[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-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",[32,76,88,100],{"_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",6454148,"mediaKeyId","5862294-edf9283f7241de2066e01de0ff35cabd","parentId",5862294,"title","PGCPS board adopts consent agenda, accepts committee recommendations and approves FY26 budget reconciliation item","audioSeconds",7247,"startMs",131000,"endMs",7378000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5862294-edf9283f7241de2066e01de0ff35cabd&start=131&end=7378","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5862294-edf9283f7241de2066e01de0ff35cabd/thumbnail_131000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6454148/Maryland/PGCPS-board-adopts-consent-agenda-accepts-committee-recommendations-and-approves-FY26-budget-reconciliation-item","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6454148-bd34f534473cc2082fd24b986fa55a69/orig.mp4?Expires=1771114691&Signature=R0Ru32EgOsHrjbhdEbc73Q6aQDG3UHlLWNoDgUi8C~r5S~Eq9BPkTRiG3ySsQ7-0yKJIzD7ZQifJMVOU9YEbDvuW1NDZhIDTt7GAhSmIyrAs8DZNO4A-13StKRTGy0M28e4VGj5JX4MYwvdEPV~nTS~iaPf8e-i3Kdz8yQ7e4hRbxBm~eYjbumaZt1NHisYh0xuMfeN4zh6qmGb9Rqi7xEJN2aDEDP9pcB5b4AjGGhBN0ai6zam7Pzjn2MYjtn5ysLghVMyaRAO7TFRuEV6GGIJwcVKE6LtCgHZkGx7DjfQub598xLC4DI3dhnS8b-Y~JMTO7m~NliWWJID-9Y5Ktw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Prince George's County Public Schools","date","2025-09-26T13:36:10Z","article","The Prince George's County Board of Education adopted its Sept. 25 meeting agenda and several consent items by unanimous consent and no objection, and it acted on a fiscal-year reconciliation item that alters how a county payment to private prekindergarten providers is recorded in the district budget.

After a roll call confirmed a quorum of 10 members present, Chair Brandon Jackson asked if there were objections to adopting the meeting agenda for Sept. 25; \"there being no objections,\" the agenda was adopted. The board accepted committee reports and recommendations by no objection, including the Policy and Governance Committee's slate of recommended enactments and rescissions: enactments included policies on social media and personal electronic devices, purchasing, board reimbursement and several others; rescissions included older policies such as newspaper advertising and sibling enrollment (the transcript lists the policy numbers presented by the committee).

Under the consent agenda the board adopted items 15.1 through 15.11 by no objection. The superintendent recommended postponing vote on item 15.13 until the October meeting; the board agreed. Item 15.12, a fiscal-year 2026 financial budget reconciliation item, was pulled for question and then adopted by the board. Chief Financial Officer Lisa Howell (referred to as \"chief Howe\" in the meeting) explained that a change in the county's payment process for private prekindergarten providers means the county will make payments directly to private providers. As a result the previously recorded revenue and pass-through expense in the district budget will be removed, producing a $2,000,000 reduction to \"other instructional costs\" in the district budget to reconcile the change; Howell said the amounts relate to state/local prekindergarten pass-through payments and are not reductions to classroom programs per se but bookkeeping to reflect direct county payments to providers.

Board members indicated they would pull item 15.12 for discussion and asked for clarification; after the CFO's explanation the item was adopted by no objection. The board also approved enactment/rescission recommendations from the policy committee by no objection earlier in the meeting.

The meeting minutes recorded these actions as adopted by consent or by no objection; no roll-call tallies or individual yea/nay votes were recorded in the transcript for these items.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","PGCPS Board of Education Business Meeting - 9/25/2025","oneSentenceSummary","At its Sept. 25 meeting, the Prince George's County Board of Education adopted the meeting agenda and multiple consent items by unanimous consent or no objection and approved a fiscal-year 2026 budget reconciliation adjustment regarding private prekindergarten pass-through payments.","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},6454153,"Parents ask PGCPS board to investigate Friendship Aspire STEM Academy over staffing, safety and charter status",151,2172000,2323000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5862294-edf9283f7241de2066e01de0ff35cabd&start=2172&end=2323","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5862294-edf9283f7241de2066e01de0ff35cabd/thumbnail_2172000.jpg","/articles/6454153/Maryland/Parents-ask-PGCPS-board-to-investigate-Friendship-Aspire-STEM-Academy-over-staffing-safety-and-charter-status","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6454153-6346bc72995230a3911eb159fc48dfba/orig.mp4?Expires=1771114691&Signature=d7W8tFI7tGnmnS1yIXWBTLI2AgJ3VewCrLncrM1-PdO5B-x7tSOV2rf7H0Ip57Ux~prJqEDc9SNSox50XWmQR8q0Tp2mRKKHNSsDpolNp4L66vndneWbMmyABxadgO7vx1dhbekt4MFNj9RexfcQpasC85mGuBYHZc-ZvnB3b4PHhEteLvXmJFgtNTPX8meXUAqzUdcC~hTX~yEvjfNnGjHiCLd6l2ThAzuHf6qqbUcAnxP1VnKV3o6nFuZ9FeMXRaS4ZPTPeVxQLrC4nhJVqt32BusZWpr1HQyopigBTvOwafsHhymKazdRHwv3zKLSvzHVwF8mvrpY9FpXRYOa1g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A parent of a student at Friendship Aspire STEM Academy told the Prince George's County Board of Education on Sept. 25 that more than 50 families had withdrawn from the charter school and raised operational, safety and oversight concerns.

