Schools advance $872M operating budget plan
The Howard County Board of Education has approved an $872.4 million operating budget request for the coming fiscal year.
Last year’s approved operating budget totaled $808.4 million.
The budget request now goes to County Executive Allan Kittleman and will be presented to the County Council on April 19. Following work sessions, a final countywide budget package is scheduled for approval in May.
Board member Christina Delmont- Small voted against components of the school budget, saying she never received information on previous budgets from fiscal 2013 through the present after multiple requests.
“I am not comfortable voting for a budget where I don’t have complete and accurate information,” Delmont-Small said. “I would’ve hoped that we would have more cooperation from staff to get information in a timely manner. Unfortunately, it did not happen.”
The five other board members mostly supported the budget package, which includes a total of $351.6 million for instructional salaries and wages, an increase of $2.4 million.
Other increases include $174,000 for special education and $908,704 for the Health and Dental Self-Insurance Fund.
Since the school system is self-insured, spokesman John White said, the health and dental fund allows the system to pay for a claim when it arises.
The budget would fund 92.5 new positions, including 52 para-educator positions; 23 media para-educator positions; 12 high school media secretary positions; two behavior specialist positions, a reading specialist position, a one-half position for a Robinson Nature Center teacher and a diversity coordinator, as well as an attorney and a budget analyst-auditor for the board.
During the board’s five public work sessions throughout February, the community expressed opposition to some program reductions in the budget.
Ebony Langford-Brown, executive director of School Improvement and Curricular Programs, said while Black Student Achievement and Mathematics is among several other programs where funding reductions were made, “there’s no change in what is happening for our students.”
A fiscal 2018 capital budget request of $93.7 million was also adopted by the board.
The board also recently voted on a 2017-18 post-Labor Day academic calendar on Feb. 23 that includes a weeklong spring break, while also adjusting school start and dismissal times for the following school year.
The board voted to have all schools begin after 8 a.m. but before 9:25 a.m. High schools would most likely start closer to 8 a.m., board Chairwoman Cindy Vaillancourt said, adding specific times would be discussed at a later date.
Under Gov. Larry Hogan’s executive order made in September, Maryland public schools are required to start the school year for students after Labor Day and end the school year by June 15. The board’s decision to adopt the post-Labor Day calendar will see school staff return to the classroom Aug. 24 and students starting Sept. 5.
The board unanimously selected the first of two alternatives to the post-Labor Day calendar presented by director of executive services Caryn Lasser. Under the adopted calendar, spring break will be five days — rather than three days as presented in an original post-Labor Day calendar proposal.
Winter break will be Dec. 24 through Jan. 1 and spring break will be March 30 through April 6, 2018. Inclement weather make-up days will be Presidents Day, three spring break days — April 4, 5 and 6 — and June 15.
2017 Women’s Hall of Fame inductees announced Five Howard County women will become the newest members of the Women’s Hall of Fame on Thursday, March 9, during the 21st annual induction ceremony at the George Howard Building in Ellicott City.
The ceremony, which begins at 7:30 p.m., is free and open to the public. It will be followed by a reception to honor 2017 inductees Mary Catherine Cochran, Sandra Harriman, Stacie Hunt, Abbie Diane Martin and Margaret Schultz.
After founding nonprofit Preservation Howard County, officials said Cochran has continued to preserve and restore the county’s historic landmarks, including barns, slave quarters, bridges, homes and schoolhouses. Her other work includes serving as director of the Claudia Mayer/ Tina Broccolino Cancer Resource Center.
Harriman’s work over 27 years for institutions such as Howard Community College and Howard County General Hospital has raised $5 million for such organizations, according to the commission.
And Hunt, as president and CEO of Leadership Howard County, has engaged, mentored and helped the public through nonprofit, faith-based, public service and business communities.
Both Martin and Schultz were cited for their work in the Howard County public schools. Martin has been director of community outreach and engagement and Schultz is a teacher. Officials said Martin’s work has benefited women and children in education, science and technology, human services, civil rights and family life, while Schultz has developed programs for youth throughout the county.
—Andrew Michaels, Baltimore Sun Media Group Jessup drainage project to begin March 6 A two-phase project to improve drainage along U.S. 1, Cedar Avenue and Georgia Avenue in Jessup is scheduled to begin March 6.
In the first phase, officials said, crews will install new curb, storm drain piping and inlets from southbound Georgia Avenue to U.S. 1, which will connect the new system to the current pipe under U.S. 1 behind 8040 Washington Blvd.
That work should be completed by late April, weather permitting.
Beginning this week, officials said, the right southbound travel lane will be closed for three weeks. Drivers on southbound U.S. 1 will be able to turn right onto Cedar Avenue, but northbound traffic will not be able to turn left from U.S. 1 onto Cedar Lane. Detour signs will be posted for drivers traveling northbound to use Lincoln Drive.
Sidewalks next to southbound 8040 Washington Blvd. will also be closed to two weeks.
More storm drain improvements between Lincoln Drive and Wye Avenue will continue in the second phase of the project, which should begin this summer.
For details, contact Lisa Brightwell at 410-313-3440 or email publicworks@howardcountymd.gov.
