Howard Establishes Workgroup to Evaluate Education Budget

Howard County will have a first-of-its-kind multi-agency workgroup on Blueprint Resources Planning Howard County Executive Calvin Ball issued an executive order on May 17 establishing one of Maryland’s first workgroups to analyze and respond to the multitude of funding requirements under the Blueprint for Maryland's Future ("The Blueprint"). The Howard County Blueprint Resources Planning Workgroup will strategize on statutory funding requirements, collaborate on State aid opportunities, and recommend a funding and policy action plan to respond to…

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Now Available: Spring 2023 IAC Newsletter

The 2023 Spring Newsletter from the Interagency Commission on School Construction includes information on Net Zero Energy add-on funding and budget and legislative updates. The Interagency Commission on School Construction (IAC) has published its Spring 2023 Newsletter. In this edition of the quarterly publication, readers will find details on the agency's Net Zero Energy add-on incentive funding and legislative updates from the 2023 legislative session. The 2023 Spring Newsletter also includes updates on a series…

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Four Maryland Universities to Receive $2.5 M to Train, Hire Mental Health Support

Four Maryland universities will receive more than $2.5 million in federal grants to train and hire new mental health service personnel to help address student mental health. Under the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the U.S. Department of Education will distribute nearly $100 million to 36 states to fund the training and hiring of mental health professionals across the country in order to address student mental health needs. Maryland will receive a little more than…

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Montgomery Schools Will Allow Students to Carry Lifesaving Narcan

Montgomery County will now allow students to carry personally obtained Narcan -- the lifesaving overdose reversal drug -- on school grounds. Students in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) are now allowed to carry "personally obtained" overdose-reversing nasal spray, also known as naloxone or Narcan. Opioid reversal medications (like naloxone/Narcan) work temporarily to counteract the toxic and mortal effects of an opioid overdose. Notably, naloxone is considered safe to administer even if symptoms are not due to…

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May 17 Board of Public Works Meeting: Here’s What Counties Need to Know

The Board of Public Works (BPW) — a three-member panel including GovernorWes Moore, Comptroller Brooke Lierman, and State Treasurer Dereck Davis — reviews projects, contracts, and expenditure plans for state agencies, many of which affect county governments. The BPW considered and approved the following requests and recommendations at its meeting on May 17, 2023: Allegany County A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit an additional $28,224 from the Local Parks and Playgrounds…

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Myriam Yarbrough Selected as Next Baltimore Co Superintendent

The Baltimore County Public Schools Board of Education announced Myriam Yarbrough as the next superintendent. Dr. Myriam Yarbrough was announced as the next superintendent of the Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) system on May 16. Dr. Yarbrough currently serves as BCPS deputy superintendent and was the only superintendent finalist who works in the BCPS system. Her appointment is "contingent upon final contract negotiations for employment and approval by state superintendent Mohammed Choudhury as required by Maryland law."…

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Board of Public Works: May 17 Meeting Agenda

The Board of Public Works — a three-member panel including Governor Wes Moore, Comptroller Brooke Lierman, and State Treasurer Dereck Davis — reviews projects, contracts, and expenditure plans for state agencies, many of which affect county governments. The State Board of Public Works (BPW) typically convenes on alternating Wednesdays in the Governor’s Reception Room on the 2nd floor of the State House in Annapolis, and meetings are open to the public. They are also live-streamed on…

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Counties Partner with Retirees to Fill Vacancies, Relieve Tax Debt

Counties in Colorado and South Carolina are tackling two problems through one innovative approach: residential retirees fill local staff vacancies in exchange for property tax forgiveness. Public service around the country is at an all-time low. State, county, and municipal governments from Maryland to California are struggling to hire and retain eligible works for a vast range of government positions. The National Association of Counties (NACo) recently reported on one innovative approach to county hiring that might…

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Two Birds, One Stone: Arizona Tackles Housing and Educator Shortages Together

Arizona is deploying the "tiny house" craze to address the ongoing educator and housing shortages at the same time. Arizona -- like the rest of the country -- is struggling to hire and retain public school educators and to provide enough stock of affordable housing to those educators and other residents. In a creative effort to tackle both problems at one time, one school district is leveraging federal funds to build "tiny homes" to attract…

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What’s Next: Maryland 529 Plans After the 2023 Legislative Session

The 2023 legislative session prioritized investigating and addressing ongoing issues with Maryland's premier higher education savings plan. Here's where things are at. Maryland's Prepaid College Trust has been in turmoil for over a year. The Prepaid College Trust is offered by Maryland 529 and managed by Intuition College Savings Solutions, LLC. It was designed to help individuals and families save for college in a tax-advantaged way. However, over the last year, hundreds of Maryland families…

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