Outside the Howard County Public Schools building, marching band students performed on the lawn as community members walked in for the school board meeting. Members of the color guard also performed.

Inside, the boardroom was standing room only. The majority of students, parents and community members in the audience held signs pleading with school board members not to eliminate third grade orchestra to close a budget gap.

Other signs urged the board not to reduce positions for elementary gifted and talented classes, school health assistants and float nurses.

Despite the public outcry, many of the community members left disappointed.

The board on Thursday eliminated third grade orchestra and made other difficult cuts before adopting a $1.6 billion budget on a 5-1-1 vote. Vice Chair Linfeng Chen dissented and board member Jacky McCoy abstained.

James Obasiolu, the board’s student representative, had urged the board not to eliminate third grade orchestra. His remarks were met with loud applause.

“We cannot measure the third grade strings program solely in budget line items. We must measure it in transformed lives, in confidence built, in futures reimagined,” Obasiolu said. “I urge this board, I implore our community: do not let budget constraints silence the very programs that give our children wings to soar.”

As the student member, Obasiolu can vote on all issues before the school board except for decisions pertaining to the school budget, personnel or restricted matters.

Third grade orchestra wasn’t the only casualty Thursday night.

The school board restructured elementary gifted and talented staffing by cutting 39 positions.

Board members did modify the number of health assistants and floating nurses positions. The board voted 6- to-1 to approve a budget amendment eliminating 10 health assistant positions — down from the 35 originally targeted — and add one floating nurse position instead of two.

Other items removed from the final budget include the proposed addition of 13 athletic trainers.

This budget year proved a difficult one for the school system, with county leaders struggling to deal with the effects of cutbacks in federal and state funding.

Last month, the County Council voted to provide $816 million to the school system, including a one-time transfer of $14.5 million recommended by County Executive Calvin Ball.

Previously approved reductions include eliminating 21 elementary school media paraeducator positions and 12 high school teacher secretary positions.

The board is saving $1 million by reducing the employee benefit credit — employees who are enrolled in health benefits receive money each pay period to offset out-of-pocket costs, including prescriptions and copays.

In other spending matters, the school board unanimously adopted its fiscal 2026 capital budget, its capital improvement program for fiscal years 2027-31 and the long-range master plan for fiscal years 2026-2035.

The fiscal year begins July 1.