Budget FY17: How the Budget is Funded
The primary source of revenue for the Howard County Public School System is the appropriation from the Howard County Government. The county allocation of $595.9 million represents a Maintenance of Effort (MOE) level of funding as provided for in State Law (based on an increase of 1,061* students), plus $40.7 million to fund: $30.6 million in mandatory increases to employee health and pension, a placeholder for FY 2017 salary increases, and new teacher positions and instructional materials for 1,088 new students that are not part of the MOE calculation. The total increase in budget from FY 2016 is $62.4 million or 8.0 percent.
Maryland State Aid formulas include unrestricted funds and is distributed based on enrollment, relative wealth of each county, level of local expenditures for education, and other factors. The State Aid includes $5.6 million in discretionary Geographic Cost of Education Index (GCEI) funds.
Other revenue sources include building use fees, gate receipts for athletic events, fees for out-of-county students assigned to HCPSS, interest income, summer school tuition and e-rate rebates.
Revenues: How the Budget is Funded
| Approved FY16 | Proposed FY17 | Dollar Change | % Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | $776,338,380 | $838,690,780 | $62,352,400 | 8.0% |
| County | $544,144,625 | $595,881,968 | $49,688,554 | 9.1% |
| State | $222,260,462 | $231,776,043 | $11,564,370 | 5.2% |
| Other | $9,933,293 | $11,032,769 | $1,099,476 | 11.1% |
*Maintenance of Effort increase is based upon state criteria for actual enrollment between FY 2015 and FY 2016.