Upon leaving the executive session of a specially called meeting on Tuesday, the Garrett County Board of Education informed those in attendance that it would remove the vote on grade level reconfiguration from its current agenda.
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The decision came as a relief to many of the parents and concerned citizens who turned up to voice their opinions on the proposal. Many used the public comment portion of the meeting to express their thanks to the board for postponing a decision on reconfiguration and also to request more time to come up with solutions on solving Garrett County's school budget losses. Solutions, they hoped, would not involve reconfiguration, school closings, and long bus rides for young children.
The event was held in the cafetorium of Southern Middle School and was called for after the BOE decided against a vote on the reconfiguration proposal at its previous meeting the week before (Jan. 10).
Having twice removed the vote on the proposal to move fifth graders from elementary to middle schools, the board will now look into the viability of leaving the grade levels as they are, or perhaps adopting alternative solutions.
In a presentation before the public comment portion of the meeting, Sue Waggoner, interim superintendent of schools, stated that the board plans to use the coming months to look into kindergarten enrollment rates, as well as staffing needs "at all levels."
She has expressed the importance of parents taking advantage of kindergarten enrollment, as the board is currently working with birth rate statistics. "We need to know where these children are going to attend elementary school," she said. Though effectively halted, the possibility of grade reconfiguration remains on the table.
Waggoner's presentation also contained information on the school system's efforts to reduce bullying in schools, topic brought up in public comment at the previous meeting. Parents who wish to access the form on bullying, harassment, or intimidation may do so by visiting the BOE web site: www.ga.k12.md.us.
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