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Special‑education coordinator urges board to preserve early‑intervention staffing amid FY26 shortfall
Summary
Melissa Romano, coordinator for special education birth–5, told the Feb. 5 public input session the district serves more than 6,000 students with disabilities and urged approval of the proposed budget and advocacy for additional county funding to meet rising behavioral and clinical needs.
Melissa Romano, coordinator of special education birth to 5, told the Harford County Board of Education on Feb. 5 that early intervention and sufficient staffing are essential to meet complex student needs and that the superintendent's proposed budget should be approved and supplemented with county support.
Romano said she represents about 6,151 students with disabilities (birth through 21) and roughly 1,200 pre‑kindergarten children. “As you may know, 90% of a child's brain develops within the first 5 years of life,” she said, urging investment in early intervention. Romano described an increase in significant behavioral challenges among young children — including physical aggression and eloping — that require trained staff to maintain safety and learning conditions in preschool and special‑education classrooms.
She warned that without adequate staffing, classrooms risk becoming unsafe or unable to deliver individualized instruction, which in turn raises turnover and burnout among educators. Romano asked the board to approve the proposed FY26 budget and advocate with the county executive for additional funding to support the special‑education and early‑intervention workforce.
