Harper, Maryland County –Friday, June 13, 2025- The Maryland County Education Office has launched an audit targeting all schools operating across the county.
According to County Education Officer (CEO) Larry Nimely, the audit will cover all 179 functional schools in the county. The initiative aims to ensure that school principals, administrators, and the local education offices are held accountable for funds generated at the school level.
CEO Nimely revealed that the audit will be conducted by a professional auditor recently assigned to the county by the Ministry of Education a first for Maryland County.
“We are happy to announce the arrival of an auditor assigned to us by the Ministry,” Nimely stated. “This is part of a broader effort to ensure accountability both at our local office and in the schools. For too long, parents and partners have complained about paying fees without seeing how those funds are used. We couldn’t properly account for them because we were both the collectors and the auditors. This new system will now change that dynamics in a positive way,” Nimely indicated.
He further highlighted that over the years, the Ministry of Education and its partners have provided funds to the local office for operational and other purposes, but previous leadership failed to provide proper accountability—something Nimely believes is inconsistent with best practices.
“To meet the best standards and continue receiving much-needed support from our partners, we must ensure accountability at all levels. This audit is a timely and necessary step in that direction,” he added.
Meanwhile, several school principals have commended the Ministry of Education for introducing the audit initiative, describing it as a move towards improving the education system.
Emmanuel Dennis, Principal of Harper Demonstration High School, praised the assignment of the auditor, calling it a sign of foresight.
“We’ve been crying for years to see proper management of the funds we contribute to the local Ministry office,” Dennis said. “But often, we were afraid to speak out for fear of losing our jobs. Imagine giving almost everything your school collects in a year to the local office, and yet your school is in a terrible state.”
He called on the newly assigned auditor to ensure the audit process is conducted thoroughly and with integrity.
The deployment of auditors to local education offices marks a significant milestone for Maryland County’s educational system. Expectations remain high among educators and stakeholders that this new level of oversight will bring about transparency, improve service delivery, and restore trust in the system.
Edited: Jesefu Morris Keita| Editor-In-Chief
