Read more about the article $15.1M Goes to Counties This Week from the Board of Public Works
Board of Public Works / County Budgets
$15.1M Goes to Counties This Week from the Board of Public Works

A little more than $15M went to four counties this week following a regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Public Works.  At its latest meeting, the Maryland Board of Public Works approved approximately $15.1M in funding for local projects across Anne Arundel, Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Worcester counties. The awards primarily support parks and recreational facilities, community amenities, redevelopment, and land conservation. The two largest awards went to Montgomery County, which received a $6M…

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September 3, 2026
Read more about the article New Medicaid Reentry Program for Locally Incarcerated Young Adults
Health and Human Services / Public Safety and Corrections
New Medicaid Reentry Program for Locally Incarcerated Young Adults

A new Medicaid program adopted by the Maryland Department of Health could help local detentions centers get the cost of care covered for some returning citizens in local custody.  Maryland is giving local detention centers a new opportunity to recover some of the costs associated with helping incarcerated individuals transition back into the community through the state’s Medicaid Reentry Program for Children and Young Adults. The program allows eligible local jails to bill Medicaid for…

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September 1, 2026
Read more about the article Meta Settlement Could Bring New Resources to Local Youth Mental Health Efforts
Courts / Health and Human Services
Meta Settlement Could Bring New Resources to Local Youth Mental Health Efforts

The Maryland Office of the Attorney General finalized an agreement with Meta, sending $327M in settlement funds to Maryland for deliberately designing products to be addictive to children and teenagers, while misleading parents and the public about the risks.  Maryland is set to receive up to $327 million from a multi-state settlement with Meta over allegations that Instagram and Facebook were designed with addictive features that harmed children and exposed young users to serious mental…

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August 31, 2026
Read more about the article $950K of Program Open Space Funds Approved for Counties by Board of Public Works
Board of Public Works
$950K of Program Open Space Funds Approved for Counties by Board of Public Works

The Maryland Board of Public Works approved a combined $949,000 in Program Open Space funding for four counties, supporting land-use planning, recreation, accessibility, and park improvements. Last week, in a regularly scheduled meeting of the Maryland Board of Public Works (BPW), just shy of a million dollars was approved for county use. Of the $949K approved, Montgomery received the largest allocation, with $717,000 to renovate approximately 1.1 miles of an existing trail and bring it…

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August 26, 2026
Read more about the article State Board of Education Primed to Adopt New Mathematics Policy Today
Education
State Board of Education Primed to Adopt New Mathematics Policy Today

An updated math policy, set to be adopted today, aims to strengthen the foundation for improving math test scores in Maryland schools and bolster long-term outcomes for students.  The Maryland State Board of Education is set to vote on a new PreK-12 Mathematics Policy designed to improve how mathematics is taught, learned, and assessed across the state. This new policy comes after an initial strategy was adopted in early 2025. According to meeting documents these…

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August 25, 2026
Read more about the article Early College Success Raises the Bar for Blueprint’s Career Pathways
Education / Higher Education
Early College Success Raises the Bar for Blueprint’s Career Pathways

Prince George's County Public Schools and five other jurisdictions are enabling students to fast-track a high school and college degree in technology. Program data is showing impressive enrollment and completion rates but career outcomes are still unclear.  According to a recent The Edu Ledger article, Maryland’s early college programs are showing promising signs that the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future (Blueprint) can help students get a head start on college but careers outcomes are less clear.…

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August 24, 2026
Read more about the article Collaboration Is Vital to the Success of Rural Healthcare Access
Health and Human Services / Summer Conference
Collaboration Is Vital to the Success of Rural Healthcare Access

Building lasting partnerships between governments and businesses is a key component of the framework that does, and will continue to, close gaps in healthcare service for residents in rural Maryland.  At the 2026 MACo Summer Conference session, "Building the Future of Rural Health in Maryland," five panelists discussed the unique challenges and solutions for providing healthcare services to residents in rural Maryland including the Eastern Shore and parts of Southern and Western Maryland. The participants…

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August 20, 2026
Read more about the article Strong Agreement Around Education Reform, Significant Debate Over Strategy at #MACoCon
Education / Summer Conference
Strong Agreement Around Education Reform, Significant Debate Over Strategy at #MACoCon

The major consensus around education reform in Maryland is the Blueprint still holds great promise. The Maryland General Assembly needs to decide just exactly how the financial and implementation challenges will be resolved in order to move that shared vision forward.  The Saturday morning 2026 MACo Summer Conference session, "Blueprint in Action: Building on Success and Finding Common Ground," kicked off bright and early. This panel of state and local leaders discussed the accomplishments, challenges,…

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August 20, 2026
Read more about the article Improvements in Detention Center Technology Bolsters Positive Lasting Outcomes
Public Safety and Corrections
Improvements in Detention Center Technology Bolsters Positive Lasting Outcomes

Technology enhancements in detention centers is setting a new standard for facility operations and returning citizen outcomes.  During the 2026 MACo Summer Conference session, "Rewiring Corrections: Enhancing Security, Education, and Rehabilitation Through Technology," conference attendees got to hear about the myriad of ways local detention centers are leveraging technology to improve operations and outcomes. The session began with an offender-centered approach, highlighted by Queen Anne County Detention Center Captain of Operations, Briana Cottman. Captain Cottman…

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August 19, 2026
Read more about the article Integrating Technology in the Classroom Must Be Handled With Caution and Pragmatism
Education / Summer Conference
Integrating Technology in the Classroom Must Be Handled With Caution and Pragmatism

Tempering expectations for educational outcomes is recommended when integrating new digital learning tools in school systems.  During the 2026 MACo Summer Conference session, "I, Teacher...Education in the Virtual Age," audience members learned about the ways technology and artificial intelligence are being integrated into school systems across Maryland as well as the pitfalls, safeguards, and benefits of new technology for learning. Erin Senior from the Maryland State Department of Education spoke about policies and guidance that…

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August 18, 2026
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