[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-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",[32,76,88],{"_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",6557733,"mediaKeyId","3288108-2d26380e248f6e94a3020c64272efd88","parentId",3288108,"title","Votes at a glance: Montgomery County Board of Education, May 13, 2025","audioSeconds",1159,"startMs",417000,"endMs",1576000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3288108-2d26380e248f6e94a3020c64272efd88&start=417&end=1576","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3288108-2d26380e248f6e94a3020c64272efd88/thumbnail_417000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6557733/Alabama/Votes-at-a-glance-Montgomery-County-Board-of-Education-May-13-2025","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6557733-f67e414bf3c34e263ff260d25c42a91f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150608&Signature=QNi-iHc8nnn4AfexfCI~Vv8A6T99i6srjaGRqf-XOCuLzJIu-msKD0i8by4eArT~YoRHfBUR-lnlLE5DB0vWv-unuCE29aDM1WyBdWwx4jLMJQ4uRxRTluO265jU5M1J0-64DmNfBPLxNEpOuMwlZrn4nVI-LaAsVs0tg9XNgSzkKRv54e6clwiiClEtp6efXfGFmk2AiPNV6sXiPqrcXagYVZfTXcOrbLlxTLRtBpw2ANMv7i38lZk13MA-MZVISGwFLQ2a8VbT-Ojk6DLtZ9hIytFiCfcFHelecg1gFgoiv~q69JhRL9Lrk87IZ~QC1Rfwi2jG77UPKukmYwFbHg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montgomery County Public Schools, Alabama","date","2025-05-13T21:56:06Z","article","The Montgomery County Board of Education took the following formal actions at its May 13, 2025 meeting. Where individual names were not recorded on the public transcript, items were recorded as approved or seconded and the board voted by hand; the chair announced unanimous approval.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to approve the meeting agenda — Moved and seconded from the floor; outcome: approved (unanimous).

- Consent agenda (approved as a single motion). Items included in the consent agenda and approved unanimously:
• Graduation policy update (GPR handbook revisions for 2025–26)
• Morning View HVAC, windows, lighting and door-access renovation (award to low bidder; certified bid tabulation provided)
• Davis HVAC, windows, lighting and door-access renovation (award to low bidder; certified bid tabulation provided)
• March 2025 financial statement (filed)
• Resolution authorizing certain preliminary actions for financing related to the Percy Julian High School project (authorizes RFPs for bond underwriters and reimbursement of pre-issuance expenditures)
• Approval of minutes for regular and special meetings (dates listed in board packet)

- Personnel actions
• Certified personnel report (superintendent recommendation) — Moved and seconded; outcome: approved (unanimous).
• Classified personnel report (superintendent recommendation) — Moved and seconded; outcome: approved (unanimous).

- Naming action
• Motion to name the Booker T. Washington Magnet High School chapel the Carter Stark Center (motion, second, and unanimous approval).

All motions reported on the public transcript were approved by voice/hand vote with no recorded dissent. Staff noted several items (for example, the Percy Julian financing resolution and the Morning View/Davis renovation awards) were part of the consent agenda; the board approved the entire consent packet in one motion.

Provenance: each of these items appears in the meeting transcript; the financial statement and the Percy Julian resolution discussion appear in the record beginning at approximately 00:20:27–00:22:05 (Pamela Watkins) and the facilities items appear earlier and during the work-session updates.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","MPS Board Meeting | 5-13-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Summary of formal motions and roll calls taken at the May 13 meeting. All recorded motions were approved unanimously; several items were approved via the consent agenda.","taxTitle","Montgomery County Public Schools, School Districts, Alabama","taxId",13592,"location","Alabama","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},6557737,"Board approves revised grading handbook; members press for clarity as MTSS data show mixed intervention results",4400,2779000,7179000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3288108-2d26380e248f6e94a3020c64272efd88&start=2779&end=7179","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3288108-2d26380e248f6e94a3020c64272efd88/thumbnail_2779000.jpg","/articles/6557737/Alabama/Board-approves-revised-grading-handbook-members-press-for-clarity-as-MTSS-data-show-mixed-intervention-results","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6557737-58de5a9d2b6871e9db87e422c5a47523/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150608&Signature=JlSRqCphAXxfj6rFHU7z8NrU8KwwC8l1iW6XKzs5D~my9KD~sopj2VjLnMv4pIaH0OgZleRnbSwDcsMAa9cB2eFLcKuwk-J6r1~EeDclf2kmXYmB5TpoIGIVizAeOBSa6m4sX9W7L8se9LMuaSSEblLtun9dyi88N1EWlVCy5cT7IIHzeC-xfI9s8rOLWLXGl5kn4uMVh7zfQiygyBfPaT8m-8l4-PgEtmzXu2s48La8GCYabdHbnxwnJ-xddiVlsT3bI4xSGnv11xXmq27a5ywCV9LptTZpzjRYkd04DGJF6kFrdJmn6kO4PlPF2T5p-p4XKEq06cfpIHBOMuQIBQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","During its May 13 meeting the Montgomery County Board of Education approved an updated Grading Procedure (GPR) handbook as part of the consent agenda. The revisions modify multiple provisions, including a clarified definition of mastery, timelines for accepting transferred grades and changes to late-work guidance.

