McCabe is finalist for Carroll County school superintendent; final board vote set for May 19

Carroll County Public Schools announced Monday that Cynthia A. McCabe has been selected as the finalist for superintendent. McCabe has served as CCPS chief of schools since 2019.

McCabe was the school system’s director of elementary schools from 2011 until she was elevated by Superintendent Steve Lockard to chief of schools. In this role, McCabe supported principals and the directors of elementary, middle, and high schools. This position also supervises student services and the technology services department.

McCabe started in the Carroll public schools in 2001 when she became the assistant principal of Piney Ridge Elementary School. In 2003, she became the principal of that school.

She began her career as a fifth-grade teacher at Clemens Crossing Elementary School in Howard County Public Schools. While in Howard County, she also served as a gifted and talented resource specialist and a professional development school coordinator.

McCabe graduated with a bachelor’s in elementary education from Towson University in 1994, and a masters in education in policy, planning and administration from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 1999.

During a special meeting on May 19, the school board will vote to appoint the next superintendent, school board President Kenneth Kiler said Friday.

“We were lucky to have such great candidates and it was a very competitive search, but she came out on top,” Kiler said. “We do feel [McCabe] is the best qualified — her work ethic and experience will serve CCPS well.”

On Monday, McCabe was scheduled to meet with several stakeholders from the school system and local government groups, according to a news release.

Lockard announced in November that he would not seek another term when his contract ends in June. Lockard has served as Carroll’s superintendent since 2018, earning a salary of $231,066. He was born and raised in Westminster and attended Robert Moton Elementary School, East Middle School and Westminster High School. His father, Brian Lockard, also served as superintendent of CCPS from 1994 to 1998.

In December, the school board approved a contract with the Maryland Association of Boards of Education to conduct a superintendent search, and in January, the school system conducted a public survey for the community to offer feedback on the search. The application process was open Feb. 1-March 7, and the school board reviewed applicants in March and April, according to Kiler.

Carroll County Public Schools has 40 schools serving 25,054 students with five designated as Maryland Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence and four as prestigious National Blue Ribbon Schools, according to the school system’s website.