Shontay Trammell, identifying herself as a parent and an Oxon Hill High School graduate, said smaller class sizes and the school's STEM focus initially drew her family to Friendship but that \"weeks into the school year\" many families had lost confidence after high turnover and inconsistent procedures. Trammell said curriculum guides arrived two weeks late, some classes lacked teachers on the first day and substitutes or parent volunteers covered classes, and that second graders were rotating among three teachers instead of being in a single self-contained classroom as parents had expected.

Trammell described safety and infrastructure gaps: classrooms without phones, unreliable internet and cell coverage in parts of the building, a public-address system that does not reach all areas, and no cameras in hallways. She also said Friendship Aspire was not listed on the Maryland State Department of Education website, and asked when the district would enforce board policy 3506 governing charter oversight.

Trammell asked the board to investigate instruction, time management, teacher support and safety, and to ensure the school receives necessary resources. She said parents were filling gaps but that the volunteer response was not sustainable.

Board members did not vote on any charter action during the meeting. The speaker asked the board to determine the school's operational status and to apply board oversight policy where appropriate.","A Friendship Aspire STEM Academy parent told the Prince George's County Board of Education on Sept. 25 that teacher turnover, late curriculum delivery and safety gaps have prompted more than 50 families to withdraw and asked the board to investigate the school's operational and charter status.",{"_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},6454158,"Educators urge board to reject outsourcing as special education vacancies push district into MSDE corrective action",155,2334000,2489000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5862294-edf9283f7241de2066e01de0ff35cabd&start=2334&end=2489","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5862294-edf9283f7241de2066e01de0ff35cabd/thumbnail_2334000.jpg","/articles/6454158/Maryland/Educators-urge-board-to-reject-outsourcing-as-special-education-vacancies-push-district-into-MSDE-corrective-action","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6454158-ad6c2e211ef503b6db52489987a80f6e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771114691&Signature=fdHJNEgDljfbtR7-WKi1LzdjqgR2klGxI8wYm2HLZED4NjcI1jeMHv3YdAbVPRUM~wkMuknozSX8~gAj6IaOzLAx2~YEyBFZ32OVUNX2~yeEb3hQqBNF-5TViMmO7LqaGWhf792QM8I7VDAf928JbXILCMaAFC~oUIVgz~y6aypteKWSHcUYjV7hpnr~h2UWC6tq1IRRtN5UCcETRK5yIiv~pkwAFeLY~KSbVGqzhIM2uh1QEuHX3QEAYlKJhTUeNGtgpVkEyHMJ5H5ShpS~jlg919JXaZzySAK-k91ZKMCiCCguuW93N~2o9PvLl8yR4XVuECvpuVytAlQeEAPAtA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of the Prince George's County Educators Association and classroom staff told the Board of Education on Sept. 25 that the district's special education vacancy trend predates the current administration and requires urgent corrective measures beyond outsourcing.

Donna Christie, speaking for the Prince George's County Educators Association, told the board that \"years, not months\" of leadership inaction let vacancies worsen and that the district is now under corrective action from the Maryland State Department of Education. Christie argued that outsourcing special-education positions \"is not a solution, it's a surrender,\" citing concerns about hidden costs, buyout provisions, vendor accountability and noncompete clauses that could leave schools with less local control.

Classroom teachers amplified the concern with concrete staffing examples. A special-education teacher at Kenmore Early Childhood Center described self-contained four-year-old classes with 10 students and two adults, including multiple children in wheelchairs and two students with seizure disorders, and called such staffing levels unsafe in an emergency. Another speaker, citing classroom caseload and workload, said incentives and manageable caseloads could bring certified teachers back and that outsourcing risks further disruption.

Board members did not vote on a motion during public comment, but the testimony put outsourcing proposals and the district's response to an MSDE corrective action squarely before the board. Speakers requested concrete alternatives: recruitment and retention incentives, caseload relief, targeted support from Human Resources and district leadership, and accountability from the special-education office.

