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Harford County school board approves $720.3 million FY 2027 operating budget with $4 million in cuts
Summary
The Harford County Board of Education approved the superintendent's unrestricted FY 2027 operating budget of $720,259,698, adopting roughly $4 million in reductions to staffing and program additions and forwarding the package to the county by a 5–3 vote.
The Harford County Board of Education approved the superintendent's recommended unrestricted operating budget for fiscal year 2027, adopting amendments that reduce roughly $4 million from the proposal and passing the measure 5–3.
A district budget presenter told trustees the board's amended proposal sets the FY 2027 unrestricted fund at $720,259,698, a 7.1% increase over the prior year. "So the revenue summary, as you can see, reflects the amendments that were approved on Wednesday evening," the presenter said, describing the package of expenditure changes. The presenter listed specific reductions that together total about $4 million.
The amendments approved by trustees reduced the number of requested teachers for pre‑K through second grade from 20 to 10 and reduced multilingual learner teacher requests from eight to three. The board also eliminated nine Title I overstaff positions, omitted the coordinator for career technical education and magnet programs from the operating budget, reduced projected active employee health insurance and workers' compensation costs, and removed proposed additions to the early college program.
The presiding officer moved to approve "the superintendent's recommended unrestricted fund budget for FY '27 in the amount of $720,259,698 with the amendments proposed." The motion was recorded as passing 5–3. The clerk conducted the roll call and confirmed the tally; individual roll‑call votes by name were not specified in the transcript.
Board members had earlier approved several amendment items at a Feb. 25 meeting but said they lacked the five‑member quorum necessary to send the full package to the county; the special meeting on Feb. 27 was convened to complete that transmittal. The board announced the amended, approved budget will be forwarded to county officials for the next steps in the local budgeting process.
The board adjourned following the vote and scheduled its next regular meeting for March 9, 2026, at 6 p.m.
