. McDonald outlined three areas in which to build on current progress: Instruction and student outcomes, professional learning and staff capacity, and systems and compliance.