The Howard County Board of Education - under scrutiny for alleged violations of state open- meetings laws - decided at its regular meeting last night not to pursue legislation that would repeal three local laws and make it easier for members to meet out of public view.
The board's general counsel, Mark Blom, said there was no need for the proposal because it offered only legal clarity, which is expected to come from a court ruling. The board is being sued in the county Circuit Court over its alleged violations.
"The main purpose of that lawsuit is to seek clarity of [conflicting] laws," Blom said. "The staff here sought to get some clarity through the legislature, but we expect to get a ruling from the judge more quickly than the legislature can take care of this."
Abolishing the laws would allow the board to take advantage of a loosely defined "executive function" exemption in the state's Open Meetings Act that lets public bodies meet in secret to deal with ambiguous administrative issues.
Blom said he expects the court ruling to do the same thing, but acknowledges he also expects the plaintiff to appeal if the ruling is against him - meaning there will still be no clarity, only more expense.
"I think that the board attempts to legislate themselves out of a lawsuit were ill-advised from the beginning," said the plaintiff, Allen Dyer, an Ellicott City parent, lawyer and school board watchdog.
In other business, members voted on new middle school boundaries set to take effect in August along with the new elementary school districts adopted last week.
Redistricting shuffle
The redistricting will shuffle about 1,100 pupils to different middle schools next year. It was done to distribute the student population more evenly across the county and to fill two new schools
But it raised many questions from parents who felt the moves put undue stress on children.
"People don't understand that this is very difficult for all of us," said Sandra H. French, vice chairman of the board, adding that the board's goal is "a better education system."
Last month, the School Boundary Line Committee gave the board two potential plans. One plan, which would have moved an additional 24 children from Ellicott Mills Middle to Bonnie Branch, was scrapped in favor of the recommended version.
Mended plan
Two changes were incorporated into the accepted plan. Pupils who reside on or near Blueflame Court, Flicker Place, Flamepool Way and Lambskin Lane in Columbia will not be sent to Mayfield Woods as suggested.
They will stay at Bonnie Branch. Children living on Scotts Landing Road will move to Lime Kiln Middle instead of Fulton.
The new middle school, Folly Quarter, will open in the western region of the county and will receive pupils from Clarksville, Glenwood and Mount View middle schools.
Other changes in that area include sending children from Clarksville to Wilde Lake, Harper's Choice and Burleigh Manor middle schools and sending pupils from Hammond Middle to Lime Kiln.
Northeast changes
In the northeastern region of the county, Mayfield Woods will send 33 pupils living in a section east of Route 108 and west of Route 100 to Bonnie Branch, and the school will gain 29 children from Dorsey Road who currently attend Elkridge Landing.
In Columbia, Oakland Mills Middle will send 37 children to Ellicott Mills and will gain 85 from Owen Brown. Burleigh Manor Middle will gain 119 from Dunloggin Middle. Patapsco will send 91 youngsters to Dunloggin.
In February, the board will vote on whether children going to eighth grade next year will be able to elect to stay at their current school via open enrollment.
'Well-being of the child'
"For the comfort and well-being of the child, I think we ought to give them this option," board member Patricia S. Gordon said.
The complete list of changes will be available soon on the school system's Web site: www.howard.k12.md.us. Elementary school boundary lines are outlined there.