Deal Gives State New Role in Baltimore Schools, Boosts Aid

By Jessica Portner

An 11th-hour deal struck last week would give Maryland an unprecedented say in the management of the Baltimore public schools and boost state aid to the financially and academically troubled district by more than $250 million over five years.

After weeks of round-the-clock negotiations, Maryland Gov. Parris N. Glendening, Baltimore Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke, and the state schools chief reached the tentative agreement the day a trial was to start in three longstanding lawsuits over the funding and management of the district.

Under the plan, the governor and the mayor would jointly appoint a new school board from a pool of applicants chosen by the state school board. Currently, the city's mayor--unlike any other municipal leader in Maryland--has the sole authority to select...