Board adopts FY26 budgets after heated debate over gifted program, music and health staffing

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 Chamblee, Miss Mosley). - Motion to restore third‑grade strings (restore $1,073,538 and 12 FTE, funded from general fund balance): Failed 3–4 (Yes: Miss Ricks, Mr. Basiolo, Dr. Chen; No: Miss Mallow, Miss Watts, Miss McCoy, Miss Chamblee; Miss Mosley voted yes earlier but on that motion outcome read as 3–4 in transcript). - Motion to add two student engagement liaisons (2 FTE, $143,008, funded from general fund balance): Passed 4–3 (Yes: Miss Ricks, Miss McCoy, Dr. Chen, Miss Chamblee; No: Miss Mallow, Miss Watts, Miss Mosley).

Final budget approvals

After the amendment votes the board approved the Board of Education’s revised FY2026 operating budget (the version the board sent to the county for supplemental appropriation) and the capital documents later in the evening. The transcript records the board adopting the revised BOE FY2026 operating budget and related capital plans during the meeting (motions and tallies are in the votes-at-a-glance section below).

What board members and public said

- Concerns about equity and instructional impact dominated public comment. Parents and community members who spoke during public forum urged the board to use fund balances to avoid cutting teachers and programs, including gifted services and music. One parent said the proposed cuts “will lessen the number of years of instruction available to the 68% of students who participate” in instrumental music and urged the board to preserve strings.

- Board member Miss McCoy pressed staff on the feasibility of migrating part‑time athletic trainers into full‑time positions and repeatedly raised concerns about releasing 39 GT teachers “without a plan.” She said she did “not want to let 39 teachers go without a plan.”

- Board member Dr. Chen said restructuring was appropriate in some cases but acknowledged the risk: “Anytime you reduce half of a program, there are impacts to student outcomes.”

Numbers and clarifying details (recorded in meeting)

- FY24 ending general fund balance (reported): $7,600,000. - Projected ending general fund balance for FY25 (latest estimate in meeting): $6,900,000. - The board’s requested budget used $9,000,000 in one‑time funds (including $7,000,000 from the technology fund and $2,000,000 in interest income); Scenario 7 added roughly $8,500,000 in one‑time funds, creating a potential total near $17.5M; an additional amendment would have raised the one‑time use to ~ $20.9M (figures presented by staff during the meeting). - The superintendent proposed adding back 10 health assistants (net reduction of 9 positions compared with earlier Scenario 7) and 1 floating nurse instead of 2, and removing the 13 athletic trainer additions.

What’s next

The capital budget process continues: staff will return to the board in July with pre‑development work and the superintendent’s FY2027 capital recommendation in August; state submissions to the Interagency Commission on School Construction are timed for October. The board requested further detail from staff about staffing transitions and the operational plan for migrating coaching positions to teacher/coach models.

Ending

The budget votes closed a contentious budget season in which board members and community speakers sparred over priorities and the use of one‑time fund balances to preserve programming. The board approved targeted restorations (two student engagement liaisons) but declined other restorations sought by parents and some board members.

Votes at a glance

- Superintendent’s amendment to Scenario 7 (health assistants reduced from 33.5 to 10; float nurses 2→1; remove 13 athletic trainers; remove $500,000 allocation): Passed 6–1. - Restore GT (39 FTE / $3,489,000 from general fund): Failed 3–4. - Restore third‑grade strings (12 FTE / $1,073,538 from general fund): Failed 3–4. - Add 2 student engagement liaisons (2 FTE / $143,008 from general fund): Passed 4–3. - BOE revised FY2026 operating budget (final motions during meeting to submit to county for supplemental appropriation and categorical transfer): Approved (final tally recorded in the transcript as Motion carries 5–1–1 after reconciling county submission language). - Tuition rates (in‑state, out‑of‑state and special education tuition lines): Approved 7–0. - FY2026 capital budget: Approved 7–0. - FY2027–2031 Capital Improvement Program: Approved 7–0. - FY2026–2035 Long‑Range Master Plan: Approved 7–0.

Speakers (selected and attributable)

- Superintendent Barnes — Superintendent, Howard County Public Schools (presenter of amended Scenario 7 and budget recommendation). - Miss Ricks — Board member (moved several amendments including restoration of GT and strings). - Miss McCoy — Board member (raised repeated concern about immediate cuts to GT staff and staffing transitions). - Dr. Chen — Board member (commented on program impacts and restructuring risks). - Miss Mallow, Miss Watts, Miss Chamblee, Miss Mosley, Mr. Basiolo — Board members who participated in votes and discussion. - Ryan Powers, Anthony Dibella, Lisa Garrity and other public forum speakers — parents and community members urging preservation of programs and use of fund balance.

Topics: budget, staffing, gifted-and‑talented, music education, health services, one‑time funds, capital planning