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BILL: HB 763 TITLE: Education - Sexual Abuse and Assault Awareness and Prevention Program  - Human and Sex Trafficking DATE: March 20, 2025 POSITION: Unfavorable COMMITTEE: Senate Education, Energy and the Environment Committee CONTACT: Mary Pat Fannon, Executive Director, PSSAM The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM), on behalf of all twenty-four local school superintendents  opposes House Bill 763.  This bill requires that the State Board and each nonpublic school in the State shall develop and implement a program of age-appropriate education on the awareness and prevention of sexual abuse and assault. The program shall be taught by a teacher who is trained to provide instruction on the awareness of sexual abuse and assault and be incorporated into the health curriculum of each county board and each nonpublic school. It also includes for students in grades 6 through 8, material promoting the awareness and prevention of human and sex trafficking. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. Local superintendents strongly support robust and comprehensive instruction in age-appropriate health education, including topics covered in this legislation, and believe that the intent of this bill is already being met.  According to the MSDE, comprehensive health education has been a feature of Maryland education regulation since 1970. In this framework, concepts and skills related to family life and human sexuality must be age-appropriate and taught by teachers who have had additional preparation in the content and teaching methods of the material. New health education standards were adopted by the Maryland State Board of Education in December 2019 and the Maryland State Framework for Comprehensive Health Education was revised based on those standards. This framework was created by the State Board and MSDE in partnership with the Maryland Department of Health, LEAs, national experts, and stakeholders to rigorously review, revise, and adopt standards, frameworks, and curricular resources. The updated grade 7 standards require students to analyze laws, policies, and consequences related to sexual mistreatment, grooming, harassment, abuse, assault, exploitation, and human trafficking that are designed to protect young people.  Further, while the grade 6 and 8 indicators do not explicitly reference "human and sex trafficking," terms such as sexual mistreatment, grooming, harassment, abuse, assault, exploitation, and boundary violations were intentionally chosen to provide age-appropriate instruction on these issues.  Some local school districts have incorporated the topics mentioned above in curricula at all three levels and have included human trafficking specifically in middle school curriculum for several years. Rather than imposing mandates on the teaching of human and sex trafficking awareness, local superintendents support program guidance from the MSDE. Again, while we appreciate the bill’s good intention, we ask the Committee to continue to honor the well-established and balanced relationship between the state and local education experts on the creation of standards, and implementation of local curriculum. For these reasons, PSSAM opposes House Bill 763 and kindly requests an unfavorable  report.

BILL: SB 451 TITLE: Adult Education - High School Diploma by Examination - Requirements  and Study DATE: March 19, 2025 POSITION: Favorable COMMITTEE: House Ways & Means Committee CONTACT: Mary Pat Fannon, Executive Director, PSSAM The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM), on behalf of all twenty-four public school superintendents, supports  Senate Bill 451. This bill requires the Maryland Department of Labor (MD Labor) to allow individuals to take all components of the high school diploma examination (e.g., GED) in either the English or Spanish language versions offered by MD Labor. Additionally, MD Labor must identify other appropriate languages in which to offer the GED and assess the feasibility and cost of offering the examination in additional languages. Local superintendents strongly support this legislation’s move towards a more equitable opportunity for Spanish-language GED test takers. The current requirement that the Reasoning Through Language Arts section of the GED be taken exclusively in English creates an unnecessary and significant obstacle for individuals who are otherwise capable of passing the GED exam.  Unfortunately, while forward-focused on so many aspects of public education, Maryland is the only state that still mandates passage of this English-only portion of the GED. Distressing data in Montgomery County revealed the inequities of this policy with students repeatedly failing this portion of the tests but passing other components of the test, in their native language, with much more success.  Proponents of the English-only option argue that it is necessary for the test taker to demonstrate English proficiency, but this proficiency is not an explicit requirement for the GED. It is important to acknowledge that language development is an ongoing process that can continue effectively as these individuals join and contribute to the workforce.  For these reasons, PSSAM supports Senate Bill 451  and kindly requests a favorable   committee report.

