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Howard County Public Schools, Maryland

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Howard County Public Schools
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Howard County, Maryland
District details
Superintendent: William J. Barnes
# of school board members: 7
Website: Link

Howard County Public Schools is a school district in Maryland.

Click on the links below to learn more about the school district's...

Superintendent

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 		This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates.

William J. Barnes is the superintendent of Howard County Public Schools. Barnes was appointed superintendent on July 1, 2024. He previously served as acting superintendent from January 10, 2024, to June 30, 2024. His career experience includes serving as the HCPSS Chief Academic Officer and as a math teacher.[1]

Past superintendents

  • Michael J. Martirano was the superintendent of Howard County Public Schools. Martirano was appointed superintendent in July 2018 and left office in January 2024. Martirano previously served as acting superintendent from May to June 2017 and as interim superintendent from July 2017 to June 2018. Martirano's previous career experience included working as the West Virginia Superintendent of Schools, the superintendent of St. Mary's County Public Schools, and as a science teacher.[2]
  • Renee Foose was the superintendent of Howard County Public Schools from 2012 to 2017. Foose's previous career experience included working as a high school teacher, principal, and deputy superintendent in Baltimore County Public Schools and Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland.[3]

School board

The Howard County Board of Education consists of seven members elected to four-year terms. Five members are elected by district and two members are elected at large.


Elections

See also: Howard County Public Schools, Maryland, elections

Members of the board are elected to four-year terms on a staggered basis. Elections are held in even-numbered years.

Five seats on the board were up for general election on November 5, 2024. A primary was scheduled for May 14, 2024.


Ballotpedia covered school board elections in 367 school districts in 29 states in 2024. Those school districts had a total student enrollment of 12,203,404 students. Click here to read an analysis of those elections.


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Public participation in board meetings

The Howard County Public Schools school board maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:[4]

“ B. Rules for Public Conduct at Public Meetings
  1. An individual, group, or organization attending an open session of the Board may not engage in any conduct, including visual demonstrations such as the waving of placards, signs, or banners, that disrupts the session or that interferes with the right of others to attend and observe the session.
  2. Individuals, groups, and organizations are expected to exhibit civil behavior in accordance with Policy 1000 Civility. The Board encourages participants of public forum to refrain from using language, imagery, or symbols that are indecent, profane, or threatening in nature. Comments should be appropriate for all potential audience members.
  3. Individuals, groups, and organizations, including any representative of the news media, may record, photograph, or videotape the proceedings of an open session of the Board as long as it is not disruptive. The presiding officer may restrict the movement of an individual who is using the recording device, camera, or broadcasting/television equipment to maintain the orderly conduct of the session.
  4. A recording of an open session made by an individual, group, or organization, or any transcript derived from such a recording, is not deemed a part of the record of any proceeding of the Board.
  5. The presiding officer may order any individual who persists in conduct prohibited under Section B.1. or who violates any other HCPSS policy and/or law concerning the conduct of the open session to be removed from the session and may request police and/or security assistance to restore order. The presiding officer may recess the session while order is restored.[5]
 ”


District map

School district map

Budget

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[6]

Revenue, 2021-2022
SOURCE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Federal: $96,001,000 $1,675 8%
Local: $778,849,000 $13,587 63%
State: $366,550,000 $6,394 30%
Total: $1,241,400,000 $21,655
Expenditures, 2021-2022
TYPE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Total Expenditures: $1,197,692,000 $20,893
Total Current Expenditures: $1,030,209,000 $17,971
Instructional Expenditures: $694,784,000 $12,120 58%
Student and Staff Support: $157,390,000 $2,745 13%
Administration: $29,723,000 $518 2%
Operations, Food Service, Other: $148,312,000 $2,587 12%
Total Capital Outlay: $125,260,000 $2,185
Construction: $123,707,000 $2,157
Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: $5,160,000 $90
Interest on Debt: $15,990,000 $278


Teacher salaries

The following salary information was pulled from the district's teacher salary schedule. A salary schedule is a list of expected compensations based on variables such as position, years employed, and education level. It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district.

