TO: Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) Board of Education
FROM: Frank Turner II, Integrity & Compliance Officer
DATE: Friday, July 5, 2024
RE: Attendance to Board Meetings and Other Required Engagements
As you are aware, FY25 (effective July 1, 2024) brings about the transition of an all elected Prince George’s County Public School System (PGCPS) Board of Education (BOE) as required by Maryland law. I know the BOE is also aware how crucial its leadership and engagement is to the constituents and scholars in Prince George’s County, MD. The PGCPS Office of Integrity and Compliance (OIC) needs to do its part as well, so my office will work closely with the BOE Director in monitoring attendance by the PGCPS BOE members to Board meetings in accordance with Board Policy No. 0108: Code of Conduct (BP 0108). This is as a result of the OIC becoming aware of a Board member’s recurrent absences through observation as well as a public complaint to the office in FY24. BOE member absences substantially impacted the PGCPS in FY24.
As a reminder, BP 0108 was adopted with the purpose to raise the level of engagement of Board members in conducting the business of public education in Prince George’s County. Per this policy, each member of the Board is required to attend all regularly scheduled Board meetings insofar as possible, as part of their duty. Failure to comply with this obligation by a Board member constitutes willful neglect of duty. In addition to missing regular scheduled Board meetings, this policy reprimands recurrent absences by Board members to other types of meetings, by stating any Board member “who misses three or more consecutive regularly scheduled Board meetings work sessions, emergency meetings, public hearings, appeals, and/or executive sessions or fails to attend 25% of the Board's regular meetings during any twelve (12) consecutive month period” will be subject of being charged with willful neglect of duty by the Board and upon a Board vote.
During the PGCPS Oral Arguments for Appeals on Thursday, May 23, 2024, I observed an appellant who was attending the BOE Appeals session for the 4th time since November 2022 due to BOE failures to reach a member quorum. This position memorandum is a broader follow-up to the OIC formal email transmitted to the PGCPS BOE on May 29, 2024. Consequently, in the event a Board member is considered absent per the previous criteria, the “Chair of the Board shall file a complaint with the State Board of Education for the member’s removal.”
Furthermore, BP 0108 requires for a Board member to notify in writing to the Chair of the Board or the Board office in the event the Board member cannot attend part or all of a regularly scheduled Board meeting at least 24 hours beforehand, absent an emergency. Moreover, the OIC recommends for Board members to notify as well, of any potential absence of an emergency meeting, public hearings, appeals, and executive sessions, 24 hours prior to such engagement to ensure accountability and adherence to BP 0108.
The citizens of Prince George’s County, PGCPS, and the OIC are extremely grateful for your service as elected Board members. Each Board member should attempt to attend all required meetings and engagements, absent an emergency, in order to properly fulfill the Board’s responsibilities as delegated by law. Therefore, any violation of this policy by the Board or any Board member will be investigated by the OIC and actions will be taken to ensure adherence to this policy.
