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Board divided over adding six "school culture and safety assistant" positions; removal motion fails

Howard County Public Schools Board of Education · February 19, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Board members debated adding six school-culture-and-safety assistant positions (middle schools). Opponents called for clearer job descriptions, training and measures to prevent disproportionate discipline; proponents cited reductions in referrals and suspensions where existing positions operate. A motion to remove the six positions failed (3-3-1), so the additions remain under the board's proposed budget.

The board considered a proposal to add six full-time "school culture and safety assistant" positions (targeted to middle schools) and a motion to remove that addition was brought forward. Ms. Watts moved to remove the six positions citing concerns they function as "mini police" in practice and that the district lacks consistent role definitions and training across schools. The motion to remove the addition failed on a split vote…

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