At a glance: Board appoints interim superintendent, approves bus contracts and several vendor awards; multiple policies posted for public comment

The Calvert County Board of Education approved a series of operational items at the meeting, including the appointment of Dr. Marcus J. Newsom as interim superintendent and multiple procurement awards and contract actions. Several policy updates were also posted for up to 30 days of public comment.

Key votes at a glance - Interim superintendent: The board approved Dr. Marcus J. Newsom as interim superintendent. (Motion carried; recorded as unanimous.) - Bus contracts: Full‑term and short‑term bus contracts for FY 2026 were approved; the only change in the attachments was CPI‑driven adjustments for driver pay, management fee and trip fees (CPI 2.6% this year). (Motion carried 5‑0.) - Purchase — College planning and FAFSA support: The board authorized a purchase from Chesapeake College Plan LLC (Prince Frederick) for college planning and FAFSA/MSFAA assistance for FY 2026 for $45,424, funded from the student services budget. (Motion carried.) - Facilities — Plum Point Middle partial roof replacement: Using the Omnia Partners/ Garland DBS cooperative process, the board approved a partial roof replacement at Plum Point Middle School to be performed by subcontractor JVK for $34,492, funded by the school construction budget. (Motion carried 5‑0.) - Professional learning — Gallup Global Strengths: The board approved purchase and travel for Gallup Global Strengths coach training (Title II funds) for up to $76,800. (Motion carried 5‑0.) - Copy center/printer lease and purchase: The board approved a five‑year copy center production printer refresh and maintenance plan with Konica Minolta (Ramsey, N.J.) with year‑1 cost of $73,068 and years 2–5 at $30,290 per year (equipment and maintenance included). The plan was presented as a net savings versus the prior five‑year agreement. (Motion carried 5‑0.) - Tuition rates: The board approved in‑state tuition of $12,045 and out‑of‑state tuition of $19,478 for students (FY 2025‑26). (Motion carried 5‑0.) - District assessment plan: The board approved the district's assessment plan developed under the Time to Learn Act; staff confirmed the plan keeps testing within the state time limits (2.3% for grade 8; 2.2% all other grades). (Motion carried 5‑0.) - Negotiation teams: The board approved the district negotiating teams for each employee association (annual designation). (Motion carried 5‑0.)

Policies posted for public comment (up to 30 days) Staff presented and the board voted to post the following policies for up to 30 days for public review and comment rather than adopt them outright at the meeting: Policy 14‑60 (child abuse and neglect reporting), Policy 17‑60 (professional boundaries), Policy 19‑40 (political neutrality), Policy 19‑45 (flags and schools), Policy 5‑520 (fund balance — draft language under discussion), Policy 15‑15 (budget transfers), and Policy 5‑600 (travel reimbursement). In each case staff described updates or clarifications; the board directed the items to the public‑comment period.

What it means The operational approvals fund services that will affect student supports, transportation, professional learning and facilities maintenance in the coming year. The posted policies will return for later action after public comment; some items (for example, fund balance language) will be reworked and returned to staff for edits before final consideration.