May 23, 2024 Staff and Community Update: Highlights from the Superintendent's Press Conference
WATCH THE PRESS CONFERENCE
Dr. Myriam Rogers held a media availability today, May 23, 2024, to share updates and information on the Fiscal Year 2025 operating budget, Omnilert weapons detection system, recruitment and staffing, and end-of-school-year reminders for Team BCPS. Dr. Rogers also welcomed several special guests to the event, including Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski, Baltimore County Council Chair Izzy Patoka and Council members Pat Young. Dr. Rogers also answered questions from the media.
2024 Graduation Season
- It is officially graduation season! More than 7,000 students will graduate from BCPS this spring – a cause for celebration throughout Baltimore County!
The Class of 2024 has done remarkable work and overcome many obstacles. Many BCPS graduating seniors have won local, state and national awards for their achievements, including Mingni Dong, a Dulaney High School graduating senior, who was named a 2024 U.S. Presidential Scholar, and Haylee Beard, a Lansdowne High School senior, who is the recipient of the 2024 Baltimore County Young Woman of the Year. Learn more about the accomplishments of the Class of 2024 by viewing the graduating senior profile series on the BCPS website.
- Dr. Rogers will attend many of the ceremonies and looks forward to celebrating with students and their families. She thanked the high school administrators and staff who worked for months to plan commencement ceremonies that honor BCPS students and their families. She extended her thanks to the teachers, administrators and support staff who worked with and supported students over the course of their time as BCPS students to get them across the finish line.
Fiscal Year 2025 Operating Budget
- Thursday morning, the Baltimore County Council approved in full the Fiscal Year 2025 operating budget for BCPS. The new $2.6 billion budget provides $41 million above state required Maintenance of Effort.
- Dr. Rogers expressed her gratitude for the Council’s partnership and support of Baltimore County Public Schools. Through their support, Chairman Izzy Patoka and all members of the Council recognize that every dollar invested in Baltimore County Public Schools is a direct investment in the future of Baltimore County. This funding will help BCPS to prioritize resources in the areas of greatest need and fast-track the critical work needed to build a high-performing school system.
- Dr. Rogers thanked County Executive Olszewski, Chairman Patoka, and the County Council for making public education a top priority in the budget process. She reiterated the BCPS commitment to ensuring that every dollar will be spent wisely to deliver the best possible education for the school system’s more than 110,000 students.
Omnilert Weapons Detection System
- Dr. Rogers thanked County Executive Olszewski and Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough for their assistance in helping to inform the Team BCPS community about the Omnilert firearms detection system and for their support in helping to ensure the safety of all BCPS students and members of the community.
- In August 2023, BCPS announced that the Omnilert firearm detection system would be in use in all schools as part of a comprehensive plan to enhance school safety. Dr. Rogers reported that the Omnilert system is now operational in and around all school buildings and has been tested and verified. Select BCPS staff and Baltimore County Police Department (BCoPD) personnel, including school resource officers, receive alerts when a firearm is detected.
- Dr. Rogers expressed her appreciation that BCPS has this additional tool to use in the ongoing effort to deter and detect weapons on school property. Both she and County Executive Olszewski reminded students, families and community members who access school grounds before and after school that the system is fully implemented across all schools and will alert personnel if there is a weapon or lookalike weapon on property.
- To avoid unintended consequences and as a reminder, firearms, including look-alike firearms, should not be brought onto school property at any time. Significant county resources are deployed each time an alert is received, and it is important that Baltimore County Police officers are free to respond to real emergencies and incidents.
Recruitment and Retention
- Hiring season is underway, and BCPS is hard at work to ensure that all classrooms and offices have highly qualified staff members ahead of the 2024-2025 school year. The school system recently held two job fairs and will host additional recruitment opportunities throughout the spring and summer.
- BCPS currently has 262 teacher vacancies to hire for and the number is going down each day. Eighty-one of the county’s schools have two or fewer vacant positions. Only two schools have vacancies in double digits, and those schools are secondary schools.
- More than 99 percent of priority teacher transfers have been placed for FY 25. BCPS also has experienced a 22 percent reduction in teacher retirements.
- Compared with previous years, BCPS is significantly ahead of where the school system typically is at this point in the year. Human resources staff have been working around the clock to ensure full staffing across the county by the start of the next school year.
End-of-School Year Reminders
- With fewer than four weeks left in the school year, Dr. Rogers reiterated important safety reminders for students and families to make certain that everyone is able to work together to end the year strongly.
- Fighting and other disruptive behaviors will not be tolerated at our schools. Students should keep cell phones off and put away during the school day; they are distracting and can have a negative impact on student well-being and learning. School administrators continue to respond swiftly when students engage in disruptive and dangerous behaviors on school property – and school personnel will continue to use all legally available tools and resources to protect students and hold accountable those who break the rules.
- The Student Handbook includes an overview of the rights and responsibilities of BCPS students and a summary of the laws and regulations that affect students.
- Parents and caregivers, the example you set matters. The behaviors modeled at home and in the community -- and the values that parents, caregivers, and families instill in children -- have tremendous impact on the schoolhouse.
- Dr. Rogers called on parents and guardians to limit and monitor student social media and cellphone use, friend groups, and possessions. She reminded parents to use the online BCPS parent portal to monitor their child’s performance, any missing assignments, and grades.