Officials referenced MSDE oversight and bargaining discussions; transcript remarks said the district had offered \"no incentives, no workload relief\" at the bargaining table, according to testimony. No formal board action to approve or reject contracting was recorded in the meeting minutes provided during public comment.","Prince George's County educators told the board that long-running special education staffing shortages prompted a corrective-action finding by the Maryland State Department of Education, and they urged the board to use incentives and caseload relief rather than contract outsourcing to fill vacancies.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6454163,"PGCPS transportation officials report efficiency gains but say driver shortages keep some buses late",3332,3889000,7221000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5862294-edf9283f7241de2066e01de0ff35cabd&start=3889&end=7221","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5862294-edf9283f7241de2066e01de0ff35cabd/thumbnail_3889000.jpg","/articles/6454163/Maryland/PGCPS-transportation-officials-report-efficiency-gains-but-say-driver-shortages-keep-some-buses-late","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6454163-dd55d25777e4b24b23e04de4cb1ff775/orig.mp4?Expires=1771114691&Signature=Yldw~VxNJJYUk~x~Rfd6BQPhU1V14MXjmeWXVkGSWXkP5NCPoAOjh5XGLzCjeI7XYNyiVuOj6XA9xg2jYdcd2z1Y9e0pm02qxJl-qHxNnfe1IVNFTA0O3lwt3LrYF6HbKTfuw8VhBd41fxLW-ddLbjcsMswlzR1gYmqFy21eG5XWo1lpbb0IB5-yCdNXZVpIOyM6wpoQ4XQO6POJXA4tRPUzYQtfSjgGHP0oPFAFE1Sq-g2NwzbV~XI1zjkctL36HEC1jl4S488Millnj6GqXLaUh5a0GHS~eoppe6a50mJm6wYOymgeKTAA9kNDvAC0QZUGzQt1zcMdsdbWWV~sDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Prince George's County Public Schools officials told the Board of Education on Sept. 25 that the district has made measurable efficiency gains since a 2023 independent transportation audit but that persistent driver and attendant vacancies continue to cause late and combined runs for families.

Chief Operating Officer Sharoska Coleman and Director of Transportation Kibo Baldwin described Phase 2 of the district's transportation action plan: diversifying vehicle types, continuing stop consolidations, targeted bell-time adjustments, and deploying Bus Planner for full trip tracking so families can see real-time data through the Chipmunk app.

Coleman said trips per bus rose from 5.3 to 6.3 and seat utilization rose about 4 percent since the audit. Baldwin said the district consolidated roughly 3,000 stops and reduced bell-time imbalance from 432 to 69. The presentation also noted about 148 FTE vacancies in transportation that require daily \"double backs\" and combined trips, which directly affect on-time performance.

Human resources partner Curtis Eugene described recruitment steps: dedicated recruiter for transportation, targeted advertising, waiving driving-record fees for Maryland applicants, an internal recruitment push for PGCPS staff to serve in nonprimary driver roles, and a paid training pathway to obtain commercial learner's permits and CDLs. Eugene said 260 driver applications entered the new Frontline pipeline since Aug. 1, with 55 candidates actively in onboarding; he also said many candidates were ineligible under Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) or prior driving history rules.

Board members pressed staff on walk-zone audits, communications with families, monitoring of substitute buses and action-plan timelines. Officials said the district uses a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reference when assessing stop safety, that the TRS ticketing system remains the best route for families to request help, and that substitute or combined trips will be visible in Bus Planner so Chipmunk can show accurate real-time trip-level updates.

On rollout timing, officials said specialty routes tied to bus-lot letters are being added every other week, with comprehensive-route rollouts beginning in November and an expectation that most lots will be in Chipmunk by winter break. Staff also described a two-way messaging trial in the stop-finder app and dedicated communications staff embedded at each of 12 bus lots.

Board members raised remaining concerns about long ride times for some students, afternoon (PM) tardiness that compounds when runs are doubled, requests for continued stop consolidation, and community safety (including reports of speeding buses). Transportation staff said they will run targeted audits where communities report safety issues and will follow up individually on action-plan requests such as Route 469 (Robert Goddard). Officials reiterated that ride-time parameters exist but that shortage-related substitutions can extend durations and that planned staffing increases (including negotiated pay improvements) are intended to reduce double runs.

The district also reported call-volume trends: more than 6,000 calls to the contact center on the first day of school that fell to roughly 1,200 by the tenth day; staff said email volumes are tracked through TRS and duplicate contacts are consolidated in that system.

Board members and staff said Bus Planner plus Chipmunk represent \"a turning point\" for accountability and family transparency once substitute trips are fully logged in the system.

The presentation and subsequent questioning served as an update rather than a board action. Officials attached route- and utilization-level appendices to the presentation for board review.","Prince George's County Public Schools officials told the board they have improved routing efficiency since a 2023 audit but still face major staffing gaps, prompting steps including a driver recruitment campaign, targeted stop consolidation and rollout of real-time tracking via the Chipmunk app and Bus Planner.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

PGCPS board adopts consent agenda, accepts committee recommendations and approves FY26 budget reconciliation item

Parents ask PGCPS board to investigate Friendship Aspire STEM Academy over staffing, safety and charter status

Educators urge board to reject outsourcing as special education vacancies push district into MSDE corrective action

PGCPS transportation officials report efficiency gains but say driver shortages keep some buses late