Harford School Board Hides Business Meeting Agenda | The Locally Times
For its Feb. 23 business meeting, the Harford County Board of Education invited public speakers but published no agenda, preventing residents from preparing informed comment.
The Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) Board of Education scheduled a business meeting for the evening of Monday, February 23, 2026, with a designated time for public input, yet provided no public agenda detailing the subjects to be discussed or acted upon. However, none of the publicly posted documents for the meeting included a list of agenda items, proposed resolutions, or background information on the business the board intended to conduct. ## Agenda Disclosure is Standard Practice Elsewhere The Harford County school board’s failure to publish an agenda is an outlier compared to the standard practices of other government bodies in the region. Public records show that other local and state entities routinely provide detailed agendas in advance of their public meetings. For instance, on the same day as the HCPS meeting, the Town of Mount Airy Planning Commission met. According to a notice posted on February 13, the town provided the public with a full meeting agenda and an accompanying information packet. Similarly, the Maryland Historical Trust posted an agenda for its Governor's Consulting Committee meeting on February 24, and the Queen Anne's County Plumbing Board published an agenda for its February 26 meeting. Further records show the Town of Elkton posted a Planning Commission agenda for its March 9 meeting that included specific details, such as a case number and the name of a subdivision plan under review. This level of detail, common in other jurisdictions, allows the public to understand the issues and prepare informed commentary. ## Transparency Gaps Obstruct Public Oversight The school board’s lack of disclosure also contrasts with transparency efforts within Harford County itself. A notice from the Harford County Government shows that County Executive Bob Cassilly scheduled a public hearing for February 17, 2026, with the explicit and singular purpose of gathering public input on the fiscal year 2027 county budget. Residents attending that hearing knew the precise topic in advance. By withholding the agenda, the Board of Education created a barrier to meaningful public oversight. Without a list of topics, parents, teachers, and taxpayers were unable to know if the board was considering policy changes, financial expenditures, or contract approvals. A review of official records after the meeting shows they do not specify what business was conducted, what decisions were made, or what items the board voted on.