Howard County board adopts ‘Scenario 7’ budget to close FY26 gap; debate centers on one-time funds and program restructures

The Howard County Board of Education voted 6–1 on June 4 to approve “Scenario 7,” a staff-crafted plan to balance the fiscal 2026 operating budget while preserving several student-facing positions and restructuring others.

Board chair Mosley opened the work session with the budget presentation from Superintendent Barnes, who told the board that balancing the FY26 operating budget remained the principal challenge despite what he described as “approximately $70 million of new revenue” for FY26 and investments for staff compensation, special education and other priorities. “To balance this budget, difficult decisions will have to be made,” Barnes said, adding that staff had prepared multiple scenarios and would answer questions as the board deliberated.

Scenario 7, presented by staff, is a balanced plan that relies on one‑time reserves at levels comparable to scenarios the board previously considered and preserves math and reading coaches, two grant-funded social workers, five middle-school paraeducators (kept systemwide in this scenario), athletic trainers and other student-facing positions. The scenario also would: (1) restructure the elementary gifted-and-talented (GT) program; (2) eliminate third-grade strings; (3) convert some non-school-based positions; and (4) change the staffing model for school nurses and health assistants (adding two float nurses and reducing some full/half-time health assistant allocations).

Why it matters

Board members debated whether to rely more heavily on one-time fund balance or to accept deeper program reductions now to avoid larger cuts in FY27. Superintendent Barnes and budget staff warned that using one-time funds to pay recurring costs compounds a structural deficit and can force steeper cuts the next year; Darren Conforti, the…