BILL: SB 468 TITLE: Public Middle, High, and Charter Schools - Start Time for Instruction DATE: March 05, 2025 POSITION: Unfavorable COMMITTEE: Senate Education Energy & the Environment  Committee CONTACT: Mary Pat Fannon, Executive Director, PSSAM The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM), on behalf of all twenty-four local school superintendents, opposes  Senate Bill 468. This bill requires, beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, all middle schools in the State to begin instruction no earlier than 8:00 a.m. and all high schools in the State to begin instruction no earlier than 8:30 a.m. The State Board of Education (SBE), by request, may grant waivers from these requirements if they determine that there is a compelling reason for a school to require a different start time. However, a lack of funding to implement the new start times is not a compelling reason for a waiver. Additionally, beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, each local board of education and public charter school must implement a public information campaign to raise awareness of the later start times for middle and high schools, as specified. If requested, SBE must assist with these campaigns. The bill makes additional technical and conforming changes. Although PSSAM appreciates the intent of SB 468, local superintendents firmly believe that decisions regarding mandates—such as changes to school start times—should be made by local school districts in conjunction with guidance from the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). It is important to note that local school systems already have the authority to adjust start times as needed and each district should be allowed the discretion to make decisions that best support its students, families, and communities. For these reasons, PSSAM opposes  Senate Bill 468 and kindly requests an unfavorable  report.

BILL: SB 506 TITLE: Maryland Medical Assistance Program – Use of Reimbursement Funds by  Schools DATE: March 05, 2025 POSITION: Unfavorable COMMITTEE: Senate Education Energy & the Environment  Committee CONTACT: Mary Pat Fannon, Executive Director, PSSAM The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM), on behalf of all twenty-four Maryland local school superintendents, opposes  Senate Bill 506. This bill requires an elementary or secondary school, or a local school system, to use “reimbursement funds” (funds received for services provided in a school setting to an individual enrolled in Medicaid or the Maryland Children’s Health Insurance Program (MCHP)) to provide (1) additional positions for “providers” (school audiologists, psychologists, speech pathologists, and any other health care practitioner who provides services to a student in a school setting); (2) paid internships for students seeking to become providers; and (3) stipends for providers, including providers working in low-performing schools, that are designed to address problems in provider recruitment and retention.  PSSAM opposes SB 506’s restrictions on the uses of Medicaid reimbursement funding. Previously, Medicaid school-based reimbursements were limited due to federal regulations, however, that is changing. Under the previous Administration, the federal government was in the process of making bold and expansive changes to allow school districts to use Medicaid funding in K12 educational settings.  We are aware of the concerns expressed by community health providers that this expanded Medicaid billing will infringe on their business model and treatment arena. We strongly urge the Committee to recognize that the mental health needs of our students goes well beyond what can be provided by school systems and community health providers combined - there is unfortunately an enormous amount of need with limited providers to help young people cope in this post-pandemic world. Therefore, it would be negligent to leave any federal funding on the table by limiting reimbursements, or limiting the use of reimbursement to the activities outlined in this bill.  To further clarify this point, according to Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), this proposed legislation would have a significant negative impact on their special education budget. MCPS currently generates ~$5.2 million in Medicaid revenue, but under this bill, would only be able to use approximately $2.2 million for services that are currently paid for out of these revenues.  As drafted, this legislation would not allow funding for many of the existing critical positions such as staff that directly support special education students, contractual speech pathologists and private duty nurses to provide direct services where there are staffing vacancies, payment for speech pathologists fees for recertification, and funding for university partnerships to create a pipeline for new speech pathologists to be employed by MCPS. Most of these positions cannot be cut due to a lack of funding, but would have to be paid through some other existing or newly requested budget source. These are people and activities that provide direct services to students, and ensure compliance with federal and state special education statutes and regulations.  The bill also creates arbitrary disparities between the "providers" as defined in the bill and certified special education teachers, who bill Medicaid for direct services to special education students. These teachers would be ineligible for the stipend and other incentives set forth in the bill, despite the fact that special education teacher positions are a critical shortage area just as speech pathologists, psychologists, occupational and physical therapy positions. Thus, the unintended consequence of the bill would be to single out a specific group of employees when special education teachers have the same authority and ability to bill Medicaid as the "providers" defined in the bill.  Lastly, the bill limits local educational agencies (LEA) by requiring funds to be spent in a specific way that may not meet the individual needs of each LEA. While some LEAs might have a need for speech pathologists and psychologists, others might need special educators that do not meet the definition of “provider” in the bill. Each LEA should be able to use its Medicaid revenue in a manner that meets the needs of their district. For these reasons, PSSAM opposes  Senate Bill 506 and requests an unfavorable report.

