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Council briefed on proposed school-holiday closures, superintendent settlement limits and board compensation increases
Summary
Staff reviewed bills that would require additional mandatory school holidays (religious/cultural observances), limit superintendent termination cash settlements, and substantially raise board of education member compensation with linked student-member scholarship changes.
County staff briefed the County Council on several education-related bills in the 2025 package, including proposed school holidays, limits on superintendent severance, and large increases in board-of-education compensation.
One bill, MC6 25, would require county public schools to close on named religious and cultural holidays (Diwali, Eid al-Adha, Eid al-Fitr, Lunar New Year, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur). Staff said the board of education had not yet taken a formal position.
Another bill would cap maximum cash settlements for superintendent terminations to four weeks' salary for each full year of service (proportionate for partial years) and limit continuation of health benefits for up to one year or until the superintendent secures new employment; the provision would not apply to terminations for causes listed in state law (immorality, misconduct, insubordination, incompetence, willful neglect).
A separate bill (MC7 25) would increase compensation for board members and the president in stepped amounts and tie student-member scholarships to a percentage of the new compensation. Staff's packet described first-year and second-year increases; the transcript text was garbled in places, so staff materials in the packet should be consulted for the precise salary schedule and scholarship percentages.
Staff emphasized these were informational briefings; the Council did not vote or adopt positions at the meeting and indicated staff had reached out to school-system intergovernmental staff for input.
