Delegation amends school-board appointment bill, adds proposal for commissioner pay and public hearings

Sen. Mary Washington, chair of the Baltimore City Senate delegation, led the delegation in further consideration of SB554, a bill that would change how members of the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners are appointed and subject those mayoral appointments to Senate confirmation.

The delegation adopted an amendment introduced by Sen. McCray that would provide commissioners with compensation; McCray said he had 'put in as a placeholder 10,000' to reflect a respectful stipend for commissioners who currently serve without pay. The amendment also included language to ensure the student commissioner would receive a targeted scholarship or stipend tied to higher-education or workforce costs, McCray said.

The amendment drew procedural questions about whether adding compensation was within the one-subject rule for the bill. McCray said he had 'socialized it with the school board themselves' and with the delegation; he argued compensation is aligned with the bill’s focus on the school board. Legislative counsel confirmed the amendment adds to the bill and does not remove its core provisions.

Separately, Sen. Ferguson offered an amendment that would reinstate required notice to specified stakeholder groups and create a local public-hearing process when vacancies arise, followed by a seven-day window before a mayoral nomination. Ferguson said the change was intended to broaden local input while preserving the Senate’s confirmation role. Legislative counsel explained the amendment requires notice to the listed groups but does not exclude others from participating.

Both amendments were moved and carried in delegation votes. The delegation agreed to send SB554 and the adopted amendments forward with a delegation letter.

The delegation did not adopt any final numeric appropriation schedule for commissioner pay at the meeting; McCray characterized '$10,000' as a placeholder during discussion. The next steps are the transmittal of the amended bill and the delegation's letter to the relevant committees for the formal legislative process.