In a letter sent to the Board of Education, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said it is “surprising” the board approved a $1.26 billion operating budget request without considering the financial challenges posed by federal funding changes and a multibillion-dollar state deficit.

“Given the urgency surrounding our economic and fiscal climate, the BOE’s funding request is unattainable and unaffordable,” Ball wrote in the letter sent Friday.

The county is “not immune” to the economic impact from the Trump administration’s decision to cut half the staff from the U.S Department of Education, the projected loss of tens of thousands of jobs in the state amid other cuts to the federal workforce, and the state’s expected $3 billion deficit in fiscal 2026, Ball said.

In its report for next fiscal year, the county’s Spending Affordability Advisory Committee said workforce and spending cuts demanded by the White House will place a burden on the county, and budgetary caution should be exercised, Ball wrote. The committee “projects a stark economic outlook,” he said.

Before the school board passed its budget request last month, Ball said the county would face fiscal challenges and that he hoped they could work collaboratively to invest in the school system and other areas.

“I’m very hopeful that as the board deliberates, they recognize the fiscal challenges that we face, not only here in Howard County, but the rest of our state and nation, and that they make responsible choices so that the community can better understand a realistic budget,” Ball said ahead of the board’s vote.

The school board approved a $1.26 billion budget request on Feb. 27, that asks for funding to maintain the status quo and and for additional items, including 13 full-time athletic trainers. The budget requests $107.3 million above Maintenance of Effort, which is what the county is required to spend each year based on enrollment.

However, enrollment has been stagnant in the public schools, dropping by 1,312 students over the past five years, Ball said. Yet, the county has still made investments above MOE because of its “commitment to public education.”

For the upcoming fiscal year, the Spending Affordability Advisory Committee recommended a new revenue allocation of $58.4 million for all county services, which incorporates the school system, police, recreation and parks programs, Howard Community College, and the library, Ball said.

will also affect in the Howard schools budget. Ball said the county could see an increase of as much as $13 million in teacher pension expenses passed to the county while state aid declines by $6 million.

Ball outlined five questions for the board in his letter, seeking answers by March 28 “to help us better understand your justification for increased costs related to meeting mandates required by law,” he wrote.

Once Ball submits his proposed budget to the County Council next month, the council will review it and adopt a final budget. The Board of Education will then need to make adjustments based on the funding allocated to the school system.

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