Around Maryland

University leaders and state lawmakers have called for the legislature to require public deliberations and decisions for contested academic program proposals to keep Maryland in line with a recent settlement for underfunding HBCUs for decades. In a set of roughly two dozen recommendations approved Friday, a work group of school leaders and lawmakers also pushed for the Maryland Higher Education Commission, which establishes statewide policies for public and private colleges and universities, to clean up and regulate the program approval process.

For a children’s museum, Port Discovery is getting kind of old. To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the staple destination for Baltimore youths is making some big changes. At a press conference Thursday that featured a student choir from Northwood Elementary School and a man on stilts, the museum announced a five-year, $17.5 million exhibition plan.

A Montgomery County, Maryland, organization has been working this week to ensure the homeless population is aware of the snow and frigid temperatures so they are able to find refuge off the streets during potentially dangerous winter weather. Bethesda Cares, a group founded in 1988 that aims to prevent and end homelessness in the county, has had staff members spread out across the county this week as the threat of snow and cold weather intensified.

Wicomico County and Salisbury Airport officials are in talks about a new incentive-based program. The goal is to bring additional airlines, or get the one existing airline to provide more destination options. If the program gets off the ground, airlines could be in for some big savings. There would be a 100% waiver of terminal rent for any new space leased for service and a waiver of landing fees and apron parking fees.

Construction will begin this summer on the next phase of Ellicott City’s Safe and Sound flood mitigation plan, according to an announcement Thursday from County Executive Calvin Ball. Improvements include a 5.5-million-gallon flood mitigation pond and an extended north tunnel — the focal point of the project. Heavy rains in 2011, 2016 and 2018 caused major flooding in Ellicott City’s historic district, killing three people and leaving behind massive destruction.

The county will see about $14 million in additional revenue related to the latest property reassessments. Phil Thompson, the county’s finance officer, provided the Worcester County Commissioners with an update regarding property tax revenues this week. While the state released the information in late December, Thompson said it was important to consider details beyond the 46% increase the county experienced.

Acting Howard County Schools Superintendent Bill Barnes proposed a $1.13 billion spending plan Thursday afternoon, setting up what is to be a “difficult budget process.” The school system must overcome a $103.8 million gap to balance the budget. “While difficult, we need to make significant changes now to put the school system on a more fiscally sustainable path, not just for the coming year but beyond as we continue to see mandated increases in the years to come,” Barnes said Thursday.

Montgomery County parents went to bed Tuesday night thinking they could sleep in later before sending the kids to school. But the next morning, the Maryland school system sent out another message that left some parents scrambling to find other arrangements. Montgomery County Public Schools announced around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday that instead of a two-hour delay, classes would be canceled, citing lingering ice on school sidewalks and parking lots.