From Harford County Public Schools:
The Board of Education of Harford County will host a FY20 Budget Public Input Session on Monday, February 4, 2019, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the Board Room of the A.A. Roberty Building in Bel Air.
All stakeholders are encouraged to attend to provide budget comments. This is the opportunity for parents/guardians, employees, and community members to have their voices heard as Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) continues to develop the FY20 proposed budget.
At the input session, the HCPS Budget Office will provide a brief overview of the budget, and then the Board will receive comments. All are welcome to attend and share feedback.
For those who are unable to attend, the session will be livestreamed, and the video will be archived on hcps.org.
We should get rid of the money pit swimming pools that HCPS budgets for every year. Before any staff staff cuts the pools should go.
You do realize the cost of insurance on an empty pool in an active school building is almost equal to the cost of keeping it working?
Not if you fill it with dirt.
The way I see it, the main problem with the Pools if they were to close is to what do with all that square footage, and how much would it cost?
Even a Republican wouldn’t believe they would just bust the wall out so “Ed” and his wheel loader and dump dirt in the hole and leave it.
Good grief.
There’s such a thing as a dirt conveyor to move dirt to a remote location, but I wouldn’t expect you to know about such advanced 20th century technology.
Why wouldn’t you expect me to know much? Because I didn’t list every possible method of filling in a swimming pool?
It’s no wonder why a majority of the folks in this County vote Republican/Same people and expect different results each and every election.
Excuses Excuses Excuses. You can fill it in. Invite the Harford tech programs out to fill it in. Kills two birds with one stone. Let’s just keep paying for it really… CDEV I hope you aren’t and never will be in public office. Fill the pools in already
SO you filled it in you have to pay extra insurance for this space and also money to heat and air condition this dead space. I hope you are not the one responsible for your household budget.
WOW I wasn’t aware that empty space requires “extra insurance” and the ability to install a thermostat and turn the heat and air conditioning off was beyond existing technology. Thanks for sharing.
The pools are saving children from drowning by providing lessons to them. Further, they are a real asset and value. Compared to many other facilities expenditures, they are not costly. Besides, the savings from closing them would not even come close to filling the budget hole.
Lame excuse, should we have the kiddos packing their own parachutes in case their flight has issues?
I’m ok with that because I can afford to pay for a pool membership and the high costs of her being on their swimteam, but there might be many kids that would never learn to swim without those pools. This summer will be my 1st exposure to seeing one of HarCo school’s pool. I’m thinking it might not be good. Soon enough, as they build new schools those pools will be gone.
It’s funny how Harford County never has money. Especially for schools and police. pathetic
Any monies that were appropriated for a specific purpose and used for other applications is a crime and a violation of the oath those whom you entrusted that money to in the first place. Sue your Councilmen for violation of their oaths of office and misappropriation of funds….
It is simple and it has been stated. The county must provide more funds. HCPS ranks near the bottom of the state in per pupil spending. You can cry and wine about how much the state gives, but you can’t change it. Harford County is one of the weathlier counties, but treats its school system like it is a poor county.
Wake up people a lot of good people have left, and more will leave. A 1% raise, yes it is a raise, but it is really a slap in the face. Every employee knows it is a sinking ship.
It is the state funding that is the larger issue. Here is the adequacy study from 2016. Note that by this account HCPS is underfunded by over $130 million. Pg.114.http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/Documents/adequacystudy/AdequacyStudyReportFinal112016.pdf
Certainly the county must continue to increase funding but to be sustainable and to provide the kind of education our children deserve, The State of Maryland must contribute much more.
If the property assessments continue to rise the state formula is designed to contribute less. That needs to change to get more money. The county shouldn’t fund the AG preservation program anymore. That money could be used elsewhere.
That is not exactly how the current formula works. State funding is dependent on may variables. However, the formula works against HCPS in many ways. Folks must advocate for more state funding. The AG preservation funds are also designated at a state level. In order to change that, legislation must be passed.
Why did the Army move its premier R&D organization to Harford County when it seems to be such a backwater poophole? It needs to change or move the mission out of here so employee families can get the quality of life for their families they deserve.
It next to impossible to hire anyone here. Once they here its in Aberdeen Maryland and Harford County they say thanks but no thanks.
Horseshit. Aberdeen is a great place to live.
Missed the meeting, but the problem is overbuilding in Bel Air and the AG preservation program affecting mostly northern Harford County. If any of you live in that area, you’ve probably seen your values grow nearly quite a bit. The demand to get away from Bel Air is high, but the supply is low. AG preservation program eliminates those building opportunities. There are no new families moving into these areas to require the positions to stay. The Baltimore Sun/Aegis article highlights that point with this statement:
“She has lived in Fallston for 20 years and her three children graduated from Fallston schools, went to college and are employed.” Why should there be positions at this school. They built the Roni Chenowith center in Fallston, because there is a high population of seniors in this area. They don’t need school teachers for senior citizens.
These positions aren’t being eliminated as people think, they are being shifted to other areas. Only eliminated at schools.
Community groups who advocate against any development should be aware that this will affect the enrollment at their schools negatively and thus will result in losing teaching positions and the staff at the schools.
Most people like realize a career in teaching sucks.
Teaching is a rewarding career. Everyday, I am inspired by my kids.
Applicants must bullshit their way into a job here as a last resort. Baseline barely over $40,000 starting even with a few weeks off.
Teachers certainly don’t get paid enough and my opinion is that is never going to get better.
Personally rewarding? Sure but at the end of the day it’s all about the paycheck otherwise the HCPS job vacancy wouldn’t have several of job vacancies open.
Whatever though man, I dont know too many educators but the ones that changed careers only wished they had done it sooner.
Where are they going to go! Oh and it’s not just schools.
Education should be EVERYONE’S concern. Senior citizens need educated youth. The world needs education.
Ryan those charts and stats are great, but you don’t hear those other counties having the issues we do. Why? Their county makes up the difference. Harford County has chosen not too. It is a joke that the school system can only ask for a 1.3% increase in spending. What if fuel, energy, paper, technology all go up by 2 to 3%. We don’t even keep up with the rate of growth.
You can’t make an argument of common sense and expect those whom are engrained into a bad system to agree. The truth is people in higher places don’t want change because it may effect their higher position. Everyone needs to accept the fact that the “dumbing down” of todays youth is the goal. They wish to make your kids just smart enough to run the machines and do their bidding, but in the end they will be nothing but a “cog” in the machine. ALL “cogs” eventually break and must be replaced. Don’t raise your children to be “cogs”. Inspire them to be the inventors….