Howard County Public Schools warns of $29.2 million gap; board urges more county funding or painful program cuts

Howard County Public School System leaders told the County Council on Monday that the board’s FY26 budget request and the county executive’s recommended funding differ by roughly $29.2 million after state legislative adjustments, and that the gap would force more cuts to school programs and staff if county funding is not increased.

Superintendent Bill Barnes summarized the board’s request and the gap in public comment: "The total difference between new revenue and funding needed to support the Board of Education's requested budget is $54,300,000," he said, explaining later how adjustments and the executive proposal narrowed but did not close the gap. Barnes described three possible paths: prioritize students with the greatest needs (which would mean eliminating non‑prioritized programs), secure additional county revenue (about $29.2 million to avoid the deepest cuts) or make other program and staffing reductions.

Barnes and finance staff walked the council through the numbers. The board originally requested above‑maintenance‑of‑effort funding in excess of $100 million; legislative changes reduced some line items and the executive proposed to provide roughly $39.9 million of recurring additional funding above maintenance of effort and $1.5 million in one‑time support. Barnes said the board already trimmed roughly $31.1 million in cuts during the prior year and warned that additional reductions would fall on programs, class size, special education supports, summer programming and central office positions that provide school support.

Board members who attended the session asked the council to consider the county’s overall priorities and to weigh the community’s expressed preference for maintaining school services. Several board members emphasized that many needs are not discretionary — special education caseloads and student health services are examples — and said increases in funding must cover benefit and retirement cost growth as well as negotiated salary steps.

Why it matters: HCPSS serves roughly 57,000 students and employs about 9,000 staff; reductions in staffing or programs affect classroom size, support services (nurses, counselors, special‑education staff) and extracurriculars.

What happens next: The board will refine priorities during a May 7 work session. The council and administration will continue budget negotiations in April–May; council members asked for reconciled charts showing county and school calculations for how recurring vs. one‑time funds are counted.