06/11/2026
The Carroll Education Coalition recognizes that student safety must always be a top priority. At the same time, Outdoor School has been a beloved and meaningful learning experience for Carroll County students for more than 50 years, and many families are understandably disappointed by the decision to end the overnight portion of the program.
We also understand that not every detail related to safety and security can be shared publicly, especially if doing so could expose additional vulnerabilities. However, our concern is not simply with the outcome, but with the process. This item was added to the Board agenda only two days before the meeting, with limited context or supporting information shared publicly, leaving little opportunity for families, educators, and community members to understand the concerns, ask questions, or provide input before a vote was taken. That is not the level of transparency, communication, or public engagement we expect from our elected leadership.
We would have appreciated hearing more about what options were considered, what risk-mitigation strategies were explored, and how other Maryland counties with similar outdoor education programs have addressed safety, liability, staffing, and security concerns.
As the program moves into a planning year, we hope the Board will engage the public in a transparent and meaningful way. We also look forward to hearing from Board of Education candidates on the November ballot about how they would approach similar decisions in the future and what considerations they believe should guide the redesign of Outdoor School.
We have shared both a summary article and the Board of Education's statement that was emailed this afternoon below, for reference.
