Following an Inspector General investigation that revealed long-standing process flaws, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Superintendent Dr. Thomas Taylor assured families on Monday, August 4, that all current MCPS workers have passed the necessary background checks. With an emphasis on responsibility and openness, he underlined that students are safe and provided a list of urgent steps to enhance CPS clearances, ongoing monitoring, and screening practices in general.
According to MCPS, although the assessment highlights concerns that go at least as far back as 2019, our main goal is to fully understand the scope of the issues and take prompt, significant action to address them. We also point out that the report includes serious errors and misrepresentations that have occasionally impeded the urgent efforts required to safeguard pupils and preserve public trust. The Action Plan is available for perusal here.
In a written response to the study, Superintendent Dr. Thomas W. Taylor acknowledged recurring problems with the background screening procedure that the prior administrations had neglected to address and sent it to Montgomery County Inspector General Megan Limarzi. Even though MCPS is solely responsible for fixing these shortcomings, the district continues to support its objections of several of the report’s findings, just as the OIG does.
To be clear: according to law and regulation, all employees must first complete a criminal background check before starting work, and no one is permitted to begin until the check is returned free of any disqualifying elements. However, prior administrations neglected to fix long-standing flaws in this procedure for years, especially with relation to CPS checks and post-hire monitoring. They are now being corrected by MCPS under new leadership.
“Our duty of care for the students we serve and the families who entrust their children to MCPS is the most important thing in this school system,” Dr. Taylor stated. To fill in these gaps, our team is now carrying out our action plan. Even while we disagree with the Inspector General’s report, the fundamental problems it brings up ought to have been resolved years ago. We are focused on this work, it is significant, and it will be completed.
The Actions Taken by MCPS Under New LeadershipMCPS has taken swift action to address the findings; the following actions are either completed or in progress as part of the Action Plan for Background Screening Reform:
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Launched a
real-time cross-agency clearance tracker for all new employees, contractors, and volunteers
to ensure NO individual begins work without a criminal background and CPS clearance. (
Done July 2025
) -
Transitioned from a paper-based system physically transported between agencies to an online submission and tracking portal used by the Maryland Department of Human Services to process CPS checks.
While tools like the portal and cross-agency coordination protocols were available in prior years, they had not been implemented. Under new leadership, MCPS moved with urgency to adopt these solutions cutting CPS processing times from 4 6 weeks to just a few business days. (
Done July 2025
) -
Re-fingerprinting
all employees not in RapBack, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) service that allows notification and continuous monitoring of an individual s criminal activity to be completed no later than the end of the 2025 2026 school year. This work was actually started in 2019, but was paused during the pandemic and was not restarted when staff came back in person. -
All employees will receive new ID badges once they are re-cleared
. The badges will have information indicating that employees have completed the updated process. -
A renewed request
to DHHS and the state Department of Human Services for the resources and system access necessary to expedite CPS checks.
Additionally, MCPS will support uniform execution of screening and reporting standards in all departments and schools by offering stronger accountability systems, improved monitoring, and yearly training. Reviewing earlier decision-making and process failures is a crucial part of MCPS’s response to guarantee complete accountability.
The Misrepresentations and InconsistenciesThe following are some of the more concerning misrepresentations in the OIG’s conclusions and process:
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Overstated Involvement of Child Welfare Services (CWS):
The report inaccurately describes the time, role, and effort that CWS devotes to processing CPS background checks for MCPS. -
Mischaracterization of Scope of Authority to Correct Issues:
The Inspector General recommends that MCPS unilaterally clear the CPS backlog, despite the fact confirmed repeatedly by both the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Maryland Department of Human Services that MCPS does not hold the legal authority to conduct or finalize these checks. -
Delayed Disclosure of Critical Information:
The Inspector General failed to alert MCPS leadership to the full extent of the issues in a timely manner, delaying urgent corrective action by withholding critical information for months while directing MCPS not to share the draft findings with responsible partner agencies.
Following numerous clarifications from MCPS personnel, the Inspector General’s office eventually made some revisions, but Dr. Taylor pointed out that the identified errors are still there in the final publication.
In his letter to the Inspector General, Dr. Taylor stated, “Although we are disappointed in some aspects of the process that brought us to this point, our focus remains on addressing what turned out to be longstanding process issues and making lasting improvements.” We are aware of the areas in which our systems are deficient, and we are dedicated to taking all necessary steps to improve safety for the benefit of families, employees, and students.
An Appeal for CooperationSince genuine solutions include truthful, precise, and cooperative participation from all entities tasked with student safety, MCPS is dedicated to change and accountability.
According to Dr. Taylor, our educational system cannot and should not handle this on its own. We encourage collaboration with our county and state partners. true growth and, most importantly, true safety are what the public deserves.
In order to attain complete compliance and rebuild confidence in this crucial area of student safety, MCPS is still dedicated to working openly and honestly with all partners and stakeholders.
