The Board of Education considered and declined to adopt a resolution endorsing County Council Resolution 40-25, which seeks legislation to extend the Baltimore County Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to include oversight of Baltimore County Public Schools for matters of fraud, waste and abuse.

Board member Miss Henn moved a resolution that expressed support for the council's request that the Maryland General Assembly enact enabling legislation, subject to specified guardrails: limiting OIG jurisdiction to fraud/waste/abuse and compliance matters, preserving the board's authority over educational policy and instructional matters, requiring FERPA and personnel safeguards, coordinating OIG activity with internal audit, and requesting a fiscal and operational impact assessment. The mover said the measure was intended to strengthen public accountability and bolster trust.

Why it matters: The proposed change would shift investigatory authority over certain fiscal and compliance matters to a county-level inspector general office and could add a layer of independent oversight. Opponents argued the board should not pre-approve or endorse undrafted legislation and raised concerns about duplication with internal audit, potential supplanting of local governance and the need to examine the final legislative language before taking a position.

Debate and vote: Supporters said independent external review can return improperly spent funds and increase public confidence; they cited prior OIG reports in other county functions that produced savings. Opponents, including Vice Chair Harvey and others, said the board should wait to see actual draft legislation, involve the board's legislative committee and protect the board's statutory authority. The motion was seconded and then debated for about an hour; the roll-call vote resulted in five yes votes and six no votes, so the resolution did not pass.

Quotes: "We have a duty to secure the best future for our students and honor the hard work of our staff," said a proponent. An opponent said, "I would like to wait to see the actual legislation to make a decision. It seems irresponsible to do anything other."

Ending: The board did not adopt the resolution. Members and staff noted that the proposed legislation will be drafted by state lawmakers and that the board can review and comment during the legislative process, including requesting fiscal/operational impact assessments during bill drafting.