Baltimore City school's CEO Dr. Santelises named 2026 Maryland Superintendent of the Year
Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Dr. Sonja Santelises was named the 2026 Maryland Superintendent of the Year by the Public School Superintendents Association of Maryland in her final year leading the district.
According to a press release, this award is given yearly to a Maryland superintendent who "demonstrates excellence in educational leadership, communication, professionalism, and community involvement."
"Being chosen by my peers for this recognition is both humbling and inspiring," Dr. Santelises said in a statement. "It reflects the collective work of our students, educators, families, and community partners who believe in what is possible for Baltimore's young people. This honor belongs to them as much as it does to me."
Robert Salley, chair of the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners, said Dr. Santelises pushed the school district to have high expectations.
"Dr. Santelises' selection as Maryland Superintendent of the Year embodies our district's belief in high expectations, hard work, and the limitless potential of our students," Salley said. "This honor recognizes not just her excellence, but the collective strength of a community committed to helping every child thrive. We could not be more proud of our CEO."
CEO's success
Dr. Santelises is in her 10th and final year as the CEO of Baltimore City schools.
Under her leadership, the city schools say she has:
- Students' literacy proficiency in English Language Arts has grown more than 13.6 percentage points since 2015-16, outpacing the statewide gain of 8.9 points
- The district has invested in the arts, nearly doubling the number of fine arts teachers from 174 in 2017-18 to 328 in 2025-26.
- Students have the second-largest growth in reading nationally since 2022 among large urban school districts.
- The number of schools without air conditioning has been reduced from 75 in 2016 to zero in 2025, while supporting construction on more than 30 schools during that same time frame.
Search for a new school's CEO
Baltimore City Public Schools are actively searching for a new CEO, who will take over for Dr. Santelises at the end of the school year.
The job listing was posted on Thursday.
The Board, in partnership with Alma Advisory Group (Alma), considered input from key stakeholders, including students, families, community members, staff, elected officials, and school administrators to help find the ideal traits for the position.
"The goal of the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners is to recruit, screen, and select the best candidate to serve as the next CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools," said Board Chair Robert Salley. "It's our stated purpose to mitigate bias at every step and lead a transparent CEO search process guided by the input of the City Schools community, reflect Board policy and abide by State legislation. We will continue to inform the community through ongoing updates during this entire process."
According to the school district, here is the timeline:
- November and December – Sourcing and recruiting candidates that align with the traits listed on the job postings.
- January and February – Finalist rounds will include opportunities to fully engage with Board members.
- March and April – Finalize contract with candidate, begin transition process and plan for the induction ceremony.
- July 1, 2026 – The new CEO is slated to begin.