The Howard County Board of Education has rescheduled five of its seven upcoming meetings on the middle school redistricting process.
The board approved the changes by consensus at its meeting Thursday, Sept. 12. The changes were made because several dates conflicted with an upcoming trip to China. Board Chairman Frank Aquino said. Aquino and fellow board members Ellen Giles and Ann De Lacy are visiting China Nov. 6-14 with Superintendent Renee Foose as part of College Board's 2013 Chinese Bridge Delegation, a one-week educational trip to help strengthen programs and partnerships with Chinese education institutions.
The changes include moving the presentation of staff's final redistricting recommendation up two days, and moving several work sessions and public hearings.
The upcoming middle school redistricting process could move more than 1,200 students in 2014 in order to open a new middle school in Hanover's Oxford Square development.
The approved redistricting meeting schedule is as follows:
- Tuesday, Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m. — Presentation of staff's final redistricting recommendation
- Tuesday, Oct. 29, 7 p.m. — Public hearing
- Wednesday, Oct. 30, 7:30 p.m. — Work session
- Monday, Nov. 4, 7:30 p.m. — Public hearing
- Friday, Nov. 15, 10 a.m. — Work session
- Tuesday, Nov. 19, 7:30 p.m. — Work session
- Thursday, Nov. 21, 7:30 p.m. — Final vote on middle school redistricting
All meetings are open to the public and take place at the Department of Education in Ellicott City.