MD SB904

County boards of education must submit justification to the State Department of Education before entering service contracts, including demonstration that alternatives were considered and cost calculations showing at least 20% savings compared to using school employees

Cost comparisons must include direct costs, indirect overhead, transitional costs (such as unemployment compensation), and additional costs if services were performed by county employees

County boards must submit a formal assistance plan for employees adversely affected by service contracts, including efforts to place them in vacant positions and provisions for contractor hiring of displaced workers

The Department of Education must design a new professional development system for paraeducators and education support professionals by July 1, 2027, with at least 2 days of paid, in-person training during school hours each year

Training must cover teacher-paraeducator teamwork, crisis prevention and de-escalation, safe physical restraint, and job-specific skills; county boards must implement the system by June 30, 2028