Howard County Schools: Board Office, 2026–27 Calendar & Meeting Help
The Howard County Board of Education is the local governing board for the Howard County Public School System, commonly called HCPSS. Families and residents usually need one of several very different things from the Board: an upcoming meeting, an agenda, the school calendar, public-comment instructions, a Board member, an office contact or help finding the right HCPSS department.
This independent guide brings those routes together for Howard County, Maryland. For anything time-sensitive—especially a meeting, hearing, calendar change or school operating status—use the linked HCPSS page as the final source.
Howard County Board of Education quick facts
Current Board
Seven elected adult members serve with one Student Member of the Board.
Board meeting location
Open meetings are generally accessible at the Department of Education, 10910 Clarksville Pike, Ellicott City.
Next regular meeting
The live HCPSS Board page currently lists Thursday, October 29, 2026 at 4 & 7 p.m.
Public Forum
Registration opens three weeks before the meeting; confirmed speakers receive three minutes.
Use the right Howard County office: the Board of Education governs HCPSS education policy. Howard County Government and the Howard County Council are separate local-government bodies, while the Maryland State Board of Education handles state-level education matters.
What the Howard County Board of Education actually handles
The Board sets local education policy consistent with Maryland and federal law. It also adopts major school-system policies, considers budgets and capital plans, holds public meetings and hearings, and oversees the direction of HCPSS through its governance role.
That does not mean every school question belongs with the Board. A family trying to resolve attendance, transportation, enrollment, a classroom concern or a student record normally needs an HCPSS school or department first.
Use the Board for
Governance, Board policy, public meetings, Board agendas, approved minutes, budget deliberations, hearings and Board-level public participation.
Use HCPSS departments for
Enrollment, transportation, attendance areas, HR, technology, food services, special education, school planning and district operations.
Use the individual school for
Daily attendance, teacher communication, schedules, dismissal, student records, health-room questions and campus-specific events.
Howard County Board of Education meetings: October 2026
HCPSS currently says regular Board meetings are held once per month unless another schedule is published. The Board also holds committee meetings, hearings, work sessions and joint meetings, so the meeting type matters.
| Date | Meeting | Time | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 13, 2026 | Joint Board of Education / County Council Meeting | 10 a.m.–Noon | Joint meeting listed on the current Board calendar. Check Community for final access and agenda details. |
| Oct. 29, 2026 | Regularly Scheduled Board Meeting | 4 & 7 p.m. | Current HCPSS Board page identifies this as the next regularly scheduled Board meeting. |
How meetings are available: HCPSS uses a hybrid format. Open meetings, hearings and work sessions can be attended in person at the Department of Education when applicable, watched live through HCPSS, viewed on demand after the meeting, or watched on Howard County Comcast channel 95 and Verizon channel 42.
Schedule changes happen: recent 2026 examples include a postponed public hearing, a canceled Policy Committee meeting and an October 1 legislative meeting that changed to fully virtual. Always reopen the live Board page before attending.
How to find a Howard County BOE agenda, minutes or video
The HCPSS Board page links its meeting materials through the Board Community/BoardDocs system. The district says meeting documents are available to the public three days before the meeting.
Confirm the meeting date
Start on the current HCPSS Board page so you do not open material for a canceled, moved or similarly named meeting.
Open the Community meeting entry
Use the current schedule or BoardDocs link to find the exact regular meeting, hearing, committee or work session.
Read the agenda before relying on an item
An agenda tells you what is scheduled. It does not prove the Board adopted the item exactly as proposed.
Use approved minutes afterward
HCPSS maintains approved minutes for regular meetings, closed meetings, committee meetings and other Board sessions.
Watch the discussion when context matters
Archived Board videos are generally available online after meetings and can help explain the discussion behind a vote.
Howard County Board of Education members
The current Board includes seven adult members and one Student Member. Five adult members represent districts, while two serve at-large countywide. Adult members are elected to four-year terms.
| Member | Current role / seat |
|---|---|
| Jennifer Swickard Mallo | Chair · District 4 |
| Meg Ricks | Vice Chair · District 1 |
| Andrea Chamblee | District 5 |
| Dr. Linfeng Chen | At-Large · County 2 |
| Jacquelin “Jacky” McCoy | At-Large · County 1 |
| Jolene Mosley | District 3 |
| Antonia Watts | District 2 |
| Mark Li | Student Member |
Student Member: HCPSS says the Student Member is elected annually by middle and high school students systemwide. The Student Member may vote on most matters, with statutory exceptions including personnel matters and contract negotiations.
Use the live Board page or Community profile for the current biography, school-cluster assignment and member contact information.
