Dear Howard County Community,

It's time to speak up for the future of our education. The current funding model for Howard County schools is failing our students and teachers. As the Board of Education contemplates the FY2025 budget, we cannot remain silent. We are organizing a letter-writing campaign to demand that the BOE requests the full amount needed to truly fund our school system, reflecting the level of service our taxpayers expect and our students deserve.

For too long, the county has underfunded our school system. While the county and school system tout Maintenance of Effort (MOE) as indication of adequate funding, it is misleading.  MOE is not an accurate metric as it is based on the previous year's budget. An underfunded budget in the previous year would lead to a lower MOE this year. The Board’s role is not to rubber-stamp the county's dictates but to advocate fiercely for what our schools need. It's the County Executive’s responsibility to match those needs with the county's financial capabilities.

Transparency is non-negotiable. The Superintendent’s acknowledgment of reallocating non-mandated funds and programs must be based on public discussions, not behind-the-scenes decisions with the county administration. Contrast the school's budget constraints with the county's plan to spend $143 million on an unnecessary library, and continued tax subsidies for developers. These are clear signs of misallocation of our taxpayer dollars, with students and educators paying the price.

Here's what we're facing: The proposed budget for FY2025 is $1.13 billion, with a $103 million gap. It includes a reduction of $46.6 million, affecting 348 positions, inevitably leading to diminished services and support. This is unacceptable. We cannot allow staff cuts and program reductions to become the norm, especially when it comes to critical areas like Special Education, Elementary Gifted and Talented programming, and Music programming.

We need your voice. Write to the BOE to express your dissent. Demand a budget that provides for our children's educational future, not one that caters to corporate interests at the expense of our community's wellbeing. It's time the BOE stood up and requested the full funding required to run a school system that meets our expectations for excellence and equity.

Click "start writing" to access a template or prepare your own version. Thank you for joining this crucial effort.

Best regards,

Hiruy Hadgu.