WASHINGTON — Three members of the Prince George’s County Board of Education say that “massive unauthorized pay raises” were handed out to an unspecified number of staffers at the central office.
One of the members raising concerns, Edward Burroughs, said the raises — as much as 12 percent — would be in violation of collective bargaining agreements. He also said the raises to central office staff — given when a 4 percent raise for teachers was rejected — sent a negative message to teachers.
Burroughs and two other board members wrote to Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker asking him to intervene. Baker successfully lobbied for a change in Maryland state law that gave him the authority to hire and fire the school CEO and to appoint some of the members of the school board.
Contacted about the issue, school spokesman John White confirmed that there are two audits underway. Scott Peterson, the spokesman for County Executive Rushern Baker, told WTOP that the county executive had received the letter from Burroughs and his two colleagues and that the issue is under review.
This allegation is the latest issue that has roiled Prince George’s County schools in recent months. Last February Gov. Larry Hogan called for the dismissal of Kevin Maxwell, the school system’s CEO. Maxwell came under intense scrutiny after members of his own school board called for an investigation into allegations of widespread grade fixing across the system.
