Board supports ARL expansion, adds career‑academy teachers and converts leadership interns into assistant principals

The Board of Education heard plans to expand career and technical education and to strengthen school leadership as part of the FY27 budget.

Renovations at the Application & Research Laboratory (ARL) will add classroom space and the superintendent proposed adding four teachers and classroom supplies to reduce long ARL waitlists. Staff said ARL serves about 1,200 students and that the proposed additions could reduce the ARL waitlist by roughly one quarter in the near term by adding junior‑year seats that feed into second‑year opportunities.

Dan Roseweg, director of strategic initiatives, said MSDE's updates to Career and Technical Education (CTE) program approvals make this a timely moment to expand health‑care and architecture pathways at ARL. "This will allow more students to participate and then matriculate on to a second year, which will increase overall ARL capacity," Roseweg said.

The administration also proposed converting 13 leadership intern positions to assistant principal positions without increasing the overall operating budget. Staff said the shift is intended to give schools more reliable administrative continuity—particularly during summer planning—and that conversions will follow the district's HR and board appointment processes. "The people currently in intern roles are not guaranteed assistant principal positions," staff said; placements will be needs‑based and final allocations will be decided in June.

Staff emphasized partnerships with Howard Community College and noted potential for expanded dual‑enrollment, shared facilities or co‑teaching models to further increase capacity for career pathways.

The BOE did not take votes on the budget at the session; additional details and public testimony will be taken at scheduled hearings.