Somerset & Prince George's County BOEs Battle With Their Superintendent

During the open budget meeting in Somerset County on June 9th, 2025, people witnessed yet another common event: The Superintendent hijacking the budget meeting and declaring that “she wants her budget” presented to the public, while totally disregarding the budget that the Board has painstakingly worked on to date and discussed in previous budget sessions. The Board sat in shock and disbelief, as they voiced their questions of confusion and uncertainty about what they're supposed to vote for. The budget was completely undermined by the Superintendent.

With a deadline quickly approaching, she was running the meeting often talking over the members of the Board without giving them the chance to process the information presented before them for the first time and without any opportunity to read or understand.

During the budget meeting, the Board attorney tried to focus on giving the Board an opportunity to present their budget, but that didn’t happen.

There has been a common pattern across the state. The Superintendent is the only employee of a Board of Education, and the arrogance of the superintendent who believes he or she knows more than the elected Board members can be commonly witnessed across Maryland.

The Superintendent works for the Board and reports to them, not the other way around. That's the problem. The Superintendent wants to control the Board. Boards find themselves in a power struggle when the Maryland statutes already define the roles of a local Board of Education:

MD. Education Code § 4-101 to 4-108

Superintendents are often the highest paid employees in a county school district. Yet, they can quit “at will” at any time and for any reason. Ironically, it's a one-way street as there's no reciprocal arrangement. A Superintendent is subject to a statutory due process should the Board decide to terminate them. First, the Board must vote to terminate the Superintendent’s contract and then the “Removal Proceedings” take place often months at a time and at the expense of students, teachers and the Board.

One of those common themes that tie Prince George’s County and Somerset is the failed student performance and dismal student discipline. Somerset County is by far the worst county in Maryland based on student performance data and the highest “per student” expense. Marylanders pay more than $24,400 per pupil for the education of their children in Somerset County.

The result: violence and academic failure of the school system.

Since January 2025 when the newly elected Board members took office, the obstruction within the school system came as a result of a majority Board that would not continue “business as usual“ by keeping seats warm and rubber stamping whatever is put before them. Instead, they identified the key areas of deficiencies and immediately started addressing them. With much resistance and failure to acknowledge the Board's authority and role as the head of the school district, they have been constantly faced by an obstructive and incompetent Superintendent that has only exasperated the lack of common sense, leadership and results.

In the term Superintendent, you will find the word SUPER. The Superintendent who manages the day-to-day operations of the school is paid over $200K to be super under the direction of the Board. The fact is, the children are underperforming and the schools aren't safe in the day-to-day operation. This cannot continue. If a super isn't super, then they need one that is.

Fellows & Editors

June 12, 2025 - Copyright DelmarvaPTC.org 

To stay informed, sign up to the Delmarva Parent Teacher Coalition and follow us on facebook to know what's really happening with education in our schools.

All copyright © information provided at no charge under the Fair Use Act and strictly for educational purposes and public awareness.