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Read. Follow. Verify.Maryland Senate Bill 903 requires county school boards to adopt family engagement policies and schools to create parent-school compacts
Last action · February 10, 2026: Hearing 3/04 at 1:00 p.m.Sponsors: Mary Beth Carozza and 5 others
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What This Bill Would Do
Maryland Senate Bill 903 requires every county board of education to develop a comprehensive parent and family engagement policy by the start of the 2027-2028 school year, and requires each public school to establish an individual starting in the 2028-2029 school year. The State Department of Education is directed to provide technical assistance, guidance, and potential regulations to support compliance.
Parents gain formalized rights to participate in local school board decisions, review educator credentials including whether a teacher holds a conditional license, and help craft school-level compacts outlining shared responsibilities for student learning.
- Maryland Senate Bill 903 builds upon federal requirements established under the Every Student Succeeds Act regarding family engagement. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Parents and families of public school students
Parents gain structured opportunities to participate in board decisions, collaborate on school compacts, evaluate policies annually, and receive credentials notices for teachers.
County boards of education
County boards must draft and publish comprehensive engagement policies, provide technical assistance, and submit annual compliance certifications to the State Department of Education.
Public schools in Maryland
Individual public schools must develop annual parent-school compacts, host annual parent meetings, and submit annual compliance certifications to their county board.
State Department of Education
The Department is tasked with providing guidance and technical assistance to county boards and public schools, and is authorized to adopt implementing regulations.
Key Facts
- Each county board of education must develop a comprehensive parent and family engagement policy on or before the start of the 2027-2028 school year.
- Beginning in the 2028-2029 school year, each public school in the State must develop a Parent-School Compact.
- Schools must provide parents with the right to know educator credentials and timely notification if an assigned teacher holds a conditional license or teaches outside their certified subject matter for four or more weeks.
- Each public school must convene an annual meeting for parents to review the compact, discuss academic programs, and provide feedback.
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- County boards must submit an annual certification of compliance to the State Department of Education, and public schools must submit annual compliance certifications to their county board.
- The State Department of Education is authorized to provide guidance, technical assistance, and adopt regulations to implement the statute.
- The Act takes effect July 1, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do county school boards have to create their parent engagement policies?
What information do parents have a right to know regarding teachers under the school compact?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently filed. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Committee.
Procedural history
2 actions- Feb 10, 2026SenateHearing 3/04 at 1:00 p.m.
- Feb 6, 2026SenateIntroducedFirst Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
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Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Phased Implementation Timeline
The bill stages implementation by giving county boards an earlier deadline (2027-2028) to establish overarching policies before individual public schools must implement specific compacts (2028-2029).
Connected Entities
Sources
mgaleg.maryland.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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