Calvert County Public Schools Will Open for Students on June 17 and 18
The Calvert County Public Schools (CCPS) Board of Education voted today to open school on June 17 and 18, 2015 to make up student days lost due to inclement weather. The last day for ten-month employees will be June 19.
CCPS closed for seven days because of inclement weather. Five days beyond the required 180 were built into the calendar, with the stipulation that days not used for inclement weather would be backed out of the calendar in June. The calendar is subject to change when schools are closed for students in excess of five days due to inclement weather or an emergency.
Calvert County Public Schools Awards Health Benefits Contracts to CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
After completing an almost seven month bid process, Calvert County Public Schools (CCPS) has awarded the contracts for employee health benefits to CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield.
In response to escalating costs, CCPS posted separate requests for proposals (RFP) for medical, prescription drug, dental and vision health insurance benefits with three goals in mind: (1) provide sustainable, quality health benefits for CCPS employees/retirees/dependents; (2) control the cost of healthcare benefits for CCPS employees/retirees/dependents; and (3) comply with all requirements of the Affordable Care Act.
Following the submission of proposals, members of the CCPS healthcare steering committee, in conjunction with Mr. Mark Lynne, President of Bolton Partners' Health Plan Consulting Division, scored all vendor responses based on technical and pricing performance criteria. Based on this analysis, vendor finalists were selected and invited to meet with members of the CCPS healthcare steering committee and Mr. Lynne on February 24, 2015 to present related information as well as best and final offers. Committee members and Mr. Lynne then analyzed the best and final offers as specified on a scoring rubric and recommended awarding the four contracts to CareFirst BlueCross Blue Shield. The Board of Education members approved the recommendation of the committee at their meeting on March 19, 2015.
According to Superintendent Daniel D. Curry, "This turned out to be a very valuable process that will result in reducing our expected costs to both the district and our employees."
Community Bank of the Chesapeake and Calvert County Public Schools Announce New Partnership
Calvert County Public Schools is pleased to announce a new partnership between the school system and Community Bank of the Chesapeake. The school board's decision to move its accounts to Community Bank was approved in September 2014, and accounts for all twenty-four schools were successfully transitioned over subsequent months.
"On behalf of the Calvert County Public School system, we would like to thank Community Bank for their efforts to make this transition not only a smooth one, but an enjoyable one as well," said Anthony Navarro, Assistant Superintendent of Administration. "Community Bank's passion for the community is something that comes through in every aspect of its work. We feel fortunate to work with a financial institution that shares our commitment to this region and to the success of our youth."
The account conversion process was led by a team of experienced bankers under the direction of the bank's Calvert County Market Manager and Assistant Vice President, Jean Gelatka. Working on an individual basis with each school's administrative team, Community Bank representatives provided online banking training and support to users as accounts were converted.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for Community Bank of the Chesapeake, and we thank the Calvert County Public School system for entrusting us with these accounts," said Bill Pasenelli, President and Chief Executive Officer for Community Bank of the Chesapeake. "Our team of bankers has had many opportunities over the last few months to spend time in the schools, get to know the staff at each location and understand the financial needs of the whole school system. We look forward to continuing to work with Mr. Navarro and the rest of the school board in the months ahead."
Headquartered in Waldorf, Maryland, Community Bank of the Chesapeake is a full-service commercial bank, with assets over $1 billion. Through its twelve banking centers and five dedicated commercial lending centers, Community Bank of the Chesapeake offers a broad range of financial products and services to individuals and businesses. Community Bank of the Chesapeake is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Community Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: TCFC).
Calvert County Public Schools Application for Pre-Kindergarten
Calvert County Public Schools is now accepting applications for the 2015-2016 school year. The pre-kindergarten program was developed by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) to meet the needs of low-income students who may not have the necessary readiness skills to be successful in school. Students are selected based on the criteria and guidelines set by MSDE and Calvert County Public Schools.
Children must be four years old by September 1, 2015 to be considered for the pre-kindergarten program and must meet one of the following prioritized criteria. Children who meet the age eligibility and any of the criteria for the following categories should apply.
Category I
-- Child's family must be eligible for free or reduced price meals.
--- Homeless students are also eligible.
Category II
-- Child participated in State or Federal Early Childhood Programs.
--- Head Start
--- English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
Category III
-- Other Academic (Educational) Needs
--- Preschool Special Education (student with IEP)
--- Child Find Referral
--- Child with demonstrated academic delay (as measured by a CCPS identified developmental assessment)
--- Families whose income is up to ten percent over the Free and Reduced Meals Income Guidelines
Applications will be processed and applicants will receive an eligibility determination letter. Students cannot be registered for pre-kindergarten until the application process has been completed.
Applicants meeting the income eligibility criteria in Category I will receive immediate notice of a pre-kindergarten assignment. Those who are eligible under Categories II and III will not receive notice of a pre-kindergarten assignment until September if slots are still available.
Applications can be obtained from:
-- Any elementary school
-- Calvert County Public Schools Central Office - Division of Instruction
-- www.calvertnet.k12.md.us
For more information, contact Cheryl Yates, Supervisor of Early Childhood and Title I Programs at 410-535-7259.