Education Archives

Conduit Street Podcast: 90 Days Later — Sine Die Recap

This Week on the Conduit Street Podcast, we bring you an episode fresh from Sine Die to break down the 2026 legislative session from start to finish. Tune in to the Conduit Street Podcast weekly, wherever you get your podcasts! Subscribe to the Conduit Street Blog and stay in the know!

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April 17, 2026

Education / MACo Testimony

2026 End of Session Wrap-Up: Education

The segments below provide a brief overview of MACo’s work in the area of education policy in the 2026 General Assembly session. Education remains one of the single largest investments for Maryland’s counties, with local governments providing substantial support for both school operations and capital needs. As key funding partners, counties play a critical role in sustaining public education systems while balancing broader budget demands. Through its education advocacy, MACo works to ensure that state…

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April 14, 2026

County News / Education / Leadership

MABE Names New Executive Director

The Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE) has selected Joseph “Joe” Goetz as its next Executive Director, bringing a former local school board president and longtime education advocate into a key statewide leadership role. Goetz will begin on April 27, leading the association that represents all 24 Maryland public school systems. For counties and school systems alike, the role carries significance. MABE plays a central role in school board governance, public education advocacy, and…

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April 7, 2026

County News / Education

Harford County Fills Board of Education Vacancy

Harford County is moving to fill a vacancy on its Board of Education following the resignation of board member Mark Korn, who stepped down for health reasons. County Executive Bob Cassilly has appointed Jonathan T. Streett to serve the remainder of Korn’s term, which runs through 2028, pending confirmation by the Harford County Council. The appointment ensures continuity on the school board at a time when local education governance continues to carry major weight for counties,…

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April 2, 2026

County News / Economic Development / Education / Higher Education

How Allegany County Is Building Skills and Small Businesses

In Allegany County, workforce development is taking shape in a hands-on way. At Western Maryland Works (WMW), residents can earn certifications, train on industry-relevant equipment, prototype products, and build practical skills that translate into jobs, side businesses, and entrepreneurial opportunities. Operating through Allegany College of Maryland, WMW is designed to support both workforce needs and local business growth, particularly in a rural region where access to specialized tools and training can be limited. That combination…

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April 2, 2026

County Budgets / County News / Economic Development / Education / Emergency Management / General Assembly News / Intergovernmental Relations

Conduit Street Podcast: Puzzle Pieces of the Balanced Budget

This week on the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson break down where Maryland’s budget and “Big BRFA” stand as the General Assembly enters its final weeks. Tune in to the Conduit Street Podcast weekly, wherever you get your podcasts! Subscribe to the Conduit Street Blog and stay in the know!

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March 27, 2026

County News / Education / Emergency Management / News You Can Use

Training Tomorrow’s First Responders Today

Counties across the country are struggling to recruit the next generation of firefighters, dispatchers, and law enforcement officers. One Florida county is taking a different approach, building that pipeline before students even graduate high school. In Okeechobee County, public safety career programs are giving students hands-on training and early exposure to careers in fire rescue, 911 dispatch, and law enforcement. The programs are embedded directly into the school day through career and technical education (CTE)…

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March 24, 2026

County Budgets / Education / School Construction and Capital Budgets

State Takes Increased Share of School Construction Costs via Regulation Change

In a meeting last Thursday, the Interagency Commission on School Construction (IAC) adopted new regulations, effectively increasing the state share of costs for qualifying school construction projects in nine of the most resource scarce counties. During a regularly scheduled meeting of the IAC, Executive Director Alex Donahue proposed a change in the existing regulations that set forth the state-local cost share for qualifying school construction projects in smaller jurisdictions with limited tax capacity. The proposed…

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March 16, 2026

County Budgets / Education

Due Soon: Non-Recurring School Cost Entries Are Due March 31

A method in state law for identifying one-time school costs ensures that long-term funding mandates remain unaffected by short-term budget bumps, but approval for non-recurring costs requires application to the State Department of Education, by March 31, 2026. Maryland’s “maintenance of effort” (MOE) school funding law, enacted by the General Assembly, requires that counties maintain the same amount of funding for education per pupil each year. The maintenance of effort name derives from the concept…

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March 12, 2026

County Budgets / Education / Feature

MACo to MSDE: Private Pre-K Details Weeks Overdue as County Budget Deadlines Approach

Below is the full text of a letter sent Tuesday, March 10, 2026, from the Maryland Association of Counties to the Maryland State Department of Education, the Maryland State Board of Education, and the Blueprint for Maryland's Future Accountability and Implementation Board regarding the local share of funding for private prekindergarten expansion in Maryland. The Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) writes on behalf of Maryland’s 24 county governments regarding the continued delay in issuing invoices…

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March 11, 2026