Baltimore school board says superintendent search down to finalists; public announcement expected in mid‑April
March 14, 2026 | No. 2 - Carroll and Frederick Counties, Select Committees, SENATE, SENATE, Committees, Legislative, Maryland
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Baltimore City School Board chair Robert Solly and vice chair Shea Parker briefed the Baltimore City Senate delegation on the board’s nationwide superintendent search and transition planning.
“We launched officially in summer 2025 with early recruitment from our search firm that allowed us to garner interest for the position and get a good sense of what the pool might look like,” Solly said, and described a process that yielded roughly 100 candidates and took the board through semifinalist and finalist rounds.
The board said it remains on track to extend an offer in March or April and plans a public reveal in mid‑April; attorneys will handle contract negotiations and the board intends to coordinate a transition with current superintendent Dr. Santolisis so there is overlap between the two leaders. Solly emphasized community engagement: the search produced about 5,000 unique touch points and the board highlighted 2,700 student survey responses as part of the process.
Vice chair Shea Parker told members the board intends to reach out individually to delegation members about how they can participate in the public announcement. The board also said it will share its community engagement report and a set of priority focus areas for the new superintendent’s first year.
What happens next: the board is finalizing negotiations with the finalist; members can expect outreach about a mid‑April public announcement and post‑selection transition planning.
“We launched officially in summer 2025 with early recruitment from our search firm that allowed us to garner interest for the position and get a good sense of what the pool might look like,” Solly said, and described a process that yielded roughly 100 candidates and took the board through semifinalist and finalist rounds.
The board said it remains on track to extend an offer in March or April and plans a public reveal in mid‑April; attorneys will handle contract negotiations and the board intends to coordinate a transition with current superintendent Dr. Santolisis so there is overlap between the two leaders. Solly emphasized community engagement: the search produced about 5,000 unique touch points and the board highlighted 2,700 student survey responses as part of the process.
Vice chair Shea Parker told members the board intends to reach out individually to delegation members about how they can participate in the public announcement. The board also said it will share its community engagement report and a set of priority focus areas for the new superintendent’s first year.
What happens next: the board is finalizing negotiations with the finalist; members can expect outreach about a mid‑April public announcement and post‑selection transition planning.
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