BILL: SB 588 TITLE: Education - Interscholastic and Intramural Junior Varsity and Varsity  Teams - Designation Based on Sex (Fairness In Girls' Sports Act) DATE: March 05, 2025 POSITION: Unfavorable COMMITTEE: Senate Education Energy & the Environment Committee CONTACT: Mary Pat Fannon, Executive Director, PSSAM The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM), on behalf of all twenty-four local school superintendents, opposes  Senate Bill 588. This bill requires an interscholastic or intramural athletic team or sport that is sponsored by a public or nonpublic high school to be expressly designated as one of the following based on biological sex: (1) a boys’, male, or men’s team or sport; (2) a girls’, female, or women’s team or sport; or (3) a coeducational or mixed team or sport. An interscholastic or intramural athletic team or sport designated for girls, females, or women may not include students of the male sex. A governmental entity, a licensing or accrediting organization, or an athletic association or organization may not accept a complaint, investigate, or take any other adverse action against a school for maintaining separate interscholastic or intramural athletic teams or sports for students of the female sex. Students and schools are authorized to bring specified civil actions.  Since 1991, interscholastic sports in Maryland have operated in accordance with the “Master Agreement Outlining the Interscholastic Structure for Public Schools in Maryland,” which establishes the responsibilities of MPSSAA, MSDE, and local school systems. Local superintendents believe that this system of regulation and oversight is working well. The MPSSAA Guidance for Participation of Transgender Youth in Interscholastic Athletics states that its purpose is to “designate a set of criteria in which student-athletes are able to compete on a level playing field in a safe, competitive and friendly environment, free of discrimination. At the center of educational programming is the value placed in providing equal opportunity for all students.” The Guidance further provides that “each school system should develop and apply criteria for students to participate in interscholastic athletic teams consistent with their gender identity.”  This guidance includes several principles and criteria for local school systems to use in determining the eligibility of transgender students in interscholastic sports. These include attention to preserving the integrity of women's sports, as well as policies that are fair in light of the variation among individuals in strength, size, musculature, and ability. Through these means, the guidance reflects Maryland’s high priority on establishing and maintaining an interscholastic athletic system that assures that sports activities contribute to the entire educational program for all students choosing to participate. Additionally, PSSAM would like to highlight the potential of this legislation to create liability for discriminatory practices under a new statewide system of criteria for student participation in women’s sports based solely on sex assigned at birth. Other state legislatures have established that enforcing the standard of biological sex would likely require subjecting youth to invasive mandates in order to ensure eligibility, which could be considered sex discrimination as defined by the Supreme Court case of Bostock v. Clayton County, in which the Court asserted that anti-transgender discrimination violated Title VII’s prohibition against sex discrimination.   Instead of the approach taken by this bill, PSSAM supports the maintenance of locally controlled systems of interscholastic athletics governed by the guidance of Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) and regulations adopted by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE).  For these reasons, PSSAM opposes  Senate Bill 588 and kindly requests an unfavorable report.

