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.

Members of the Denton Elementary School Student Gifted and Talented group opened the meeting by leading the Pledge of Allegiance. The students were also accompanied by Principal Sarah Crebs and Teacher Katie Tribbitt.

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."

Board Member Michele Wayman was sworn in to a four year term on the Board, having been re-appointed by Gov. Moore.

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The NCHS Boys and Girls Tennis teams were recognized for being the 2023 Bayside Champions.

NCHS Athletic Director Nash Ireland was recognized by the Board for being awarded Athletic Director of the Year for District 8 by the Maryland Public Schools Secondary Athletic Association (MPSAA).

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Superintendent Dr. Simmons introduced the Student Board Representatives for the 2023-2024 school year:

• Levi Divijak, Colonel Richardson High School
• Leslie Monter-Casio, North Caroline High School

Ms. Monter-Casio was recognized for her service during the 2022-2023 school year, and welcomed back for a second year.

The Board recognized Greensboro Elementary School (GES) for earning the 2023 Green School Award. Over the past two years, GES has demonstrated and documented a continuous effort to integrate sustainable environmental management practices, environmental education curriculum, professional development opportunities, and community engagement into the daily operations. This award signifies that GES has made a commitment to developing stewards of the earth and reducing the environmental impact of the school.

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The Board recognized all five elementary Media Specialists for achieving the CS100 Award for their schools. This award recognizes elementary schools nationwide that commit to teaching at least ten hours of computer science to every K-5 student in the 2023-2024 school year. Out of 146 schools nationwide, all 5 of our elementary schools won for excellence in computer science education.

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The Board recognized North Caroline High School teacher Mirta Valdes-Bradner as the recipient of the 2023 Minority Recognition Award from the Maryland State Educators Association (MSEA).

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Board Member Reports

• Mrs. Wayman enjoyed being guest speaker at CRHS graduation, and was excited to see the graduates move to the next chapter. She also commented that the fact that 100% of the class graduated was truly exceptional.
• Mr. Plutschak highlighted the CRMS band and chorus concert and stated that every year they keep getting better and better.
• Mrs. DiGiacomo thanked all teachers, staff members, family and friends that encouraged the class of 2023. She said she is grateful and thankful for all the teachers who stayed with CCPS through the past few years.
• Mr. Barton highlighted the CRHS Arts and Academic Showcase. He said it was a great show with amazing talent on display. He had to vote on his favorite piece, which he said not easy to do. He also appreciated the interaction of students supporting each other during the event.

Superintendent's Report

Dr. Simmons expressed his appreciation for the efforts involved in both graduations. He said, "It took the hard work of students, every staff member in the building, every parent or grandparent; it took blood sweat and tears to get them all there." He described both ceremonies as flawless and incredible, and commended everyone behind the scenes for the work involved in the events.

Directors Report

Director of Operations Bill Mengel shared plans for the summer which involved 17 projects in nine buildings, funded by a variety of sources.

Director of Instruction Lindsey McCormick discussed upcoming summer programs. At the elementary level with Caroline County Recreation and Parks, over 700 have students have registered. Middle school opportunities have been expanded this year.

Director of Special Programs and Student Services Elizabeth Anthony reported on the results of High Dosage tutoring in the elementary schools.

Finance Report

Chief Finance Officer Erin Thornton provided a finance report to the Board for the period ending May 31, 2023.

The Board approved personnel items as presented by Dr. Robert Willoughby, Supervisor of Human Resources. They also approved the minutes from the May meetings.

The Board approved the following administrative appointments for the 2023-2024 school year.

• Mary Jo Kerr, Principal, Greensboro Elementary School
• Jared Sherman, Principal, Colonel Richardson High School
• Crystal Drexel, Assistant Principal, North Caroline High School
• Eric Cook, Coordinator of Career & Technology Education
• Victoria Shull, Coordinator of Multilingual Learners
• Heather Montgomery, Coordinator of Multilingual Learners

News Release

The Board voted to approved the FY24 Memorandum of Understanding with the Administrators and Supervisors Association of Caroline County (ASACC).

The Board adopted the FY2024 Operating Budget so that it can be submitted to the Caroline County Commissioners and Maryland State Department of Education.

FY2024 Operating Budget

FY2024 Budget Summary

The Board approved the list of requested end of year purchases for fiscal year 2023. CFO Erin Thornton explained that CCPS is in the final month of the current fiscal year and detailed analysis shows that there are funds available to purchase one-time items that are needed at various locations throughout the district. Many of these items were identified as part of the fiscal year 2024 budget development process but were not added to the operating budget due to lack of funding.

The Board approved the FY24 Special Education staffing plan. This plan was previously presented during the board work session on May 16, 2023.

The Board approved the public meeting schedule for the 2023-2024 school year.

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2022-2023 Teacher of the Year (TOY) Mirta Bradner provided the Board with a report of her activities with the Maryland State Department of Education TOY program.

Presentation

FY24 Budget Summary

Chief Financial Officer Erin Thornton reviewed the most current budget summary and highlighted recent changes.

The Board held a special board meeting on Thursday, June 15 for the purpose of voting on administrative appointments.

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#OneCaroline #CarolineFamily

Email: pio@ccpsstaff.org
Website: carolineschools.org
Location: Caroline County, Maryland
Phone: 410.479.1460
Facebook: facebook.com/carolineschools.org
Twitter: @CarolineCoPS

Instagram: carolineschoolsmd