Overview
- The Howard County Board of Education voted 6–1 on Nov. 6 to remove an Oakland Mills High School overhaul from the FY2027 plan in favor of more, smaller projects.
- Hundreds of students left class Thursday and rallied at HCPSS headquarters, and community members pressed their case during the evening board meeting’s public comment period.
- School administrators said the demonstration was not approved because of program schedules, so students who participated will receive unexcused absences.
- Students and staff describe unsafe conditions in the 1973 building, citing lead in drinking fountains, asbestos in HVAC systems, mold in materials, and recurring plumbing and climate-control failures.
- Board members indicated the capital list could be revisited before a February submission as funding remains tight, and the community plans a formal capital request to County Executive Calvin Ball.