No word on Baltimore City schools CEO’s contract two weeks after deadline
Two weeks have passed since the deadline for Sonja Santelises, CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools, to inform the school board if she wants to renew her contract for another four years.
Santelises and the Board of School Commissioners may still be discussing her future, but she has not publicly announced her intent to either continue to lead or step down. Neither have said what the sticking point in negotiations might be. As part of the 2020 contract, Santelises had to submit a self-evaluation by April 1 that the board would discuss in closed-door sessions along with the possibility of a contract extension.
Her current contract expires on June 30 and requires a 90-day written notice if she decides to retire or resign. The board has not submitted a proposal request to hire a search firm for her replacement, according to a BCPSS spokesperson.
A Maryland Public Information Act request to city schools for any letters between the CEO and the school board has yet to be returned to The Baltimore Sun.
Santelises was not available for an interview this week and would not take questions on her contract status from a Sun reporter Friday during an Adopt-A-School news conference at Harlem Park Elementary Middle School.
There was no discussion of her contract at Tuesday’s Board of School Commissioners meeting, where Santelises’ staff introduced a preliminary operating budget for the next fiscal year and board members praised the system’s improved graduation rate.
Ronald McFadden, chair of the school board, referred questions about Santelises’ contract to a statement he made 10 days ago.
“We are grateful for Dr. Santelises’ dedicated service to our students and community. We continue to collaborate with the CEO regarding her future but don’t have an announcement to make at this time,” he said in a statement April 2. “We look forward to productive discussions in the best interest of City Schools.”
Santelises in 2020 became the first chief executive of city schools in two decades to extend her contract for a second, four-year term. That contract included a base salary of $325,000 with a 2.5% annual increase.
Her eight-year tenure as the district’s highest-ranking education official has been a source of stability in Baltimore, particularly for Mayor Brandon Scott. Scott, a Democrat who is running for reelection, has experienced high turnover at top levels of his administration.
But the CEO is also a target of ire from some politicians and residents frustrated with BCPSS students’ academic performance, chronic absenteeism and graduation rates, which remain the lowest in the state despite improving since last year.
