Teachers and community urge Howard County board to restore Oakland Mills renovations to FY27 capital budget

Nicholas Berry, a social studies teacher at Oakland Mills High School, told the Howard County Board of Education on Dec. 16 that the board’s decision to remove his school from upcoming renovation funding has made it “very difficult to recruit and retain” teachers and left students in unsafe conditions.

Berry, who introduced himself as a 2021 Howard County Teacher of the Year during the public forum, described mold, repeated HVAC failures, water fountains labeled unsafe for drinking and other building problems, and urged the board to "recall your vote and vote to restore the Oakland Mills High School renovations to the FY '27 capital budget." He said Oakland Mills serves about 1,400 students and almost 200 staff and cautioned that “when you took our school off of the renovation list entirely and listed us fortieth in line, you've made leaving this school and this county seem like the only option” for some teachers.

Maggie (Margaret) Fisher, an elementary library media specialist, told the board that cuts to elementary media para positions are already suppressing student access to books. Fisher said that elementary circulation dropped 5.6% from August through November 2025 compared with last year—"a difference of 15,138 books"—and estimated circulation could decline by about 50,000 books by year’s end if staffing reductions persist. She framed the change as a threat to two board strategic goals: having all students reading by grade three and ensuring equitable access to resources.

Several other speakers echoed the call. Jessica Nichols, identified as 2024–25 Howard County teacher of the year, said the pattern of delays and downgrading of renovation decisions "falls again and again on students of color and on the most vulnerable students in our county." Resident speakers said the board’s formula prioritized overcrowding and newer schools, leaving older, higher-need schools such as Oakland Mills behind.

Board members and Superintendent Barnes acknowledged the advocacy and said the district will continue to evaluate priorities during the upcoming budget cycle. Barnes told the board he will bring “out of the gate trade-offs” to be considered early in the budget process and that staff will follow up on special education strategic-plan updates and related memos in February.

Why this matters: Public commenters described concrete health and safety issues, enrollment and equity impacts, and a measurable drop in elementary library circulation after staffing changes—details that shape budget trade-offs as the district prepares a proposed FY27 operating and capital plan in January.

Board response and next steps: Board members said they are grateful for the testimony and committed to continuing budget discussions; Superintendent Barnes said the district is already preparing materials for the January budget presentation and will provide follow-up information. No formal budget decision was made during the meeting.

Ending: The board heads into a challenging budget season in January and Februrary with community pressure to restore Oakland Mills renovations and to address staffing and facility conditions raised during public forum.