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Committee holds bill that would change appointment and reporting structure for school system integrity office
Summary
PG 50425, which would shift the Prince George’s County Public Schools Office of Integrity and Compliance from the school system to county employment and alter appointment and reporting rules, was held after the inaugural compliance officer and the county urged more time to evaluate the new office’s operations.
The General Assembly Committee voted Jan. 21 to hold PG 50425, legislation that would revise the Office of Integrity and Compliance (OIC) for Prince George’s County Public Schools, including moving the compliance officer to be an independent employee of the county government and adding the county executive to the appointment process.
Teresa Hessler of Ashlar Government Relations summarized the bill as an amendment to the 2023 law that created the OIC, saying it would define additional oversight objectives and change reporting frequency from biennial to annual. Hessler noted the 2023 establishment of the office and an estimated $741,000 annual expenditure that began in 2024.
Frank Turner, the inaugural integrity and compliance officer for Prince George's County Public Schools, testified in opposition and read a letter he submitted to the delegation. Turner said the office has been built from scratch since his January 2024 appointment, now staffs four people and has opened and closed investigations and produced recommendations. He warned that altering the office’s statutory independence would be premature and could slow development: “At this time, it would be extremely premature for the Prince George's County house delegation to consider any law amendments affecting the formation foundation and the continued build out of this brand new office,” Turner said.
The county executive’s representative also opposed the bill, citing premature changes and the shift of funding and management responsibility from the school system to the county. Committee members asked to gather more information, including the school board’s position and examples of the OIC’s work; Council member Burrows moved to hold the bill and the motion carried on a unanimous roll call.
Committee members requested additional briefings and recommended postponing any substantive statutory changes until the office completes a longer operational period and the committee can review the OIC’s mid‑year assessment and performance metrics.