BILL: SB 845 TITLE: Local Education Agencies - Educator Screening - NASDTEC  Clearinghouse (School Personnel Vetting and Hiring Transparency Act) DATE: March 05, 2025 POSITION: Favorable with Amendments COMMITTEE: Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee CONTACT: Mary Pat Fannon, Executive Director, PSSAM The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM), on behalf of all twenty-four local school superintendents, supports Senate Bill 845 with a requested amendment to remove the requirement to retroactively screen all current educators using this clearinghouse. This bill requires that each local school system become an associate member of the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) and use its Educator Identification Clearinghouse to screen all current and prospective educators, beginning July 1, 2025.  While the administrative costs for NASDTEC are minimal and, as indicated in the fiscal note, many Maryland school systems are already members, we oppose the bill’s requirement that systems retroactively screen all current educators. For systems with thousands of employees, this requirement is unreasonable, especially due to the existing and extensive security clearances and background checks required for school employees.  While the NASDTEC is a national collection point for professional educator discipline actions, it is a self-reporting database that should be seen as one tool, but not the epitome in the employment vetting process.  For the Committee’s information, below is information PSSAM solicited from the 24 LEAs last fall regarding background and clearance tools; approximately 16 school systems provided feedback. The survey did not include the following methods as they are currently required by law: Fingerprinting: State and FBI results (note: these include a criminal check, but also the Adam Walsh Background Clearance Request form (DHR/SSA 1279A (03/2017 edition) Form I-9 (by paper and by E-Verify where available) Md. Code, Educ. §6-113.2 Child Sexual Abuse and Sexual Misconduct review (“HB 486 review”) Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) TEACH database review Other screening tools used, not listed above included: MD Judiciary Case Search as an additional inquiry when applicable CJIS fingerprinting Workday Recruiting  MSDE Disqualified Substitute List and Department of Social Services for any claims of child abuse AppliTrack (Unified Talent/PowerSchool) Talent Ed (PowerSchool) (an application and form tracking system that can be used to keep forms such as 6-113 requirement) Frontline Basic Google search Drug testing; Internal database review In addition, it was reported by one school system that the MSDE-managed TEACH portal cross references data from the NASDTEC system; but PSSAM has been unable to verify this at this time.  As you can see, Maryland school systems take their responsibility to ensure the safety of students and staff very seriously, as well as ensuring the validity of teaching credentials. Therefore, PSSAM supports Senate Bill 845 but kindly requests an amendment to remove the requirement that school systems retroactively screen all current educators using the NASDTEC.

BILL: SB 727 TITLE: Charles County - Student Bus Transportation Providers - Provider Displacement DATE: March 07, 2025 POSITION: Unfavorable COMMITTEE: Senate Education Energy & the Environment Committee CONTACT: Mary Pat Fannon, Executive Director, PSSAM The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM), on behalf of all twenty-four public school superintendents, opposes Senate Bill 727. This legislation requires the Charles County Board of Education to provide certain notice and hold a certain public hearing before taking any action that results in a displacement of a person that has been providing student bus transportation.  PSSAM rarely weighs in on local legislation but due to the far-reaching implications of this legislation, we strongly oppose this bill.  Beyond the financial implications, this bill sets a dangerous precedent for the management of public services in Maryland school districts. Stripping a publicly elected board of education of its ability to make fiscally responsible decisions is neither appropriate nor in the best interest of Maryland’s students, employees, or taxpayers.  This bill creates poor public policy by mandating the privatization of certain services, namely, prioritizing the interests of private transportation companies over fiscal responsibility and stewardship of public funds to education. The bill does nothing to address the best interests of the public; instead, it is designed solely to benefit private bus contractors. A 2015 independent study of Charles County’s school system's transportation program found that bringing services in-house could reduce costs by up to 3.3%. At that time, all transportation services were outsourced to private contractors. Since then, the school system has begun purchasing its own buses, resulting in a more financially balanced operation, but 80% of transportation services are still provided by private contractors.  Senate Bill 727 would lock the current structure in place for the next ten years, disregarding potential cost increases and unforeseen factors. As costs fluctuate, the school system must retain the flexibility to be fiscally responsible. This legislation expressly prohibits the school system from realizing any savings that could result from a more flexible approach. And, it creates a monopoly for private companies, eliminating competition with the school system’s potentially more cost-effective transportation program. For these reasons, PSSAM   opposes Senate Bill 727   and requests an  unfavorable report.

BILL: SB 673 TITLE: Education - Maryland STEM Program - Established DATE: March 05, 2025 POSITION: Unfavorable COMMITTEE: Senate Education Energy & the Environment Committee CONTACT: Mary Pat Fannon, Executive Director, PSSAM The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM), on behalf of all twenty-four local school superintendents, opposes  Senate Bill 673. This bill establishes the Maryland STEM Program within the Department of Education to provide additional compensation to educators who teach STEM classes at nonpublic schools. It also incentivizes current teachers to obtain the necessary qualifications to teach STEM subjects, thereby improving statewide access to STEM education to address workforce demands in the state. The bill authorizes nonpublic schools to apply for the program and requires participating nonpublic schools to report certain information to the Department annually. Additionally, it allows local school systems to object to certain teachers participating in the program under specific circumstances. Furthermore, the bill mandates that the Department develop a teacher interest survey and share certain information with nonpublic schools upon request. It also requires local school systems to inform relevant teachers about the program annually and distribute the interest survey to certain teachers each year. For each fiscal year, the governor shall include in the annual budget bill an appropriation of $250,000 to the Department for grants under the program. PSSAM opposes the establishment of any funding stream that financially benefits private and nonpublic schools. The financial needs of our public school students must take priority over those who choose a private or parochial education. Any educational initiatives funded using State or local taxpayer dollars should only be for public school students and staff. While this legislation would financially benefit teachers, the legislation is flawed in a number of ideological and practical ways. The bill contemplates new funds diverted from public education, but also requires that local school systems participate in the administration of the program. Local school systems must also notify all current teachers from their system about the opportunity to participate in the program, and share the teacher interest survey developed by the Department with all teachers employed at the local school system. The legislation is silent regarding any retirement or other employee-related compensation complications this might create. These administrative expectations are unreasonable and excessive given the existing responsibilities of local school systems in delivering public education in taxpayer-supported schools. Providing this level of support for private institutions is a serious departure from the State’s constitutional mandate to provide a fair and equitable public education system.  For these reasons, PSSAM opposes  Senate Bill 673 and kindly requests an unfavorable report.

