Howard County education leaders debate budget scenarios as June deadline nears

Superintendent Bill Barnes told the Howard County Council and the Board of Education on Tuesday that his January budget proposal sought $67,000,000 above maintenance of effort from the county and that the county’s final funding figure left a roughly $14,000,000 gap.

That shortfall has driven the Board of Education to evaluate multiple “scenarios” for balancing the fiscal 2026 budget, including options that rely on one-time fund balance transfers and options that reduce staff. Barnes said his team developed six scenarios and that the board later considered a seventh scenario proposed by board members.

“The board last Wednesday voted to approve and take forward” a scenario for further work, Barnes said, adding that staff were preparing “technical score sheets” for implementation and that the board has until June 30 to adopt a budget. He warned that earlier clarity is needed for staffing placements and bargaining-unit notifications because “many of the staff who might be impacted by this budget… will be home” at the end of the school year.

Why it matters: the board and superintendent are deciding whether to preserve staffing and program lines now using one-time fund balance or to accept reductions that would reduce recurring costs but could trigger further shortfalls next year. Board members repeatedly pressed on program impacts, equity and the long-term fiscal consequences of tapping reserves.

What the scenarios would change

Board members and staff described two scenarios that became focal points: scenario 6 and scenario 7. School system staff said scenario 6 cuts roughly 64 full‑time-equivalent positions from the operating budget,…