County Executive Ball plans $52 million increase in Howard public school funding

Apr. 15—By Thomas Goodwin Smith — thsmith@baltsun.com

April 15, 2024 at 7:02 p.m.

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said Monday that he plans to increase funding to public schools by $52 million in fiscal 2025, fulfilling most of the Board of Education's requests.

The Howard County Board of Education had asked the county for $55.2 million above its required minimum funding level for schools, for a total budget of $1.14 billion for fiscal 2025. Ball gave a preview of his plans for school funding Monday afternoon; his entire budget plan for the county is set to be revealed Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., followed by a public hearing at 6 p.m.

"We continue to invest in our future and remain responsible stewards of public dollars," Ball said, but he did not elaborate on where the funds would come from.

Ball said his priorities for the school system's budget were restoration of funding for third grade strings, elementary gifted and talented, hands-on environmental education, and Black student achievement programs. Those programs were previously cut by the school board during budget deliberations.

"By prioritizing the restoration of these programs, we are leaning into our values," Ball said, "because we believe that all students in our school system should have access to an excellent education that fully supports their academic, social and emotional growth. Preparing our students for the future is essential."

Ball will share details of his entire budget plan during a presentation to the County Council on Tuesday. The budget will be finalized and approved in late May. Fiscal 2025 begins July 1.

The Howard County Public School System in fiscal 2025 needs to bridge a $99.3 million funding gap, which acting Superintendent Bill Barnes has said was created by a $27.6 million decline in revenue paired with $71.7 million in mandated and priority expenditures.

"This has been a budget defined by very difficult decisions and choices," school board President Jennifer Mallo said Monday. "It was certainly a challenge for the board and for the superintendent to navigate meeting the school system's priorities with such significant budget constraints."

The school board's budget request would result in cutting 132 school-based employees and 92 non-school-based positions, increasing the average middle and high school class sizes by one. This is a change from Barnes' initial budget, proposed in January, that would have cut 348.75 full-time staff positions and increased all classroom sizes by an average of two students.

"It is my goal to do everything in my power and within our fiscal responsibility to make sure each of those team members can be retained," Barnes said Monday.

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