—Andrew Michaels, Baltimore Sun Media Group
Last year’s approved operating budget totaled $808.4 million.
The budget request now goes to County Executive Allan Kittleman and will be presented to the County Council on April 19. Following work sessions, a final countywide budget package is scheduled for approval in May.
Board member Christina Delmont- Small voted against components of the school budget, saying she never received information on previous budgets from fiscal 2013 through the present after multiple requests.
“I am not comfortable voting for a budget where I don’t have complete and accurate information,” Delmont-Small said. “I would’ve hoped that we would have more cooperation from staff to get information in a timely manner. Unfortunately, it did not happen.”
The five other board members mostly supported the budget package, which includes a total of $351.6 million for instructional salaries and wages, an increase of $2.4 million.
Other increases include $174,000 for special education and $908,704 for the Health and Dental Self-Insurance Fund.
Since the school system is self-insured, spokesman John White said, the health and dental fund allows the system to pay for a claim when it arises.
The budget would fund 92.5 new positions, including 52 para-educator positions; 23 media para-educator positions; 12 high school media secretary positions; two behavior specialist positions, a reading specialist position, a one-half position for a Robinson Nature Center teacher and a diversity coordinator, as well as an attorney and a budget analyst-auditor for the board.
During the board’s five public work sessions throughout February, the community expressed opposition to some program reductions in the budget.
Ebony Langford-Brown, executive director of School Improvement and Curricular Programs, said while Black Student Achievement and Mathematics is among several other programs where funding reductions were made, “there’s no change in what is happening for our students.”
A fiscal 2018 capital budget request of $93.7 million was also adopted by the board.
The board also recently voted on a 2017-18 post-Labor Day academic calendar on Feb. 23 that includes a weeklong spring break, while also adjusting school start and dismissal times for the following school year.
The board voted to have all schools begin after 8 a.m. but before 9:25 a.m. High schools would most likely start closer to 8 a.m., board Chairwoman Cindy Vaillancourt said, adding specific times would be discussed at a later date.
Under Gov. Larry Hogan’s executive order made in September, Maryland public schools are required to start the school year for students after Labor Day and end the school year by June 15. The board’s decision to adopt the post-Labor Day calendar will see school staff return to the classroom Aug. 24 and students starting Sept. 5.
The board unanimously selected the first of two alternatives to the post-Labor Day calendar presented by director of executive services Caryn Lasser. Under the adopted calendar, spring break will be five days — rather than three days as presented in an original post-Labor Day calendar proposal.
Winter break will be Dec. 24 through Jan. 1 and spring break will be March 30 through April 6, 2018. Inclement weather make-up days will be Presidents Day, three spring break days — April 4, 5 and 6 — and June 15.
2017 Women’s Hall of Fame inductees announced Five Howard County women will become the newest members of the Women’s Hall of Fame on Thursday, March 9, during the 21st annual induction ceremony at the George Howard Building in Ellicott City.
The ceremony, which begins at 7:30 p.m., is free and open to the public. It will be followed by a reception to honor 2017 inductees Mary Catherine Cochran, Sandra Harriman, Stacie Hunt, Abbie Diane Martin and Margaret Schultz.
After founding nonprofit Preservation Howard County, officials said Cochran has continued to preserve and restore the county’s historic landmarks, including barns, slave quarters, bridges, homes and schoolhouses. Her other work includes serving as director of the Claudia Mayer/ Tina Broccolino Cancer Resource Center.
Harriman’s work over 27 years for institutions such as Howard Community College and Howard County General Hospital has raised $5 million for such organizations, according to the commission.
And Hunt, as president and CEO of Leadership Howard County, has engaged, mentored and helped the public through nonprofit, faith-based, public service and business communities.
Both Martin and Schultz were cited for their work in the Howard County public schools. Martin has been director of community outreach and engagement and Schultz is a teacher. Officials said Martin’s work has benefited women and children in education, science and technology, human services, civil rights and family life, while Schultz has developed programs for youth throughout the county.
—Andrew Michaels, Baltimore Sun Media Group Jessup drainage project to begin March 6 A two-phase project to improve drainage along U.S. 1, Cedar Avenue and Georgia Avenue in Jessup is scheduled to begin March 6.
In the first phase, officials said, crews will install new curb, storm drain piping and inlets from southbound Georgia Avenue to U.S. 1, which will connect the new system to the current pipe under U.S. 1 behind 8040 Washington Blvd.
That work should be completed by late April, weather permitting.
Beginning this week, officials said, the right southbound travel lane will be closed for three weeks. Drivers on southbound U.S. 1 will be able to turn right onto Cedar Avenue, but northbound traffic will not be able to turn left from U.S. 1 onto Cedar Lane. Detour signs will be posted for drivers traveling northbound to use Lincoln Drive.
Sidewalks next to southbound 8040 Washington Blvd. will also be closed to two weeks.
More storm drain improvements between Lincoln Drive and Wye Avenue will continue in the second phase of the project, which should begin this summer.
For details, contact Lisa Brightwell at 410-313-3440 or email publicworks@howardcountymd.gov.
—Andrew Michaels, Baltimore Sun Media Group
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