HCPS Welcomes New Teachers and Staff

The Daily Record has named Dr. Sean Bulson, Superintendent of Harford County Public Schools to its 2024 listing of Influential Marylanders!

Dr. Bulson is joined by fifty-six Influential Marylanders who were selected by the editors of The Daily Record for their significant contributions to their respective fields and for their leadership in Maryland in the following areas: civic leadership, communications, education, finance, freestyle, general business, health care, law, philanthropy, real estate and technology.

The education category includes:
Dr. Sean W. Bulson, Harford County Public Schools
Dr. Mark R. Ginsberg, Towson University
***Dr. Sandra Kurtinitis, Community College of Baltimore County
Dr. Darryll Pines, University of Maryland, College Park
Dr. Carey M. Wright, Maryland Department of Education
***Circle of Influence Honoree

The Daily Record launched Influential Marylanders in 2007 to recognize those who have made significant impacts in their field and continue to be leaders in Maryland.

“The 2024 Influential Marylanders are accomplished leaders who demonstrate vision and innovation. What they focus their attention on really matters; what they say is important; and what they do makes a difference for many of us in Maryland and beyond,” said Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, managing director of BridgeTower Media/The Daily Record. “Influential Marylanders are mentors to other leaders, and they challenge us to realize and attain our own hopes and dreams. We are honored to recognize their many accomplishments.”

Influential Marylanders will be honored at a celebration Sept. 18 starting at 4:30 p.m. at The Grand Lodge, 304 International Circle in Cockeysville.

Winners will be profiled in a special magazine that will be inserted into the Sept. 19 issue of The Daily Record and will be available online at TheDailyRecord.com.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Bulson on this honor!

The celebrations keep coming! Join us as we shout from the rooftops the latest announcement that Ms. Kathy Deyesu, of Bel Air Middle School, has been recognized as the 2024 Health Education Teacher of the Year by SHAPE Maryland!

In addition, Ms. Jean Grieser, of Harford Academy, Mr. Justin Markle, of Abingdon Elementary School, and Mr. Dean Thrasher, of Bel Air Middle and Bakerfield Elementary Schools, have been named recipients of the 2024 Simon A. McNeely Awards.

Simon A. McNeely Award nominees demonstrate outstanding teaching, service and innovation in health, physical education, recreation or dance. In addition, nominees must have presented or actively participated in workshops and conferences while also being actively involved in school and community affairs.

These fabulous educators will be formally recognized at the SHAPE Maryland Awards Ceremony on Saturday, October 26, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. at the Sheraton Baltimore North Hotel in Towson.

SHAPE Maryland’s mission is to enhance and promote the health and wellness of all the citizens of Maryland by providing advocacy, resources, and professional learning opportunities for current and future PreK-12 health and physical educators. We are so proud to have TWO amazing Harford County Public Schools educators recognized for their commitment to the health and wellness of our students!

We are thrilled to announce that David Jones, of Havre de Grace High School, has been recognized as the 2024 High School Physical Education Teacher of the Year and Stacey Sewell, of Forest Hill Elementary School, has been recognized as the 2024 Elementary School Physical Education Teachers of the Year by SHAPE Maryland!

Mr. Jones and Ms. Sewell will be formally recognized at the SHAPE Maryland Awards Ceremony on Saturday, October 26, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. at the Sheraton Baltimore North Hotel in Towson.

SHAPE Maryland’s mission is to enhance and promote the health and wellness of all the citizens of Maryland by providing advocacy, resources, and professional learning opportunities for current and future PreK-12 health and physical educators. We are so proud to have TWO amazing Harford County Public Schools educators recognized for their commitment to the health and wellness of our students!

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: