Other school districts replaced their leaders. Anne Arundel just doubled down on Mark Bedell.

The man who led Anne Arundel County’s school system through redistricting, a curriculum overhaul and to increased graduation rates just got more time to lead the state’s fourth largest district and shape the lives of the children enrolled.

Members of the county’s board of education voted unanimously Wednesday morning to approve a second four-year contract for Superintendent Mark Bedell, who joined the district in 2022 after leading Kansas City Public Schools in Missouri. He earns around $300,000 a year.

“We know we are going to have challenges, just as we have at this time, but the leadership Dr. Bedell has shown, I think, has been remarkable,” board member Joanna Bache Tobin said. “This district gets closer and closer to being what I think we all think it can and should be, which is one of the absolute top school districts in this country.”

Baltimore City, Prince George’s and Harford counties all recently replaced their leaders, and Baltimore County is expected to do so soon, making Bedell one of the region’s longest-serving superintendents. He has enthusiastic support from his school board, despite overseeing a contentious redistricting process that divided and angered parents in some parts of the county.

Bedell thanked board members for their endorsement and encouragement.

“To all the staff and faculty here, I’ll do everything in my power to continue to fight for you all,” he said.

Like a skilled mechanic, Bedell arrived in Anne Arundel County four years ago and peered under the district’s hood, searching for parts and systems that were not working well.

He hired more teachers and school bus drivers, reducing vacancies in both sectors.

He also overhauled the district’s reading curriculum to better match the latest research on best practices, and he launched Project Graduation, an initiative that encourages high school staff to closely track students’ progress toward diplomas and offer credit recovery programs as needed.

Third graders’ performance on the state reading test jumped roughly 7 percentage points since Bedell arrived, and the graduation rate at Glen Burnie High just increased nearly 7 percentage points in one year — the largest leap of any large high school in the state.

“He wants us to go from good to great,” board member Robert Silkworth said. “I will tell you that in my mind, based upon what I know, I believe that we are now closer to great than good since Dr. Bedell has been with us.”

One of Bedell’s biggest challenges since the start of his tenure has been overseeing the district’s emotionally wrenching school redistricting process, which sought to reduce overcrowding in some schools and make better use of open space in others. The latest phase of the plan requires 700 students to switch schools this fall.

Parent Kristen Caminiti criticized Bedell throughout the redistricting process, accusing him and the board of using flawed enrollment data to develop the plan, which impacts her family and is now the subject of two lawsuits. She was the only member of the public who spoke during Wednesday morning’s meeting and told board members they never should have extended Bedell’s contract.

She criticized what she called Bedell’s lack of support for a community group she helps lead and his handling of a situation involving one of her children, who she said suffered emotional and physical harm at school.

“Bedell is not leading for our children, he is leading for his own reputation,” Caminiti said. “Our children should not suffer under his leadership any longer.”

Bedell responded to that charge near the end of the meeting.

“I didn’t need Anne Arundel County to propel myself up,” he said. “The agenda is always about the kids when it comes to Mark Bedell.”