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Board adopts FY26 budgets after heated debate over gifted program, music and health staffing
Summary
The Howard County Board of Education adopted a revised FY2026 operating budget and related capital plans on June 12 after hours of debate about cuts included in Scenario 7. The board accepted Superintendent Barnes’ amended Scenario 7 but rejected motions to restore 39 gifted‑and‑talented positions and to preserve third‑grade strings; it did approve adding two student engagement liaisons.
The Howard County Board of Education voted on June 12 to adopt revised FY2026 operating and capital budgets after several hours of debate about cuts proposed in “Scenario 7” and last-minute amendments to restore programs and staff.
Superintendent Barnes proposed an amended version of Scenario 7 that reduced the planned elimination of health assistant positions from 33.5 to 10, reduced the number of new float nurses from two to one, removed the proposed addition of 13 athletic trainers and reduced a $500,000 allocation tied to collaborative time. The board approved that amendment 6–1 (Yes: Miss Mallow, Miss Ricks, Miss Watts, Dr. Chen, Miss Chamblee, Miss Mosley; No: Miss McCoy). Superintendent Barnes said the amendment was intended to “continue to ensure the proper health coverage in each school building” while aligning staff roles to a coaching/teacher model and to offset costs by shifting an earlier $500,000 line item.
Why it matters: The discussion centered on how to preserve existing services while creating coaching roles and addressing rising personnel costs. Board members, staff and public speakers pressed the board for detail on which positions would be cut, how many full‑time equivalents (FTE) each change represented and whether one‑time fund balances would be used to preserve programming.
Key votes and amendments
- Superintendent’s amendment to Scenario 7 (reduce health assistant reductions to 10 FTE; reduce new float nurses from 2 to 1; remove 13 athletic trainers; adjust $500,000): Passed 6–1. - Motion to restore elementary gifted-and‑talented (GT) funding (restore $3,489,000 and 39 FTE, funded from general fund balance): Failed 3–4 (Yes: Miss Ricks, Miss McCoy, Dr. Chen; No: Miss Mallow, Miss Watts, Miss…
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