Charles County briefs

School budget town hall planned

The Charles County Board of Education will host a town hall on Tuesday, April 23, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the school system’s Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building at 5980 Radio Station Road in La Plata. Parents, staff, students and community members can attend to ask questions or provide comments about the fiscal 2025 proposed operating budget or other education-related topic. A summary of the 2025 proposed operating budget request is posted on the school system’s website at www.ccboe.com.

Attendees interested in speaking in person must register on site and will have up to 3 minutes to speak. Virtual speakers must sign up by 5 p.m. and have an active Zoom account.

Nominate a staff member, student for awards

The Charles County Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee annual Teacher and Staff Appreciation Awards ceremony is set for May 15. The annual awards celebrate the commitment of Charles County Public Schools staff members who work with students with special needs. Parents and guardians can nominate staff members for an award to recognize outstanding work and kindness. Any staff member — teachers, building service workers, bus drivers, counselors, cafeteria staff, secretaries, principals, assistant principals, librarians and others — who have made a difference in the life of a student with special needs is eligible for recognition. The SECEC also has nominations for a Buddy Award given to students who have shown extreme kindness to a student with special needs.

The nomination applications are available at www.ccboe.com and the deadline to submit a is April 24. To attend the May 15, at Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Elementary School ceremony, RSVP to charlescountysecac@gmail.com by May 13.

Pair of town halls set for April 25

Charles County Commissioner Amanda Stewart (D) will host a town hall on April 25 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church, located at 2671 Mattawoman Beantown Road in Waldorf. The topic of discussion will be Waldorf Station (Greenberg Gibbons will be in attendance).

Also Commissioner Gilbert “BJ” Bowling (D) will host a town hall on April 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Waldorf Senior Center and Recreational Center, located at 90 Post Office Road in Waldorf. The topics of discussion will be the fiscal 2025 budget, charter government and development.

For more information, visit Community Meetings page on the county government’s website at charlescountymd.gov.

Virtual Blueprint town hall planned

Charles County Public Schools is holding a virtual town hall, Thursday, April 25, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., to discuss the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. The town hall allows parents, students and community members to provide feedback on the school system’s implementation plan.

The meeting will be held on the Zoom platform and is open to all. The link to join is https://ccboe.zoom.us/j/81266678299?pwd=WWJrUHNXVVlSTXVpYWE3ZmFDUlJnZz09.

Fatherhood program available

The Charles County Department of Social Services, with the support of A Father’s Place, Prince George’s County, offers fatherhood program virtual cohort sessions for eligible fathers, expectant fathers, and male role models who live in Charles County. Instructors will assist fathers, expectant fathers and male role models with developing long-lasting relationships with their children, communicating better with the mother of their children and employment support services and other supportive services. Complete a referral form at https://forms.gle/eDuktEnzangLT1zP9/. For more, email ccdss@afppgc.org or call or text 240-391-8892.

School system updates volunteer process

Charles County Public Schools updated its volunteer processes to establish a network of community members interested in supporting schools. The new Community Volunteer Program provides an opportunity for community members who are not the parent/guardian of an enrolled Charles student to volunteer their time in supporting schools.

Community members interested in volunteering with the Charles public school system can visit www.ccboe.com/parents/volunteer-information to complete an interest form. All volunteers are required to complete a prescreening questionnaire, online training and required background check. For more information, contact Sylvia Royster, director of community engagement and equity, at sroyster@ccboe.com.

Special education parent survey opened

Parents and guardians of children who receive special education services in Maryland recently received a copy of the Maryland Special Education Parent Involvement Survey in the mail from the Maryland State Department of Education. By completing the survey, parents and guardians can share how their children’s school can better partner with them.

The feedback helps guide efforts to improve special education and related services in school systems around Maryland. The hard copy of the survey should be returned in the postage-paid envelope to MSDE by May 24. The survey can also be completed online at www.mdparentsurvey.com.

Questions can be directed to the MSDE help desk at 800-287-1581 or mdparentsurvey@icfi.com.

VanGo moves to tracking app

Charles County government recently announced that VanGO replaced its current app with TripShot. The app features a suite of tools including live bus tracking, real-time schedule updates and custom notifications. The app also features trip planning and other capabilities. TripShot is available on smartphones, as well as on the computer.

To access online, visit www.go-Vango.com, select your desired routes and choose a stop nearest you to view estimated time of arrival.

To access the app on your smartphone, search “TripShot” on your app store, and download it for free. Once downloaded, Type “VanGo” in the system selection tab. From the main screen you can plan your trip, view nearby stops, and add specific routes to your favorites tab. You can also set up custom notifications for your route from the trip planner screen.

Call 301-645-0642 for more information.

County accepting land preservation applications

The Charles County Department of Planning and Growth Management is accepting applications from county landowners to participate in Maryland’s Agricultural Land Preservation Program and Rural Legacy Program. Completed applications must be filed with the department by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 24.

The Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation and the Rural Legacy Program are designed to preserve farm and forest lands and other valuable natural resources by purchasing conservation easements from willing landowners. To learn more, visit www.CharlesCountyMD.gov/government/planning-and-growth-management/preservation-and-long-range-planning/agricultural-and-land-preservation.

Sheriff’s office implements program for records requests

The Charles County Sheriff’s Office recently announced the implementation of the NextRequest application, a solution designed to enhance and expedite the process of obtaining police records and Maryland’s Public Information Act requests. All requests for police records and PIAs can be done by accessing the NextRequest Portal on the agency’s website at www.ccso.us or directly at ccso-md.nextrequest.com.