A new legislative audit is putting Worcester County Public Schools under a harsh spotlight after state reviewers found the district repeatedly missed legally required background checks for some employees who work directly with students. On top of the hiring lapses, auditors also uncovered procurement and disbursement problems that raised uncomfortable questions about how money is being spent in the school system, leaving families and staff waiting to see what fixes and possible investigations come next.
The Office of Legislative Audits released its review of Worcester County on Monday. Auditors reported that the district hired 317 employees for positions involving direct student contact and, in a spot check of 10 new hires, found that six never received the required background screenings. Two others did not get screened until 73 to 392 days after they started working, and auditors noted those staff members had been employed between 39 and 450 days as of October 3, 2025, as reported by WMAR2-News.
Procurement questions and prosecutor referral
The same audit also details "several procurement and disbursement deficiencies," including what it describes as "questionable procurement activity involving a management employee." Because of those findings, auditors said they referred that part of the review to the State Prosecutor's Office. "A referral to the OSP does not mean that a criminal act has actually occurred or that criminal charges will be filed," the auditors wrote, according to WMAR2 News.
Statewide oversight gaps
The Worcester report follows a broader legislative audit released in January that found the Maryland State Department of Education had not created systems to verify whether local school districts were reliably completing required pre-employment screenings. That statewide review also identified gaps in enrollment in continuous-monitoring tools such as the FBI's Rap Back system and urged stronger oversight from the state, as reported by The BayNet.
What comes next
Worcester County Public Schools has acknowledged the audit and said it will take corrective action. In the meantime, auditors and state officials are weighing follow-up steps that could include mandated enrollment in continuous-monitoring programs, tighter hiring controls, and additional audits. The Office of Legislative Audits lists the Worcester County review among its recent reports, underscoring that this is part of routine state oversight, while the State Prosecutor's Office will determine whether the procurement referral merits further action. For parents and staff, the next few weeks are expected to bring more clarity on how the district plans to close the gaps the auditors identified.
