Watch Meeting by Agenda Item

Full Agenda (PDF)

Acknowledgement of a Quorum

Approval of the Agenda

Public Comments

Board/Superintendent Comments

Site Selection for BCC MS #2

The Board of Education approved a site for a new middle school in the Bethesda-Chevy Chase cluster, which is expected to open in August 2017. The Board approved the superintendent’s recommendation that the school be built at Rock Creek Hills Local Park. The Rock Creek Hills site was the overwhelming recommendation of the Site Selection Advisory Committee that reviewed 38 possible locations for the new middle school. The Rock Creek Hills property was previously owned by the Board of Education and was the location of Kensington Junior High School, which closed in 1979. The Board transferred the land to the county with the provision that it could be reclaimed if the land was ever needed for a school. The property was subsequently transferred to the Maryland-National Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) in 1990 for use as a park. Given the Board’s approval, the project will move into the design phase. Read the memo to the Board and Dr. Starr’s site selection recommendation.

Consent Items

Monthly Financial Report

Strategic Priorities: Update on Community Engagement

The Board had a broad-ranging discussion on community engagement, which Superintendent Joshua Starr has made one of three strategic priorities for the school district in the coming year. The Board heard an overview of current community engagement activities and the focus of the school district moving forward. Noting the work of the Board’s Communications and Public Engagement Committee, Dr. Starr said the district will focus on developing a framework for increased community engagement in the coming year and will continue to share information with the Board and the public. Read the memo to the Board.

Update on Legislated Education Reform Initiatives

The Board received an update on education reform initiatives that could affect Montgomery County Public Schools. The initiatives include the state of Maryland’s waiver to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as No Child Left Behind; the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS); Maryland’s Race to the Top plan; and the creation of new assessments by the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). The Board received information about how these initiatives would affect MCPS in several areas, including teacher evaluations, how schools will be held accountable, and changes to the testing regimen for elementary and secondary school students. Read the memo to the Board of Education.

Board of Education Items

The Board approved several other items, including:
- The appointment of an architect to conduct a feasibility study for an addition to Kensington-Parkwood Elementary School.
- The awarding of a contract for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning upgrades or replacement at Broad Acres Elementary School, Germantown Elementary School and Poolesville High School.

Items of Information