HCPSSHCPSS Presents Fiscal Outlook for FY 2025 Operating Budget; Launches Redesigned Budget Site
November 3rd, 2023
At the Board of Education meeting held on Thursday, Oct. 26, Chief Administrative Officer Jahantab Siddiqui and Executive Director of the Budget Darin Conforti presented the fiscal outlook for the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Operating Budget in an effort to share information earlier in the FY25 Operating Budget development process with the Board, decision makers, and the community. This presentation is the first in many discussions with the Board and other stakeholders that will continue over the next three months prior to the presentation of the Superintendent’s Proposed Operating Budget in January 2024. The same presentation was also presented to the County Executive’s Blueprint Workgroup on Monday, Oct. 30.
The fiscal challenges anticipated in FY25 present an opportunity for the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) to implement changes to the Operating Budget process that will lead to a higher level of shared understanding, collaboration and more informed decision making around revenues and expenditures. Presenting the fiscal outlook will help provide contextual fiscal information for the Board, HCPSS staff, and the public as the budget process progresses.
The FY24 Operating Budget included the use of more than $30 million of one-time funds to balance the budget, making planning for the FY25 budget much more challenging, particularly as HCPSS sees declining enrollment.
While the roles and responsibilities for the Superintendent, Board of Education, County Executive and Council as they relate to the school system’s budget are prescribed in law, and system staff have been used to a very regimented process each year in the preparation of the budget. This new, strategic approach will help HCPSS address the concerns Board members and Council members raised during the FY 2024 Budget process and their request for additional context around the recommendations and decisions included in the budget.
“The goal is to bring forward a funding recommendation to the Superintendent and subsequently to the Board of Education that has a greater potential of being funded based on prior year trends,” stated Siddiqui. “This will provide for greater transparency around the reallocation possibilities and directly supports many of our funding authorities request that we consider and propose reallocations.”
In addition to presenting the fiscal outlook for FY25, HCPSS has launched a new Operating Budget website to provide more context and understanding around the Operating Budget, how it’s developed, funded, and spent. The website includes monthly operating budget expenditure reports and quick links to other budget documents and files.