Howard County's public schools look into staff cuts, class increases to balance budget
The Howard County Council adopted the county's FY2026 operating and capital budgets last Wednesday. The final allocation for the Howard County Public School System ended up being $816 million.
It's more than what was initially proposed by County Executive Calvin Ball, but it's millions less than what school district leaders, staff, and families wanted.
The Howard County Board of Education can make final adjustments until its June 4 work session. The budget will be adopted on June 12.
What will be cut?
The seven-member Board of Education held its first work session Tuesday morning since the county budget was adopted.
HCPSS Superintendent Bill Barnes started the work session off with a presentation, which showed the school district officially faces a shortfall of around $15.3 million.
To fill the gap, Barnes recommended eliminating what's been deemed as other budget priorities, which include security assistants and some human resources positions.
Barnes also advised potentially leveraging some school system funds, which, per his recommendations, would bring the shortfall to just under $9 million.
To balance the budget, Barnes presented two scenarios, both of which eliminated more than 100 positions. One of the scenarios also increased class sizes in middle schools and high schools.
Several board members expressed concerns about the recommendations.
"I am really concerned about cutting special education service levels, knowing that...we already are not meeting all the needs of students," said board chair Jolene Mosley.
Board member Antonia Watts expressed frustration, feeling like Barnes and the central office were withholding information until Tuesday's work session.
"I don't understand why we're having this work session when we don't have the information that board members have requested to show our priorities in a scenario being built out," Watts said.
Cat Carter, a member of the PTA Council of Howard County and a mother of five, has advocated for more funding for years. She was disappointed with this year's budget season and plans to run for the Howard County Council next year.
David Yungmann, who has represented District 5 on the county council since 2018, doesn't plan to run for re-election in 2026.
"We wouldn't be in this situation if the county council did the right thing, because our county has a spending problem and a priority problem," Carter said.
Educators' contract at risk
During the work session, board member Jacky McCoy suggested cuts could be coming for teachers.
"If we care about our children, if we care about their education, every single one of us is going to have to sacrifice," McCoy said. "Even our teachers."
The Howard County Education Association, or HCEA, just recently ratified a multi-year agreement for salary.
"It went out to a membership vote, it was passed off by the Board of Education before it went out to a membership vote," HCEA president Benjamin Schmitt said. "It's been passed."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Early voting kicks off in Detroit ahead of August primary election
Detroiters have the option to vote early for the Aug. 5 primary election at one of many voting centers scattered across the city. Early voting kicked off on Saturday, July 26, giving residents a chance to pick their top choice in candidates to represent them for the next several years. Voting before the primary election is expected to provide Detroiters the flexibility to submit their ballots early and avoid long lines at the polls. At least 279 ballots had been cast at early voting centers by lunchtime July 28, according to Daniel Baxter, the Detroit Elections Department chief of operations, adding that the city expects to receive between 1,250 and 1,750 early voting ballots. Baxter said 100,541 ballots already have already been mailed or issued to voters as of this weekend, and 35,831 have been returned thus far. Turnout in the August 2021 primary reached just above 14% and more than 13% in 2017. Voter turnout is expected to reach anywhere between 13-18% for this year's primary, according to the clerk's office. The last day of early voting is Sunday, Aug. 3, otherwise, voters will have a chance to vote at their polling sites on primary day. Detroit has nine candidates running for mayor to replace Mayor Mike Duggan, who is leaving office to run for Michigan governor. They include, Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield, former nonprofit executive and City Council President Saunteel Jenkins, City Councilman Fred Durhal III, former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, attorney Todd Perkins, Pastor Solomon Kinloch, Jr., businessmen Joel Haashiim, entrepreneur Jonathan Barlow, and DaNetta Simpson. Jenkins submitted her ballot Monday morning with her husband Carl Bentley. Here is a list of early voting sites, which will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for voters: WCCCD Northwest, 8200 W. Outer Drive Detroit, MI 48219 Northwest Activities Center, 18100 Meyers Road Detroit, MI 48235 Farwell Recreation Center 2711 E. Outer Drive Detroit, MI 48234 WCCCD Eastern Campus 5901 Conner St. Detroit, MI 48213 Department of Elections, 2978 W. Grand Blvd. Detroit, MI 48202 Clark Park, 1130 Clark Ave. Detroit, MI 48209 City Clerk's Office, 2 Woodward Ave. Suite 106 Detroit, MI 48226 Adams Butzel Recreation Complex, 10500 Lyndon St. Detroit, MI 48238 Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: dafana@ Follow her: @DanaAfana. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Where to vote early in Detroit's August primary election Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Oil jumps as Trump shortens Russia's deadline to end Ukraine war, US-EU trade deal spurs demand optimism
Oil prices jumped Monday as President Trump shortened a timeline for Russia to end the war with Ukraine, prompting concerns potential sanctions could hit supply. Meanwhile, an agreement between the US and EU on the framework of a trade deal spurred optimism over demand. West Texas Intermediate (CL=F) climbed 1.9% to trade above $66 per barrel, and Brent (BZ=F) crude, the international benchmark price, rose to nearly $69 per barrel. The trade deal between the European Union and the US announced on Sunday includes $750 billion in EU purchases of American oil and natural gas. The stocks of liquified natural gas producers like Cheniere Energy (LNG), NextDecade (NEXT), and Venture Global (VG) all rose Monday as well. The 15% tariff deal on US imports from the EU fueled investors optimism over an eventual agreement with China as Washington and Beijing launched renewed trade talks. Meanwhile on Monday, President Trump shortened a timeline on Russia to end the war with Ukraine, from 50 days to less than two weeks, spurring concerns of a supply shock ahead. The president has threatened 'secondary tariffs' on Russia and countries purchasing from Moscow. "If enforced, oil markets cannot ignore the impact of triple-digit tariffs on Russian oil, given the significant scale of Russian exports and limited OPEC spare capacity, potentially leading to a supply shock," JPMorgan's Natasha Kaneva and her team wrote in a note earlier this month. The EU recently approved tougher price caps on Russian crude exports expected to go into effect in early September as a way to curtail the country's revenue. JPMorgan analysts expect oil price volatility to increase heading into September, citing uncertainty around Russia. The analysts also noted increases in supply from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) will already have been absorbed into the market by the fall. Ines Ferre is a senior business reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter at @ines_ferre. Click here for in-depth analysis of the latest stock market news and events moving stock prices. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Can Apple's Slim iPhone And Cheaper Macs Reverse The 2025 Stock Slump?
