The Howard County Board of Education on Tuesday approved the school system’s approximately $1.26 billion operating budget for next school year, setting aside nearly $1 million to put an athletic trainer in every high school.

The school board amended the budget to include six more trainers last week in response to residents’ pleas, said board member Jacky McCoy. The move comes after a Hammond High School parent sued the Howard County Public School System in January, alleging her son became paralyzed because school staff did not provide emergency medical care soon enough when he collapsed at a basketball practice.

The school system currently has seven athletic trainers, who are certified health care professionals, spread among 13 high schools.

“To get six more [trainers] is a challenge, but I see the value and the need,” said McCoy, who motioned to add the additional funds last week. Even one to two more would be better than the current situation, she said.

The inclusion of additional athletic trainers was among nearly 20 budget amendments the board approved last week, putting the school system’s funding request $107.3 million above what the county is required to pay.

“If we’re going to throw everything out there, I’ll throw that out there,” McCoy said of the athletic trainer funding at last week’s meeting.

School board member Jen Mallo asked her colleagues if they could collectively temper expectations that all of their asks will be fulfilled.

“Let’s just say the odds are zero for getting all of it,” Mallo said. “But, we do want our constituents to recognize that we are fighting for our kids the same as you.”

Maryland’s Maintenance of Effort law mandates that funding per pupil be equal to or greater than what was provided in the previous year. Last year, the county government’s approved spending plan included $766 million for the school system’s operating budget, $52 million above what the county was legally required to provide.

School board chair Jolene Mosley said last week “there’s a lot up in the air” surrounding the school system’s spending plan. “We don’t know what our revenues are going to be, what the state is going to provide and what the county is going to provide.”

Mallo added, “not only will we not get a lot of these [asks], we may have to cut other things in May.”

Next month, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball will present his own budget to the County Council, which includes funding for the school system. Then, the County Council will hold a series of public hearings and work sessions before adopting the final county budget.

After that, the school board will make any necessary changes based on the county funding it’s allotted. The board is slated to adopt the final operating budget on May 22.