HCPSS staff may now access the Halo Information Technology (IT) Support Portal directly from the Staff Hub.
Click the Halo Support Portal button on the Staff Hub and follow the prompts to submit all your IT support requests quicky and efficiently.
Staff may also continue to call 410.313.7004 to speak with an IT Technology Support staff member or email TechSupport@hcpss.org.
Box 1-Wages, tips, and other compensation. This amount is your YTD Gross Pay LESS health/dental/vision insurance; and Health Care Spend; Box 10 - Dependent care benefits; Box 12 – Code E 403(b) and Code G 457(b); Box 14 - Retirement/pension; PLUS Box 12 – Code C tax cost for group-term life insurance coverage over $50,000. The amounts are found on your final 2025 pay stub and your W-2.
Box 3-Social security wages (maximum $176,100). This amount is your YTD Gross Pay LESS health/dental/vision insurance; and Health Care Spend; Box 10 - Dependent care benefits; PLUS Box 12 – Code C tax cost for group-term life insurance coverage over $50,000. The amounts are found on your final 2025 pay stub and your W-2.
Box 5-Medicare wages and tips (no maximum). This amount is your YTD Gross Pay LESS health/dental/vision insurance; and Health Care Spend; Box 10 - Dependent care benefits; PLUS Box 12 – Code C tax cost for group-term life insurance coverage over $50,000. The amounts are found on your final 2025 pay stub and your W-2.
Box 10-Dependent care benefits - deduction for 2025.
Box 12-Adjustments to wages (amounts added/subtracted).
Box 13-Retirement plan. This box will be marked if you were an “active” participant in the retirement/pension plans during any part of the calendar year, or if you had 403(b) or 457 (b) deductions.
Box 14-Other (amounts added/subtracted from gross wages).
Box 16–State Wages, Tips, etc.
Box 17-State income tax: State and local income tax withholdings have been added together to obtain total taxes and are displayed in Box 17.
Important Information:
On Tuesday, Jan. 27, HCPSS will activate a new Lightspeed feature that will allow teachers using Lightspeed Classroom to restrict the number of browser tabs students may have open during a class session. The feature sets the maximum number of tabs students may open to 50 at any time. This feature does not impact the number of tabs staff members may open. This information will be shared with students on Wednesday, Jan. 21.
In Lightspeed Classroom teachers may control the number of tabs students may open during their class to provide additional structure to support focus and minimize off-task behavior. Because this setting is applied at the classroom level, student experiences may vary based on teacher settings. Directions to limit tabs in Lightspeed Classroom
The district default for student tabs is set to 50 open tabs both during and after school. This default is intended to support student productivity, device performance, and digital well-being while allowing flexibility for instructional needs.
Feedback has highlighted several appropriate and productive ways students may be using multiple tabs, including:
Some students benefit from additional limits to help maintain focus during instructional time. The activation of this feature also reflects feedback from parents and educators requesting tools to help reduce access to non-instructional websites during class.
Please note, students should be mindful of the number of tabs they are using. If the maximum number of tabs is already opened and additional tabs are opened, the oldest tabs open will immediately close. If there is unsaved work on these tabs, it will be lost. This action cannot be undone.
If you are not currently using Lightspeed Classroom to monitor and support student learning, learn more about the system in the Lightspeed Classroom training module.
The 2025 electronic W-2s are now available in Workday for those who elected to receive electronic copies only. Instructions on how to view or print W-2s are available in Canvas and attached.
For staff who elected to receive both electronic and paper copies, electronic W-2s will be available January 30. Paper copies of the W-2s will be mailed via USPS and postmarked no later than Jan. 31. If you would like access to your 2025 electronic copy sooner, please make the electronic only election. Once this selection is made, you will have immediate access.
The Office of Teacher and Paraprofessional Development and the Howard County Education Association are pleased to announce the launch of the School-Based Peer Learning Guide Program for the remainder of the 2025–2026 school year.
This program pairs teachers in years 1-3 in HCPSS with an experienced, tenured teacher who provides targeted, collaborative instructional support. Below is more information about how to request the support of, or serve as a Peer Learning Guide.
Peer Learning Guides (PLGs) are Highly Effective (rated), tenured HCPSS teachers with a minimum of five years of teaching experience. Each Peer Learning Guide is paired with a teacher in years 1-3 in HCPSS and receives a $500 honorarium as well as Professional Development Points (PDPs) for their participation in required learning activities. To learn more about the responsibilities of a Peer Learning Guide, review the Peer Learning Guide Role sheet.
Interested teachers must:
Teachers in years 1–3 in HCPSS are encouraged to complete the Novice Teacher Interest Form no later than January 30, 2026 to be considered for a Peer Learning Guide partnership. We will do our best to match teachers with a Peer Learning Guide in their content area, grade level, and/or school location.
Peer Learning Guides will work alongside new educators to strengthen instructional effectiveness and understanding of HCPSS systems. Supports may include:
Questions about the School-Based Peer Learning Guide Program or how to apply may be emailed to Patricia Otero at patricia_otero@hcpss.org.
Beginning in January 2026, the Howard County Board of Education will implement a new meeting schedule on a trial basis for the first quarter of the year (January-March), shifting to one regular monthly meeting instead of two.
This new meeting schedule will better accommodate additional budget work sessions, and budget and policy public hearings necessary for Board deliberations, and will save the school system approximately $5,500.
Details on the January-March 2026 schedule shift are available online.
Employees may be entitled to claim an Earned Income Tax Credit on their 2025 federal and Maryland resident income tax returns if both their federal adjusted gross income and their earned income is less than the following:
See attached for details. For more information about the Maryland EITC, visit marylandtaxes.gov and for the federal EITC, visit www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/earned-income-tax-credit-eitc.
Staff who are interested in receiving your W-2 earlier than Jan. 31 should look for an upcoming Workday Notification email that will tell you how to sign up for an electronic version of your Form W-2. If you select the electronic copy only, it will be available weeks prior to the electronic/printed copy option.
More information to follow.
New circulars have been posted:
HCPSS circulars are to share information when that information is needed by staff systemwide and is not specific to a particular school/location or position/job class. All HCPSS staff are responsible for adhering to the guidelines and procedures outlined in the circulars. Circulars are released on July 1, and subsequently as needed throughout the year. When a new circular is added, staff will be notified via Staff Hub post/email. Circulars are available anytime in Canvas (staff login required), which also can be accessed from the Staff Hub under the Services dropdown menu.
As we move into winter, staff are reminded of the HCPSS emergency notification procedures, including during inclement weather. A similar message to families will be sent today as well.
HCPSS operating status options are:
IMPORTANT! It is the responsibility of each staff member to check one of the HCPSS notification sources for closing information.
In emergency situations, information will be shared with the community through the HCPSS website, email and text, and the HCPSS hotline. These are the ONLY approved sources for emergency notifications.
Staff who also are parents in the system are already signed up to receive email/text notifications. All other staff are strongly encouraged to subscribe to HCPSS notifications. Otherwise, it is the staff member’s responsibility to check one of the above notification sources for closing information.
Please Note:
To subscribe or edit your subscription:
