News

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.
 

Do you enjoy singing? Please consider joining the Howard County Employee Chorus - no previous chorus experience necessary, just a love for singing! Please watch the following promotional video for more information, and if interested, please register online using this registration link. The chorus is open to all HCPSS employees, as well as their significant others or adult family members. 

The first rehearsal is Wednesday, Jan. 7 from 7-8:30 p.m. at Howard High School. More information will be sent to those who register. Questions may be emailed to to Caleb Lee at caleb_lee@hcpss.org.

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:

• $19,104 ($26,214 married filing jointly) with no qualifying children/relatives
• $50,434 ($57,554 married filing jointly) with one qualifying child/relative
• $57,310 ($64,430 married filing jointly) with two qualifying children/relatives
• $61,555 ($68,675 married filing jointly) with three or more qualifying children/relatives

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:

• #0002 – Policy Updates
• #3002 – Year-End Close
• #3006 – Procurement Verification of Vendor Debarment (Federal Funds)
• #3007 – Procurement Renewal Letters and Price Adjustment Clauses
• #3008 – Procurement Procedures

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.

In an effort to evaluate and improve service, the Procurement Office is conducting a performance survey. If applicable, please take complete this online survey to provide feedback by December 19.

Questions may be emailed to HCPSS Director of Procurement Robert Bruce at robert_bruce1@hcpss.org.

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:

• Schools open as scheduled
• Schools open on a two-hour delay
• Schools dismiss early (90-minutes or 3 hours)
• Schools closed

Staff reporting details during an emergency can be found online at status.hcpss.org/status-codes.

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. 

• HCPSS Status website
• HCPSS homepage
• HCPSS community email/text alert
• HCPSS Information Hotline (410-313-6666)

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: 

• Staff who previously subscribed and are not receiving HCPSS emails/texts, should not create a new account. Email webmaster@hcpss.org with any issues.
• If you are unsure if you have already opted in to text messaging, text the word “YES” to 67587.
• Unsubscribing from any school or district email or text will unsubscribe a user from all messaging, including emergency notifications.

To subscribe or edit your subscription:

• Staff email/text sign up
• Manage your subscription (non-HCPSS parents/guardians)

HCPSS staff interested in working for the Innovative Pathways Evening Program for the Spring 2026 semester are invited to complete this online Hiring Interest Survey. 

Please review the Innovative Pathways Evening Program Overview before completing the survey. Additional information can be found on the Innovative Pathways Evening Program webpage.

Please note the following:

• The hiring survey will remain open until all positions are filled.
• Completion of the interest survey is NOT a formal offer of temporary employment.
• Program staff will review the information and follow-up with references as needed. 

Questions can be emailed to Kimesha Parker or Angelena Johnson, or call 410-313-6627. 

HCPSS employees planning to retire under the Maryland State Retirement Agency (MSRA) within the next two years are invited to attend one of our upcoming virtual information sessions.  Attendees will receive information about retiree healthcare and life insurance eligibility and coverage. A timeline and steps of the retirement process will be reviewed, as well as information about unused sick leave, years of service, and the earnings limitation.  There will also be a Q&A section during the seminar.

Please note: MSRA and HCPSS are the only organizations that provide seminars specifically related to your retirement with MSRA and HCPSS. We have been made aware of other companies and/or individuals offering retirement-related conferences, seminars, or meetings; however, these events are not approved or endorsed by HCPSS, and may provide misinformation.

Dates:
The same material will be presented at each seminar; employees only need to attend one of the following seminars

• Tuesday, December 9
• Tuesday, January 20
• Wednesday, February 25

Time: 4:30-6:00 p.m.

Location: GoogleMeet. The code will be provided at the time of registration

Registration: Online registration is required.

Helpful things to do before the seminar:

• Set up an account with MSRA (mySRPS) to see your retirement options and eligibility date. View this MSRA video for directions.
• Once registered, estimate your monthly pension amount by clicking “Estimate Benefits” on the left side of the home page.
• Download the attached documentation to review and prepare questions for the seminar
• Register for an MSRA Pre-Retirement Webinar, which provides a general overview of pension eligibility and benefits

Questions?  Please email HRRetirement@hcpss.org.

Employees who are members of the following sick leave banks will have their annual contribution processed during the week of Nov. 10. The donation will be processed in the following priority order:

• Sick Leave Balance – Full and/or partial donation will be deducted from available balance between Nov. 11-14, 2025
• Sick Bank Balance – Full and/or partial donation will be deducted from available balance between Nov. 11-14, 2025
• Docking of Pay – Value of full and/or partial donation will be deducted from the gross pay and displayed as “Adjust Wage – Non-Retirement” in the Earnings area on the pay stub on the check dated 11/21/25

To view your sick bank status in Workday, click on your photo in the top right corner; Select View Profile > Overview from the left navigation menu > Additional Data toward the top, then scroll down to Sick Bank. This will indicate if you are a member and when you joined.

See attached for bargaining units and donation amounts.