On January 9th the Howard County Board of Education has the following agenda item listed: Legislative Report/2020 General Assembly (BOE) – ACTION. Here is what is listed under “discussion”:

Bills identified as having a potential impact on the Howard County Public School System – for which advocacy by the Board of Education of Howard County through the development and adoption of position statements, testimony, and other outreach to the Howard County Delegation and/or Maryland General Assembly could affect the final outcome of the legislation – have been summarized in the attached Legislative Report. The Legislative Committee met on January 2, 2020 and recommends that the Board adopt the positions indicated in the attached. To read the language of the bill please click on the hyperlink under bill number or find more information as presented by the Maryland General Assembly/Howard County Delegation under the bill status link.

Here is a summary of the recommendations being presented the to Board for each bill to be discussed that evening (click the bill number to read the full details of the bill):

Ho.Co. 1-20 Howard County – Board of Education – Redetermination of Geographic Attendance Areas- Senator Lam

POSITION RECOMMENDED BY HCPSS STAFF: OPPOSE

POSITION RECOMMENDED BY LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE: OPPOSE

Committee Comments: Should remain a matter of local control.

Ho.Co. 2-20 Howard County – Residential Property and New Home Construction Advertisements – School District

Information – Delegate Ebersole

POSITION RECOMMENDED BY HCPSS STAFF: SUPPORT

POSITION RECOMMENDED BY LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE: No Consensus Reached

Committee Comments: No position vs. Support

Ho.Co. 4-20 Howard County – School District Boundary Changes

and Sales of Residential Real Property- Senator Lam

POSITION RECOMMENDED BY HCPSS STAFF: SUPPORT W/AMENDMENT

POSITION RECOMMENDED BY LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE: SUPPORT W/AMENDMENT

Ho.Co. 6-20 Howard County – Board of Education – Reporting on

Demographics and Reduction of Academic Disparities – Delegate Hill

POSITION RECOMMENDED BY HCPSS STAFF: For Discussion

POSITION RECOMMENDED BY LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE: OPPOSE

Committee Comments: Without more information about why this data is needed or how it would benefit the school

system/students/stakeholders it is redundant of current reporting.

Ho.Co. 13-20 Howard County – Public School Program Capacity –

School Board and Planning Commission – Delegate Atterbeary

POSITION RECOMMENDED BY HCPSS STAFF: OPPOSE

POSITION RECOMMENDED BY LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE: OPPOSE

Committee Comments: Should remain a matter of local control.

Ho.Co. 19- 20 Howard County – Education – Report on Deferred

Maintenance – Delegate Atterbeary

POSITION RECOMMENDED BY HCPSS STAFF: SUPPORT

POSITION RECOMMENDED BY LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE: SUPPORT

Ho.Co. 22-20 Howard County – Public Campaign Financing – Board of Education – Senator Lam

POSITION RECOMMENDED BY HCPSS STAFF: SUPPORT

POSITION RECOMMENDED BY LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE: No Consensus Reached

Committee Comments: No position vs. Opposed

Ho.Co. 23- 20 Howard County – Public Schools – Reporting of School Data – Delegate Feldmark

POSITION RECOMMENDED BY HCPSS STAFF: For Discussion

POSITION RECOMMENDED BY LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE: OPPOSE

Committee Comments: Without more information about why this

Ho.Co. 26- 20 Howard County – Transfer Tax – Rate Increase Authorization – Delegate Feldmark

POSITION RECOMMENDED BY HCPSS STAFF: SUPPORT

POSITION RECOMMENDED BY LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE: SUPPORT W/AMENDMENTS

Committee Comments: Suggested amendments include an increase in the percent distributed to the school system

to not less than 50%, as well as broadening the potential use of such funds to Howard County Public School System

capital improvements (rather than specifically the School Site Acquisition and Construction Fund which can only be

used for the purchase of school sites and the construction of school buildings) to give flexibility in meeting school

system capital needs.

HB0019 Education – Required Number of School Days or Hours -Delegate Adams

POSITION RECOMMENDED BY HCPSS STAFF: SUPPORT POSITION RECOMMENDED BY LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE: SUPPORT

You can read the full details of what has been provided to the Board here: https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/hcpssmd/Board.nsf/files/BKGN2M5C5971/$file/01%2009%202020%20Legislative%20Report%202020%20General%20Assembly%20BR.pdf

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I have my own personal opinions about some of the legislation headed to Annapolis in 2020. It will be very interesting to hear what our current HoCoBOE members think of the proposed legislation.

I also am VERY interested in the thoughts of the candidates running for Howard County Board of Education in 2020. I may be reaching out to each of them to get their thoughts…that might make a good future post on the blog.

Scott E