Howard County school calendar: dates families should know
The HCPSS online calendar is the best planning source because it can be updated after Board action or emergency changes. The printable calendar is useful, but HCPSS specifically warns that the online version is the most current.
| Date | 2026–27 calendar item |
|---|---|
| Aug. 24, 2026 | First day for K–12 students |
| Aug. 27, 2026 | First day for Pre-K / RECC students |
| Sept. 7, 2026 | Schools and offices closed — Labor Day |
| Sept. 21, 2026 | Schools and offices closed — Yom Kippur |
| Sept. 30, 2026 | Schools close three hours early; no half-day Pre-K/RECC |
| Oct. 16, 2026 | Schools closed for students — staff workday |
| Oct. 28, 2026 | Schools closed for students — professional learning/workday |
| Nov. 3, 2026 | Schools and offices closed — Election Day |
| Nov. 23–24, 2026 | Elementary/middle conference schedule; early dismissal details apply |
| Nov. 26–27, 2026 | Schools and offices closed — Thanksgiving holiday |
| Dec. 24, 2026–Jan. 1, 2027 | Winter break; office closures vary within the period |
| Mar. 22–29, 2027 | Spring break |
| June 8, 2027 | Scheduled last student day, subject to weather adjustments |
| June 9–11 & 14–16, 2027 | Possible inclement-weather makeup days |
Calendar update that can be missed: on June 25, 2026 the Board approved changes involving January and February conference/midterm scheduling and expanded the possible June inclement-weather makeup window. Use the current online calendar rather than an older downloaded version.
Academic Calendar
Use this for school days, closings, professional days, breaks and updated emergency makeup dates.
Board Calendar
HCPSS lets families subscribe specifically to the Board of Education calendar separately from the academic calendar.
How Howard County BOE Public Forum registration works
Howard County’s current Public Forum process is specific enough that it is worth checking before every meeting. Participation can be virtual or in person under the Board’s current hybrid format.
Wait for the registration window
Public Forum registration begins three weeks before the meeting.
Email the Board Office
Community members may email boardoffice@hcpss.org with their Public Forum topic.
Watch the 10-speaker limit
HCPSS says the first 10 community members are registered: five for the afternoon session and five for the evening session.
Prepare for three minutes
Confirmed Public Forum speakers receive three minutes to present their topic.
Do not miss the cutoff
Requests must be received by 4:30 p.m. on the last working day before the meeting.
Privacy warning: Public Forum comments and written testimony become part of the public record. HCPSS warns that submitted material may be posted without personal information being removed. Do not include a student’s private education, health, discipline or family information.
Topics excluded from Public Forum include: individual personnel issues, complaints identifying individual students, matters on appeal, subjects assigned to a formal public hearing, and advertising or product solicitation.
Formal hearings use their own topic-specific testimony process. HCPSS says registration generally opens three weeks before the hearing and closes at 4:30 p.m. on the last working day before it.
Howard County Board of Education office contact
Calling the right number saves time: use 410-313-7194 for Board Office questions. Use the HCPSS main number or the relevant school/department for student services and daily operations.
Enrollment, school assignment and family questions
Enrollment is an HCPSS administrative service rather than a Board-meeting function. Families should use the school system’s enrollment and attendance-area tools before contacting an individual Board member.
Student enrollment
Use the HCPSS enrollment process for registering a student, required records and withdrawal questions.
School assignment
Your assigned school depends on the current HCPSS attendance area for the student’s address.
Boundary changes
Board-approved attendance-area changes may affect school assignments. Verify the current year before relying on an older boundary map.
The HCPSS Help site organizes enrollment, attendance areas, Parent/Guardian questions, transportation, special education, technology and other student services.
Howard County school transportation contact
Bus stops, routes and transportation concerns are handled by the HCPSS Office of Student Transportation, not by the Board Office.
Same-day bus changes: use HCPSS operational alerts and transportation information rather than a Board meeting schedule. HCPSS News also distributes real-time bus and weather-related information to families.
Howard County BOE budget: where the Board fits
The HCPSS budget process involves several public bodies. The Superintendent proposes a school-system budget, the Board holds hearings and work sessions and adopts a requested budget, Howard County government acts on county funding, and the Board ultimately adopts the detailed school-system budget.
Superintendent proposal
The annual process starts with the Superintendent’s proposed operating budget.
Board review
The Board conducts public hearings and work sessions before adopting its requested budget.
County funding
Howard County Executive and County Council actions are separate from the school Board’s own deliberations.
For FY27, the Board adopted its requested budgets on February 26, 2026, and the final approved HCPSS budget process continued through spring 2026.
