About Us

About Us Welcome to St. Mary's County Public Schools (SMCPS). With approximately 16,892 students, our school system is large enough to offer a wide variety of academic programs and services, and small enough to maintain an atmosphere of friendliness, helpfulness, and personalized service.


    In St. Mary’s County Public Schools, we not only have high expectation for our students, but we also have high expectations for ourselves. We realize our acts must be aligned to provide the very best service for each child and to ensure academic excellence for all students. Toward this effort, we have implemented a 15 point plan that aligns our work. These 15 points include: Improving student achievement for ALL students -- Working to eliminate the achievement gap for all identified groups of students and ensure that all subgroups meet Annual Measurable Objectives (AMO); teaching every child to read, on-grade level, by 3rd grade; monitoring student progress (weekly, monthly, and quarterly) in reading and mathematics; aligning curriculum, instruction, and assessments with the Voluntary State Curriculum (VSC) with an emphasis on teaching for learning with high expectations for ALL students; and developing intervention plans for students not meeting state standard and not performing on grade level in reading and math, and ensure that no schools are placed in school improvement status as defined by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE).


    As a school system, we are focused on student achievement and assuring that our students meet rigorous standards. Your child will benefit from the recent successes of SMCPS. These include:

The 2007 High School Assessment (HSA) scores are the highest ever attained by SMCPS high school students tested. Passing scores for Algebra/Data Analysis rose from 70.2% in 2006 to 83% in 2007, Biology scores rose from 80.1% to 86.5%, and English scores rose from 67.5% to 79%.  As a result of resequencing the Government course from a 9th grade class to a 10th grade class, only students who failed the Government portion of the HSA in 2006 as 9th graders retook the Government portion in 2007 as 10th graders.
Students in the graduating class of 2007 beat state and national averages on the reading and math sections of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) with average scores of 505 in reading, 517 in math.  Students tied with the national average in writing with an average score of 494 (2 points short of the state average of 496).
More than 80% of SMCPS elementary students tested scored "Proficient" on the reading and math portions of the Maryland State Assessment (MSA). 
Full-Day Kindergarten in all elementary schools one year ahead of the state mandate for 2007.
"Highly Qualified" teacher rate of 94.2%. 
    We invite you to visit our schools in your attendance area in order to become acquainted with the principals and staff so that you can see, for yourself, the outstanding opportunities available for your child. Please call the school in advance so that the principal can set aside time to visit with you and answer your questions. Once you become acquainted with our schools, we are sure you will join the ranks of students, parents, staff, and community members who enthusiastically support St. Mary's County Public Schools in our efforts to create a total community committed to learning and safety for ALL children. By "Working Hard and Being Nice," we have an opportunity to provide an optimal teaching and learning environment that is second to none. We look forward to working with you as we "Chart a Course to Excellence."