Howard public schools could get more staffing and technology and foreign language resources if a proposed budget is approved.
“I think this is a conservative budget. … It is certainly one that can be defended on all levels,” said Superintendent Sydney Cousin, who presented the fiscal 2008 operating budget at Thursday’s School Board meeting.
The proposal, which is $30 million more than last year’s operating budget, includes:
» The addition of 23 new technology support teachers in the elementary schools. In addition to training teachers, the technology teachers would provide an hour per week of instruction to the students.
» An International Student Services program to serve limited students who cannot understand or read English.
» An increase in the system’s staffing pool from 41to 51 teachers to address heightened enrollment throughout the year.
Teachers in the pool are hired on an as needed basis to manage classroom sizes.
“Our elementary school teachers have quite a workload,” said Sandra Erickson, the school system’s chief administrative and academic officer. “We are making a huge statement by including this.”
The operating budget funds ongoing expenses, such as teachers’ salaries, health care costs and utilities fees.
The budget did not provide final numbers for salaries, since the School Board is still in negations with four bargaining units who represent the
teachers, support staff, administrators and custodial maintenance staff. The deadline for negotiations is the third week in February, Caplan said.
A $99 million capital budget, which covers facilities cost and major school renovations, was approved by the school board earlier this school year and is under review by state and county officials.
