Maryland
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.
BALTIMORE – Severe storms have been plaguing western Maryland this afternoon. They are on the move east and will push into Carroll County near the 6pm hour. These storms have a history of producing winds capable of downing trees. We are also seeing heavy rain and lightning.
Most of the activity will push north and south of the forecast area surrounding Baltimore with the marine layer or stable air mass keeping the severe weather west of the mountain regions.
The warm front associated with the severe weather is bring warm, humid air in overnight. Expect overnight lows in the low 70s with scattered showers and isolated severe storms.
A secondary cold front will bring another chance for an isolated strong storms on Sunday. The day won’t be a washout, there is the possibility of active weather in the afternoon and evening.
The front will bring bright sunny skies for Monday with low humidity. Perfect weather for the afternoon barbecue or last summer activity. Kids getting back to school this week should expect refreshing temperatures… possibly even a little chilly with overnight lows in the 50s.
High pressure will control our weather for the middle of the week. Expect sunny skies and low humidity through Friday. Overnight lows Tuesday and Wednesday will be in the mid 50s, with afternoon highs in the upper 70s. The chance of showers returns late Friday.
Maryland football is back and kicks off its season at home against UConn on Saturday.
The Terps will take on the Huskies for first time since 2013, when Maryland won, 32-21. The Terps are coming off an 8-5 season, in which they won their third straight bowl game, while UConn is coming off a disappointing 3-9 season and looking to play spoiler on the road.
With a victory, Maryland will move its week one winning streak to five games.
The numbers
Maryland: 0-0
UConn: 0-0
All-time series: Maryland leads, 2-1
DraftKings Sportsbook line: Maryland -19.5, O/U 44.5
How to watch and listen
When: Saturday, Aug. 31, 12 p.m. ET
Where: SECU Stadium, College Park, Maryland
TV: Fox Sports 1 — Connor Onion (play-by-play), Mark Helfrich (analyst)
Radio: 105.7 FM (Balt) / 980 AM (DC) – Johnny Holliday (play-by-play), Steve Suter (analyst), LaMont Jordan (sideline)
Streaming: Fox Sports
Catch up before the game
Previewing Maryland football’s season opener against UConn
Predictions for Maryland football’s 2024 season: Top players, bold takes and more
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BALTIMORE— Maryland’s Supreme Court has upheld an appellate court’s decision to reinstate the murder conviction of Adnan Syed, whose case gained national attention in 2014 when it was featured on the first season of the “Serial” podcast.
The ruling says the case should be sent back to a lower court for a new hearing on whether it should be thrown out entirely. The decision reverses a lower court’s ruling that had cleared Syed’s name two years ago.
Syed had served more than 20 years for the 1999 murder of his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee.
He was freed from prison in September 2022 after Baltimore prosecutors found flaws in the evidence presented at trial and a judge agreed to vacate his conviction.
However, Lee’s relatives appealed the decision, contending they didn’t receive sufficient notice to attend the hearing that set Syed free. In March 2023, the Maryland Appellate Court agreed and reinstated Syed’s conviction and ordered a redo of the hearing.
Syed appealed that ruling, bringing the matter to the Maryland Supreme Court. Friday’s ruling comes 11 months after arguments were made.
Justices found the circuit court violated the rights of Young Lee, Hae Min Lee’s brother.
“In an effort to remedy what they perceived to be an injustice to Mr. Syed, the prosecutor and the Circuit Court worked an injustice against Mr. Lee,” the court said.
Syed will remain free until the next hearing which has not been scheduled. The Supreme Court ordered the Lee family must have sufficient notice of the new hearing and a new judge must preside.
“If there’s actually evidence presented that shows that Adnan Syed should not have been convicted, we would be the first ones to congratulate Adnan Syed and argue he should be a free man,” said David Sanford, the attorney for the Lee family. “That hasn’t happened yet.”
In their dissenting opinions, several justices wrote when the case was vacated, any appeal by Young Lee should’ve been rendered moot. Those justices also argued there aren’t any specific victims’ rights that would require Young Lee be allowed to be present at that 2022 hearing.
Syed’s lawyer Erica Suter said that while they disagree with the ruling, the Lee family’s pain in this isn’t lost on them.
“Wrongful convictions devastate the wrongly accused, their family and the family of the victim,” Suter said. “Reinstating Adnan’s wrongful conviction does not provide justice or closure.”
Rabia Chaudry, Syed’s friend and advocate, went on Instagram Live to affirm that she will do what she can to keep Syed a free man.
“I will never not fight for his freedom and I know there are others, also, in his life who will never not fight for his freedom,” Chaudry said.
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