[Baltimore Sun] After call for resignation, many Harford community members support Superintendent Sean Bulson
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Competing voices in support of and opposition to Superintendent Sean Bulson spoke out at Monday’s Harford County school board meeting as the community continued to wrestle with the security concerns surrounding the fatal shooting of student Warren Curtis Grant at Joppatowne High School this month.
Board Vice President Melissa Hahn restated a call for Bulson to resign during the Board of Education meeting, saying that he knew of a variety of security issues at Joppatowne High and “did nothing.”
“What happened at Joppatowne High School is wrong. Dr. Bulson knew they were short lockers. Dr. Bulson knew students walked the hallways daily with unchecked backpacks. … Dr. Bulson knew the many security shortfalls and did nothing until a student was murdered,” Hahn said. “Only then was action taken.”
Hahn’s request for Bulson’s resignation was supported by many meeting attendees last week, but those voices were outnumbered Monday night by educators, parents and community members who praised Bulson and instead called for Hahn to resign.
Cheryl Adams, one of the 21 speakers Monday night, criticized Hahn for using the Joppatowne tragedy for politics.
“The notion that one individual is responsible for the incident at Joppatowne High School is ridiculous,” Adams said. “Would you also expect the CEO of a company or the manager of a grocery store where a shooting took place to resign and hold them solely responsible? Using this incident to further your political agenda is irresponsible.”
Other speakers praised Bulson’s leadership, stating that Harford schools have improved since he became superintendent.
“It was under your leadership that we practiced safety drills at a high magnitude and increased our safety measures in our schools for the safety of our students and our staff,” said Ronald Wooden, principal of Old Post Road Elementary School. “Please do not let those who are trying to destroy you keep you from leading us. We are a better school system because of your guidance and leadership.”
Board members shared sentiments similar to the public speakers’, with board member Carol Mueller saying that a student could have placed a firearm in their pants as easily as they did in a backpack.
The Harford County Board of Education holds its monthly meeting about two weeks after a deadly shooting at Joppatowne High School on Sept. 6. Board Vice President Melissa Hahn, right, has repeatedly asked for the removal of Superintendent Sean Bulson, left. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Mueller agreed with Hahn’s allegation that Bulson knew of the locker shortage but shifted the blame to County Executive Bob Cassilly and his funding of the school’s capital budget request.
“Bulson was aware that there weren’t enough lockers, which is why it was in the capital budget for next year, but it wasn’t funded by the county executive,” Mueller said. “I stand by Dr. Bulson, and I would suggest that board members who do not think they can work with Dr. Bulson should resign.”
Cassilly’s funding of Harford schools in his most recent budget was just over $33.5 million below the school system’s request of $354.91 million. Along with the school system’s funding request, Cassilly funded five large capital improvement projects identified by the board as “priorities.” Lockers at Joppatowne High were not labeled a priority in budget presentations from the board of education.
To fill the funding gap between the school system’s requested funding and Cassilly’s allotted amount, Harford schools used $30.18 million form savings. Last year, the district used about $15 million from its savings after Cassilly funded them lower than their request.
The back-to-back years of the school system’s funding requests not being filled have led to the school system stating it is “flat funded,” which has caused numerous positions and programs to be cut from the budget and only the most pressing capital improvement projects to be prioritized.
A teacher at Joppatowne who was present during the shooting urged board members to have “courageous conversations.”
The teacher, Jason King, said he has been at the high school for nine years and that change will come only when conversations over funding are had with the county executive, state lawmakers and above.
“I hear people calling for the head of Dr. Bulson and the members of the Board of Education, and I am here to tell you, I think you’re wrong,” King said. “These are the same people who spoke when we talked about the budget that said we didn’t need to be fully funded, and if we are not getting what we need to support our school from a financial standpoint, then where do you expect us to improve on safety?”
The request from Hahn and comments from community members follows the death of Grant, 15, who was shot in the chest during a fight in a bathroom at Joppatowne on Sept. 6.
The suspect, Jaylen Prince, 16, is being charged as an adult with first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault, use of a firearm, and other crimes. A Harford County Circuit Court judge ordered that Prince remain held without bond.
Bulson’s current contract with the Board of Education began in 2022 and is set to expire in 2026. He is paid an annual salary of $256,000 with a monthly vehicle allowance of $800.
Before being hired in 2018, Bulson was superintendent of schools in Wilson County, North Carolina. He spent the first 16 years of his education career in the Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland.
Bulson’s contract states that he may resign by providing written notice to the board 60 days before his resignation date. The board may terminate his contract by providing 30 days of written notice to Bulson, should he agree and accept the termination.
To remove the superintendent, the school board would need a majority vote recommending the removal to the Maryland Board of Education, which would have the final say. According to Bulson’s contract, the board may remove him for:
Immorality
Misconduct in office, including violation of the board’s ethics policy
Insubordination
Incompetence
Willful neglect of duty, including those duties and responsibilities set forth in the contract
Bulson did not directly respond to a call for his resignation last week. Instead, he said his focus was on keeping the school community safe.
“I am focused on ensuring the community continues to work towards healing and improving every day to create the safest environment possible in our schools,” Bulson wrote in an email.
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