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is gearing up for a significant rebound in the second half of fiscal 2025, driven by the highly anticipated launch of new product cycles, including a 'slim' iPhone, and sustained momentum in its lucrative Services division, even as it contends with rising tariff costs and ongoing regulatory challenges. On Monday, Bank of America Securities analyst Wamsi Mohan reaffirmed a Buy rating on Apple, maintaining a price forecast of $235. As Apple prepares to release its fiscal third-quarter earnings on July 31, investor sentiment, as noted by Mohan, remains somewhat concerns include escalating tariff-related costs, scrutiny from the Department of Justice regarding Google's traffic acquisition cost (TAC) payments, ongoing headwinds for the App Store, and the perceived slow pace of Apple's advancements in artificial intelligence. Nevertheless, the impending earnings call is expected to shift focus towards gross margin trends and the projected recovery trajectory fueled by forthcoming product launches. For fiscal third-quarter 2025, Mohan projects revenue of $90.2 billion and earnings per share (EPS) of $1.45, figures that slightly surpass consensus Street estimates of $89.3 billion and $1.43, respectively. The analyst anticipates a gross margin of approximately 46.1%, aligning with Apple's guidance midpoint, despite the absorption of an estimated $900 million in tariff-related costs. Looking ahead to the fourth quarter, projections indicate revenue of $99.5 billion and EPS of $1.66, largely in line with Street expectations. While gross margin is projected to dip to 45% due to an additional $1 billion in tariff impact, Mohan views this quarter as a trough, with margins expected to improve heading into fiscal 2026. Mohan noted that a key driver of this expected rebound is the highly anticipated 'slim' iPhone, potentially branded as the iPhone 'Air,' which Apple is likely to launch in fall 2025. The analyst said that this model, expected to replace last year's Plus version, will reportedly have a 6.6-inch display, measure just 6mm thick, and carry a price tag $100 higher than the Plus. He noted that the shift in product mix toward higher average selling prices (ASP) is anticipated to drive gross margin expansion and boost replacement rates. Mohan modeled stronger iPhone sales in the September and December quarters on the back of this launch. On the Mac front, Apple is expected to benefit from the March launch of the new MacBook Air featuring the M4 chip, which provides improved performance at a reduced entry price of $999, or $100 lower than its predecessor, the analyst noted. He said this is expected to drive better-than-seasonal Mac revenue in the June and December quarters. Similarly, Mohan said the iPad segment could receive a boost from the expected fall launch of iPad Pro models equipped with the M5 chip. The analyst anticipates revenue growth in iPads driven by higher ASPs and product upgrades. Apple's Services segment continues to show steady growth, Mohan noted. For the third quarter, he expects Services revenue of $27.1 billion, up 2% quarter-over-quarter and 12% year-over-year. Substantial year-over-year gains are projected across the App Store (+12%), Licensing (+18%), Subscriptions (+9%), and Apple Pay (+18%), as per the analyst. For the fourth quarter, Services are projected to rise another 3% sequentially to $28 billion, again marking a 12% annual increase, with Licensing and Apple Pay both expected to grow over 20% year-over-year, Mohan noted. Mohan slightly raised estimates for the full fiscal year 2025. Revenue is now forecast at $409 billion (up from $408 billion), and EPS at $7.15 (up from $7.13). The price forecast remains $235, based on a 29x multiple of fiscal 2026 estimated EPS of $8.20. While Apple faces near-term margin pressure and regulatory noise, Mohan noted upside potential in new product cycles, improving Services momentum, and ASP-driven gross margin recovery, positioning the stock for renewed strength in the back half of the year. AAPL Price Action: Apple stock is trading higher by 0.10% to $214.06 at last check on Monday. Image via Shutterstock Latest Ratings for AAPL Date Firm Action From To Mar 2022 Barclays Maintains Equal-Weight Feb 2022 Tigress Financial Maintains Strong Buy Jan 2022 Credit Suisse Maintains Neutral View More Analyst Ratings for AAPL View the Latest Analyst Ratings Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Can Apple's Slim iPhone And Cheaper Macs Reverse The 2025 Stock Slump? originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
