Board accepts FY25 audit, approves bids and capital plan; pauses Freedom and Sykesville projects to 2028

The Carroll County Board of Education on Oct. 8 unanimously accepted the independent audit for fiscal 2025, approved several contract awards and moved forward on a capital plan — with a board amendment to pause two specific modernization projects for one year.

The board voted 5–0 to accept the independent audit for fiscal 2025 after staff and the audit committee reported a “clean audit” and CliftonLarsonAllen’s review. Board member Robert Whistler, the board’s audit committee representative, urged colleagues to support acceptance, saying the audit team “turn over lots of rocks and stones” and found nothing inappropriate.

On procurement items the board approved an award for procurement‑card services to JPMorgan Chase; awarded contracts to complete new stadium lighting at Liberty High School and Westminster High School; and approved purchases of HVAC equipment to begin upgrades for half of the central office building. Administrators said the stadium lighting work used money from an infrastructure renewal account established in 2018 by prior fund‑balance transfers; that flexibility allowed a rapid emergency response without seeking immediate county approval.

Board members asked how the stadium…