$1.21B Budget Adopted By Howard County Education Board

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — At its last board of education meeting, board members adopted the operating and capital budgets for the 2025-2026 school year.

The general fund operating budget totals $1.21 billion, an increase of $71.1 million over fiscal year 2025, which represents a 6.2 percent budgeted increase.

The fiscal year 2026 capital budget totals $100.47 million to support costs associated with the renovation and addition of Oakland Mills Middle School; start the design of the renovation and addition of Dunloggin Middle School; other systemic renovations and modernizations, roofing projects and equipment; and ongoing projects such as relocatable classrooms, capital technology needs and school parking lot expansions, according to the Howard County Public School System.

The board also ratified agreements with the Howard County Association of Supervisors and Administrators (certificated and non-certificated units) and the Howard County Education Association (certificated and educational support professional units), the HCPSS stated.

The final operating budget builds on the board’s original budget request to the county executive in March and includes funding for additional math coaches and specialists and reading coaches as approved during the board’s June 4 work session. The board also approved including two student engagement liaison staff positions in the final budget, school officials noted.

The board also committed $53.7 million above fiscal year 2025 for employee compensation and benefits. This final budget modified the reduction of health assistant positions from 33.5 to 10; reduced the number of new float nurses positions added from 2 to 1; removed the requested budget addition of 13 athletic trainer positions; and removed the budget addition of $500,000 for collaborative time per pupil, school leaders disclosed.

“I appreciate the hard work and advocacy by so many students, staff and caring family members to help inform the FY 2026 budget,” said Howard County Board of Education Chair Jolene Mosley. “While the board was in the unfortunate position of having to make reductions to balance the budget due to rapidly rising costs, this budget is able to fund special education, Blueprint requirements and increases to compensation and benefits.”

The budget must still be adopted, officials noted. Additional budget information can be found online.