PGCPS disability advisory board to present two new names and wider policy scope to Board of Education

The Prince George's County Public Schools Disability Issues Advisory Board decided May 20 to present two proposed new names and a set of recommendations to the Board of Education aimed at expanding the board's official charge and updating related policies.

The advisory board voted to forward both proposed names ' "Advisory Council on Disability Affairs" and "Advisory Board on Disability Rights" ' to the Board of Education for consideration after earlier attempts to adopt a single new name failed. "Our rationale is that the current name disability issues reflects, you know, a negative connotation," said Britney Patrick, the subcommittee lead who presented the renaming proposals. The board then approved a motion, without objections, to send both name options to the Board of Education for a decision.

The board also approved moving a package of recommendations intended to expand and clarify Board Policy 1,700. The subcommittee recommended explicitly adding authority for the advisory board to review and advise on free appropriate public education (IDEA), Section 504 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, electronic and information technology accessibility (Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act), physical accessibility (Architectural Barriers Act and ADA), employment issues under Title I and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, and seclusion and restraint issues under IDEA and ADA.

Why it matters: the current policy (BP 1,700) is short and, members said, out of date, limiting the advisory board's ability to address civil-rights and programmatic issues affecting students and employees. "The existing policy is limited in that it does not allow the current board to really address any challenges facing students directly," Patrick said during the meeting.

Details and supporting points - Scope and authorities: The recommendations explicitly name IDEA, Section 504, the ADA, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Architectural Barriers Act as within the advisory board's purview. The subcommittee said these additions would allow the board to address student discipline, accommodations, digital accessibility and facility accessibility in a unified policy framework. - Reporting and governance: The subcommittee recommended more flexible but prescriptive reporting, including minimum reporting standards and the establishment of bylaws (including adoption of Robert's Rules of Order) and clear compliance with Maryland's Open Meetings Act. - Membership and continuity: Proposals include staggered appointment terms to avoid wholesale turnover, and adding a compliance specialist seat versed in IDEA compliance (or otherwise ensuring the compliance officer role covers the broader laws cited). - Coordination with CCAC: Members asked the board to clarify roles between the Disability Issues Advisory Board (DIAB) and the Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee (CCAC) to avoid duplication. CCAC is a required advisory body under IDEA; DIAB members said policy clarity is needed so the groups' work complements rather than overlaps. - Request to expedite: The subcommittee asked the Board of Education to expedite review and revision of BP 1,700 because the policy currently references outdated county and federal material, according to members.

Facility access and FAPE Subcommittee members reported site visits and accessibility concerns at specific schools, including DuVal High School's athletic field and bleachers, and urged the system to correct physical-access barriers. The board recorded an Office of General Counsel response, shared at the meeting, that an inaccessible building alone does not always constitute a denial of FAPE under IDEA; the counsel gave the example that a student could be provided library materials if the library itself were inaccessible. Subcommittee members said that legal technicalities should not normalize continued inaccessibility and that the county should pursue accessible facilities as a standard of equity.

Votes and formal actions - Motion: Rename Disability Issues Advisory Board to "Advisory Council on Disability Affairs." Outcome: failed (1 aye; 6 nays; 3 abstentions). Recorded by roll call. - Motion: Rename Disability Issues Advisory Board to "Advisory Board on Disability Rights." Outcome: not carried (vote counted but noted as short of the required threshold). - Motion: Present both proposed names to the Board of Education for consideration. Outcome: carried (no objections). - Motion: Move forward to present the subcommittee's recommended revisions to Board Policy 1,700 (scope, reporting, staggered terms, compliance seat, bylaws, clarity with CCAC). Outcome: carried (no objections).

What was not decided The Board of Education must still act. The advisory board voted only to forward names and policy recommendations for the board's consideration; the school system and Board of Education will retain final authority to adopt changes to policy, names, or formal governance.

Next steps Members said they plan to prepare the materials for the Board of Education meeting, tentatively in June, and asked the board office to expedite the policy revision queue. Chair Stephanie Blackwell and Board liaison Board member Brown said they will confirm presentation logistics with the Board of Education office.

Ending note Members emphasized that improved policy language would enable the advisory board to address both building accessibility and a wider set of civil-rights and programmatic concerns for students and staff.