Howard County Education Board Adopts Operating, Capital Budget

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — The Howard County board of education has adopted its operating and capital budget requests for fiscal year 2021 and the capital improvement program for fiscal year 2022–2026. The budget requests will be submitted to the Howard County Executive in early March.

The FY 2021 operating budget request totals $947.8 million, which is a $46.5 million or 5.2 percent increase over the FY 2020 operating budget. The board’s requested increase for ongoing county revenues to support the delivery of educational services is $44.0 million, inclusive of $10.4 million mandated by the state’s maintenance of effort formula, a total increase of 7.2 percent over the prior year appropriation.

The board’s budget request also includes $6 million in one-time funding to reduce the health fund deficit, pursuant to the tentative agreement between the county and the board of education, and subject to the county council’s approval.

County funding separates into three types:

• Maintenance of effort funding formula: $617.6 million, an increase of $10.4 million from last year
• Above MOE request of $33.5 million
• A request of $6 million in one-time funding to pay down the health fund deficit


The total funding request from the county, including the request for one-time funds, is $657.2 million, an increase of $49.9 million. The balance of revenues to fund the board’s budget request come from state, federal and other sources:

• State revenue: $282.6 million
• Federal and Other revenue: $8.0 million

The budget request includes funding to meet board obligations that include negotiated agreements, increases in costs for employee benefits and transportation, and additions to staffing and other cost increases associated with enrollment growth. The request also includes funding to address a critical staffing shortage in special education, and one-time funding of $6.0 million to reduce the accumulated health fund deficit.