Harford schools budget passes with reduction of staff

The Harford County Board of Education passed a fiscal 2025 budget that includes an additional $6.5 million in funding from the county government and the use of $30 million in school system savings.

Officials unanimously approved the school’s operating budget, food and nutrition fund and capital improvement budget, all totaling $778.43 million, during a special budget meeting Thursday morning.

The approved budget is $39.71 million larger than this year’s. More than $15 million of the increase stems from salaries and wage packages with other expenses, such as safety, education services and insurance, showing large increases as well.

The Harford school system requested $354.91 million from the county government to avoid layoffs and program cuts in fiscal 2025, which begins July 1. After County Executive Bob Cassilly granted the board an additional $6.5 million this month, the county’s contribution to public education for next year now stands at $321.35 million.

To reconcile the budget, some line items were adjusted, which resulted in $3 million in additional expenditures and $10.6 million in reductions. The reductions included the elimination of 22.2 full-time equivalent positions along with numerous line items such as summer programs — not including high school credit recovery — to lower expenses by $7.6 million. Of the 22.2 positions, 16.8 were filled and 5.4 were vacant.

To make up the remaining shortfall, the school system will use $30.18 million of its $49 million savings — $15 million more than the school system used this year from savings.

The school system’s operating budget is split into two categories, restricted and unrestricted funds. Restricted funds are funds given to the school system from the state and federal government and must be used on operating expenses governing bodies deem appropriate. Unrestricted funds, including funding from the county and from the school system’s savings, are funds that can be used at the school board’s discretion. This is standard for all school systems in the state.

In the approved budget, Harford public schools will see a reduction of 84.2 restricted employment positions due to the expiration of federal COVID relief grant funds.

In the unrestricted budget, Harford will see an increase of 150.4 positions with teachers and paraprofessionals making up 137.4 of the increase. This increase results from positions being transferred from the restricted fund as well as the addition of three new regional special education programs.

Approved capital projects set to receive state and local funding in the school system’s fiscal 2025 budget include:

• Homestead Wakefield Elementary School replacement ($23.12 million from the county).
• Harford Tech High limited renovations ($11.18 million from state and $6.62 million from county)
• Aberdeen Middle School HVAC ($4.04 million from the state and $6.40 million from the county)
• North Harford energy recovery units ($165,000 from the state)
• Prospect Mill Elementary School roof replacement ($1.44 million from the county, with the state contribution yet to be determined)

Additionally, 13 school-related capital projects are slated for funding by the county government. The projects range from HVAC repairs and outdoor track reconditioning projects to a ticket booth at Aberdeen High School.