Somerset County’s Education Showdown: A Lesson in State vs. Local Control

In the ongoing saga of Somerset County Public Schools, what started as a local issue has escalated into a full-blown test of authority between the county school board and the Maryland State Department of Education.

About a year ago, Dr. Ava Tasker Mitchell was hired as Somerset County’s new superintendent. She inherited a challenging situation. Somerset ranked 24th out of 24 Maryland counties in many categories and rankings. On top of that, the district had been under state scrutiny over its underperforming English Language Arts curriculum. The state had instructed the county to adopt a stronger ELA program and the issue lingered.

In November 2024, two new conservative board members were elected. Their arrival quickly altered the board’s direction.  They proposed cuts to school librarians (or “media specialists”), a plan ultimately blocked when the county commissioners provided additional funding to keep those positions. The board also replaced its legal counsel with attorneys more aligned to its political leanings.

From there, the relationship between the board, the superintendent, and the community began to unravel. What had once been described by some as a cooperative environment turned into a tug-of-war, marked by public disputes and mistrust. The tipping point came when the board moved to terminate Dr. Mitchell’s contract. While the reasons were not clearly spelled out, the move was seen by some as an assertion of power rather than a matter of documented performance.

Dr. Mitchell fought back, appealing to the Maryland State Board of Education, not only challenging her removal but also requesting the removal of the board president. In response, the state issued a 60-day stay until the appeal is reviewed. The board’s attempt to overturn the stay was rejected.

The bigger story here is the power dynamic.

This is the state flexing its authority. The State Board of Education is the final authority on all matters in education in Maryland, whether local boards want to admit it or not. If a county makes decisions that run counter to the state’s directives, they’re going to step in and Somerset is now the perfect example.

Complicating matters, Somerset still hasn’t finalized its ELA curriculum adoption. If no decision is made by early August, the district risks losing a $10 million grant, adding urgency to the already tense situation.

While opinions in the community are sharply divided, the lesson extends beyond Somerset’s borders.  Other districts should pay attention and reconsider making sweeping policy changes that conflict with state mandates.

This is the frontline in the battle over local vs. state control.  The state is ready willing and able to flex its control.

As the state’s review moves forward, Somerset County finds itself in the spotlight with case study in how quickly local politics, educational priorities, and state power can collide. The outcome may shape how other Maryland school systems approach their own governance decisions in the years ahead.