Howard County Executive shares plan to fully fund 2026 school capital budget request
Howard County Executive Calvin Ball unveiled a plan Thursday to fully fund the Board of Education's 2026 capital budget request.
According to Executive Ball, Howard County Public School's (HCPSS) 2026 budget will be $100.6 million with $66.8 million coming from the county and $33.9 million coming from the state.
The funding brings the county's total investment into HCPSS to a record $575 million over the past six years.
Ball said the district, in partnership with the Interagency Commission on School Construction and the Board of Education, identified $4.4 million in state funding that is available to the county and was at risk of expiring in 2026.
After the funding was identified, Executive Ball said a supplemental budget request was filed, which added more than $9.1 million in projects to the board's initial request. The move maximizes the available state funding for school construction.
The request was approved by the board and the Howard County Council.
Funding for school renovations
The 2026 budget includes $6.6 million in county funding for renovations and projects at Dunloggin Middle School. The building renovations, which are expected to wrap up in September 2030, will add 136 seats of capacity. The project is expected to cost a total of $85.6 million.
The budget also includes $12.6 million in county funding and $10 million in state funding for renovations at Oakland Mills Middle School. The project includes a full building renovation that will add about 200 new seats. It is expected to be completed in September 2029 and cost $81.6 million.
In addition to the projects intended to increase capacity, the budget also includes more than $52.5 million to address systemic renovations and modernizations in schools.
About $13.3 million will be used for roofing repairs and replacements at district facilities.
Board of Education Operating Budget
The Howard County Board of Education approved its $1.257 billion 2026 operating budget in early March before sending it to Executive Ball.
The budget includes funding to hire athletic trainers in all high schools, a move that was highly requested by teachers, students and parents.
The additional funding was added after members of the school community raised concerns about the safety of student athletes due to the lack of full-time athletic trainers in the district.
The operating budget also includes funding to add 250 new full-time employees, a request for additional special needs staffing and funding for employee raises.
The board of education is expected to pass the final budget in May after the county budget is adopted.
