Latest news with #CatCarter
CBS News
03-07-2025
- General
- CBS News
Howard County parents on board with school district's special education changes, but want more done
Howard County Public Schools (HCPSS) is making big changes in special education that will address some longstanding issues that families and educators have been sounding the alarm on for years. HCPSS announced dozens of new and repurposed positions as part of a redesign effort of the school district's special education program. Parents with children who have Individualized Education Programs, or IEPs, say the announcement is a step in the right direction. Breaking down the plan For years, many have said HCPSS's special education program is overwhelmed, and staff have been stretched too thin. In a step to address the issue, 36 new and repurposed positions have been announced that will aim to "allow special educators to focus more on instruction and student support, rather than emergencies and compliance," according to the announcement. The positions are coordinators, instructional team leaders, elementary quick response staff, itinerant assessment team members, behavior analysts, behavior technicians, program assistants, autism specialists, and special education classroom staff. The goal is to have all these positions established and filled by the start of the 2025-2026 school year. Parents react to the plan Lizz Hammon and Cat Carter say special education in HCPSS has been hit or miss. Hammon's younger child has had an IEP for the last six years. "She has certainly not gotten everything that she's needed, at different points in time," Hammon said. "We got extremely lucky this past school year where she was just in the right place, at the right time, with the right people." Four of Carter's five kids have had IEPs, though two of them have been able to get off these plans. "The staff really care, but I think the bandwidth wasn't there. The boots on the ground weren't there," Carter said. Hammon, who is involved in a number of HCPSS initiatives and groups, said these changes show the school district is listening to the concerns. "It looked like there's an appetite for shaking things up and doing some changes," Hammon said. "This is not the panacea that's gonna fix everything, but it is definitely like breathing fresh air into a situation." Carter, who has recently been elected as the president of the PTA Council of Howard County, or PTACHC, is also a fan of the plan. But, she'd like to see more money invested, especially with hiring. "As a small business owner, I have to recruit the best. The way I recruit the best is through paying them," Carter said. HCPSS is currently in the middle of an audit of its special education program. The results of that audit are set to be revealed this month.
CBS News
05-03-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Howard County Board of Education approves $1.2 billion 2026 operating budget
The Howard County Board of Education approved the FY2026 operating budget Tuesday, which totals $1.257 billion. The approved budget is $111.9 million more than the 2025 budget, an increase of about 9.7%. Before approving the budget, the Board of Education added several additional priorities, including funding to hire athletic trainers in all high schools. The additions come after Howard County teachers, students and parents raised concerns about the safety of student athletes as there are no full-time athletic trainers in the district. Currently, the district contracts less than 10 athletic trainers. During a public meeting in February, several student athletes advocated for full-time trainers, saying the lack of personnel leaves many games and practices uncovered. "I'm only able to play because of my athletic trainer. She recognizes my symptoms before I say anything, communicate with my coaches, and has prevented multiple hospital trips for me," said Atholton High School student Grace Dejarnette. "My son, he wrestled, and his knee was dislocated in a match. He had to use his other leg to pop it back into place because no one was there," Cat Carter said during the meeting. According to our partners at the Baltimore Banner, a Hammond High School parent sued the district, claiming her son was paralyzed after school staff were unable to provide medical care when he collapsed during basketball practice. Additonal budget items The Board of Education added several other priorities, some of which address staffing shortages. The approved budget adds a total of 250 new full-time employees. The board included a request for additional special needs staffing to meet the demand in elementary schools. The budget includes additional literacy and math positions and other investments into reading and math instruction. The board also requested more assistant principals to address middle school staffing needs and more human resources, legal and print services staff. Other added priorities include increased funding for employee raises, expansions to the Innovative Pathways program, a replacement budget system software and some one-time improvements to security, water filtration and other equipment. The board also addressed the possible impacts of Gov. Wes Moore's proposed 2026 budget, which could include a $5.5 million reduction in state aid, a $2.5 million increase in special education non-public tuition costs and a $6.8 million shift in the reacher retirement system. "...The Board felt it was also important to leverage the budget request to memorialize some unfunded priorities of the system. The Board's proposal amplifies a commitment to special education services, adding 140 full-time positions," Board of Education Chair Jolene Mosley said. Howard County Executive Calvin Ball is expected to present his budget to the county council in April. It includes funding for the school system. The board of education is expected to pass the final budget in May after the county budget is adopted.
