The planned January general SECAC meeting is deferred in order to attend the scheduled AACPS Board of Education Budget hearings held this week. The committee is asking all members, families and interested stakeholders to please attend one of the two Board of Education public hearings on the recommended Operating and Capital budgets for FY 2016 in lieu of attending a general SECAC meeting this month.

Public hearings will be held on Tuesday, January 6, 2015, at Old Mill High School, and Thursday, January 8, 2015, in the Board Room at the Parham Building in Annapolis. Both hearings begin at 7 p.m. Those wishing to testify can sign up beginning at 6 p.m. Testimony will be limited to three minutes per person. SECAC strongly encourages our families to please testify on the impact special education supports have had for your family, or the Special Education gaps that you feel need to be addressed in the budget. The board wants to hear personal stories from families as they consider budget issues. If you are not comfortable testifying, please consider atttending, and simply stand up in support when another family member testifies on the topic of Special Education.