Howard County school boundaries and Board decisions
School-boundary decisions can involve School Planning, the Superintendent and the Board of Education. A boundary proposal is not the same thing as a final Board-approved attendance area.
HCPSS implemented Board-approved boundary changes for the 2026–27 school year in August 2026. Families moving into Howard County or checking an older assignment should use current HCPSS boundary information rather than a pre-2026 map.
Howard County Board records are not the same as student records
Board records
Agendas, approved minutes, public testimony, policies, budget materials and other Board documents may be available through HCPSS or a Maryland Public Information Act route.
Student records
Transcripts, attendance records, education records, health files and similar student records should begin with the student’s school or the appropriate HCPSS records process.
Public testimony
Submitted testimony may be posted publicly without personal information being removed. Keep private student and family information out of the submission.
Do not submit: student ID numbers, grades, IEP documents, medical records, discipline details, custody documents, passwords or other confidential material to a public Board-comment channel.
Watching or attending Howard County Board meetings
Howard County BOE search mistakes and the quickest fix
You found an old Board schedule
Use the live Board page. HCPSS changed its meeting cadence during part of 2026 and continues to post meeting-specific updates.
The meeting has no agenda yet
HCPSS says Board documents are normally available three days before a meeting. Check Board Community again closer to the date.
You downloaded an old calendar PDF
Use the online 2026–27 calendar. Board-approved adjustments changed several dates and expanded the June makeup-day window.
You want to speak but registration is closed
Review the current participation page for written-comment or hearing-specific options instead of assuming the regular Public Forum process still applies.
You need your child’s bus stop
Contact HCPSS Transportation or use district transportation tools; individual Board members do not manage daily bus routing.
You need your child’s records
Start with the school or HCPSS records route. Do not send private student records through public Board testimony.
Howard County Public School System links
Howard County Board of Education FAQs
What is the Howard County Board of Education phone number?
The Board Office may be reached at 410-313-7194. The general HCPSS main number is 410-313-6600.
Where is the Howard County Board of Education office?
The Howard County Public School System Department of Education is at 10910 Clarksville Pike, Ellicott City, MD 21042.
When is the next regular Howard County Board meeting?
As checked October 2, 2026, HCPSS lists Thursday, October 29, 2026 at 4 & 7 p.m. as the next regularly scheduled Board meeting. Recheck the live Board page before attending.
Is there another Board meeting before October 29?
Yes. The current Board page lists a joint Board of Education/County Council meeting on Tuesday, October 13, 2026 from 10 a.m. to noon.
How many members are on the Howard County Board of Education?
The Board has seven elected adult members and one annually elected Student Member of the Board.
Who is the current Howard County Board Chair?
The current HCPSS Board page lists Jennifer Swickard Mallo as Chair and Meg Ricks as Vice Chair.
When did HCPSS students start school in 2026–27?
K–12 students began August 24, 2026. Pre-K and RECC students began August 27, 2026.
What is the scheduled last day of HCPSS school in 2027?
June 8, 2027 is the scheduled last student day, but HCPSS has additional June dates available for inclement-weather makeup if needed.
How do I speak during Howard County BOE Public Forum?
Email the Board Office with your topic during the registration window. Registration opens three weeks before the meeting and closes at 4:30 p.m. on the last working day before the meeting. HCPSS currently registers the first 10 community members, with three minutes per speaker.
When are Howard County Board agendas posted?
HCPSS says meeting documents are available to the public on its Community/BoardDocs system three days before the meeting.
Can I watch Howard County Board meetings online?
Yes. HCPSS provides live and on-demand access. It also lists Comcast channel 95 and Verizon channel 42 for Howard County viewers.
Should I contact the Board about my child’s bus route?
Usually no. Bus routes and transportation questions are handled by the HCPSS Office of Student Transportation at 410-313-6732.
Is the Howard County BOE calendar the same as the school calendar?
No. The Board calendar covers Board meetings and related sessions. The academic calendar covers student school days, closings, breaks and professional days. HCPSS allows users to subscribe to them separately.
Can written Board testimony become public?
Yes. HCPSS says submitted testimony is part of the public record and may be posted without personal information being removed. Avoid including private student or family information.
Is BoardofEducations.org the official Howard County school website?
No. BoardofEducations.org is an independent information guide. The official Howard County Public School System website is hcpss.org.
Howard County education verification checklist
Independent information guide: BoardofEducations.org is not the Howard County Board of Education, HCPSS, Howard County Government or the Maryland State Department of Education. Current HCPSS notices, policies, calendars, meeting records and instructions always take priority.