HB 26

Public Schools - Open Enrollment - Policies and Funding

Sponsor: Karen Toles (District 25)Committee: Ways and MeansSubject: Primary and Secondary EducationStatus: Hearing 2/25 at 1:00 p.m. (as of Sep 4, 2026)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Authorizing a county board of education to adopt an open enrollment policy to authorize certain students to attend, free of charge, a public school in a county other than the county where the student is domiciled with the student's parent or guardian, subject to certain requirements; requiring county boards to include certain students in full-time equivalent enrollment counts; and directing certain funding to the county in which certain students are enrolled in a public school under an open enrollment policy.

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Testimony (26)

MGA witness list

FAV 9FavorableFWA 4Favorable with amendmentsUNF 12UnfavorableINFO 1Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Kingsbury, Ian	Educational Freedom Institute	Oral
FAV	O'Day, Garrettlobbyist	Maryland Catholic Conference	Written (PDF)
FAV	Toles, Karen	Maryland General Assembly	Position only
FAV	Moreno, Christy	National Parents Union	Written (PDF)
FAV	Mainda, Samoy	Parents for School Options	Oral
FAV	Tyagi, Kristen	Parents for School Options	Oral
FAV	Delegate Toles, Delegate Toleslegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Meyerovich, Mark	Individual	Position only
FAV	miller, juanita	Individual	Oral
UNF	DeMinco, Lynne	BCRW	Position only
UNF	Sterrette, Dawana	Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners	Written (PDF)
UNF	Price, Suzanne	Concerned Citizen	Position only
UNF	Greene, Johntel	Good Governance Consulting	Written (PDF)
UNF	Sunderman, Gail	League of Women Voters Maryland (LWVMD)	Written (PDF)
UNF	Mathias, Sam	Maryland Association of Boards of Education	Written (PDF)
UNF	Cratsley, Laurel	Maryland State Department of Education	Written (PDF)
UNF	Lamb, Laurenlobbyist	Maryland State Education Association	Written (PDF)
UNF	Anderson, Zaniah	Public School Superintendents' Association of Maryland	Written (PDF)
UNF	Brocato, Deborah	Individual	Position only
UNF	Riley, Deniselobbyist	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Tibbals, Trudy	Individual	Written (PDF)
FWA	Wilson, Christopher	The Reason Foundation	Written (PDF)
FWA	Miller, Juanita	Individual	Oral
FWA	Millhouse, Delores	Individual	Oral
FWA	Perkins, Candice	Individual	Oral
INFO	Margolis, Leslielobbyist	Disability Rights Maryland	Written (PDF)

Organizations on record

Baltimore City Board of School CommissionersUNF 1

BCRWUNF 1

Concerned CitizenUNF 1

Disability Rights MarylandINFO 1

Educational Freedom InstituteFAV 1

Good Governance ConsultingUNF 1

League of Women Voters Maryland (LWVMD)UNF 1

Maryland Association of Boards of EducationUNF 1

Maryland Catholic ConferenceFAV 1

Maryland General AssemblyFAV 1

Maryland State Department of EducationUNF 1

Maryland State Education AssociationUNF 1

National Parents UnionFAV 1

Parents for School OptionsFAV 2

Public School Superintendents' Association of MarylandUNF 1

The Reason FoundationFWA 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVO'Day, GarrettMaryland Catholic ConferenceRegistered for: Maryland Catholic Conference

UNFLamb, LaurenMaryland State Education AssociationRegistered for: Maryland State Education Association

UNFRiley, DeniseRegistered for: American Federation of Teachers - Maryland

INFOMargolis, LeslieDisability Rights MarylandRegistered for: Disability Rights Maryland