Harford County Public Schools

The following communication is being sent to select parents and guardians via email and phone call on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.:
You are receiving this message because your student is enrolled in the Virtual Summer Academy through FEV Tutor.

To ensure enrolled students have the necessary equipment to take part in the Virtual Summer Academy, Harford County Public Schools is holding device distribution on Thursday, June 27, 2024, from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Devices will be distributed at Aberdeen Middle School, Bel Air Middle School, and Edgewood Middle School.

Devices can be picked up from any of the listed locations, but must be returned on July 29, 2024, to the same location from where they were picked up. Collection hours will be from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

The following communication is being sent to all parents/guardians of rising 11^th and 12^th graders via email on Monday, June 17, 2024, at noon:
As a reminder, students who have been approved for the dual enrollment program, which includes tuition assistance for the 2024-2025 school year, must fulfill the following requirements to continue receiving the tuition benefit:

Students who meet the College and Career Readiness (CCR) requirements may enroll in courses at no cost; HCPS will pay tuition and textbook costs for a maximum of five (5) total courses per academic year.
Students who are unsuccessful in earning credit in the dual enrollment program are ineligible for tuition payment for two (2) consecutive college terms.
Students who earn a failing final grade in a dual enrollment course(s) are accountable for the associated tuition and fees of the respective course(s).
Dually enrolled students who withdraw from a course(s) beyond the penalty free withdraw period will be accountable for the associated tuition and fees of the respective course(s).

We look forward to supporting your academic journey.
*This information is being shared with families of all students in grades 10 and 11. This information applies to future summer, fall and spring enrollment.*

This information includes adjustments to locations and is up-to-date as of June 14, 2024.

For nearly 30 consecutive years, Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) has participated in the Summer Food Service Program. Starting Monday, June 17, 2024, HCPS will again offer meals for all children aged 2 to 18 at several sites throughout the county.

If you have any questions about the program, or are looking for more information or assistance, please call HCPS Food and Nutrition at 410-638-4078.

Please note that locations are selected according to USDA eligibility requirements. The 2024 Summer Food Service Program will be held at the following locations Monday through Friday unless otherwise noted:

June 17 - August 15, 2024 | Havre de Grace Public Library | 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. (M-TH)

June 17 - August 15, 2024 | Aberdeen Public Library | 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. (M-TH)

June 21 - August 8, 2024 | Havre de Grace Rec Center | 12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m. (FRI)

June 24 - August 2, 2024 | Trinise Jones @ Aberdeen Bible Church | 12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

June 24 - August 16, 2024 | Aberdeen Boys and Girls Club | 12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m. (M-TH)

June 17 - August 16, 2024 | Hall’s Cross Roads Elementary School | 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (M-TH)

July 8 - August 16, 2024 | Village at Lakeview | 12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.

June 17 - August 16, 2024 | Joppa Public Library | 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

June 24 - August 15, 2024 | Edgewood Public Library | 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. (M-TH)

June 24 - August 16, 2024 | Havre de Grace Boys and Girls Club | 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

June 24 - August 16, 2024 | Edgewood Boys and Girls Club | 12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.

June 24 - August 16, 2024 | EPICENTER at Aberdeen and Edgewood | 12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.

June 17 - August 15, 2024 | Ramada Inn Edgewood | 12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m. (M-TH)

The following message will be sent from Board President Poynton via email and app push notification to all contacts at 12:30 p.m. Friday, June 14, 2024:

Please take a moment to listen to this brief update on the 2024-2025 HCPS Operating and Capital budgets. I’ve included the text below for your reference.

One of the Board’s primary responsibilities is to create and pass a budget that meets the needs of our school system and is financially responsible. I am delighted to announce that the Board of Education unanimously passed the 2024-2025 operating and capital budgets.

This year, the Board faced unique challenges such as inflationary pressures on operations and capital projects, the loss of over $10 million in federal grants, and changing demographics that require additional funding to support our English language learners and special education. Additionally, we must meet the requirements set forth in the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. All of this had to occur while managing a modest increase in funding due to our economic conditions in Harford County.

Despite these challenges, the Board of Education has successfully crafted and passed a budget that meets the needs of our school system with the Board's 2025 priorities in mind. Our priorities are:

Academic achievement with a focus on math, reading, and language arts;
Improve school environment with an emphasis on attendance and safety;
Increasing community and parental and guardian trust through partnerships and transparency.

As a result, the total unrestricted operating budget for the upcoming school year is $653.3 million, and the total capital budget is $58.1 million.

Our operating budget was carefully crafted to streamline operations and reduce inefficiencies by $10.6 million. In doing so, we have ensured that any structural or operational reductions do not impact the number of educators or average class size. To close the gap between our funding needs and the available funding, we voted to assign $30.2 million from our fund balance and use the additional $6.5 million provided by local government to reconcile our 2024-2025 operating budget. It’s important to note that this leaves the school system with a fund balance of approximately $25 million. This balance is necessary to handle any unexpected emergencies or one-time needs in the future.

Most importantly, through negotiations with bargaining units, this budget not only retains educator positions but also provides HCPS staff with a cost-of-living increase and a step increase to reward their hard work and dedication. Moreover, we did not have to make any cuts to our beloved programs such as sports, music and art, safety and security, magnet schools, languages, or extracurricular activities. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the members of the Board of Education, the administration, and staff at HCPS, and to all of our stakeholders at local and state government for their hard work and collaboration throughout this budget cycle. With this budget in place, we are well-positioned to enter the school year with the resources needed to ensure we continue to deliver top-quality education to our beloved students, who represent our future.

I wish everyone a happy and restful summer and look forward to seeing you in September.

Please visit the HCPS Budget page on our website for details on the budget process.

The following communication is being sent to all contacts on Thursday, June 13, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. via phone call, email, text message and app push alert: