[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6358786,"mediaKeyId","2211036-1b1717c904c279755ef73fefcc1ab7f5","parentId",2211036,"title","PGCPS policy committee opposes proposed high‑school childcare mandate, raises funding and implementation concerns; mixed response on drug‑detection bill","audioSeconds",3611,"startMs",440000,"endMs",4051000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2211036-1b1717c904c279755ef73fefcc1ab7f5&start=440&end=4051","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2211036-1b1717c904c279755ef73fefcc1ab7f5/thumbnail_440000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6358786/Maryland/PGCPS-policy-committee-opposes-proposed-highschool-childcare-mandate-raises-funding-and-implementation-concerns-mixed-response-on-drugdetection-bill","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6358786-5d1266dc6515257e6fb877cb8265b1ab/orig.mp4?Expires=1777310633&Signature=iSdxuk6Xqk-ReaEPHo4c7Xd0j9ejPAfxMMmzUIj8Ict3IydozAqhCu5mH4y1tYq8nmDx3bsAp3HhmKq5a9r0P4fQvWTNeeBvZ~SIEHGP7OcI3h3zacgPRP5WJ62TqzMJ4Ua3X-RwGk3FziHZmaTb85AsvCA1rnziU5mPr2jD1zTjlIcdfQRUbrhdMTqxl9rnNQhSBet~LlrMIMkje-dsYc5OrbCVYHQSanxrDvwPffaC46mclMQlv51medR5x7LnYUMz9I39BXr-i1YON6xEnZSN9Ak~BcjlXPc9InVGOqghnpE6nZK5uZ7kMDWwmJrVX6qZ~LGOQx7IdE571Abkgw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Prince George's County Public Schools","date","2025-01-31T18:09:38Z","article","Prince George's County Board of Education Policy and Governance Committee Chair Dr. Felton Moss convened the committee Jan. 28 and opened a legislative update that focused on several bills from the Maryland General Assembly that could affect school operations and budgets.

The most contested measure discussed was House Bill 359, which would require every high school with a pregnancy rate greater than 1% to establish an on‑site child care center tied to career and technical education (CTE) and early childhood programs. “We have opposed this bill,” Staff member Robin Welch told the committee, citing funding and facility constraints. Welch said the bill includes a $5,500,000 governor appropriation in its text and a provision for the county to receive $10 per child‑support case, but she and administrative staff flagged the funding as uncertain and the operational cost as substantial.

Why it matters: Committee members said the district lacks the classroom space, staff and MSDE approvals needed to add a new CTE child development program at every high school, and they warned the bill would function as an unfunded mandate if the state appropriation does not materialize. Board member Booser Struthers said the community had lost a built‑in daycare and CTE program at Northwestern High School in recent years and urged continued work with Delegate Tavares on local solutions, while stressing the board’s concern about taking on statewide mandates without guaranteed funding.

On House Bill 379, which would make drug‑spiking detection products and drug‑detection strips available in every county middle and high school (including in health rooms, libraries and bathrooms), opinions were more mixed. Welch said the administration’s principal concern is again funding and logistics: widespread placement of detection products across every building would be “an unfunded mandate” unless the bill specifies funding or enables a clear federal grant path.

Board member Booser Struthers and others said they were not opposed to the harm‑reduction intent of HB 379 if the bill explicitly clarifies there will be no cost to local school systems. “If we support it, it has to be supported with the amendment that there would be no cost to the school,” Booser Struthers said, noting testimony from the bill sponsor that federal grant funding might be available. Welch told the committee the bill had not yet been amended to include specific funding language and that the administration is concerned that pursuing competitive federal grants can itself require staff time and local match documentation.

Other bills flagged by staff during the update included:
- House Bill 370 (Office of Integrity and Compliance): Welch said the administration supports the bill because it would make the office independent of PGCPS payroll and allow county oversight and legal support, while shifting associated costs to the county.
- House Bill 377 (parental engagement leave): Welch and staff pointed to operational and fiscal concerns. The administration estimated roughly 9,500 employees could be eligible and offered a preliminary cost estimate of about $11.2 million, and said the proposed tax credit in the bill would not benefit a tax‑exempt employer such as the school system.
- Multiple cell‑phone bills: Welch said the district opposes four different bills that would impose state requirements on student phone use, noting that board policy already governs phone use and that state legislation would infringe on local board authority.
- Senate Bill 109 and related ethics‑training measures: Welch recommended support, noting the board already meets many disclosure and training requirements and that the bill would largely codify existing practice.
- Senate Bill 429 / House Bill 504 (Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act): Welch said this is a major education budget bill with substantive changes that staff are still analyzing; she asked committee members to expect a separate meeting to review that bill in detail.

Committee directions and next steps: Committee members asked staff to draft position language and testimony, especially for HB 359 and HB 379, and to meet with local delegates to explain PGCPS operational constraints and funding concerns. Chair Moss said the committee will prepare formal input for the delegation’s meetings; Welch said the delegation has requested any position statements by Thursday for an upcoming delegation meeting.

The committee also asked staff to circulate model position templates (support, support with amendments, oppose) so members can provide consistent, succinct testimony. Welch said she would collect financial and programmatic clarifications from Finance and Academic divisions and circulate a summary to the committee.

