About Us
Welcome to St. Mary's County Public Schools (SMCPS) where over 94% of our students graduate ready to take on the challenges of college or careers. With 18,067 students, our school system is large enough to offer a wide variety of academic programs and services, yet small enough to maintain an atmosphere of friendliness, helpfulness, and personalized service. Our work is driven by three planning documents. Links to each are below:
We understand that education must engage students and align to their interests and aspirations. To do this, we provide a tailored educational experience to our learners, offering choice of courses and academic pathways. We are particularly proud of our signature academic pathways: the STEM Academy, The Academy of Global International Studies, The National Academy of Finance and our newest addition, the Academy of Visual and Performing Arts. Couple this with our James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center and the possibilities for our students reflect the needs of the 21st Century.
Great things are happening in our school system, check out the 2017 Annual Report to find out even more.
STUDENT FACTS (2017-2018)
| 28 Schools | |
|---|---|
| Elementary | 18 |
| Public Charter | 1 |
| Middle | 4 |
| High | 3 |
| Career & Technology Center | 1 |
| Fairlead Academy | 1 |
| Enrollment | 18,063 |
| White | 64.2% |
| African American | 18.3% |
| Hispanic | 7.1% |
| Asian | <5% |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | <5% |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | <5% |
| Two or More Races | 7.4% |
| Students Receiving Special Services | |
| Title I (Elementary Only) | 27.3% |
| Limited English Proficient | <5% |
| Free/Reduced Meals | 32.25% |
| Special Education | 10.4% |
| Attendance & Graduation | |
| Attendance - Elementary | 94.5% |
| Attendance - Middle | 94.3% |
| Attendance - High | 93.2% |
| Student Mobility (SY15) | |
| Elementary | 17.8% |
| Middle | 14.2% |
| High | 10.4% |
| Our Staff | |
| Professional Staff | 1,459 |
| Classified Staff | 772 |
| Teachers' Average Years of Service | 14.27 |
| Classes taught by highly qualified teachers | 97.6% |
| Average Class Size | |
|---|---|
| Grade Pre-K | 18.5 |
| Grade K | 20.5 |
| Grades 1-2 | 21.5 |
| Grades 3-5 | 22.9 |
| Grades 6-8 | 19.6 |
| Grades 9-12 | 22.3 |
| Educational Pathways Enrollment | |
| Chesapeake Public Charter (K-8) | 416 |
| Fairlead Academy I (9-10) | 137 |
| Fairlead Academy II (11-12) | 99 |
| J.A. Forrest Center (9-12) | 1,029 |
| Academy of Finance (9-12) | 146 |
| Academy of Visual & Performing Arts | 71 |
| Global & International Studies (9-12) | 151 |
| STEM Academies (4-12) | 416 |
| Class of 2016 | |
| Graduation Rate (4-Year Cohort) | 93.7% |
| Dropout Rate | 3.6% |
| Attend a 4-Year College | 35% |
| Attend a 2-Year College | 40.7% |
| Attend a Trade/Technical School | 5.8% |
| Enter the Workforce | 10% |
| Enter the Military | 8.4% |
| Scholarships Offered | $48.6M |
| ELL Program | |
| Approximately 266 students participate in the program for English Language Learners (ELL) | |
| Early Childhood | |
| 165 students participate in Head Start, a federally funded early learning program for income eligible 3 and 4-year-olds. There are 800 Pre-K 4 spaces with 760 spaces for half day and 40 full day spaces. There are 68 half day spaces for Pre-K 3. Full-day kindergarten is currently held at all St. Mary's County public elementary schools. | |