Work Session Reveals Only $72,000 of $400,000 For Metal Detectors To Be Used Next Year
One of the things you HOPE your local school board and administrators would be able to do is get the math right. After all, when you are spending $57 million dollars of taxpayer's dollars, your accounting for those funds should be spot on.
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When it isn't, that's a problem. Just ask counties like Worcester and Baltimore County, whose education budgets have been under review for financial malfeasance and fraud. In the Worcester County case, an employee has been charged with embezzling funds:
Baltimore is operating under a cloud of suspicion.
Fortunately, no such incidents have occurred in the Talbot County Public Schools.
However, it seems like someone is playing a little loose with the FY27 budget. You may remember when the schools asked for an additional $10 million dollars above and beyond Talbot's required maintenance of effort funding. After the county council basically looked at the Board and said, "no chance" the system backed it down to $1 million over the MOE.
June 15, 2026 - FY27 Budget Workshop
It's not an unusual tactic in negotiation. Ask for the moon and hope you get an increase of some kind. That may not seem like honest, good faith to many, but when has that stopped government agencies?
The county council shook that one off too.
Talbot County Public Schools finally said that they needed most of the extra for "security measures" i.e. metal detectors at eight school entrances in the system at the cost of $800,000. Mind you, this is a school system sitting on top of $8 million in reserve funds. The county council met the schools halfway and said the county would fund $400,000 leaving the rest to the system.
Sounds more than reasonable, right? Yes, until you realize that the system will only be using $72,500 of those funds to do a "pilot program" for metal detectors this year at the Easton High and St. Michaels High sports complexes. They will not be placed at the "eight entrances" as discussed during budget negotiations. Strangely, that option didn't even seem to be under consideration.
In the school board's work session on Monday, June 15, Kevin Shafer, Talbot County Public Schools Director of Operations discussed different vendors and ideas, declaring that the more traditional "Open Gate" system would be his preferred option as it cost $49,000 for two units which would be placed at the entrance to the EHS stadium. The units would require monitoring and staffing from the Talbot County Sheriff's Department or possibly TCPS staff. When board member Amy Dodson asked if the unit at the stadium could be moved inside as well, Shafer didn't answer either "yes" or "no".
Only after prodding from the board did a unit get added at St. Michaels.
Shafer stated that there were more sophisticated "AI " options, but they were just too expensive, so they will use this system as a "pilot." That means they could decide not to use it next year. The Open Gate system will be ordered July 1 and in place by September.
Wait a minute, isn't the county giving $400,000 to the schools and the schools are chipping in the other haff for metal detectors at "eight (school) entrances?"? Wouldn't that cover an AI option? Apparently not because TCPS is selecting the "low cost," limited implementation version. Seems odd during a time when weapons are being brought into schools all over the country and some schools in Talbot are experiencing increased student violence.
But, then again, this is just a "pilot" and the whole idea could be scrapped next year. Where will the funding go then, you ask? The simple answer? Wherever the school system wants to put it. They will do an "amended" budget. Wait, you ask. Can they do that?
YES! Maryland public school budgets can be amended after approval, but only through formal, board‑authorized budget amendments. Maryland law requires school systems to operate within an approved annual budget, but it does not freeze that budget permanently. Local boards of education routinely revise budgets mid‑year to reflect updated revenues, state aid adjustments, or programmatic changes.
Superintendent Sharon Pepukayi described these funds as "earmarked" for the metal detectors . That language means that the funding is meant for that purpose. It doesn't guarantee it will be used for that.
So, that $400,000 additional from the County Council could suddenly go towards staff conferences, training, system consultants on various topics, or various other different spending items. They have done it before. It's not always capricious, because sometimes the amendment spending could be needed. But, it illuminates the fact that sometimes the people working for TCPS don't have a clear plan in place and just want funding as a placeholder.
Just ask the kids at Easton High School who are still waiting for their 30-year-old, ineffective HVAC system to get replaced. It's been brought up in budget discussions since at least 2024 because the aging system is ineffective AND replacement parts are expensive and hard to find. Yet, every year something else gets done first. It is now a priority for 2028. In Mr. Shafer's defense, he fought hard for that and lost.
We should also add that all this comes at a meeting where the district was complaining about having to make "cuts." They wanted to hire 20 new positions, now they are only hiring 9. Here are the nine they are choosing:
When you look at these cuts, you can see where priorities are. Only ONE funded position is a teacher. The "Community School" positions are not teachers. They are quasi administrators who coordinate community services in state designated "community schools." Here is a list of what they do:
Coordinate tutoring, mentoring, and after‑school programs
Connect families to food, housing, health, and social services
Organize parent workshops and adult education
Build partnerships with nonprofits and county agencies
Track student needs and monitor program impact
Lead advisory groups and community engagement efforts
Manage grants and ensure compliance with Blueprint requirements
This position only exists because of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future and doesn't really seem to address academic achievement of all students. Each earns around $50,000 a year, not counting benefits.
The Human Resources Licensure Specialist oversees and administers all aspects of teacher/administrative certification/licensure for certificated/licensed staff. The Specialist also serves as the coordinator (with MSDE) of the certification process for professional staff. This is a $50,000 a year job not counting benefits.
The only jobs funded on this list which directly impact students and their instruction are the High School English Teacher and the Special Ed. Instructional Assistants. They eliminated 6 positions which would also impact students directly. One wonders where the Talbot County Teachers Association stands on this. Why isn't Andy Burke screaming at the Board for priorities? Remember, we reported that the TCPS has 39 middle management positions at the board. We estimated that cost at $3.5 million in salaries. We were way off. It's $6.3:
Priorities.
Remember, this Board of Education initially wanted $92,000,000.
We contacted a couple of County Officials who were unaware that the system was currently only planning on using $72,500 out of the $400,000 for the weapons detection system. Needless to say, they were surprised.
Link to Monday, June 15, TCPS Board of Education work session livestream:
Talbot County Board of Education - Meeting Information
Sometimes work sessions provide more insight to the board actions and discussions than actual meetings.
OVERHEARD AT MONDAY NIGHT'S MEETING: In an interesting, off topic moment that she is becoming well known for, Board Member Karla Wieland Cherry told fellow board members that "all of the county council members need to be pushed regarding renovation of the Talbot County Auditorium. They need to be pushed!" Ms. Wieland Cherry seems to forget that the County Council is not under her jurisdiction.
She may also have forgotten this from last year:
Talbot County OKs funding for Easton High auditorium lights, other projects | Local | stardem.com
