Special education issues have festered for years at one of Maryland’s top public school districts, leading to a domino effect that resulted in a staffing crisis and left students with special needs falling behind. 11 News Investigates has learned through dozens of interviews and a review of district data that these long-standing problems have only worsened, leaving families frustrated and educators overwhelmed.
For years, Howard County Public Schools has been regarded as one of the state’s premier districts, a destination for students seeking quality special education services. However, despite its reputation, the district has faced mounting challenges in meeting the needs of its growing special education population.
Reputation vs. Reality: The Funding Gap in Special Education
Howard County Public Schools (HCPSS) has long been celebrated as one of the state’s crown jewels for public education. Its strong reputation has made it a go-to district for families with children who require special education support. Since 2015, enrollment in the district’s special education programs has steadily increased.
“But I think all too often, school system leadership is banking on a reputation that’s 20 years old,” said Ben Schmitt, president of the Howard County Education Association.
11 News Investigates obtained HCPSS data showing that while the district’s special education budget has grown every year since 2015, it has not kept pace with the rising number of students needing specialized services. In five of the last ten school years, per-pupil special education funding has actually decreased, including recent cuts in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years.
A current district proposal would increase per-pupil special education funding next year by a modest 2%. However, experts and advocates argue that this is not enough to reverse years of financial shortfalls.
HCPSS data obtained last week by 11 News Investigates also shows that of the 116 school-based staff vacancies, an alarming 69% of those openings are in special education. This data highlights what many in the community have already recognized—special education in crisis has left students struggling to access essential services.
‘This Is Unacceptable’: Families Grapple with the Impact of Staffing Shortages
More than a dozen parents and grandparents told 11 News Investigates that the system’s special education program has been a source of frustration, anger, and heartbreak.
“This is unacceptable,” said Debra Gunkel, whose battle with the district began in 2023, the year when Fulton Elementary School decided it wasn’t able to meet her grandson’s needs.
The district agreed to fund Jay’s education at a non-public school. The fifth grader has severe ADHD, anxiety, and a language disorder, requiring an Individualized Education Program (IEP), a legally binding document that outlines specific goals and support services.
However, in November 2023, Jay’s reading teacher quit at the non-public school.
“A couple weeks later, his special educator quit,” Gunkel said. “So, then things started getting out of control.”
Without key staff in place, Jay’s education suffered. Then, in May 2024, Gunkel received a call from the school about an incident in which another student had harmed Jay.
“He came home, and I saw the injuries,” Gunkel said. “I immediately started crying.”
Gunkel filed a police report, which classified the incident as a second-degree assault. She also took Jay to an urgent care facility.
Feeling unsafe and unsupported, she pulled Jay out of the non-public school paid for by the district. HCPSS, unable to find a district placement for Jay, left him without proper schooling for seven months.
“So, he’s not had reading, he’s not had any of his speech, (occupational therapy), nothing,” Gunkel told 11 News Investigates.
Even now, back in an HCPSS school, Jay isn’t receiving all the services mandated in his IEP. Instead of receiving grade-level instruction, the fifth grader is in a third-grade reading class.
“They have him in a third-grade reading class,” Gunkel said. “I don’t feel like it’s the teachers’ fault in the situation right here with the school because they’re so short-staffed, and they were honest with me … I feel bad for the teachers who truly care, and we are fed up.”
The Pay Problem: Special Educators Struggling with Heavy Workloads
“(We have the) most five-star schools, most Blue Ribbon schools, you name it — but our staff aren’t being paid like that,” Schmitt told 11 News Investigates.
Schmitt emphasized that HCPSS Superintendent Bill Barnes’ goal of hiring 149 special education staff by next school year is unrealistic.
“You and I can have the same conversation next year, and those positions aren’t going to be filled,” Schmitt told 11 News Investigates.
A major concern is the lack of financial incentives. Special educators take on heavier caseloads and more complex responsibilities than general education teachers but receive no additional compensation.
“We’ve been fighting for it for years,” Schmitt said.
A Broken System in Need of Reform
Barnes, who became acting superintendent in January 2024 and took over full-time last summer, has watched these issues grow since serving as the district’s chief academic officer in 2017.
“I’m confident this specific organizational structure was designed for a different era,” Barnes said about the district’s special education program. “Things decay in school systems.”
Barnes acknowledged that the district currently offers no monetary incentives for existing staff to transition into special education roles, despite the urgent need.
“It happens at the negotiating table,” Barnes said. “This is my first full season of negotiation. Our board has expressed interest in differentiated compensation packages.”
With a comprehensive review of the district’s special education program underway, Barnes insists changes must be made to recruit and retain special education staff.
“It has to be different,” Barnes said. “And so, that’s why this is so important to me, and why we have to get to the bottom of what is really going on here.”
Educators’ Pleas Ignored for Years
11 News Investigates reviewed dozens of recordings of past Board of Education meetings to understand how long these issues have persisted.
At an October 2023 meeting, one special educator testified:
“Our department has been asking for help for years, and now I’m begging.”
Another educator echoed similar concerns:
“These shortages have led to my teammates missing legally obligated service hours on student IEPs.”
A third educator, through tears, testified:
“We are failing our communities, and most of all, our parents, who have trusted us to take care of our kids and to teach them, when we can’t even do that.”
The same concerns were raised at a November 2021 meeting, where board members openly referred to special education in crisis as “a crisis” and acknowledged that the funding gap had been widening for years.
The Exodus: Where Have the Educators Gone?
While many older Board of Education meeting recordings are no longer available, 11 News Investigates uncovered a November 2019 YouTube video in which four special educators spoke out about the issues.
“This workload has had negative impacts on my health, my marriage, my wellbeing and my desire to continue as a special educator,” one teacher said, crying. “This is my 13th year as a special educator, and it will be my last.”
Special educator Sylvia Hennessie, named Howard County Public Schools Teacher of the Year in 2018-19, testified six months later:
“More often than not this year, I feel like I am failing, and that my environment is not conducive to learning or safe for all students, or even safe for me.”
Her message to the board in 2019 was clear:
“Send a message that teachers matter and that students matter by putting funding in place to provide for additional adults in school buildings now. This is nothing we can wait on. It’s past due.”
Yet, six years later, the problems persist.
“Now, none of them work for the system anymore,” Schmitt said. “They’re all gone.”
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