Howard County Education Board Adopts $1.1B FY24 General Fund Operating, Capital Budgets

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — The proposed $1.1 billion general fund operating and capital budgets have been adopted by the Howard County Board of Education despite "extensive deliberations" to reduce the requested budgets by more than $67 million.

The board considered multiple budget-balancing scenarios, according to the Howard County Public School System, with a focus on increasing HCPSS compensation in order to retain and attract the best educators, and increasing funding for student instructional services and supports to continue advancing students.

In accordance with the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future guidelines, the largest investment in the budget allocates $47 million dollars for employee compensation, which represents 66 percent of the $72.1 million increase from FY2023.

“This budget advances many critical needs of our system and allows us to advance the priorities that are mandated by the State and those that will have the greatest impact on students,” said HCPSS Superintendent Michael J. Martirano. “This budget invests in our staff who take care of our children and in enhancements to the programs and services that will ensure our students are achieving academically and that we are adequately tending to their wellness.”

Budget Allocations

The $1.1 billion budgets include financial support for several projects including:

• Guilford Park High School;
• Oakland Mills Middle School;
• Dunloggin Middle School;
• renovations to the Faulkner Ridge Center;
• partial renovation to the Applications and Research Laboratory facility;
• systemic renovations including three HVAC replacements; and
• ongoing projects such as planning and design to address system needs.

The budgets also set aside a $27.9 million increase in funding for priority instructional areas such as special education, college and career readiness, career and technical education, reading, mathematics and student supports, as well as opening Guilford Park High School.

Some reductions include shrinking pooled positions used to meet unexpected shifts in enrollment and student needs by 19 spots and reducing various equipment and supplies budgets by almost $700,000. A total of 75 new positions are included in the FY2024 operating budget.

“As expectations of educators and school systems increase each year, it is incumbent upon our county and state communities to commit to the funding and supports needed for schools to fulfill these understandably high expectations,” said Howard County Education Board Chair Antonia Watts. “I am appreciative of the increased funding we received this year and know it is being dedicated to the top priorities of the board, staff and families to have the greatest impact on students with the greatest needs."

Sources of Funding
Howard County recurring funding is increasing $47 million to $720.3 million, a 7 percent increase. County funding also provides $887,000 for one-time expenditures in FY2024. Required state funding increases by $24.9 million to $346.0 million, an increase of 7.8 percent, driven by the ongoing implementation of per-pupil funding increases required in Blueprint legislation.

The budget also includes a substantial increase in other revenues based on one-time revenue boosts in investment income and the expected payments received for the Juul lawsuit. In total, other revenues are budgeted to increase $2.8 million, a 40.5 percent increase.

Federal sources of funding remain the same year-over-year. The remaining funds to balance the budget come from the use of unassigned fund balance in the amount of $21 million in the general fund and a $6.7 million transfer of fund balance from the technology services fund. The budget relies on nearly $30 million of fund balances to help pay the cost of instructional priorities.

The final adopted budget will be available online soon. Additional budget information is available online now.