ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today submitted emergency legislation for introduction by the Howard County Council to provide up to $14.5 million in additional funding to the Howard County Public School System’s (HCPSS) Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Operating Budget. This emergency budget legislation will authorize Howard County to draw upon one-time funding from the County’s Policy Reserve to direct toward the FY26 school budget, providing critical resources for the school system to address staffing and programming needs in the year ahead. A copy of the legislation, Council Bill 45-2025, can be found on the County Council’s "Legislation" website.
Our proposed Fiscal Year 2026 Budget dedicated a significant funding increase to the Howard County Public School System, totaling $45.7 million toward HCPSS expenses. While approximately 64 percent of all new revenue growth in our proposed budget is already directed toward HCPSS, we recognize that the school system is facing additional fiscal challenges in the year ahead. To ensure that we continue to deliver the best teaching and learning environment for our students and educators, I am submitting emergency budget legislation to the County Council to direct an additional $14.5 million in one-time funds from our Policy Reserve to help meet HCPSS obligations in the year ahead. I look forward to working with our partners in the County Council, Board of Education, and Superintendent to advance this proposal quickly through the legislative process before the final budget vote.
As we have continued to navigate another difficult budget season, there has been a strong urgency from members of the Board of Education, County Council, the County Executive, our bargaining units, myself, and many members of our school system community to continue working together to close the substantial gap between anticipated new revenue and our significant funding needs. I want to extend my appreciation to County Executive Calvin Ball for working collaboratively on a solution to substantially reduce our funding gap. I am grateful for this positive development and will continue to work with the Board of Education to close the remaining gap in a way that prioritizes student and staff outcomes.
“On behalf of the Board of Education, I want to extend appreciation to County Executive Calvin Ball, whose efforts to identify additional funding for our students and educators are warmly welcomed and appreciated. We are also grateful for the continued support and advocacy by members of the County Council, our bargaining units, students, staff, and parents to amplify the impact that a properly funded school system will have for our children and community as a whole. While there is still work before the Board of Education and school system leadership to close the remaining gap between new revenue and funding needs, this effort takes a big step to help balance the FY2026 budget and reduce the impact on our students and educators,” said Jolene Mosley, Chair, Howard County Board of Education.
Released on April 21, 2025, Ball’s original proposed FY26 Operating Budget to HCPSS reached $800 million, contributing to a total HCPSS budget of $1.2 billion when combined with other funding sources. This reflected a 5.1 percent increase of $39 million in new recurring county funding for HCPSS, exceeding the state-mandated Maintenance of Effort by approximately $39.3 million, due to the stagnant student enrollment. Furthermore, Ball directed an additional $6.7 million to cover educator pension liabilities, a new cost passed on to the County from the State this year. Howard County proposed a total of $45.7 million in new revenue for HCPSS expenses this year, representing approximately 64 percent of all new General Fund revenue growth in FY26.
In addition to the significant portion of General Funds, Ball included one-time PAYGO funding of $1.5 million toward the HCPSS budget to implement school safety and security needs, which recently was approved by the Maryland State Department of Education.
Despite this record level of investment during a year of great uncertainty at the State and Federal level, HCPSS continues to experience severe budget challenges. During a May 5, 2025, presentation to the Howard County Council, HCPSS identified outstanding funding needs of approximately $29.2 million in order to maintain core services and staffing without making reductions or adjustments to programs. Subsequently, on May 8, 2025, Ball sent a letter to the Board of Education sharing three strategies that could identify savings or additional revenues in the FY26 HCPSS Operating Budget.
Ball’s emergency budget legislation would authorize Howard County Government to spend one-time funds from the County’s excess surplus revenue on recurring HCPSS operating expenses in the FY26 Operating Budget. Per County Charter, one-time funding is restricted to spending on one-time expenses, such as the infrastructure projects in the Capital Budget, to avoid using one-time money on on-going expenditures that will stay in the base in the future. However, Section 615B of the County Charter permits the County Executive and the County Council to modify the restriction on the use of one-time funds through Council legislation. This emergency legislation requires approval from a supermajority of the County Council, or four of the five members. This emergency authority has been invoked previously for the operating budget, when the County directed $7.5 million in one-time funds to cover operating expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Later this week, Ball will formally submit the budget amendment appropriating $14.5 million from the County’s excess surplus revenue to the HCPSS Operating Budget. This excess surplus revenue will be drawn from the County’s Policy Reserve, which was fully implemented by County Executive Ball in Fiscal Year 2021. The County’s Policy Reserve sets aside three percent of the budget in assigned fund balance on top of the Rainy-Day Fund as a fiscal strategy to prepare for emergencies and unforeseen fiscal challenges that may arise. Coupled with internal savings from HCPSS, Ball’s proposal to direct $14.5 million in one-time County funds is intended to help meet the $29.2 million funding threshold identified by HCPSS to avoid programmatic and staffing reductions.
Council Bill 45-2025 has been pre-filed for consideration by the County Council. In his letter to the County Council, Ball requested that the County Council introduce the legislation for consideration on or before May 14, 2025, hold a public hearing on the legislation on May 19, 2025, and vote on the legislation on May 21, 2025.