Year Minimum Maximum
2024-2025[7] $60,000 $116,395
2023-2024[8] $58,477 $113,834
2020-2021[9] $48,519 $104,874

Academic performance

Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements.[10]

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2020-2021 34 54 16 14 45-49 35 40
2018-2019 56 79 31 31 50-54 56 67
2016-2017 59 80 35 36 50-59 60 69
2015-2016 59 78 36 36 35-39 90-94 68
2014-2015 55 75 32 33 30-39 53 62
2013-2014 83 93 64 68 70-79 85 90
2012-2013 89 96 76 80 80-89 90 94
2011-2012 92 97 81 86 >=90 93 96
2010-2011 91 97 79 84 80-89 92 95

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2020-2021 49 63 33 28 45-49 52 58
2018-2019 60 77 40 38 65-69 62 70
2016-2017 55 72 33 33 50-54 58 64
2015-2016 58 72 39 37 40-44 85-89 67
2014-2015 58 71 37 40 40-49 61 66
2013-2014 91 95 81 82 70-79 93 95
2012-2013 93 96 84 85 80-89 94 96
2011-2012 92 96 84 85 80-89 95 96
2010-2011 93 96 85 87 >=90 96 96

The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2019-2020 93 97 91 80 >=50 >=95 97
2018-2019 93 96 89 79 PS 90-94 97
2017-2018 92 96 89 77 PS 90-94 95
2016-2017 92 96 90 76 >=50 90-94 96
2015-2016 93 95 90 81 >=50 >=95 96
2014-2015 93 98 88 87 >=50 >=95 95
2013-2014 93 95 87 87 >=50 90-94 96
2012-2013 93 95 88 86 >=50 90-94 96
2011-2012 90 95 84 80 >=50 90-94 93
2010-2011 91 93 81 79 >=50 90-94 95


Students

Year Enrollment Year-to-year change (%)
2023-2024 57,633 -0.1
2022-2023 57,676 0.6
2021-2022 57,325 0.1
2020-2021 57,293 -2.7
2019-2020 58,868 1.6
2018-2019 57,907 1.9
2017-2018 56,784 2.0
2016-2017 55,626 1.4
2015-2016 54,870 2.2
2014-2015 53,685 1.6
2013-2014 52,806 1.4
2012-2013 52,053 1.0
2011-2012 51,555 1.1
2010-2011 50,994 0.7
2009-2010 50,641 1.5
2008-2009 49,905 0.7
2007-2008 49,542 1.0
2006-2007 49,048 0.9
2005-2006 48,596 0.8
2004-2005 48,219 0.8
2003-2004 47,833 1.3
2002-2003 47,197 2.0
2001-2002 46,257 2.8
2000-2001 44,946 3.3
1999-2000 43,473 0.0
Racial Demographics, 2023-2024
RACE Howard County Public Schools (%) Maryland K-12 STUDENTS (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native 0.3 0.3
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander 23.7 6.8
Black 24.8 32.5
Hispanic 13.9 22.8
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.1 0.1
Two or More Races 6.8 5.3
White 30.2 32.2

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


Staff

As of the 2023-2024 school year, Howard County Public Schools had 4,346.40 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 13.26.

Teachers, 2023-2024 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Prekindergarten: 50.00
Kindergarten: 194.50
Elementary: 2,327.50
Secondary: 1,774.40
Total: 4,346.40

Howard County Public Schools employed 398.55 district administrators and 257.00 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.

Administrators, 2023-2024 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS
District Administrators: 398.55
District Administrative Support: 28.75
School Administrators: 257.00
School Administrative Support: 395.00
Other staff, 2023-2024 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF
Instructional Aides: 1,454.60
Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: 76.00
Total Guidance Counselors: 201.00
Elementary Guidance Counselors: 87.00
Secondary Guidance Counselors: 114.00
Librarians/Media Specialists: 100.50
Library/Media Support: 61.00
Student Support Services: 773.00
Other Support Services: 769.49