GPR lead presenter Miss Hatch summarized the committee process and key edits. “The committee is made up of approximately 35 people,” Hatch said, and the panel included central-office staff, principals and teachers from elementary, middle and high schools. On assessment she told the board the committee added a numeric threshold for mastery: “Non mastery is a 59 and below and mastery is a 60 and above.”

Other board-approved changes in the draft handbook include guidance on the ratio of major to minor grades, a three-day window for students to submit work upon return from an absence (or a number of days equal to the number of consecutive absences, whichever is greater), a reduction of the late-work grace period from 10 days to three days before teachers may deduct points, a 10‑calendar‑day expectation to record grades transferred into the district, and new language to support IB and dual-enrollment processes.

Board members raised several concerns during the discussion about how the policy will apply to students with individualized plans and to teachers who may be less familiar with state standards. One board member asked whether the handbook’s sentence stating that \"assignments completed by students below grade level cannot be used as part of the grade\" includes students protected by 504 plans, individualized education programs and English‑learner accommodations; Hatch said exceptions tied to IEPs/504 plans will be addressed through existing individualized plans.

The board also questioned how the policy would be implemented in classrooms staffed with emergency‑certified teachers and whether teachers will publish grading expectations for families. Hatch and other staff said syllabi and class expectations are expected at the start of the year, particularly in secondary classrooms.

During the same meeting the district’s MTSS and data-analysis team presented progress metrics and grade-recovery figures. Doctor King (MTSS lead) described the three-tier MTSS model and warned that “the more you take students away from core instruction, the further they get behind,” emphasizing the need to balance intervention with continued exposure to standards‑based classroom instruction.

King reported the district tracked 1,067 elementary students (grades 1–5) who had at least one failing grade in quarter 1; after targeted MTSS interventions the same group showed a 26% improvement (roughly 278 students) in the point‑in‑time comparison dated March 2, 2025. Secondary figures were larger and more mixed: the district tracked 2,640 secondary students with at least one F in core subjects in early December; by late March secondary case counts had risen in some cohorts, prompting staff to recommend stronger fidelity in intervention delivery and additional instructional coaching.

King described usage and outcomes for Schools PLP, the district’s online grade‑recovery and virtual‑instruction platform. As of Feb. 28, 2025, he said, 1,897 students were enrolled in Schools PLP; about 1,585 were in virtual instruction (staffed by a certified online teacher), with 672 passing and 910 failing (57.4% failing at that snapshot). For grade recovery specifically, 308 students were enrolled and 62.3% (92 students of that snapshot) were failing as of the same date; King and board members attributed part of the failing rate to incomplete coursework and to training gaps for facilitators.

Board members asked whether every school has access to Schools PLP, whether facilitators are present in virtual classrooms to support students, and whether facilitators and teachers will receive further training. King said all schools received enrollment forms and that additional training sessions were scheduled, with more trainer dates planned for late May, July and August to expand staff capacity.

