Baltimore County Lawmakers File Bill To Give Inspector General Oversight Of School System

By Steve Crane, Maryland Matters

November 21, 2025

Baltimore County lawmakers said Thursday that they will introduce bills that could give the county’s Office of Inspector General oversight over the Baltimore County Public Schools.

The bills, introduced by Sen. Carl Jackson (D-Baltimore County) and Del. Ryan Nawrocki (R-Baltimore County, come in response to an August resolution by the county council, asking the General Assembly for the authority to bring the county board of education under the inspector general. If passed, it would be up to the council to make the change, which would likely not come before 2027.

At a news conference in Annapolis to announce the bills, Jackson and Nawrocki were joined by Baltimore County Council Chair Mike Ertel and County Councilman David Marks. All four said the proposal was not a response to any single incident at the school system but was solely an attempt to increase accountability and transparency for parents and taxpayers, what one referred to as “just good government stuff.”

“This is not to cast aspersions,” but to be as transparent and accountable as possible, Nawrocki said. Jackson and others noted that the school systems in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties are both subject to independent oversight, and that it only makes sense for Baltimore County schools to be subject to external review as well — more than just audits, but investigations if necessary.

The county council resolution, which passed 6-1, only cited the “very public controversy this year over the County School System’s budget,” which makes now “the appropriate time to advance more transparency and accountability in the County Board of Education.”

“We have a great school system,” said Ertel, before noting that it accounts for about half the county’s budget in a given year. “There is not necessarily anything nefarious or criminal. This just puts another set of eyes on the system.”

When asked for comment on the legislation, a school system spokesperson noted that Superintendent Myriam Rogers “was asked at a previous press conference and shared that BCPS is committed to working closely with all partners,” and that the system would have no further comment.

Ertel said the inspector general’s office would likely need additional staff to take on the county school system. It’s not unrealistic to think that the office might have to double its staff of six, given the fact that adding the school system would be doubling the size of the government it reviews, but he said there have been no talks on when or how an expansion might occur.

“It’s not a big line item for the taxpayer,” given the potential savings that could come from inspector general review, Ertel said. The potential for savings was echoed by others.

The legislature tried unsuccessfully to pass similar legislation in 2021, including a bill by then-Sen. Kathy Klausmeier (D), who was sworn in as county executive earlier this year to replace Johnny Olszewski Jr. after he was elected to Congress.

Jackson and Nawrocki said they know there will be some opposition to their bills in the county delegation, but that the overall response among their colleagues has been positive and they are optimistic about the legislation’s chances. The fact that a Democratic senator and a Republican delegate could come together to push the legislation shows it’s broadly supported and augurs well for its chances, they said.