The Howard County Board of Education approved its 2012 fiscal year operating and capital budgets Tuesday, an expected move because it not only received what it requested from the county but got $2.6 million more from state resources.
The board also approved its five-year, fiscal year 2013-2017 capital improvement program, which includes allocating $35.5 million toward renovating Atholton High School and $226.4 million toward systemic renovations, beginning with $20.7 million in fiscal year 2013.
And it adopted a 10-year long-range master plan that begins next year and includes renovations to Centennial and Hammond high schools as well as an addition for Gorman Crossing Elementary School.
"It's a sound budget in these difficult economic times," said board Chairwoman Janet Siddiqui. "We are very fortunate in that we don't have to do any furloughs or do any layoffs of our teachers."
The $683.8 million operating budget includes $467.6 million from county appropriations, exactly what the board had requested. The budget also includes $210.8 million in state funding, which is $2.6 million more than it requested.
"The Maryland General Assembly took legislative action in the final days of the session that increased the per-pupil foundation education formula amount by $135, from $6,559 to $6,694," said Raymond Brown, county schools chief financial officer. "As a result, the state education aid for [fiscal year] 2012 for Howard County increased by $2,663,330."
In both county and state funding toward the operating budget, the school system is continuing a trend of receiving more funding from its primary sources than it received the previous year. It received $464.7 million from the county for the current fiscal year and $457.6 million for fiscal year 2010. In state funding, the board received $205 million for the current fiscal year and $192.6 million for fiscal year 2010.
"We are in a unique position in Howard County in that the value of education is clearly a priority," said board member Ellen Flynn Giles.
Brown also acknowledged that negotiations between the board and teachers union, whose contract expires June 30, have not been completed. But he added, "The approved operating budget for [fiscal year] 2012 will not be affected by this negotiation in terms of the total amount authorized for [fiscal year] 2012."
With its additional funding from the state, the board added $1.5 million to its transportation funding, which board officials say is needed because of rising fuel prices. The board also added $1.1 million to a new pension administration charge.
The operating budget also includes $289 million for instructional salaries, $84 million for special education and $12.5 million for instructional supplies.
The $72.9 million capital budget includes $37.6 million toward school projects that are all expected to be completed by 2014, including renovations to Phelps Luck Elementary School. The capital budget also includes funds to expand school parking lots, address roofing problems and relocate classrooms.
Yet not everyone was pleased with the budget. Brian Meshkin, the lone board member who voted against adopting it, said he believes the school board is spending more but providing the same services.
"I ask myself the question, 'Is this the best we can do?' And the answer to me is no," Meshkin said. "This budget survives the current situation but doesn't do what we need to do for the future."
But board member Allen Dyer, who acknowledged that in the past he has voted against approving the budget, praised this year's document. "I am looking at the budget as an imperfect document — they always are — and a compromise.
"But the thing that shines in this budget," Dyer added, "is that in difficult financial times, this budget contains an effort to correct something that I feel is long overdue in being corrected, and that is a lack of world languages in our elementary schools."
The budget includes $120,000 for an Elementary World Language pilot program.