Timeline - OIC Communications, re: PGCPS Board of Education (BOE) Attendance Issues and Policy Enforcement:
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03/04/2024 |
After a conversation with the PGCPS BOE Director, the Integrity and Compliance Officer (ICO) requested the BOE Director to send the address and any other pertinent information regarding a BOE member. |
03/18/2024 |
BOE Director sent the related address and a list of missing meetings, hearings, and worksessions for the referenced BOE member. On this same day, ICO requested the BOE Director to provide how the BOE Chair and Vice-Chair are enforcing the attendance policy for BOE members. |
03/20/2024 |
ICO requested the Board Director to do policy research on the BOE attendance policy and provide it to the ICO. |
03/21/2024 |
ICO sent an email to then BOE Chair recommending Board Policy (BP) No. 8100 be updated changing the top position in PGCPS from “CEO” to “Superintendent”, per the new law enacted on 07/01/2023 and adding an attendance policy to the BP stating that attendance record will be published in the BOE website. |
03/22/2024 |
BOE Director, sent an email to ICO including two charts showing the attendance of Board members to open sessions (i.e. Board meetings, Public Hearings, and worksessions) and closed sessions. |
04/02/2024 |
ICO requested for the BOE to provide the current status of enforcement regarding a current BOE member’s repeated violations of the attendance policy or if absence of any enforcement, to inform the plan and timeline for action in writing to the ICO on this matter. |
04/02/2024 |
Former BOE Chair provided the latest version of the Attendance Tracker to ICO. |
04/04/2024 |
The Board Chair sent an email to the Board Member in accordance with Board Policy 0108 indicating he missed more than 3 consecutive meetings and more than 25% of the meetings in the previous 12 months. The email notified him that this matter will be considered on 4/25 by the board for referral to the State Board of Education for his removal. |
04/25/2024 |
Though the Board Member’s attendance and next steps was on the agenda for the closed session of the 4/25 meeting, other agenda items led to the expiration of the allotted time before this item could be considered. |
05/06/2024 |
ICO requested the former BOE Chair to provide an update on BOE’s enforcement or strategy to address the “attendance policy” regarding a BOE member (and possible others). |
05/09/2024 |
Matter considered by the Board of Education |
05/29/2024 |
ICO sent an email addressed to BOE members (copying BOE Director) after the ICO attended the Oral Arguments for Appeals on 05/23/2024 and observed an appellant was attending the BOE Appeals session for the fourth time since November 2022 due the BOE inability to obtain quorums. ICO recommended the BOE to create a policy as soon as possible granting appeals in favor of the appellant (due to PGCPS-caused hardships), if the BOE fails to have a quorum on a set number (2 or 3) of ocassions. |
06/13/2024 |
Matter considered by the Board of Education |
06/27/2024 |
Matter considered by the Board of Education |
070/5/2024 |
OIC issued and addressed to the BOE a FY25 Member Attendance Memo and circulated it to the entire BOE, Ethics Panel, Superintendent and the Board Director. |
07/08/2024 |
New BOE Chair sent an email to ICO informing end-of-year attendance correspondences will be sent this week to all BOE members, and stating the Chair will follow the process as outlined in BP 0108. The BOE Chair also stated that the topic of attendance is on agenda for the 08/29/2024 Executive session. |
07/08/2024 |
The Board Chair sent an email and memorandum to the Board Member in accordance with Board Policy 0108 indicating he missed more than 8 consecutive meetings in Quarter 4 and 58% of the meetings in the previous 12 months. The email notified him that this matter will be considered by the board on 8/29 for referral to the State Board of Education for his removal. |
07/16/2024 |
Board Member resigns from his elected position as District 1 representative on the Prince George’s County Board of Education via an email to the Board’s attorney; Board Chair shares resignation with Board members and Superintendent. |
07/17/2024 |
Board Chair sends resignation notification to County Executive and MD State Board of Education |
07/19/2024 |
Board Chair sends resignation notification to Office of Integrity and Compliance. |
07/22/2024 |
WTOP news article published; Several news outlets reach out to Board Chair and Board Office; Board Chair issues a press release of resignation. |
07/23/2024 |
Board Chair provides a timeline of events to Office of Integrity and Compliance. |
07/23/2024 |
In accordance with Maryland state law, the matter is referred to both the Office of Integrity and Compliance and to the Office of the Maryland State Prosecutor. |