Harford County Public Schools staff faced backlash from residents and Board of Education members Monday night over a plan to restructure a patriotic program for elementary students.

The Patriot Program was founded more than 30 years ago and instructs elementary students on what it means to be American. The program teaches American history with an emphasis on memorization. Schools adopted the program in varying ways, with field trips in Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

Officials at HCPS detailed a plan at the Board of Education meeting Monday to restructure the program by infusing it into a district-wide curriculum. The presentation noted a declining participation rate for the program as an extracurricular and emphasized a need to ensure every student in the district is included.

The meeting drew a large crowd of concerned residents during the public testimony portion, with pleas to keep the Patriot Program as is. Those testifying emphasized a need to maintain parental involvement in the program as an extracurricular instead of watering it down into a curriculum led exclusively by school staff.

“For a lack of understanding of what being a patriot means, you’ve set our children up for failure,” one community member testified.

“If we are to keep this republic, the HCPS shouldn’t deny parents the ability to exercise their parental authority by shifting the burden of a child’s education to the school system and the teacher’s union,” another said.

Board of Education members were split on whether they support the plan to restructure the Patriot Program. However, members expressed a shared frustration with school system officials for allegedly declining to advise the board on its plans.

“I think the intent was an A and the execution was a C. I think the board could have been more involved as a primary stakeholder earlier in this process,” Board of Education President Aaron Poynton said.

“If this revised program offered what the traditional Patriot Program offered and included the patriotic exercises and fundamentals to all of our students, I would 100% support that,” said Melissa Hahn, vice president of the board. “Unfortunately, this new Patriot Program bears zero resemblance to the existing program.”

The board concluded its discussions by passing a resolution that advised the school system to “maintain the Patriot Program as a supplementary and voluntary initiative.”

“The board acknowledges that any mandatory civics education or engagement activities are embedded within the regular curriculum and that the Patriot Program is intended to complement, not replace, those requirements,” one section of the resolution states.

An internal email obtained by Spotlight on Maryland revealed one school system official responded to concerns from board member Terri Kocher with claims that a revision to the Patriot Program was necessary to boost equity and address concerns from the local teacher union.

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“As we entered this school year with a focus from our Board of Education on instruction, particularly in math and reading, and concerns from our teacher’s union about workload, a conscious decision was made to review the Patriot Program,” Dyann R. Mack, HCPS executive director of elementary school instruction and performance, wrote.

“With regards to equity, the importance is that all students have access to high-quality instructional programs and any celebration associated with it,” he continued. “Anything short of this is inequitable as I shared with Mrs. Kocher. In many instances the Patriot Program created situations where our students were excluded, left out of assemblies, celebrations, and field trips, which does not foster a sense of belonging in our schools.”

Kocher further emphasized her concerns at Monday’s meeting.

“I took issue with one of your slides that said you’re committed to transparency,” Kocher told HCPS officials. “That includes transparency for the board. This has been going on for six plus months and this is the first time we’re hearing about it.”

The proposals from HCPS to alter to Patriot Program are not finalized.

“The last I checked, the board approves all curriculum changes and I’ve been struggling to understand how a focus group got access, but the Board of Education was kept in the dark,” board member Lauren Paige Strauss said. “In my time on this board, I haven’t heard one complaint about this program.”

Superintendent Sean Bulson said the Board of Education will be included in further decisions on the Patriot Program.

“Harford County Public Schools is not eliminating the Patriot Program but working towards incorporating all aspects of the program into the district-wide curriculum to ensure access for all HCPS students,” he told Spotlight on Maryland. “While the pilot aligns with previously approved board practices and curriculum, we understand the Board’s interest in this work and welcome continued collaboration as we move forward in the best interest of all students.”

State Sen. Jason Gallion, a Republican who represents Harford County, issued a news release in opposition to the district’s plan to revise the Patriot Program.

“Regarding the proposed changes, basic topics were shared but no board members or parents had been made aware of the specific curriculum changes HCPS was planning to make,” he said. “This lack of transparency was reminiscent of the initial decision to remove the Patriot Program as an extra learning opportunity.”

“Civics should already be offered throughout the curriculum, but this proposed change would have prevented our students from striving to go above and beyond in their education on these critical topics,” he continued. “I see this as yet another example of punishing the students willing to put forth extra effort to improve their skills, knowledge, and gain a sense of achievement.”

 Spotlight on Maryland is a joint venture by FOX45 News and The Baltimore Sun. Have a news tip? Contact Patrick Hauf at pjhauf@sbgtv.com.