By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
Baltimore County lawmakers in Annapolis recently held a hearing on House Bill 89 and Senate Bill 15, which would authorize the Baltimore County Council to expand the Office of the Inspector General’s (BCOIG) authority to include oversight of Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS).
BCPS served more than 110,000 students in the 2024–2025 school year, with about 30 percent identifying as Black and 54 percent as White, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The Office of the Inspector General’s main role is to improve accountability and oversight of county government operations by identifying abuse, fraud and inefficiency, while promoting integrity and effectiveness.
The AFRO reached out to the BCOIG for comment but did not receive a response prior to publication. BCPS declined to comment.
Sponsored by State Delegate Ryan Nawrocki (R-Md.-7A) and State Sen. Carl Jackson (D-Md.-08), the legislation aims to strengthen transparency and accountability within BCPS.
“If there is a complaint made and the BCOIG feels as though it rises to the level of an investigation, then they will do so and the results would be made public,” said Jackson. “Any investigations done by the BCOIG will be independent of BCPS and will be made public. There are no drawbacks to independent and transparent oversight.”
If these bills are passed, Jackson said parents and students could see fewer instances of waste, fraud and abuse, along with increased trust in the school system.
“This legislation is about all of our kids, teachers and staff having the best educational experience and environment possible within BCPS,” he said.
He noted that Montgomery County Public Schools already operates under independent oversight from its Inspector General, a model SB 15 is based upon.
“While BCPS has internal auditors, they are not investigators,” said Nawrocki, explaining how the bill would improve oversight. “One of the primary differences between auditors and investigators is the subpoena power granted to investigators.”
The House version of the bill received a hearing on Jan. 29 and is awaiting a vote by the House Ways and Means Committee and the Baltimore County delegation. A favorable report would advance it to the House floor; an unfavorable report could halt progress unless overridden by a full House vote.
Nawrocki told the AFRO he expected the Baltimore County delegation to vote on HB 89 by Feb. 6.
Nawrocki explained the context behind the bill.
“Last year, the Baltimore County Council approved Resolution 40-25 with overwhelming bipartisan support to request state authorization to expand the Baltimore County Office of the Inspector General’s jurisdiction to include oversight of BCPS,” he said.
Nawrocki highlighted how this initiative differs from a similar 2021 effort led by Delegate Eric D. Ebersole (D-Md.-44A) and then-Sen. Kathy Klausmeier.
“Delegate Ebersole and then-Senator Klausmeier’s 2021 bill laid the groundwork for this effort,” he said. “However, this bill is different. It does not automatically expand the Inspector General’s oversight. This bill would enable the County Council to authorize the expansion and determine the best structure for the office, giving the community a say on how oversight is shaped.”
According to legislators, the bill has received strong support from the community, including the Teachers Association of Baltimore County, the Baltimore County League of Women Voters, State Inspector General for Education Rick Henry and the Baltimore County Council.
The Senate version is expected to receive a hearing Feb. 18 in the Education, Energy and Environment Committee. Sessions can be attended in person in Annapolis or viewed online at mgaleg.maryland.gov.
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported the number of students in Baltimore County Public Schools for the 2024–2025 school year as 11,024. The correct number is more than 110,000.