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Policy 6010 Implementation Procedures - School Attendance Areas

Policy Document

Implementation Procedures

I. Development and Consideration of School Attendance Area Adjustment Plans

The long-range school facilities planning process is conducted on an annual basis according to the county’s and state’s capital budget process. The timing, sequence, and/or steps may be adjusted based on budgetary and operational needs, to account for holidays and other considerations. The development and consideration of school attendance area adjustment plans will take place in the following manner:

Determine Proposed Scope:

  1. Calendar Year 1 – June-December

    Duration of this step is 1-2 months and it occurs between 21-27 months before implementation of attendance area adjustment.

    After the presentation of the student enrollment projections, recommendations for attendance area changes or after any approval of changes in the attendance areas, the Superintendent and the Board of Education will consult with each other to define the proposed scope (i.e. open a new school only or comprehensive plan for all three levels) of the upcoming year’s attendance area adjustments and develop a communication plan. The proposed scope may be adjusted during the review and approval process. The Board will notify the public of its decision for the Superintendent to proceed or not to proceed with the attendance area review process and identify the reasons that the attendance area review has been initiated.

    Review and Approval Process:

  2. Calendar Year 2 – January/February

    Duration of this step is 2 months and it begins 20 months before implementation of attendance area adjustment.

    The Office of School Planning will facilitate meetings to inform the public of the attendance area review process and obtain public comment regarding attendance area adjustments. The Office of School Planning will solicit public input in a variety of methods in a consistent way from each potentially impacted attendance area, as well as countywide community feedback, about matters related to development of the Superintendent’s Proposed Attendance Area Adjustment Plan. The procedure and requirements to submit community member input will be identified and disclosed to the public.

  3. Calendar Year 2 – March-May

    Duration of this step is 2 months and begins 18 months before implementation of attendance area adjustment.

    The Office of School Planning may solicit and interview candidates for the potential Attendance Area Committee (AAC) and nominate candidates for appointment by the Superintendent.

    The Office of School Planning will provide the Superintendent with enrollment projections by school annually. The Office of School Planning updates of scenario testing data and tool(s), report(s) and associated data will be made available to the Board and public.

  4. Calendar Year 2 – June/July

    Duration of this step is 2 months and it begins 15 months before implementation of attendance area adjustment.

    If an AAC is created, the Office of School Planning oversees the committee and employees will provide training to the AAC. Training will include, but is not limited to the following:

    1. Review of Policy 6010 and its standards used to establish an attendance area adjustment plan.

    2. Review the AAC’s responsibilities in the attendance area adjustment plan process.

    With assistance from the Office of School Planning, the AAC will review any attendance area adjustment considerations, and make a committee recommendation to the Superintendent to assist the Superintendent in developing a recommendation to the Board.

  5. Calendar Year 2 – June/July

    Duration of this step is 1 month and occurs between 14-15 months before implementation of attendance area adjustment.

    The Superintendent/designee presents projections, attendance area considerations and planning issues to the Board and community members.

  6. Calendar Year 2 – July/August

    Duration of this step is 2 months and it begins 14 months before implementation of attendance area adjustment.

    The Office of School Planning will advise the Superintendent on capacity needs for the upcoming budget process during capital budget preparations.

    After receipt of input from the AAC, if convened, and the public, the Superintendent’s Proposed Attendance Area Adjustment Plan will be presented to the Board. Submitted input will be shared with the Board of Education and public.

  7. Calendar Year 2 – August-October

    Duration of this step is 3 months and it begins 13 months before implementation of attendance area adjustment.

    The Board holds public hearing(s), work session(s), and then may instruct staff to develop alternative scenarios or alterations to existing attendance area adjustment plans for the Board to review.

  8. Calendar Year 2 – October-November

    Duration of this step is 1-2 months and it begins 11 months before implementation of attendance area adjustment.

    The Board may develop a Board-approved Preliminary Attendance Area Adjustment Plan. If the Board proposes a plan by vote that differs from the Superintendent’s Proposed Attendance Area Adjustment Plan, a public hearing will be held. Proposed plans will be made public prior to a public hearing.

  9. Calendar Year 2 – November

    Duration of this step is 1 month and it occurs 10 months before implementation of attendance area adjustment.

    Adoption of Board’s Final Attendance Area Adjustment Plan.

  10. Calendar Year 2 – December

    Duration of this step is 1 or more month(s) and it begins 9 months before implementation of attendance area adjustment.

