The Lightspeed Parent Portal can be accessed by going to https://howard-county.portal.relay.school/. 

In Lightspeed Parent Portal parents may pause their student’s ability to use the web for various amounts of time. Parents cannot block specific websites. HCPSS blocks access to social media at all schools and most game websites at middle and high schools only on the HCPSS instructional (student) network and on student Chromebooks.

If you have concerns about the content type that may be accessed on your child's HCPSS-issued device, please contact your student’s school administrator.

To access the Lightspeed Parent Portal, parents/guardians must first sign up to receive Lightspeed email notifications. At the bottom of the Sunday email notification is a Log In or Register link. Parents can use this link to set up their account and access the Lightspeed Parent Portal. During the account set up process, a verification email will be sent to the email address listed on HCPSS Connect.

Signing up to receive the parent/guardian email notification is done online via HCPSS Connect Synergy.Your parent/guardian username is the email address on file with the school system. If you do not remember your password:

1. Go to www.hcpss.org/connect and select the blue HCPSS Connect Login button.
2. At the login page, select the Forgot Password link under the login option
3. Select Forgot Password under the Parents & Guardians heading.

To receive email notifications:

The Superintendent’s FY 2025 Proposed Operating Budget proposes increasing the class-size by two across all levels. The proposed changes for the 2024-2025 school year would increase the upper range for class sizes at the elementary level and increase the student to staff ratio for middle and high school. The table below shows the current (2023-24) and proposed (2024-25) class-size ratios and upper ranges.

Throughout the budget book and during work sessions, there have been references to school-based and non-school-based employees. The following definitions will help stakeholders understand the difference.

School-based refers to employees who work in schools each school day and directly contribute to school instruction and operations.

While Central Office can refer specifically to the Board of Education building as a location, it also refers to non-school based employees and services that support students, staff and the operation of schools. HCPSS has several buildings and offices in Howard County for employees and services that are considered part of Central Office. Examples of central office buildings that are home to several HCPSS offices include the Logistics Center, Staff Development Center, the Old Cedar Lane school and the Old Bushy Park school, among others.

The Howard County Government already funds HCPSS above the required Maintenance of Effort and has for many years. As such, it is unrealistic to expect the County to fully fund the $103.8 million gap faced by the school system.

In years past, the budget put forth by the Superintendent and the Board of Education included a large ask of the County. When the County approved budget amounts in May and provided a lower amount of funding than was requested by the Board, the Board would then have to make budget reductions towards the end of the process to align with available funding.