Advocacy
News from our PTA Council of Howard County delegates
Cindy LaFollette and Karen McCaulley (ptachc.rep@clespta.org)
ROCK THE ROOF! CELEBRATE OUR SCHOOLS!
The central place for updates and information is:
What you can help with:
Stay connected and complete the contact form
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FY 27 HCPSS Operating Budget
Superintendent’s Proposed Budget
On Jan. 8, the superintendent presented his proposed operating budget for fiscal year 2026-2027 (FY 2027) to the Board of Education. Documents can be found on the HCPSS website here, including a budget book to help the public understand the reallocations, cuts, and requests being made.
The proposed budget emphasizes maximizing and tactically reallocating certain existing positions and resources, prioritizing critical funding investments in high priority needs aligned to the HCPSS Strategic Plan.
Effective Advocacy for Budget/School Funding
Superintendent Barnes attended the 1/5/2026 PTACHC meeting, with emphasis on priorities laid out in the Stratgic Plan. When asked how we can most effectively advocate for school funding, he recommended asking for dollars that we can use toward interventions and support in math and reading.
Write to council members and the executive. Follow up with phone calls.
Attend public hearings (TBA) or write in testimony at BudgetTestimony@howardcountymd.gov.
Important dates for the HCPSS budget can be found in the School Year 2027 Budget: Important Dates section of this page.
Email your state senators and delegates
Timeline for the Budget Season
The following timeline tracks the budget season, including work sessions, public hearings, and registration.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026 – 4 PM - Presentation of Superintendent's Proposed FY27 Operating Budget
THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2026 - 1-5 PM – Work Session I – *Supt. Proposed FY 2027 Operating Budget
THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2026 - 1-5 PM – Work Session II – *Supt. Proposed FY 2027 Operating/Capital Budgets
THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2026 – REGULAR BOARD MEETING & PUBLIC HEARING I ON SUPERINTENDENT’S PROPOSED FY27 OPERATING BUDGET/CAPITAL BUDGET
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2026, 1-5 PM –Work Session III – *Supt. Proposed FY 2027 Operating/Capital Budgets
THURSDAY, February 9, 2026 – REGULAR BOARD MEETING & PUBLIC HEARING II ON SUPERINTENDENT’S PROPOSED FY27 OPERATING BUDGET/CAPITAL BUDGET
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2026, 1 PM - Public Work Session IV - *Supt. Proposed FY27 Operating/Capital Budgets
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2026 - REGULAR BOARD MEETING & BUDGET DELIBERATIONS OF FY27 OPERATING & CAPITAL BUDGETS & FY27-32 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2026, 4:30 PM – Virtual Adoption of FY27 Operating & Capital Budgets & FY27-32 Capital Improvement Program
County Level Executive and Legislative Updates
Prefiles for Legislation That Will Affect School Funding
CB10-2026: Excess surplus revenue from prior years to fund deferred school maintenance needs. Public Hearing on 1/20/2026.
CB3-2026 ZRA 218: Accessory Dwelling Units. Public Hearing on 1/20/2026
CB4-2026 ZRA 219: Age Restricted Housing. Public Hearing on 1/20/2026
Upcoming Candidate Forums for State and Local Elections
March: Date TBD
August: Date TBD
Participate in Advocacy for Our Schools
We need you!
Effective communication is vital to our success. CLES PTA needs a communications officer. Please email any member of the executive board with your interest.
The PTA receives questions like:
How can we share our thoughts on the budget, policies, and county legisltation that affects our schools?
Why did the Board of Education defer redistricting Centennial Lane Elementary School?
What can we do to advocate for funding for important capital projects like CHS renovation?
Whether you’ve asked these questions yourself or have other school-related concerns on your mind, joining the PTA is a great way to stay informed and to work with others to advocate for all students in Howard County.
The PTA Council of Howard County (PTA-CHC) welcomes our participation on advocacy issues throughout the year. There are usually shortages of community members advocating to fund our school system both at the local (Howard County) and the state level. Multiple issues are raised each year; the PTA-CHC cannot tackle all of them. School PTAs can pursue their own advocacy efforts. Individuals are also encouraged to advocate as needs/concerns arise.
Please contact our PTACHC representatives (ptachc.rep@clespta.org) for any advocacy related ideas or concerns. They can work with you on advocacy issues or bring them up with PTA-CHC. You are also welcome to join a PTACHC meeting at anytime. They are open to the public and the schedule can be found here.
All school community members are welcome to register to speak in person or virtually at school board meetings that are usually held twice monthly. You can register to speak up to 3 minutes at each meeting on almost any topic that you have concerns about. There are also opportunities to speak to the Howard County Council and state legislature. All are welcome.
Get Involved! Join an HCPSS Academic Advisory Council
Interested in improving education in Howard County? Academic and Community Advisory Committees offer opportunities for involvement and are comprised of parents, community members, students, and staff with a desire to work collaboratively to advise the Board of Education. More information here: https://www.hcpss.org/parents/academic-advisory-committees/
Current CLES advisory council members:
Shirley Zhao SECAC (Special Education Citizens Advisory Council)
Cindy LaFollette CAC (Community Advisory Council)
Open CLES advisory council members:
Elementary Curricular (ECAC), Fine Arts, GT/Advanced Programs, Early Childhood, Instructional Tech and Library Media ,Mathematics (MAC), School Health, Science (SAC), Secondary Language Arts, Social Studies, World Language (WLAC)
Contact us.
Cindy LaFollette & Karen McCaulley
CLES PTA representatives to the PTA Council of Howard County