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New superintendent Newsome outlines early observations, staffing gains and technology upgrades
Summary
Dr. Newsome, in his first official board meeting, highlighted school visits, staff onboarding, grants for security and facilities, a distribution of 2,300 student laptops and IT/transportation upgrades.
Dr. Michael Newsome, the newly installed superintendent, used his first official Calvert County Board of Education meeting on Sept. 11 to summarize early observations of schools and operational changes made over the summer.
Newsome told board members he had visited schools across the county and praised staff, students and families for welcoming him. He credited 11‑ and 12‑month employees for preparing buildings for the opening of the school year and said the district hired and onboarded 258 licensed professionals and support staff over the summer.
Why it matters: staffing, facilities and technology changes shape the opening of the school year and affect classroom readiness across the district.
Key operational updates Newsome cited: • Facilities: summer cleaning and inspections were completed across district buildings; Newsome said inspections fell within the district's acceptable range and covered all 25 facilities.
• Staffing and professional development: the district onboarded 258 staff and conducted leadership and new‑teacher professional learning.
• Grants: the district secured approximately $1,000,000 in grants for security and facility improvements and completed a master facilities study intended to support future planning.
• Information technology: the IT department transitioned to a new Internet provider, upgraded bandwidth, replaced outdated equipment and distributed 2,300 laptops to incoming sixth‑ and ninth‑grade students; Newsome also said cybersecurity efforts were expanded.
• Transportation and safety: transportation staff implemented new routing software and the district upgraded higher‑definition camera systems with live monitoring capability on some vehicles.
• Student services: the Special Education and Student Services teams focused on legislative updates, social‑emotional learning, attendance and counseling; the district reported serving more than 200 students in a summer program.
Newsome closed with a message about schools as reflections of their communities and urged adults to model civility for students. The board thanked him and moved on to scheduled items.
Ending: Newsome said an updated FY 2026 budget document would be posted on the district website; he also showed photographs from school visits and highlighted programs including the College of Southern Maryland dual enrollment participation and Career & Technical Academy student achievements.
