Parents, students and teachers urge board to keep science paraeducators as FY27 cuts loom
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Summary
Dozens of students, teachers and science paraeducators told the Howard County Board of Education on Feb. 9 that eliminating secondary science paraeducator positions would endanger safety, violate lab requirements for AP courses, and substantially reduce hands‑on STEM learning across the county.
Dozens of students, teachers and staff testified at a Feb. 9 public hearing that eliminating the district's 14 high‑school science paraeducator positions as proposed in the superintendent's FY27 budget would harm safety and curriculum.
"Without them, the upkeep required to ensure student safety is simply not feasible," Dr. Katherine Yinger, a secondary science teacher, told the board, saying the district stores "over 500 different chemicals" and that paraeducators maintain chemical inventories and safety equipment. Jessica Stockham, a Centennial High School science paraeducator, told the board each para prepares and cleans up about 100 labs per year and that the duties do not "disappear when the position is eliminated."
Students recounted classroom impacts. Jane Tullia, a Reservoir High School senior and Science National Honor Society chapter president, said paraeducators prepare and organize labs and that removing the positions would "completely eliminate" consistent lab experiences and reduce the quality of science curricula. Several other students described multi‑day preparation for AP labs and warned that teachers cannot absorb the additional workload during contractual hours.
Speakers raised regulatory and compliance risks. Abigail Zakarias, a junior, said AP science courses require 25% lab instruction and noted that failing to maintain safety showers and eyewash stations could carry fines ("up to $5,000 per station per school," as stated during testimony). Multiple teachers and students warned that improper chemical disposal, unsafe storage or rushed prep would increase student danger and district liability.
School staff described operational consequences. Shalonda Holt, science instructional team leader at Centennial, said redistributing duties would reduce productivity and undercut strategic priorities that depend on consistent lab‑based learning. Science paraeducators and science teachers urged the board to visit classrooms and prep rooms before approving cuts to understand daily operations beyond budget line items.
The board did not take a final vote on the budget at the hearing. The public hearing provided the board with extensive testimony documenting the scale of lab preparation and safety work performed by paraeducators and the potential curricular, safety and equity consequences if positions are eliminated.