BILL: SB 852 TITLE: Blueprint for Maryland’s Future – Alterations DATE: March 05, 2025 POSITION: Favorable COMMITTEE: Senate Education, Energy & the Environment Committee Senate Budget & Taxation Committee CONTACT: Mary Pat Fannon, Executive Director, PSSAM The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM), on behalf of all twenty-four Maryland local school superintendents, strongly supports House Bill 1245. This legislation makes multiple changes to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future including adjustments to College and Career Readiness (CCR) initiatives, including changes to the Career Counseling Program and funding for post-CCR pathways; required reporting by county boards on per-school funding for certain programs; providing a waiver from the minimum funding per school requirement for schools with 350 or fewer students; altering the definition of "Tier I child" for purposes of publicly funded prekindergarten to include special education students and multilingual learners; changes to the career ladder provisions for school-based administrators and future salary incentives for re-certification of National Board Certified (NBC) educators; requiring an adequacy study of special education and the effectiveness of NBC in student achievement and diverse teacher recruitment; and, clarifying language regarding collective bargaining provisions.  As the state’s top educators, the local superintendents strongly stand behind the Blueprint and applaud those who have fought hard to make this vision a reality. We have gained invaluable experience and insight after three years of implementation - celebrating early successes, but also experiencing frustrations and challenges. We thank the sponsor for his leadership in putting forth this legislation that largely encompasses our 2025 policy and legislative recommendations. Those recommendations were the result of analyzing student data, qualitative experiences of educators and staff, and thoughtful contemplation of the following questions:  How is this pillar/activity/initiative performing against Our Core Mission and Measure of Success - Student Growth and Achievement?   What has been accomplished that enhances and promotes student achievement ? What is new, or enhanced that has worked ?  What has challenged our ability to grow student success ?  What has been our ‘ Return on Investment (ROI?) ’ on each activity?  Will further investments in an initiative achieve student success ?  We look forward to working with the Committees as you carefully consider this legislation.  Administrators on the Career Ladder This legislation amends the statute to remove Assistant Principals (APs) and Principals from the Blueprint’s career ladder provisions. This adjustment aligns with long-established bargaining structures in school systems, where teachers and administrators are represented by separate units. In addition, declassifying APs and Principals as “teachers” exempts them from teaching requirements in the Blueprint, and more accurately reflects their leadership roles in schools.  This change also removes any requirement that principals must earn National Board Certification (NBC). NBC is a teaching credential and not appropriate or representative of administrators roles.  PreK Tier I Students These provisions would move special education students and multilingual learners students into Tier I for funding purposes. In previous sessions the General Assembly identified these students in the top tier, but in FY ‘26, they returned to Tier II or Tier III status, and are no longer priority PreK populations. This bill would make them ineligible for State funding for both private and public providers.  Career Counseling This legislation will return the per pupil funding to the Local Education Agency (LEA) to continue the important work of career counseling at the expiration of the pilot funding in FY '26. Starting in FY ‘27 the LEAs will take the lead in running the program and the partnerships with local workforce investment boards and community colleges are encouraged, but not mandated.  The implementation of this initiative has been problematic and inconsistent. Where it is working well, it is largely implemented by staff hired and trained by the districts, and should be implemented within LEAs . It is essential to continue partnering with the local community college and workforce boards, but career coaches should be employed directly by the local school system.   In the extensive Blueprint review by the superintendents this fall, this partnership rose to the top of the "NOT WORKING" list of Blueprint programs. With $55 million a year at stake, this is too important to get wrong. Where these programs have had success, they should continue, but local discretion is key to ensure funds are used in the most effective and efficient way that will  invest in students.   