The Board of Education of Baltimore County is established by the authority of the laws of the State of Maryland. The county Board is authorized by law to "determine, with and on the advice of the county Superintendent, the educational policies of the county and shall prescribe rules and regulations for the conduct and management of the schools." Thus, the Board acts both as an official body representing the state and as the official body with authority to develop a program of education in the county. Its three major areas of responsibility are:

School Policy
The Board of Education of Baltimore County is responsible for developing and evaluating policies regarding the public schools of the county. These policies relate to areas such as:

• School budget
• Construction
• Personnel
• Property
• Enrollment
• Attendance
• Instruction

Policy decisions are a matter of public record and are recorded in the minutes of Board meetings. The Superintendent of Schools, with the assistance of appropriate school personnel, is responsible for carrying out Board policies. All policies are codified in a "Manual of Policies and Regulations."

School Budget
Each year the Board approves a budget designed to finance the county public school program. The budget is based upon the goals and policies of the Board, is developed by the Superintendent and other appropriate school personnel, and is considered and adopted by the Board. The three major divisions of the budget are current annual expenses, capital outlay, and debt incurred for previous school construction. Upon adoption by the Board, the budget is submitted to the County Executive for review, adjustment, and adoption. The recommendations of the County Executive are then submitted to the County Council, which may approve or reduce (but not increase) the budget. The county government is authorized by the county charter to appropriate tax revenues for the support of the school budget. Additional revenues are available through the funding of bonds and through state appropriations, and miscellaneous fees. However, the outstanding majority of budgeted school money is derived from county taxes.

School Property
The Board is empowered to purchase, rent or improve sites for schools and to construct, rent, or improve school facilities. As trustees of school property, the Board may receive and control property purchased or transferred to it for the benefit of the public schools. Architects may be employed to assist in the preparation of plans and specifications for remodeled or new school buildings. When necessary, the Board may institute court proceedings to acquire property needed for school purposes. Since the state has assumed a large portion of the fiscal responsibility for new school construction, the capital requests must be submitted to the State Interagency Committee and must be approved by the State Board of Public Works.