Donna Hanlin

19-year-old Jose Miguel Vazquez-Ramos has been charged with sexual assault on a 14-year-old at Parkside High School.

The student was charged with a number of counts according to the sheriff’s office.

The Salisbury Daily Times reports that the school system is still investigating the incident.            

But Superintendent Donna Hanlin issued a statement saying that student safety was the district’s top priority.

This not the first time Parkside High has been hit with a sexual assault incident.

Business owners and parents jammed themselves into a meeting this week of the Wicomico County Council  considering  a Board of Education request for an increase in funding for the local schools.

Among the programs backed by many in the audience was Superintendent Donna Hanlin’s “Imagine 2022” plan.

WBOC reports that among other features it envisions a county-wide Pre-K program along with increasing teacher salaries to avoid turnover.

The Board of Education is requesting an additional $7 million for its 2019 fiscal budget.

The Wicomico County School Board says it expects to fall short by just over $9 million for the fiscal year budget of 2018 to 2019.

The Salisbury Daily Times reports that the school system is now slated for a General Operating budget of around $194.4 million.

That’s an increase of just over $2 million.

But in order to fill that gap the board says that figure should $203 million.

The board will be finalizing its budget over the next several months and Superintendent Donna Hanlin says public input will be important in developing the spending blue print.

SALISBURY, Md. (AP) - A special education teacher in a Maryland high school has been charged with selling drugs on school property.

The Wicomico County Sheriff's Office tells The Daily Times of Salisbury that 51-year-old Monica Snee of Salisbury was arrested Tuesday. She is charged with possession of heroin, distribution of heroin and distribution of heroin on school property.

Donna Hanlin, superintendent of Wicomico County public schools, says the alleged drug sales took place in a parking lot behind Parkside High School.

A special education teacher at Wicomico High School has been charged with sexual abuse involving a minor.

She is 36-year old Lynn Jensen.

And WBOC reports that she is facing charges of sex abuse of a minor and 4th degree sex abuse.

The television station reports that the Wicomico County Board of Education is calling on families of students to come forward with information.

Jensen was put on administrative leave in late April.

The incident itself is alleged to have occurred on April 21st.

LGBT high school students in the Wicomico County are calling on the district to protect them from bullying.

During the board meeting on May 9th .two students told the members that other students taunt them and that there is a belief that school administrators at James M. Bennett High School do not take this seriously.

At the meeting Superintendent Donna Hanlin pledged to work with the students and pass their complaints on in dealing with the school system’s policy against bullying.

A settlement agreement has been reached between the U.S. Justice Department and the Wicomico County Public Schools.

A two year investigation found that the district discriminated against minority students in its discipline of minority students.

The Salisbury Daily Times reports that the settlement requires the school district to report discipline and behavior information to the feds every six months.

This will last until 2019 when the settlement expires.

Dr. Donna Hanlin, the superintendent of the Wicomico County Schools, issued a statement to calm rumors emerging out of an incident at James M. Bennet High School.

On Friday the facility was in lockdown for about two hours in the wake of a fight on campus.

WBOC reports that students told the television station that there were three fights.

Hanlin issued a statement that said the altercation took place between three students and was not schoolwide.

She said she incident was sparked by comments made on social media but did not provide any further explanation.

Governor Larry Hogan has appointed two members to the Wicomico County Board of Education.

The Salisbury Daily Times reports that they are Nelson Malone and Maria Waller from the business community.

They have been appointed just as a Donna Hanlin takes over as superintendent replacing John Fredericksen who is retiring after 44 years in public education.

Fredericksen served two terms and was praised during a tribute by former education officials.

Dr. Donna Hanlin has been named the next Superintendent for the Wicomico County School District.

After the announcement Hanlin said that she looked forward to bringing the community together to improve the education of the county’s students.

WBOC reports that currently she is the Co-Chair and Director of Assessment and Accountability in the Department of Education at Shepherd University in West Virginia.

But she was raised in Wicomico County and was principal at James M. Bennett High School among other positions in the county.