Both the GPR changes and the MTSS updates will move forward under the adopted policies; staff said they will consult with the Alabama State Department of Education on policy constraints and complete follow-up work to address board concerns about consistency of implementation and communications to families.","The board approved updates to the district grading procedure handbook (GPR) that define mastery and adjust late-work rules. Presentations on MTSS metrics and grade-recovery programs prompted questions about implementation, training and intervention effectiveness.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6557741,"Board authorizes bond preparations for Percy Julian; construction updates show mixed timelines",1454,1253000,2707000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3288108-2d26380e248f6e94a3020c64272efd88&start=1253&end=2707","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3288108-2d26380e248f6e94a3020c64272efd88/thumbnail_1253000.jpg","/articles/6557741/Alabama/Board-authorizes-bond-preparations-for-Percy-Julian-construction-updates-show-mixed-timelines","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6557741-23428531573d065549404579c857bbd2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150608&Signature=JQgdzrAApBE~2kMyYHaEjh863By8DHBb9horM3TDn4O-ywEjXsLZEgdJ3E2dY8xm3Jab4Pct8oXdRvCz34mEJZQjkMk8hQm5qRgRTZicO9OqrwyZC1~LNFCMX~4TxavveMKJad27Qbsb2OE6k6lOPengZUtHRLURQ8f0uxL9-nIcwGPrFZwUb8oqhEfLge-TYKLzNNGBeOIb9w4FRB-5eyE-sxmCh6InCazx6-C-cRglBGkpZQEB9-hsgkCpCvwZ~Po-SMXKhBz~635dhnCMKL42e3ixK33u~QKW6JoscGl1XCEVfMWQRBTeLcCwjmuw0A8itlfcy0SdHINm6u7QHQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Montgomery County Board of Education on May 13 authorized district staff and advisers to prepare requests for proposals to select an underwriter for bonds to finance the new Percy Julian High School and approved temporary reimbursement authority for pre-issuance expenditures. The action was approved as part of the consent agenda, which passed unanimously.

The authorization allows the superintendent, the district chief school financial officer and financial advisers to prepare and distribute an RFP to hire underwriters for the bond warrants tied to the Percy Julian project. Pamela Watkins, the district’s chief school financial officer, told the board the resolution also lets the district “incur some expenditures necessary related to the Percy Julian project, prior to the issuance of those warrants” and be reimbursed afterward.

Board members heard detailed construction updates across the district. Volker project manager Penn reported South Lawn Middle School’s gym addition is about 65% complete but said she expects the contractor’s request for time extensions “due to weather, couple of unforeseen conditions, as well as the change in the roof design.” Penn said the project has poured the topping slab and restarted roof installation but that the board should anticipate a contract-completion date extension and that staff will present time-extension details at a future meeting.

Park Crossing High School has advanced closer to turnover. Penn said the project passed an overhead inspection and is “97% complete,” and that a tentative substantial-completion inspection originally scheduled for late May will take place June 12. Furniture delivery was scheduled to begin June 16, according to the update.

Phase 1 work tied to Percy Julian — including the Todd Road relocation and associated infrastructure — is under way. Penn told the board contractors have placed asphalt except for a final layer and have poured storm inlets; she said the district has submitted a street vacation packet to the City of Montgomery Planning Commission for review on May 22 and will proceed to a dedication process when that is approved. The owner–GC contract for Phase 2 was executed and the district scheduled a preconstruction conference May 22 with the state inspector.

Smaller projects on the board’s agenda also moved forward. Facilities staff recommended the low bidders for HVAC, window, lighting and some door-access work at Morning View Elementary and Davis (the certified bid tabulations were included in board materials), with the district aiming to begin work this summer. Chad Anderson, presenting the renovations, said the scope “includes the windows, HVAC, drop ceiling, lighting, and some door access for those projects.” Those items were included in the consent agenda that the board approved unanimously.

Watkins detailed the district’s broader fiscal picture while presenting the March financial statements: “Although our general fund balance is a hundred and 31,000,000, not all of it is discretionary,” she said, adding that the district’s true discretionary balance is roughly $109,000,000 and that the district currently holds about $23,100,000 in reserves for capital, technology, security and vehicles. Watkins said staff will recommend increasing certain reserves in June.

Board members also asked about bus electrification. Facilities staff said the district has secured grant money for electric buses but has encountered supply-chain vendor changes: the manufacturer originally named in the grant is out of business, and staff are working with the state to reassign the award to a local vendor. Facilities staff added the district is building electrical infrastructure at the transportation renovation project so future charging stations can be “plug and play.”

The board was given districtwide minority participation figures for contracting: Penn noted the district’s MBE/DBE participation is about 45% for professional service contracts and roughly 4% for construction contracts.

Next steps: staff will advertise the underwriter RFPs, review contractor time-extension requests for South Lawn, continue preconstruction steps for Percy Julian Phase 2 after the May 22 planning review, and schedule start dates for the Morning View and Davis renovations to minimize disruption to classrooms.","The Montgomery County Board of Education approved preliminary financing actions for the new Percy Julian High School and received status updates on multiple construction projects, including delays at South Lawn Middle and a June substantial-completion target for Park Crossing High School.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Montgomery County Board of Education, May 13, 2025

Board approves revised grading handbook; members press for clarity as MTSS data show mixed intervention results

Board authorizes bond preparations for Percy Julian; construction updates show mixed timelines