    The Superintendent/designee and Board will assess the attendance area adjustment process. Modifications to this process will be made, as needed, prior to the beginning of the next attendance area adjustment.

    Implementation

  11. Calendar Year 2 – December-Year 3 – January

    Duration of this step is 2 or more months and it begins 9 months before implementation of attendance area adjustment.

    After the Board has made any final decision(s) regarding attendance area adjustments, the approved attendance area maps are developed, the school locator is updated, and transportation routes are updated. The Superintendent will communicate the Board’s action to the principals, PTA presidents and SGA presidents of each affected school, the president of the PTA Council of Howard County and the chairman of the Community Advisory Council to the Board. The Superintendent/designee will assist school-based administrators and employees with articulating students affected by attendance area adjustments. Principals will communicate attendance area adjustments to the parents of students in areas affected by the Board’s action. The Superintendent/designee will direct principals receiving new students to provide multiple opportunities for individualized support for students who are being reassigned. Specific transition steps or a transition plan will be offered for students and families that are being reassigned.

  12. Calendar Year 3 – January/February

    Duration of this step is 2 months and it begins 8 months before implementation of attendance area adjustment.

    Capital/Operating Budgets reviewed by the Board of Education.

  13. Calendar Year 3 – May

    This step occurs 4 months before implementation of attendance area adjustment.

    Capital/Operating Budgets approved by County Council and Board of Education.

  14. Calendar Year 3 – September

    Implementation of new attendance areas is effective.

III. Attendance Area Committee Make-up and Responsibilities

  1. The AAC shall consist of 10 to 15 members. Consideration will be given to providing diverse representation. Representation may include, but is not limited to the following:

    1. At least one member from the Howard County Association of Student Councils.

    2. At least one member from each of the HCPSS planning regions.

    3. At least three, but no more than eight at-large community members, with consideration toward identifying members of the community based on the attendance area/planning region(s) that may be affected by attendance area adjustments.

    4. Of those AAC members selected, no more than six members will have been members of a previous AAC.

    5. Members may not serve on more than two consecutive AACs.

  2. The AAC, after receiving training, will work in collaboration with the Office of School Planning employees and the Superintendent/designee to provide feedback on attendance area considerations. The basis for the review will be enrollment projections and the Policy 6010 Standards set forth in Section III.B.

IV. Appeals

  1. The Board’s Final Attendance Area Adjustment Plan may be appealed to the State Board of Education.

    In accordance with the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) 13A.01.05.02, an appeal of the Board’s decision may be filed with the Maryland State Board of Education within 30 calendar days of the Board of Education meeting at which final action was taken.

  2. The appeal must be in writing and filed with the Maryland State Board of Education, 200 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 in one of the following ways:

    1. Delivered to the State Board within 30 calendar days of the Board’s action.

    2. Deposited in the United States mail as registered or certified mail or Express Mail within 30 calendar days of the Board’s action.

    3. Deposited with a delivery service, such as FedEx, UPS, or DHL, that provides verifiable tracking of the item from the point of origin, within 30 calendar days of the Board’s action.

  3. Parents of students being reassigned based on attendance area adjustments may request a waiver through the student reassignment process, not appeals to the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education does not accept appeals of individual student assignment requests that have not first been decided by the local Board of Education through the local process.

V. Definitions

Within the context of these implementation procedures, the following definition applies:

Planning Region – A geographic area of Howard County made up of one or more schools used by the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) Office of School Planning for long-range planning purposes.

VI. Monitoring

Policy 6010 implementation procedures will be overseen by the Division of Operations.

VII. History

ADOPTED: April 28, 2005

REVIEWED: July 1, 2015

MODIFIED:

  • November 29, 2018

  • February 28, 2019

  • February 10, 2022

REVISED:

  • January 26, 2017

  • December 16, 2021

EFFECTIVE: February 10, 2022

Policy History Key

  • Adopted-Original date the Board took action to approve a policy
  • Reviewed-The date the status of a policy was assessed by the Superintendent’s Standing Policy Group
  • Modified-The date the Board took action to alter a policy that based on the recommendation of the Superintendent/designee did not require a comprehensive examination
  • Revised-The date the Board took action on a that policy based on the recommendation of the Superintendent/designee needed a comprehensive examination
  • Effective-The date a policy is implemented throughout the HCPSS, typically July 1 following Board action.