Howard County Board of Education meets for first time since Howard High student's arrest for murder

BALTIMORE -- The Howard County Board of Education met publicly for the first time since a 17-year-old student at Howard High School was charged with the murder of a 26-year-old man.

The meeting Thursday follows the Maryland State Board of Education's vote on Tuesday mandating that school systems must share information when students with serious or violent crime convictions or accusations transfer schools.

Previously, if a student committed a violent crime and transferred schools, it was optional for the previous school system to notify the new one.  

The policy change was initiated after the arrest of the teen shooting suspect, who was found with a loaded, fully automatic ghost gun in his bookbag at school. The student was wearing an ankle monitor and under Department of Juvenile Services, supervision for an attempted murder that left the victim paralyzed at the time of his arrest.

The HCPSS superintendent said the school system was left in the dark about the teen's past when he changed school systems, which led to his placement at Howard High in the Spring.

During the Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Bill Barnes laid out actions that are being taken internally to shore up existing safety policies.

Some 48 currently enrolled HCPSS students with DJS contact will have their cases reviewed by school staff. 

"I need to make sure that each student is in the most appropriate education placement and if they are not I will adjust accordingly," Barnes said. 

Other changes in the district include interviewing a student's family if a significant reportable offense is noted, as state law limits the information the police and juvenile justice departments can share about a criminal case.

"It is our hope that in partnership with the family, this interview process will result in a proper safety plan and appropriate placement," Barnes said. 

The school system leader said if he cannot obtain the necessary information needed to make an informed decision on school placement, then the student will be placed in an alternative education setting. 

Some parents, guardians, and community members who came to the meeting voiced concerns that it took the teen's arrest to highlight a communications gap.

"They give up that right and that freedom to be in general population when they commit horrific acts of violence," parent Jennifer Hammond said.

The case has sparked broader discussions about student safety and information sharing between Maryland's educational and juvenile justice systems.