Ball: State Audit Of Howard Schools Will Ensure Accountability

An impending state audit of Howard County school spending will ensure transparency and accountability and help continue the county's reputation for stellar local education, says County Executive Calvin Ball.

Ball’s comments came after the County Council approved, 4-0, the first-year Democratic executive's resolution asking the Maryland Department of Education to scrutinize the school system's health and dental fund; discrepancies between budgeted and actual spending; personnel expenditures; supplemental income; and other non-salary benefits and procurement.

“The audit process is an important opportunity to build even more accountability and transparency for our schools, find ways to support all our children and educators, and make our schools even better … and provide a full picture of our expenditures and find the best financial path forward,” Ball said in a statement.

“Howard County has a well-deserved reputation for great schools, and I want to ensure we are providing the highest-caliber education for all our students for years to come…. Every educator, student, parent, and resident in Howard County deserves to know exactly how and where our money is being spent. Together, we are ensuring that taxpayer dollars are being spent sensibly, to best serve our students.”

Ball has called education his top funding priority. In his first budget, he has asked the Howard County Council for $605.2 million in fiscal 2020, which would amount to a $16.2 million increase in the roughly 58,000-student system’s annual operating budget.