The budget the Board will advance to the County restores several proposed reductions that were part of the Superintendent’s Proposed Operating Budget, including:
- No increase in class size at the elementary level and reducing the proposed class size increase at the secondary level from 2.0 to 1.0
- Library Media positions
- Science Paraeducator positions
- Testing Assistant positions
- 2024 BSAP and GT summer programs in the amount of $750,000 and a placeholder for summer 2025
- The Howard County Conservancy teacher position
- The Photographer position
- Elementary Gifted and Talented teacher positions at schools with FARMs rates of 40% or higher
- Third-grade strings teacher positions at schools with FARMs rates of 40% or higher
- Special Education Assistive Technology Team positions
- Two Special Education Resource Teacher positions
- Partial restoration of Special Education Temporary Contract Employees
- The three Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office positions
- Half the amount proposed to be reduced for curricular field trips
- Funding for Howard County Association of Student Councils Coordinator
- An independent review of Special Education services
View a full list of the restoration requests considered by the Board.
The information contained in this answer relates to the Board of Education’s FY 2025 Requested Operating Budget, which was adopted on March 7, 2024. The information is subject to change based on the County Council Adopted Budget in May 2024 and the final Board of Education Operating Budget on May 23, 2024. View the full FY 2025 Operating Budget timeline and versions of each budget as they become available.