The Baltimore County School Board Thursday night voted to make Verletta White the Interim School Superintendent for another year, beginning July 1. The vote was 8-4, with the board divided between the majority that wanted to make White the permanent superintendent, and the minority that opposes her.

State School Superintendent Karen Salmon blocked the board from giving White the job permanently, due to ethical violations. White was cited for not reporting outside income. Unlike former school superintendent Dallas Dance who was convicted of perjury and is serving time, White has not been charged with a crime and says she made an honest mistake.

Salmon also wants to wait for a procurement audit to be done before considering White for the permanent job. But Salmon said she would reappoint White to the interim position for another year.

Julie Henn, one of the four board members who opposes White, said they should consider other qualified candidates within the county school system to be the interim superintendent, while a nationwide search is conducted for a permanent replacement.

Henn said, “We cannot say that we have found the best superintendent, when we have not compared or gone through a hiring process and looked at any other candidates.”

But Board Vice Chairman Nick Stewart said the board was well aware there were other qualified people, but chose White.

“This board was not oblivious to other people existing in the world that might want to do this job or to be able to do this job,” Stewart said. “We made a conscious, purposeful decision over the course of many months.”

White was not at the board meeting. She has made it clear she would like to be the permanent school superintendent. Over more than two decades, White has worked her way up through the ranks in the county school system, starting as a teacher.