Good evening, Dr. Ball. My name is Lanlan Xu. I am here tonight to urge you to fully fund the school system FY27 proposed budget.
While education funding has increased over the years in nominal dollars, when adjusted for inflation, local per-pupil funding has largely stagnated since FY2019.
But student needs have grown.
Since 2018, FARM rate has increased from 22 to 28%. Special ed enrollment has risen from 9 to 12%. English Learners have grown from 5% to 7%. Pre-K enrollment has expanded and transitioned from half day to full day.
These are not marginal changes. They represent thousands of additional students requiring specialized services.
Flat funding in real dollars combined with rising needs inevitably strains classrooms.
We are seeing significant worsening in performance indicators in our schools across the board. According to MSDE report cards, the number of HCPSS schools receiving three stars or lower increased from 7 in 2018 to 23 in 2025. At the same time, the number of five-star schools dropped from 31 to just 10.
These statistics are not just numbers on paper. They are reflected in people's everyday experiences. When I speak with parents and educators across the county, I have heard the message loud and clear: cuts to educator positions, larger class sizes, and the loss of critical programming that serves our diverse student body are harming our students.
This budget before you is not about expansion. It is about preventing further erosion.
We must stabilize our classrooms. That means protecting teachers, paraeducators, special ed staff, multilingual learner supports, school psychologists, media specialists, and more.
Strong schools do not happen by accident. They require sustained investment aligned with student needs.
Strong public schools are the foundation of a thriving Howard County. Investment in education is not simply a budget decision — it is a strategic decision about the future of our community.
I respectfully urge you to fully fund the Board's budget request, so that we can get back on track toward building an excellent school system for all of our students. Thank you for your time and consideration.
