Projected Budget Savings Used By HCPSS To Cover Technology Costs

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — The Howard County Board of Education has approved a year-end budget transfer of $3.25 million with $1.8 million of the money being combined with a budget savings of $4.5 million to allow the school system to afford the unplanned technology costs of continuity of learning during the new coronavirus pandemic. The budget transfer also will enable HCPSS to fulfill its commitment to apply annual budget savings to reduce the accumulated health fund deficit.

Current projections indicate that the school system has sufficient budget savings during the 2019-2020 school year generated by hiring and spending freezes and other cost-cutting measures. These savings will be redirected to cover unplanned pandemic costs without tapping fund reserves. The savings also will pay for the additional technology acquired to ensure that all of the system’s approximately 59,000 students can participate in continuity of learning during the school closure.

Other items of interest from the HCPSS include:

Assessments. Maryland received approval to waive federal 2019–2020 assessment and accountability requirements, so HCPSS will not administer the MCAP English language, mathematics, science and social studies assessments, the American government high school assessment or the Maryland School Survey for this school year.
Graduations. HCPSS officials have been in contact with Merriweather Post Pavilion to discuss alternative plans and a team of HCPSS staff members have been meeting with high seniors from all high schools and the Homewood Center to discuss potential alternative celebrations for our seniors. More information will be communicated as decisions are made.
4th Quarter Grading. The board has approved changes to fourth quarter grading. For the 2019–2020 school year, fourth quarter grades of “pass” or “incomplete” would be assigned, with students completing at least 50 percent of fourth quarter assignments earning a pass. Students will have an opportunity to make up missing work.
Food Distribution. HCPSS has already provided more than 345,000 free meals since meal distribution began on March 17. An additional food distribution site was opened at Hollifield Station Elementary School for a total of 14 meal sites across the county.
Student Technology. HCPSS Information Technology and Logistics teams have been at the schools packaging and preparing Chromebooks to be mailed to families for distance learning at home. Staff continue to work to ensure everyone who needs a device receives it.
Webinar for Parents en Espanol. HCPSS will co-host a web conference entirely in Spanish with the Howard County Foreign-Born Information and Referral Network (FIRN) on April 22 from 11 a.m.-noon. Dr. Caroline Walker, HCPSS Executive Director of Program Innovation and Student Well-Being, and Elisa Montalvo, HCPSS Hispanic Achievement Specialist, will discuss HCPSS’ response to COVID–19, including the continuity of learning plan, student technology and connectivity, and food support.
Community Support. The Bright Minds Foundation Access to Learning Fund is providing greater support for HCPSS students during the extended COVID–19 school closure. Bright Minds has raised more than $23,000 through the fund and has begun to provide HCPSS with additional learning resources, including items such as assistive technology for students receiving special education services, connectivity resources and other key school supplies needed to support remote student learning.