Investigative journalist Chris Papst of Fox45 News’ Project Baltimore has spent years exposing grade scandals and corruption within Baltimore City Schools. His reporting has undoubtedly drawn the ire of the head of the school system, who, in a recent interview, jokingly said her husband hasn’t “punched out” the reporter. 

“Baltimore City has been good to me – it has been good to my family – um you know my husband has not punched out Chris Papst, which is great because I don’t want him going to jail, um when we have college tuitions to pay,” Baltimore City Schools CEO Dr. Sonja Santelises discussed in an interview with Fox45 News and its media partner The Baltimore Sun. 

Santelises has been at the top of the school system for years, embroiled in several grade-changing scandals. Since she took charge in the 2016/17 school year—the same time Papst’s team began its investigations—district enrollment has declined by 6,500 students, or about 8%. Despite this slide in students, the school system’s budget has swelled by $400 million. Yet, as more taxpayers’ monies are spent, grade scores are going in the wrong direction.

Over the last eight years, the school system’s graduation rate has declined, while the dropout and chronic absenteeism rates have been rising. 

In 2023, only 26% of students across the school system scored proficient on the state English test, up from 22.4% one year earlier. This places city schools last in Maryland, behind Somerset County at 31.4%. Math in city schools is also the lowest in the state. Last year, only 8.8% of students tested proficient in math. 

Meanwhile, under Papst’s leadership, Project Baltimore has uncovered massive grade-changing scandals that have gained national attention:

“Educational Homicide”: 13 Baltimore City High Schools Have Zero Students Proficient On State Math Exam

Education Shock: 200 Maryland Public Schools Have

After Grade-Rigging Scandal, Baltimore City Schools No Longer Holding Back Failing Students

Project Baltimore reached out to the school system, replying with this statement:

“The comment about Mr. Papst was clearly made in jest, even eliciting laughs from WBFF’s photographers.”

Where else does incompetence and failure result in the head of a school system being paid nearly half a million dollars per year with total compensation? 

Well, only in Baltimore, of course. 

Furthermore, the big question is: How can a school system spend taxpayer money like a drunken sailor while grade scores decline?

Maybe this is because the school system is in cahoots with teacher unions that see students as commodities that scheme off taxpayers. After all, unions fund the Democratic Party’s political machine…