DIAB forms subcommittee leads for Board Policy 1700 after scope briefing

The Prince George’s County Disability Issues Advisory Board voted Feb. 18 to establish subgroup leads to work on Board Policy 1700, which the district says governs accessibility, new construction and employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Board Chair Stephanie Blackwell opened discussion of policy 1700 and recognized Dr. Miles Moss, chair of the Board of Education Policy and Governance Committee, who said the policy “came about in about 2015” to hold the district accountable around accessibility and to ensure new buildings meet ADA requirements. Moss told the advisory board the policy “spells out 3 particular conditions” including employment access for people with disabilities, and that the group’s recommendations could be forwarded to Policy and Governance for review.

The advisory board discussed the policy’s scope and whether issues raised to date — including questions about Section 504 and IDEA implementation — fall under the board policy or under other administrative procedures. Moss recommended the advisory board coordinate with district administration if concerns involve administrative procedures (for example, Section 504 matters), and noted the policy-review process requires first and second reads and public comment, so timing for implementation depends on the substance of any recommended changes.

After discussion, Vice Chair Teresa Smith moved to establish subgroup leads for three topic areas under Board Policy 1700: new school construction, accessibility of buildings and facilities, and employment and hiring. The motion was seconded and carried on a roll-call vote. The board recorded Ayes from Stephanie Blackwell, Tranel Bowman, Sarah Byrne, Trisha Dorsey, Rachel Doyle, Irma Cottrell, Janie Payne and Teresa Smith; other members were absent for the vote. The motion passed.

The board assigned Tranel Bowman as lead for the new-school-construction and accessibility subgroup and Janie Payne as lead for the employment-and-hiring subgroup. The DIAB did not appoint a chair for the overall Board Policy 1700 group during the Feb. 18 meeting; members present said they will revisit that at a later meeting or defer to absent members who had been more active on the topic.

Members and staff agreed next steps include: subgroup meetings (with attention to quorum rules), drafting recommendations for Policy and Governance if changes are proposed, and contacting the appropriate district administrators if issues touch administrative procedures such as Section 504.