Maryland

Maryland officials gave school systems little guidance on how to spend millions in education funds, audit finds

Published

2 years ago

February 13, 2024

Maryland officials gave school systems little guidance on how to spend millions in education funds, audit finds

About $12.3 million in state education funds went unused over several years while local school boards were frustrated by a lack of guidance on how to spend them, a state audit found.

The audit by the Maryland Office of the Inspector General for Education, released Feb. 6, chided state education officials for not giving adequate training on how to use millions in “concentration of poverty” funds distributed to school systems under the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a 10-year education reform plan. In written responses, the Maryland State Department of Education said it planned to implement new grant management policies by March 1.

In eight counties that were allocated those grant funds, which are focused on supporting students living in communities with high poverty and little access to health care and social services, about a quarter of the roughly $42.7 million went unspent in fiscal years 2020 through 2022, the report says, attributing the low utilization to deficiencies in training.

Although the law lays out 13 services the funds can be spent on, “several [local education systems] shared frustrations about the lack of clarification or guidance by MSDE staff about whether certain items, positions, or services could/could not be procured using [concentration of poverty] funding,” the report says, noting that school officials said state staff “would primarily provide only verbal guidance” on how to spend the funds.

The audit, which focused on funds allocated to Anne Arundel, Baltimore and Montgomery counties’ school systems, as well as five other local education agencies in Western Maryland and the Eastern Shore, found the state board had prepared various training materials related to the funds — but little documentation that the school systems were ultimately trained on how to spend them.

Instead, county school systems ended up using their allocated funds to pay for consultants to explain how to use them, the report notes.

As an example, the report says one school system entered a $4.1 million, five-year contract for “continued technical support in implementing a community school strategy.”

In fiscal year 2022, Montgomery County only spent 30% of over $4.7 million it was allocated for personnel grants and used none of its per-pupil grant money, the report says. The same fiscal year, Baltimore County spent less than half of the funds it was allocated, according to the report.

The office recommended that the state education department set up policies and procedures, including a monitoring process to make sure additional funds aren’t misused.

In its response to the audit, the state school board agreed with most of the inspector general’s findings and detailed a plan to communicate policies for using the funds, though disagreed with a recommendation for the education department to “establish an ongoing audit” of Blueprint expenses, saying that they had already hired a firm to probe grant spending.

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Maryland

Hoyer will not seek reelection this fall, ending a six-decade career atop Maryland politics

Published

11 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Hoyer will not seek reelection this fall, ending a six-decade career atop Maryland politics

Rep. Steny Hoyer will announce Thursday that he will not seek reelection, capping a 60-year career in state and federal politics that saw him become a legendary figure in Maryland politics and the second-ranking Democrat in the U.S. House.

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Maryland

Open Thread: IU basketball travels to Maryland seeking first road win

Published

23 hours ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Open Thread: IU basketball travels to Maryland seeking first road win

IU basketball is back on the road tonight in College Park to take on Maryland at the Xfinity Center. The Hoosiers are 0-2 in true road games this season.

Today’s meeting with Maryland will be the 25th all-time meeting between the two programs. The Hoosiers lead the series 14-10.

Whether you’re in Xfinity Center for the game or watching from home, join in with your thoughts in the comments below.

Who: Indiana at Maryland
Where: Xfinity Center, College Park, Maryland
When: Wednesday, January 7, 2025. 6:30 p.m. EST
TV: BTN, Jason Horowitz, Steve Smith
Radio: Don Fischer (Play-By-Play), Errek Suhr (Analyst)
Series Record: Indiana leads 14-10
Last Meeting: Maryland 79, Indiana 78 on January 26, 2025, in Bloomington
The line: Indiana -8.5, O/U 147.5 (DraftKings)
KenPom: Indiana 77, Maryland 70

See More: Media, Maryland Terrapins

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Maryland

Maryland Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for Jan. 6, 2026

Published

1 day ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Maryland Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for Jan. 6, 2026

The Maryland Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 6, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from Jan. 6 drawing

09-39-47-58-68, Mega Ball: 24

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Jan. 6 drawing

Midday: 6-9-4

Evening: 6-0-2

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Jan. 6 drawing

Midday: 4-7-6-9

Evening: 3-5-8-1

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from Jan. 6 drawing

Midday: 2-0-8-7-1

Evening: 0-1-0-8-1

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash4Life numbers from Jan. 6 drawing

23-24-32-57-58, Cash Ball: 02

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Jan. 6 drawing

9 a.m.: 06

1 p.m.: 07

6 p.m.: 03

11 p.m.: 01

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Bonus Match 5 numbers from Jan. 6 drawing

04-12-15-35-36, Bonus: 19

Check Bonus Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Keno

Drawings are held every four minutes. Check winning numbers here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Maryland Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes above $600, winners can claim by mail or in person from the Maryland Lottery office, an Expanded Cashing Authority Program location or cashiers’ windows at Maryland casinos. Prizes over $5,000 must be claimed in person.

Claiming by Mail

Sign your winning ticket and complete a claim form. Include a photocopy of a valid government-issued ID and a copy of a document that shows proof of your Social Security number or Federal Tax ID number. Mail these to:

Maryland Lottery Customer Resource Center

1800 Washington Boulevard

Suite 330

Baltimore, MD 21230

For prizes over $600, bring your signed ticket, a government-issued photo ID, and proof of your Social Security or Federal Tax ID number to Maryland Lottery headquarters, 1800 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, MD. Claims are by appointment only, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This location handles all prize amounts, including prizes over $5,000.

Winning Tickets Worth $25,000 or Less

Maryland Lottery headquarters and select Maryland casinos can redeem winning tickets valued up to $25,000. Note that casinos cannot cash prizes over $600 for non-resident and resident aliens (tax ID beginning with “9”). You must be at least 21 years of age to enter a Maryland casino. Locations include:

Horseshoe Casino: 1525 Russell Street, Baltimore, MD
MGM National Harbor: 101 MGM National Avenue, Oxon Hill, MD
Live! Casino: 7002 Arundel Mills Circle, Hanover, MD
Ocean Downs Casino: 10218 Racetrack Road, Berlin, MD
Hollywood Casino: 1201 Chesapeake Overlook Parkway, Perryville, MD
Rocky Gap Casino: 16701 Lakeview Road NE, Flintstone, MD

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Maryland Lottery.

When are the Maryland Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 11 p.m. ET Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5 Midday: 12:27 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, 12:28 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday.
Pick 3, 4 and 5 Evening: 7:56 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, 8:10 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Cash4Life: 9 p.m. ET daily.
Cash Pop: 9 a.m., 1 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. daily.
Bonus Match 5: 7:56 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, 8:10 p.m. ET on Sunday.
MultiMatch: 7:56 p.m. Monday and Thursday.
Powerball Double Play: 11 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Maryland editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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