Ending: Committee members emphasized their interest in collaborating with local delegates to find solutions for childcare access and school‑based prevention while avoiding unfunded mandates that could shift costs onto the county school system.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Education Policy and Governance Committee Meeting, January 28, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Prince George's County Board of Education Policy and Governance Committee Chair Dr. Felton Moss convened the committee Jan. 28 and opened a legislative update that focused on several bills from the Maryland General Assembly that could affect school operations and budgets.","taxTitle","Prince George's County Public Schools, School Boards, Maryland","taxId",14202,"location","Maryland","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6358781,"PGCPS committee recommends changes to investments reporting, postpones board reimbursement rule changes and sends several policies to public comment",2382,4073000,6455000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2211036-1b1717c904c279755ef73fefcc1ab7f5&start=4073&end=6455","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2211036-1b1717c904c279755ef73fefcc1ab7f5/thumbnail_4073000.jpg","/articles/6358781/Maryland/PGCPS-committee-recommends-changes-to-investments-reporting-postpones-board-reimbursement-rule-changes-and-sends-several-policies-to-public-comment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6358781-6003e615dd28025f2cd7cf9309c49dcc/orig.mp4?Expires=1777310633&Signature=T4ZrqUp8u-hR9xIBbYHErgumc-QUnSyEhYDQ6MPERBW72qqfCGYE3B11W-5SmOCn07dSiGBkpzE33HDDVITbdWMynHzBk5oTPi-vxD~lyE2fFgbGpKkN052snS7hozefeEHNaabsa709YfvRMZ9X4805oAoX2X3B9AUL~nG6NYNVxSHBdMG~3Km~tvpf2f0HQj88D-A1Tj-TOoug1Lx2Hju295Ago-fGLXLX7SpJc2iTDcswDe5ftmAg7YCDE~LKALnpMb32mPlzX75qZHXvavt6O6BuTJZ6tFzIS2z-nlD9oAVReDbsaaHaiACs3lnNuz7nmFkcXmaFERvk9nAKrA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Prince George's County Board of Education Policy & Governance Committee met Jan. 28 and took several procedural votes on policies and committee reporting.

Investment reporting: The committee recommended that Policy 3.100 (Investments) be revised to move more detail from the administrative procedure into policy and to require monthly investment policy compliance reports to the board. Robin Welch, who presented the item, said the district’s treasurer already prepares a monthly portfolio report and that the proposed policy language would formalize monthly reporting requirements and provide members a listing of individual securities and the percentage of the portfolio represented by each investment type.

“I would like to add language about the communication platforms that are available between the board and the superintendent,” said Board member Briggs during discussion; the committee accepted that amendment and proceeded to recommend Policy 3.100 to the policy sponsor for revision. A subsequent roll call concluded with three affirmative votes in favor of the recommendation.

Voucher reimbursement policy postponed: The committee spent extensive time on proposed revisions to Policy 9354 (Board Member Voucher Reimbursement), including language about reimbursable local versus nonlocal travel, IRS mileage rules and a 30‑mile definition for nonlocal travel that affects overnight travel reimbursement. Members raised concerns about ambiguity on who determines whether an expense is political (for example, campaign‑related hosting during election windows) and about inconsistent historical practices for travel reimbursements (including overnight stays for the Maryland Association of Boards of Education conference in Annapolis).

After discussion, the committee voted to postpone Policy 9354 to allow staff to research legal and administrative questions — including the 30‑mile definition, the IRS mileage rules and whether internal audit should be the preapproval contact for contested expense eligibility. The motion to postpone passed on a committee roll call.

Policies sent to public comment: The committee also recommended three items to the full board for public comment: Policy 4113 (Community Involvement in the Principal Selection Process), Policy 5111 (Legal Age of Admission) and Policy 9366 (Order of Business/Parliamentary Procedures), the last of which the committee also recommended for rescission. On Policy 4113 the committee adjusted language about stakeholder panels: the superintendent’s designee must identify school population demographics and the stakeholder panel must be representative of the school; the committee agreed that, when possible, at least one stakeholder on principal selection panels should be a parent of a student receiving special education or Section 504 services, and members directed staff to codify selection procedures in the administrative procedure.

Next steps and oversight: Committee members asked that monthly investment reports be routed to a standing committee (audit or budget) and that the office of internal audit be the primary contact for preapproval questions about allowable expenses. Board Director Fitzpatrick and staff agreed to research the 30‑mile rule’s origin and produce clarified draft language for the next meeting.

Ending: The committee scheduled follow‑up work and requested staff and legal research before taking final action on the reimbursement policy; the investments policy recommendation will move forward to the policy sponsor for revision and the three policies will go to the full board for public comment.","On Jan. 28 the Policy & Governance Committee recommended revision of the investments policy to add monthly reporting and called for clearer communication platforms; it postponed further action on proposed board reimbursement rules and recommended three policies for public comment.","actionData","errors"]

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PGCPS policy committee opposes proposed high‑school childcare mandate, raises funding and implementation concerns; mixed response on drug‑detection bill

PGCPS committee recommends changes to investments reporting, postpones board reimbursement rule changes and sends several policies to public comment