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Governor Releases Second Supplemental Budget

March 21st, 2018 by WCBC Radio

Governor Larry Hogan today introduced a second supplemental budget for Fiscal Year 2019 (FY 2019), which provides a total of $2,556,191 for the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) to enhance oversight capabilities. This funding will allow MSDE and the State Board of Education to evaluate and investigate allegations of misconduct and corruption in local school systems, including conducting independent audits where appropriate. The proposed budget allocation comes in the wake of multiple accountability and ethical problems reported in several public school systems across the state.

“Parents, teachers, and students across the state are demanding more accountability in their schools, and if we do not address these issues we are failing the taxpayers, and – most importantly – our kids,” said Governor Hogan. “We are pleased to provide this immediate funding to increase accountability and transparency in Maryland schools, and we are continuing to fight to pass my Accountability in Education Act to create an independent office to investigate any allegations of wrongdoing in our schools.”

The supplemental budget provides $1.5 million, available immediately upon passage of the budget, for the State Board of Education to facilitate an independent follow-up audit of Prince George’s County Public Schools. The State Board voted unanimously on Tuesday to conduct the additional review after an outside audit commissioned in 2017 yielded troubling revelations of grade changes and thousands of students graduating without having fulfilled graduation requirements. Any remaining balance can be utilized for additional audits of local jurisdictions as deemed necessary by the State Board.

The supplemental budget also provides approximately $1 million for the Office of the State Superintendent to create an Education Monitoring Unit and an Office of Compliance and Oversight within MSDE. The funding for the Office of Compliance and Oversight was requested in a letter to the governor from State Board President Andrew Smarick to ensure local school systems are compliant with state law and monitor school systems in need of corrective action.

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