Money Following the Student - Administrative Reporting Requirements One of the guiding principles of the Blueprint was that money should follow students in order to ensure equity and adequacy. The statute required that eight funding streams be reported separately - demonstrating that 75% of the funding flows directly to the student’s school. However, the drafting of the statute reflects a limited knowledge of the intricacies of school funding accountability, and the rigidity of this provision has created an administrative nightmare for school systems without truly accomplishing the goals. This small, but important change will allow for Blueprint categories to be reported by school level, instead of by individual Blueprint category. Under the bill - these would all be added together and there would be one compliance target.   It is important to note that this is identical to how Title I funds are budgeted and spent “School Wide” (spend money on the whole school) and not “Targeted Assistance” (only spending money on the students in poverty at the school). This proposal would have numerous benefits for the districts, while maintaining the integrity of the “Money Following the Student” tenet including: Greatly alleviate accounting and human resources compliance burdens; Demonstration of money flowing to the schools;   Easier interpretation by the public once the dashboard is made public;   Policymakers (including MSDE and AIB) can still see how districts are spending money through monthly “State Category and Object reporting.”   Lastly, this provision greatly allows schools the flexibility to develop resource plans to implement their school improvement plans with less bureaucracy. For instance, school funding is based on the prior years’ student enrollment/demographics. This aggregation allows for flexibility when there are unexpected changes in student demographics from one year to the next - such as an influx of multilingual learners in one year, with a decline in the same student populations the following year.  The bill also provides a waiver of this reporting provision for schools with fewer than 350 students. This policy is currently under consideration by the AIB and the MSDE and we encourage the Committees to work with them before adopting any statutory changes.  National Board “Maintenance of Certification” (MOC) This legislation   proposes a measured approach to the issue of maintenance of certification. During the Kirwan Commission’s deliberations, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards’ had a 10 year cycle for the Maintenance of Certification for NBC teachers. By the time the Blueprint became law, the National Board had decreased the re-certification time period to every 5 years. The change has significant salary impacts for the State and local governments, especially over the lifetime of a young teacher.   Therefore, this legislation would reduce the State’s contribution to: $4,000 (down from $8,000) for the first MOC;  $4,000 (down from $7,000) for the second MOC; and, $3,000 increase (down from $6,000) for the third MOC. However, it is important to note that some LEAs have already negotiated these provisions in good faith and are relying on State reimbursements. Therefore, any changes should apply prospectively to avoid disrupting existing agreements; this protection is reflected in Section 5 of the bill. Access to College and Career Pathways This bill addresses two aspects of College and Career Readiness (CCR): Funding flexibility for income-eligible students, and  Ensuring a balance of new costs for dual enrollment between school systems and community colleges.  Currently the Blueprint requires all students meeting CCR to enroll in a post-CCR pathway at no cost to the student or their families. These pathways include: Competitive entry college prep (IB, Cambridge, or AP). Dual enrollment leading to an associate degree or 60 college credits. Career and technical education (CTE) programs, apprenticeships, or industry certifications. The superintendents believe the implications of unfettered access to all of these resources is fiscally unsound, and as we look for ways to make the Blueprint affordable, this should be a serious consideration of the Legislature. To ensure the sustainability of this open-access model, LEAs should have the flexibility to target funding for tuition and ancillary costs.  Lastly, Section 2 provides “intent” language that there is an appropriate balance of shared and new costs between county boards and community colleges for dual enrollment students.  Dual enrollment has been a major success of the Blueprint, but the administrative and fiscal application has been uneven across the State. Some school systems have taken on additional costs that were not part of pre-Blueprint agreements with community colleges - specifically - new and increased fees - not just increased tuition. The huge State investment in dual enrollment should not bolster the bottomline for community colleges, or create a new cost shift for local school systems.  Special Education  Section 4 compels MSDE to undertake an adequacy study of special education funding, including : The adequacy of current funding formulas; The feasibility of weighted funding based on disability level; and,  Transportation and nonpublic school placement costs. Local school systems spend over $1 billion in special education services  that are NOT reimbursed by the state and federal governments . This is the untold story of education funding - there is no "discretionary" funding for LEAs - they use almost all of their unrestricted funding for these necessary services .  