LA PLATA, Md. — Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) officials, the Charles County Sheriff’s Department, and County Commissioners are collaborating to improve school safety, security, and student discipline, as discussed at the Board of Commissioners meeting on Jan. 28, 2025.
Superintendent Dr. Maria Navarro, Chief of Schools Marvin Jones, and Director of School Safety and Security Jason Stoddard joined Charles County Sheriff Troy Berry in discussions on how to strengthen school safety measures. They emphasized the need for a collaborative approach, highlighting that actions at the local level must align with state and federal laws.
While CCPS cannot enact policies that violate state or federal laws, officials stressed the importance of updating existing policies to better address behavioral challenges. During their presentation, officials outlined the Code of Student Conduct: Levels of Response 1-5 in a slideshow for the public, detailing each level of response.
Navarro emphasized the importance of family engagement in school efforts.
“I agree that across agencies we’ve got to think about how to engage unengaged families who do not comply with the request of a school,” she said.
She also highlighted that ensuring students attend school regularly can prevent future behavioral issues.
Navarro further stressed the need for proactive legislation, stating:
“Thoughtful legislation has to look at those preventive language in bills as well as reactive later on, and we just—we don’t see a lot of sort of the preventive work.”
Stoddard added:
“Different states have different levels of laws with respect to education, and I love Maryland, but Maryland, in my opinion, has some of the weakest educational laws that’s not helping our children in the end.”
Reducing school-based violence and disorder remains a primary goal for CCPS and its law enforcement partners. Stoddard stressed the need for a community-wide approach to address student behavioral issues beyond school walls.
“We are seeing a number of different issues being placed on the school system that we are not experts in—whether it be mental health services, doctor’s notes, or other support systems,” Stoddard said. “We need more time to educate these kids because they are our future. We’re never going to throw these kids away—it’s not going to happen. We need everyone’s help. It’s not just the school system. It can’t just be law enforcement. It has to be everybody at the table.”
He added:
“It cannot start and stop at the schoolhouse; it has to be the entire community.”
Commissioner President Reuben B. Collins II emphasized the importance of continued discussions on school safety.
“The next steps are critical, and I think the more we have these discussions, the better positioned we will be to address these issues head-on,” Collins said.
Collins acknowledged that many school districts across the country face similar challenges and emphasized the need for proactive solutions.
Officials plan to reconvene in September with action plans and proposed bills to bring to state legislators and delegates in Annapolis, aiming for meaningful changes in Charles County Public Schools.
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