TOWSON, Md. (WBFF) — After a decade of controversy, turnover, and academic struggles, Baltimore County Public Schools is turning the page with a new leader.
The school board has selected Dr. William Heiser as its next superintendent, making him the fifth person to hold the job in the last 10 years.
Baltimore County Board of Education member Maggie Domanowski is confident Dr. Heiser is the right person, right now, to lead Baltimore County Public Schools.
“It’s just going to be different and I’m really excited,” said Domanowski. “I get goosebumps talking about it and thinking about it.”
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According to his LinkedIn page, Dr. Heiser, since 2023 has been the Chief Operating Officer for Anne Arundel County Public Schools, which is one of Maryland’s higher performing school systems. Prior to that, Heiser served as President of the Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Baltimore for eight years. From 2013 to 2015, he worked as the principal of Catonsville High School in Baltimore County.
Over the past decade, the superintendents chosen by the board did not stay long. Heiser will be the fifth superintendent since 2017.
Current Superintendent Dr. Myriam Rogers is leaving mid-contract, she says to spend more time with family. Prior to Rogers, Dr. Darryl Williams was not renewed after a tumultuous first contract. Before Williams, there was interim superintendent Dr. Verletta White who was found to have violated ethics rules regarding her finances and was not offered full contract. And White replaced Dr. Dallas Dance who resigned as superintendent and ended up serving served four months in jail for lying on his financial disclosure forms.
The choosing of Heiser was controversial. Groups such as The League of Women Voters and local chapters of the NAACP criticized the board’s process saying there was a “lack of transparency” and the board needed to take “more time to engage the public.”
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“Their concerns were valid,” Domanowski said. “And we heard them and we thought about it, but we had to make the best decision for our students. And we did.”
Heiser is inheriting a school system that is struggling academically. The high school graduation rate for Baltimore County Public Schools is at a15-year low of 84.3%, while the dropout rate is at a 15-year high of 12.2%.
“How important is this moment for Baltimore County Public Schools?” Project Baltimore’s Chris Papst asked.
“Just know that this board deliberated for a very long time, thought about everything, went through all the scenarios, talked about it. It wasn’t made in haste. It wasn’t made lightly,” stated Domanowski. “We had to make it right for all of our students. And that’s what we did with this choice.”
Dr. Heiser will start on July 1.
Follow Project Baltimore’s Chris Papst on X and Facebook. Send news tips to cjpapst@sbgtv.com
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