Advocacy
News from our PTA Council of Howard County Delegates
Cindy LaFollette and Karen McCaulley (ptachc@clespta.org)
QUICK LINKS
ADVOCACY WORKS! FULLY FUNDED FY 27 CAPITAL BUDGET!
County Executive Calvin Ball has officially released his proposed Capital Budget for Fiscal Year 2027, that includes fully funding the BOE’s request for $116.6 million in the FY27 capital budget.
From the press release: That includes nearly $98.6 million in County funding and an expected $18.1 million from the state, with Howard County covering nearly 85% of the total. The proposal, which fully funds the Board of Education’s request, also includes $47.2 million in PAYGO funding, major investments in Oakland Mills Middle School and Dunloggin Middle School, support for a new 490-seat elementary school in the southeast, and continued progress toward High School 14 in Elkridge.
Thank you to all of our local advocates for showing up, writing in, giving testimony, and joining our community at Rock the Roof, more on that to come.
Now we move on toward the Operating budget, see the section below.
FY 27 HCPSS Operating Budget
UPCOMING DATES
April 20, 2026: The County Executive makes recommendations to the County Council.
April 27, 2026: County Council Public Hearing
April 30, 2026: BoE Work Session on FY27 Operating Budget and FY27-32 Capital Improvement Program (if needed)
May 4: BoE Public Hearing on FY27 Operating Budget and FY27-32 Capital Improvement Program (if necessary)
May 7: County Council Public Hearing
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May 21: BoE Adoption of FY27 Operating Budget and FY27-32 Capital Improvement Program
Local and Community Advocacy
Immigration Support
We are CASA
CASA Maryland: https://wearecasa.org/maryland-2/
Hotline: 1-888-214-6016
HCPSS - Policy 1070 – Protections and Supports for Foreign-Born Students
HCPSS - Support for Immigrant Students and Families
CB16-2026: Emergency Act - Amending – Howard County Building Code – I-3 Use Group
CB17-2026: County Executive – Immigration Enforcement – Guidance – Emergency Act
2026 Elections - Candidate Forums
County Council and Board of Education: April 18, 2026, location and time TBD
Middle School Advocacy - CommonLit 360 Implementation
CLES PTACHC Liason, Cindy LaFollette is serving on this workgroup. Please reach out to ptachc@clespta.org with questions, concerns, and feedback.
Please refer to this post from At-Large Board Member Dr. Chen, which contains a copy of the memo concerning the selection and implementation of CommonLit 360.
Learn More about CommonLit here: https://www.commonlit.org/
CLES PTACHC Reps had a very thoughtful conversation about this with board members and Superintendent Barnes during the PTA/BOE meeting on 3/5. Central Office wants our feedback.
Email ptachc@clespta.org for advocacy and contact guidance.
PTACHC - 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@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 ptachc@clespta.org