As Maryland rolls out the 2021 landmark education reform law called the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, many school administrators are unsure what the plan means for their schools.
About The Local News Network
The Local News Network at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism aids news outlets throughout Maryland by creating important localized news content and by teaming those news outlets with student reporters. Merrill College launched the Local News…
An unprecedented look at Maryland public school spending
Billions of local, state and federal tax dollars go to funding Maryland’s public schools every year — and now, it will be easier for you to find out how your local school district spent that money. That’s because the Local…
Health care, construction, tech among biggest school expenses
With employee health care costs leading the way, Maryland’s public school districts spent $21.1 billion between fiscal years 2019 and 2022 not on teacher and staff salaries, but on everything else that keeps the schools running. That’s the bottom line…
Some school expenses, big and small, remain a mystery
If you take a look at some of the ways Maryland school districts spend your tax dollars, you may be left with an obvious question: Why? In one major case, it’s not a question the spokesman for Anne Arundel County…
About the project
“Contracted Out” was a massive effort pulled together by four faculty members and dozens of students at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism. Derek Willis, lecturer in computational and data journalism, suggested the project and worked with…
About the data
The data compiled in “Contracted Out” was provided by all of the 24 public school districts in Maryland. The data provides records of vendors that receive payments of $25,000 or more during a fiscal year from a board of education…
Board of Education Race 2022 Coverage
Reporters at the Local News Network produced several in-depth stories about the issues in Maryland’s 2022 school board elections, based largely on a survey of and interviews with the candidates. In addition, student reporters vetted the candidates and produced stories about the ones who didn’t pay taxes on time — and one who had been repeatedly charged with shoplifting.
Board of Education Voter Guide
The Local News Network surveyed all 155 Maryland school board candidates and got responses from 102 of them, which are included in this voter guide to the 2023 board of education elections in the state.