For instance, in Frederick County, special education costs are just under $90 million, but FCPS receives only $44 million from the state and federal governments, leaving the remaining $46 million to be paid out of local funds. In Montgomery County, special education costs are $452 million, but MCPS receives only $210 million from the state and federal governments, leaving the remaining $242 million to be paid out of local funds.  Every single school system would be able to fully implement the Blueprint and exceed its goals and expectations if they were able to fully use the Foundation as intended, without the need to use these funds to pay for profound deficits in special education. To be VERY clear - these are costs to cover the legitimate and necessary costs of educating our most vulnerable students. Services that these students and families are entitled to and school systems are committed to providing them. But there is no denying how extraordinary these costs are, and they will continue to grow. We must dive deep into this issue and explore sustainable funding options.  National Board Certification - Effectiveness Section 3 directs the AIB to explore critical questions related to the effectiveness of NBC in teacher recruitment and student achievement.  Specifically,  The relationship between NBC and student achievement outcomes; The successful attainment of NBC (and commensurate salary increases) for diverse teacher candidates; and,   The feasibility of additional, parallel pathways that better address the diverse needs of all educators.  Collective Bargaining Safeguards This legislation protects due process in collective bargaining in State law. Specifically, it r estricts the AIB’s influence over long-standstanding collective bargaining processes except for elements directly related to the career ladder for educators.   The Blueprint’s goals are achievable, but the implementation needs to be streamlined and realistic with clearer expectations and guidance from State leaders. We ask for the committees’ serious consideration as we work together to ensure the success of the Blueprint and  Therefore, PSSAM supports House Bill 1245 and kindly requests a  favorable report .   **For more detail on PSSAM’s Legislative and Policy Recommendations, click here .

BILL: HB 1436 TITLE: Public School Construction - Projections and Funding - Inflationary Adjustments DATE: March 05, 2025 POSITION: Favorable COMMITTEE: House Ways & Means Committee CONTACT: Mary Pat Fannon, Executive Director, PSSAM The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM), on behalf of all twenty-four Maryland local school superintendents, supports  House Bill 1436. This bill amends uncodified language in Chapter 32 of 2022 as amended by Chapter 354 of 2024 to require that the State’s goal for public school construction spending be recalculated with an inflationary adjustment that uses a cost of construction inflation index. The Interagency Commission on School Construction (IAC) must include an inflationary adjustment using a cost of construction inflation index in its projections of school capital improvement needs for the Capital Debt Affordability Committee. Finally, IAC must provide its projections of school capital improvement needs to the Governor for consideration when setting the annual allocation of school construction funds in the capital budget.  PSSAM strongly supports this requirement, as recalculating public school construction costs with an inflationary adjustment based on the construction cost inflation index ensures more accurate planning and resource allocation for local school systems. Without accounting for inflation, rising material and labor costs can reduce purchasing power, potentially leaving projects underfunded and unable to meet the original goals or cover increasing expenses. Construction inflation is influenced by several factors, including labor availability, material costs, and regional economic conditions. Between 2018 and 2024, the cost of school construction across the country has risen significantly, placing increased financial pressure on school districts and state budgets. An important measure of these cost increases is the Producer Price Index (PPI) for New School Building Construction, tracked by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to the latest data, the PPI rose from 157.5 in January 2018 to 224.7 in January 2024—a 42.7% increase over six years. This rise underscores the growing challenges in funding and completing school construction projects. In supporting the requirement that public school construction spending be recalculated with an inflationary adjustment, PSSAM advocates for a more accurate funding model that reflects the reality of rising school construction costs.  For these reasons, PSSAM supports  Senate Bill 1436 and requests a favorable report.

