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Teachers and residents raise class-size and audit concerns during Calvert County BOE public comment
Summary
Public commenters urged the board for updates on a previous support staff study and expressed concerns about class sizes and food service audit findings during the Board of Education meeting's public comment period.
During the public comment portion of the Calvert County Board of Education meeting, speakers asked for follow-up on a support staff study, questioned a county-commissioned performance audit, and described classroom conditions related to class size and student needs.
Joe Cormier, who identified himself during the meeting, asked when the district would release results from a support staff study conducted with XMI (previously presented in April 2024) and criticized a separate performance audit presented to county commissioners by an external firm, Premier. Cormier said the audit compared Calvert to Prince George's County and presented findings that he believed were copied from that jurisdiction's audit. He also questioned assumptions about food service finances, pointing to changes in vendor fee structures for family account payments and saying the food service fund balance has historically exceeded a 20% threshold.
Rachel Hall, a kindergarten teacher at Calvert Elementary, described current class ratios and the effect on instruction and student welfare. Hall said her district ratios are set at 1:20 for first and second grades, 1:25 for third through fifth grades, and 1:25 for kindergarten "with the stipulation that we have an assistant." She said her classroom currently has 23 students, and that with students who come during related arts the total has reached 26. Hall told the board that more than 20% of her students have individualized education programs (IEPs) and several students have trauma histories; she described frequent interruptions during instruction to meet basic needs and said aides are often pulled for other duties or substitutes are unavailable.
Why it matters: Public comments raised operational concerns that relate to staffing, student supports and district oversight. Board policy allowed three minutes per speaker and staff indicated written comments would be accepted and distributed to members following the meeting.
Selected quotes - "When can Calvert taxpayers expect an update on results of that study?" Joe Cormier asked about the XMI support staff study and the district's subsequent actions. - "Currently have 23 kids in my class. My teammates both have 24... Over 20 percent of my students have individualized education plans," Rachel Hall said, describing challenges meeting student needs within current ratios.
Ending Board members acknowledged public comments and proceeded to the next agenda items; the public comment record in the transcript did not include immediate board responses to the substantive concerns raised about the study, audit, or class-size impacts.