Schools

Howard County Public Schools operates 78 schools. They are listed below in alphabetical order.
List of schools
SCHOOL NAMENUMBER OF STUDENTSGRADES
Applications And Research Laboratory09-12
Atholton Elementary520PK-5
Atholton High1,4989-12
Bellows Spring Elementary825PK-5
Bollman Bridge Elementary754PK-5
Bonnie Branch Middle7106-8
Bryant Woods Elementary359PK-5
Burleigh Manor Middle7766-8
Bushy Park Elementary631PK-5
Cedar Lane Special Center132PK-12
Centennial High1,3649-12
Centennial Lane Elementary742PK-5
Clarksville Elementary557KG-5
Clarksville Middle6436-8
Clemens Crossing Elementary506KG-5
Cradlerock Elementary465PK-5
Dayton Oaks Elementary764PK-5
Deep Run Elementary677PK-5
Ducketts Lane Elementary595PK-5
Dunloggin Middle6386-8
Elkridge Elementary810PK-5
Elkridge Landing Middle6816-8
Ellicott Mills Middle7216-8
Folly Quarter Middle6836-8
Forest Ridge Elementary679PK-5
Fulton Elementary866PK-5
Glenelg High1,3679-12
Glenwood Middle4926-8
Gorman Crossing Elementary728PK-5
Guilford Elementary473PK-5
Guilford Park High7799-10
Hammond Elementary739KG-5
Hammond High1,1679-12
Hammond Middle5826-8
Hanover Hills Elementary844PK-5
Harpers Choice Middle4696-8
Hollifield Station Elementary721KG-5
Homewood School1316-12
Howard High1,5299-12
Ilchester Elementary518PK-5
Jeffers Hill Elementary397PK-5
Lake Elkhorn Middle6226-8
Laurel Woods Elementary596PK-5
Lime Kiln Middle6506-8
Lisbon Elementary460KG-5
Longfellow Elementary423PK-5
Long Reach High1,4489-12
Manor Woods Elementary675KG-5
Marriotts Ridge High1,7019-12
Mayfield Woods Middle6956-8
Mount Hebron High1,5189-12
Mount View Middle8766-8
Murray Hill Middle6006-8
Northfield Elementary749KG-5
Oakland Mills High1,4229-12
Oakland Mills Middle4286-8
Patapsco Middle6386-8
Patuxent Valley Middle8436-8
Phelps Luck Elementary704PK-5
Pointers Run Elementary830PK-5
Reservoir High1,7299-12
River Hill High1,4629-12
Rockburn Elementary672PK-5
Running Brook Elementary389PK-5
Stevens Forest Elementary328PK-5
St. Johns Lane Elementary657KG-5
Swansfield Elementary602PK-5
Talbott Springs Elementary488PK-5
Thomas Viaduct Middle7646-8
Thunder Hill Elementary454KG-5
Triadelphia Ridge Elementary625PK-5
Veterans Elementary897PK-5
Waterloo Elementary626PK-5
Waverly Elementary868PK-5
West Friendship Elementary370KG-5
Wilde Lake High1,2709-12
Wilde Lake Middle6186-8
Worthington Elementary404PK-5

Noteworthy events

2014: School board approves resolution accusing member of violating board session confidentiality

On May 8, 2014, the Board of Education approved a resolution by a 6-2 vote that accused member Cynthia L. Vaillancourt of violating the confidentiality of closed board sessions during the previous year.[11]

Vaillancourt denied any wrongdoing and said that the resolution implied that she was the subject of an ethics investigation. Vaillancourt alleged that the allegations had negative political motivations because the resolution was approved 45 days prior to an election where she was seeking re-election. Vaillancourt also claimed that she had been left out of email conversations regarding one ethics case and as a result, she had to contact the county ethics panel directly.[11]

Board president Ellen Flynn Giles said that the resolution outlines additional actions in the event of further incidents, including censure or asking the State Board of Education to impeach Vaillancourt.[11]

2011: Attempted removal of school board member

Board member Allen Dyer served one term on the board from 2008 to 2012. His fellow board members asked the Maryland State Board of Education for Dyer's removal and voted for his impeachment in 2011. Dyer was accused of bullying, misconduct, and releasing confidential information. He served out the remainder of his term while appealing his removal. The state's Court of Special Appeals rejected Dyer's efforts to reverse the impeachment decision in June 2013.[12][13]

Contact information

Howard County Public Schools logo 2.png
Howard County Public Schools
10910 Clarksville Pike
Ellicott City, MD 21042
Phone: 410-313-6600


About school boards

Education legislation in Maryland

Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.

See also

Maryland School Board Elections News and Analysis
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External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Howard County Public Schools, "Superintendent," accessed April 17, 2025
  2. ↑ Howard County Public Schools, "Dr. Michael J. Martirano, Superintendent," accessed April 6, 2021
  3. ↑ WBAL TV, "Board: Howard County Schools Superintendent Renee Foose 'retiring'," updated May 3, 2017
  4. ↑ Howard County Public Schools, "POLICY 2040: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN MEETINGS OF THE BOARD," accessed January 19, 2024
  5. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  6. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
  7. ↑ Howard County Public Schools, "10 MONTH TEACHERS (195 Days)," accessed April 17, 2025
  8. ↑ Howard County Public Schools, "10 MONTH TEACHERS (195 Days)," accessed February 4, 2024
  9. ↑ Howard County Public Schools, "10 MONTH TEACHER SALARY SCHEDULE ARTICLE XXXVI JULY 1, 2020 - JUNE 30, 2021," July 1, 2020
  10. ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 The Baltimore Sun, "Howard BOE accuses member Vaillancourt of confidentiality breach," May 8, 2014
  12. ↑ The Baltimore Sun, "Dyer files for Howard school board run," February 25, 2014
  13. ↑ The Baltimore Sun, "Administrative law judge upholds Dyer impeachment," December 6, 2012
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