ADVOCACY ALERT:
HoCo Friends,
The 2nd Resident’s Budget Hearing for FY26 is coming up on March 20th. Please read below about why your voice is needed this year – now more than ever! Please consider signing up to testify or submitting your comments to the Howard County Council and County Executive.
CLICK the link below to learn how to register to testify:
https://www.howardcountymd.gov/budget/second-residents-budget-hearing-fiscal-year-2026
Special education in HCPSS faces a critical shortage, with over 500 special needs students enrolling annually and 114 vacancies in essential roles [1]. This understaffing places unsustainable pressure on staff, preventing the fulfillment of required services. In 2023, 41% of first-year special educators resigned due to excessive workloads, inadequate support, and low pay. To attract and retain qualified educators amidst competition with neighboring counties, higher starting salaries are imperative.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the county’s funding share for public schools has declined from 58% to 53.59%. Meanwhile, the Board of Education is cautiously planning for potential effects of Governor Moore’s proposed budget, which could include:
• Reducing State Aid by $5.5 million
• Increasing Special Education non-public tuition costs by $2.5 million
• Shifting $6.8 million of teacher retirement system costs to the local employer.
Through dedicated advocacy by all stakeholders [2], the BOE’s requested budget prioritizes significantly more needs than the superintendent’s proposed budget. The adopted budget has been submitted to the county executive. While we acknowledge that fully funding the requested budget may exceed the County’s fiscal capacity, it remains essential to advocate during the county budget public hearing to secure maximum funding and help alleviate challenges in HCPSS special education. We urge everyone passionate about special education in HCPSS to share their testimony and personal stories at the second Residents’ Budget Hearing for FY26. Your voice can make a meaningful difference in advocating for the support our students and educators need [3].
[1] https://www.wbaltv.com/article/howard-county-schools-special-education-issues/63855175
[2] For your reference, you can view the meeting videos and written testimonies at the links below:
• HCPSS FY26 Budget Hearing Video 1 https://hcpsstv.v3.swagit.com/videos/327318
• HCPSS FY26 Budget Hearing Video 2 https://hcpsstv.v3.swagit.com/videos/334430
• Written Testimonies https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/hcpssmd/Board.nsf/public.
[3] https://www.howardcountymd.gov/budget/second-residents-budget-hearing-fiscal-year-2026