BILL: HB 1403 TITLE: Primary and Secondary Education - Full-Time Equivalent Enrollment  Count - Alterations (Truancy Reduction Act of 2025) DATE: March 05, 2025 POSITION: Unfavorable COMMITTEE: House Appropriations Committee CONTACT: Mary Pat Fannon, Executive Director, PSSAM The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM), on behalf of all twenty-four local school superintendents, opposes  House Bill 1403. This bill alters the definition of full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment that is used to calculate State education aid and local government education funding requirements to include the average number of students enrolled on September 30, December 31, March 31, and the last day of the prior school year instead of only the September 30 count from the prior year used under current law. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and is applicable to the calculation of education funding for fiscal 2027 and subsequent fiscal years. PSSAM opposes House Bill 1403 and advocates for maintaining the current methodology for counting students enrolled in public schools on September 30th to determine state and local aid amounts for the following fiscal year.  PSSAM cautions that this calculation change would present a number of challenges for local school systems. Most alarmingly, it would delay the final State and county funding appropriations until after the prior school year is over, complicating the implementation of the next school year’s budget. Additionally, this methodology would create an unstable and unpredictable amount of funding in the middle of a fiscal year if a school system were to lose student enrollment during the school year. Lastly, it would create a new, administrative burden to add three more formal attendance exercises to an already exhaustive list of daily requirements on school-based staff.  While the title of this legislation talks indicates “truancy reduction,” in practice, it is a shift to use average daily attendance, and hurts the very students it purports to help. This legislation provides no meaningful, or positive mechanism to promote attendance and deter truancy. This legislation only uses the threat of losing funding as a means to incentive change - a dubious public policy when it comes to ensuring a free and appropriate public education to Maryland’s school children. Based on the analysis of similar past proposals, this bill would ultimately reduce the state’s overall obligation to fund public education, disproportionately impacting jurisdictions with higher student absenteeism rates. Local school systems prioritize regular student attendance and invest heavily in programs aimed at preventing, reducing, and addressing chronic absenteeism. However, House Bill 1403 ties state funding reductions to absenteeism rates—the very challenge that school systems are mandated to combat with additional resources. As a result, districts with higher absenteeism throughout the school year would face the greatest funding losses due to lower enrollment counts recorded later in the year. Once again, local superintendents take the issue of student attendance very seriously and work diligently to ensure that every student attends school regularly. However, PSSAM believes that this bill’s approach does not effectively promote student attendance and is not the appropriate way to address the issue.  For these reasons, PSSAM opposes  House Bill 1403 and kindly requests an unfavorable  report.

BILL: HB 1359 TITLE: Charles County - Student Bus Transportation Providers - Provider  Displacement DATE: March 06, 2025 POSITION: Unfavorable COMMITTEE: House Ways & Means Committee CONTACT: Mary Pat Fannon, Executive Director, PSSAM The Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland (PSSAM), on behalf of all twenty-four public school superintendents, opposes House Bill 1359. This legislation requires the Charles County Board of Education to provide certain notice and hold a public hearing before taking any action that results in a displacement of a person that has been providing student bus transportation.  PSSAM rarely weighs in on local legislation but due to the far-reaching implications of this legislation, we strongly oppose this bill.  Beyond the financial implications, this bill sets a dangerous precedent for the management of public services in Maryland school districts. Stripping a publicly elected board of education of its ability to make fiscally responsible decisions is neither appropriate, nor in the best interest of Maryland’s students, employees, or taxpayers.  This bill creates poor public policy by mandating the privatization of certain services, namely, prioritizing the interests of private transportation companies over fiscal responsibility and stewardship of public funds to education. The bill does nothing to address the best interests of the public; instead, it is designed solely to benefit private bus contractors. A 2015 independent study of Charles County’s school system's transportation program found that bringing services in-house could reduce costs by up to 3.3%. At that time, all transportation services were outsourced to private contractors. Since then, the school system has begun purchasing its own buses, resulting in a more financially balanced operation, but 80% of transportation services are still provided by private contractors.  House Bill 1369 also requires that contracts be renewed upon expiration unless a valid reason is provided for non-renewal. This contradicts long-standing public policy, which generally allows contracts to end naturally without justification. In effect, the bill creates contracts that can only be terminated for cause, ensuring indefinite agreements with specific private companies—even when better alternatives may exist. Further, House Bill 1359 would lock the current structure in place for the next ten years, disregarding potential cost increases and unforeseen factors. As costs fluctuate, the school system must retain the ability to be fiscally responsible. This legislation expressly prohibits the school system from realizing any savings that could result from a more flexible approach. And, it creates a monopoly for private companies, eliminating competition with the school system’s potentially more cost-effective transportation program. For these reasons, PSSAM   opposes House Bill 1359   and requests an  unfavorable report.