Investigation Finds Somerset County Public School Board Violated State Law and Their Own Policy

Somerset County, MD - The Office of the Inspector General for Education (OIGE) has found that the Somerset County Public Schools (SCPS) Board of Education violated state law and its own policies in the procurement of its current legal services. The investigation began in March 2025 after the OIGE received multiple complaints regarding the Board's actions.

The OIGE's review determined that the Board failed to follow Maryland's procurement regulations, which are designed to ensure fairness, maximize competition, and deliver the best value for taxpayer funds. According to the findings, the Board committed several violations during the process of terminating its prior legal counsel and hiring a new firm.

Some of the key findings from the investigation include:

-The Board improperly voted to terminate its prior legal counsel and hire new counsel during a closed session on February 13, 2025. Maryland law requires such actions to be taken in a public meeting.

-The Board violated its own policy by rescinding SCPS Board Policy 100-18, which outlined the attorney selection process, without allowing for public input or a second reading at a subsequent meeting.

-The procurement of new legal services, classified as a Category III procurement valued between $50,000 and $100,000, was conducted without the required written solicitation process or obtaining bids from at least two vendors. OIGE found that documentation only referenced the current counsel, indicating no competitive process took place.

-The new legal services contract approved by the Board on February 13, 2025, lacked a required "Termination for Convenience" clause, a mandatory provision under state procurement regulations. The Board also failed to retain a signed copy of the contract.

-The investigation was hampered by the Board's refusal to participate in interviews. In a statement, the Board's current legal counsel informed the OIGE, "As far as a 5:0 vote, the Board held a closed session and voted on this issue 5:0. They will not agree to be independently interrogated by you or OIGE..." This lack of cooperation prevented investigators from fully understanding the Board's decision-making process.

In its final report, the OIGE recommended that the State Board of Education develop a statewide standardized procurement framework and training program for all local school boards to ensure consistency, transparency, and compliance with state law. The OIGE will report its findings to the Governor, the General Assembly, the State Board of Education, and the State Superintendent of Schools.

When these types of major decisions are made without community input and without taxpayers opinions, it casts some deep dark clouds over those decisions. When these decisions are made with controversy, it creates mistrust among the citizens of Somerset County.

The next regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting is set for tonight, November 18, 2025. According to the Somerset County Public Schools website, "meetings shall begin at 4:30 PM with a motion to immediately convene into a closed session to discuss confidential and business matters. All meetings shall reconvene to an open session for public viewing at 6:00 PM."

Source File: Investigative Synopsis from MD Office of the Inspector General for Education