Howard County community rallies against proposed cuts to music, gifted and talented programs

BALTIMORE -- A group of parents, students and teachers gathered outside the Howard County government building in Ellicott City Wednesday morning for a rally, demanding funding for programs at risk of being cut in 2025 Howard County Schools budget.

"Every child deserves to have a superior education," Beverly Byron of Howard County said.

The Howard County School Board adopted its 2025 budget earlier this month. In it, there are proposed cuts for some elementary school gifted and talented and strings programs.

Schools that have a population of 40 percent or more students who receive free and reduced meals are not impacted.

Johann Happel, a student at Centennial Lane Elementary School, is worried he won't be able to play his cello next year because of these proposed cuts.

"This would be a very bad thing happening to Howard County," Johann said.

The budget request is now on County Executive Calvin Ball's desk.

The County Executive is currently reviewing the budget, his office sent WJZ a statement explaining more about how that process works, saying in part:

"… educational operational and programmatic priorities are governed by State law and the Board of Education (BOE). The County Executive does not have the authority to fund specific programs, make budgetary changes to the school system budget by line item, or go beyond the priorities outlined by the separately elected local BOE. 

The statement goes on to say that even though school enrollment has decreased since the pandemic, the county has provided historic levels of funding and increased per pupil spending by nearly 20 percent.

But still, these parents are hoping more will be done to make sure their students can keep their programs.

"Our kids love these teachers and they're very enriching programs that children are a part of and this is a huge reason why families are willing to pay Howard County taxes and go through the high cost of living here," parent Corinne Happel said.

After the Howard County Executive reviews the budget, he will send it over the county council for approval. That is expected to happen in April.