Barnes says he will 'make the most of each minute' as Howard's new superintendent

May 24—Howard County's Board of Education announced Thursday its selection of Bill Barnes as the school system's next permanent superintendent.

Board of Education Chair Jennifer Mallo said Barnes is a national leader in mathematics instruction with a keen mind for problem-solving and has demonstrated his ability to lead the school system since he accepted the acting superintendent position in December. Barnes tackled a particularly difficult budget season with a sense of collaboration with stakeholders and compassion for those impacted, Mallo said at the Thursday board meeting.

"We appreciate Mr. Barnes' continued service to our youth and are thrilled that Mr. Barnes has stepped forward to lead our school system," she said on Thursday. "We look forward to his commitment to change in instructional leadership, as well as his ability to innovate and to fulfill the promise of the Blueprint [for Maryland's Future education reform plan]."

Barnes said Thursday that he was honored and humbled to continue in the role.

"When I accepted the opportunity and responsibility of acting superintendent in December, I did so because of how much I value the work we do collaboratively on behalf of our students and also because of how much I love the Howard County Public School System and those who serve as champions," he said. "I was determined to make the most of each minute in this role."

The appointment represents the culmination of a screening process that began March 15, when the school system posted the open position. Nebraska-based executive recruitment and development company McPherson & Jacobson, which specializes in school system superintendent recruitment, helped conduct the search.

More than 30 candidates applied for the position by the April 11 deadline. McPherson & Jacobson recommended six to the board. The school board conducted "robust discussions" to select three semifinalist candidates, Mallo said. All board members participated in interviews and deliberations to narrow the field to two candidates, and in a daylong, in-person interview to select Barnes.

The system had asked community members what traits they would like the next superintendent to have; 75% of respondents listed integrity as the top leadership quality, followed by problem-solving skills (60%), according to a stakeholder input report from McPherson & Jacobson. In terms of community engagement, 66% of respondents said they valued transparency, followed by student achievement (64%) and student well-being (56%). School-level experience was important to 69% of respondents, "education level and experience in an educational leadership position" was important to 61%, and experience with large budgets was important to 48%.

Of those who responded to the online survey, 52% were parents, 32% were employees, 3% were students, 9% were other county residents, and 3% had a different connection to the school system.

Michael Martirano, the system's previous permanent superintendent, announced his retirement Nov. 17, despite having almost three years left in a four-year contract. Martirano was named superintendent in July 2018 after serving more than a year as interim superintendent, and the school board voted in February 2022 to renew his contract through 2026 at an annual salary of $290,743.

Martirano's exit came after months of criticism from parents and community members about how the school system handled a change to school start times and a reduction in bus service for thousands of students.

HCPSS spokesperson Brian Bassett said in November that the school system would not comment on possible reasons for the superintendent's resignation.

Barnes joined the district in 2008 as a coordinator of math and curriculum, and was named the district's chief academic officer in 2017. He has a bachelor's degree from Towson University and a master's degree from the Johns Hopkins University, according to the school system.

Barnes has been serving as acting superintendent since Jan. 10 under a contract effective through June 30, with an annual salary of $276,000, plus a $1,000 monthly car allowance.

Barnes' new contract is being negotiated and must be approved by the state superintendent of schools, Carey Wright.

"As we begin to think about our next four years together, I want to challenge each of us to think of this question: 'What kind of school system are we striving to become?' There are already so many great aspects to being a student or staff member in our district," Barnes said Thursday, "but I commit to striving towards better student outcomes each day, as we put our full effort into making a school system that is great for every person in it."