Around Maryland

Howard County’s school board has unanimously adopted its operating and capital budget requests for the 2022-2023 school year, totaling $1.1 billion, a 14.5% increase over the school system’s fiscal 2022 operating budget. The request includes funding to implement the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a multibillion-dollar plan that affects schools statewide.

After ironing out questions and concerns surrounding its gun show component, Ocean City Town Council members have given the green light to an event planned to fall during the typical week of the unofficial H2Oi gathering. Council members voted 5-1 during a Monday work session in favor of approving plans for Adventure Fest, which will have an emphasis on law enforcement and run from Sept. 19-25, 2022, at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center.

At a meeting on Feb. 28, the Aberdeen City Council voted unanimously to introduce a resolution that will restructure the city government. This resolution will make the mayor more of an executive and the council the legislative body, which will lead the city to reestablish the council president’s seat and eliminate the city manager position.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a new measure for determining Covid-19 community levels. According to these new metrics that now take into account hospitalizations and hospital capacity in addition to infection numbers, nearly 70% of the United States population resides in areas where masks are no longer required. Why did the CDC make this change? How can people make sense of the Covid-19 community level in their area? Should individuals still mask if they no longer are required to? What about kids in schools? And how should parents evaluate activities like sleepovers and playdates?

The Baltimore Police Department said it needs to replace nearly 300 patrol vehicles, but supply chain issues around the world are keeping it from getting some new cars on the road. Due to shortages of computer parts and plastic components, the department is specifically facing delays in vehicle manufacturing and the availability of fittings needed for the docking stations for the patrol vehicle’s computers, police spokeswoman Amanda Krotki said in an email last month.

Morgan Young sees first hand how students who have common cultural bonds with their teachers connect better with education and flourish in the classroom. “It is really difficult to find texts that have positive Black male archetypes, but even if you don’t have the text, if you have the teachers that are positive Black male role models, that is helpful,” said Young, a Hilltop Elementary School.  teacher. Young says increasing the diversity of the Anne Arundel County Public Schools workforce allows students to see themselves in the professionals with whom they are working and learning every day.

Baltimore City schools leaders have updated the district’s indoor mask policy. According to the school system’s website, masks will be optional starting March 14, “based on the latest guidance from the federal health officials.” a“Our school system and community have stepped forward in a huge way to reduce the spread of the pandemic,” Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Sonja Santelises said. “The data and guidance from the CDC are clear and unmistakable evidence.

This summer’s LGBTQ+ pride celebrations in Baltimore will include a parade, block party and other in-person events not held since 2019 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, organizers announced Wednesday. Fittingly, this year’s theme will be “Together Again,” said Merrick Moses, board chairperson for the Pride Center of Maryland.

The Allegany County Public Schools Board of Education voted 3-2 for masks to be optional effective immediately. The school board on Tuesday held a special meeting to discuss an update to the ACPS COVID-19 protocol. ACPS Superintendent Jeff Blank recommended that masks be optional in the school system’s buildings and on school buses.