Frequently Asked Questions

Community Survey #1 is being conducted as part of the St. Mary’s County Public Schools Facility Utilization and School Boundary Study to understand the community’s priorities.

To ensure we have ample space for the interactive forums, preregistration online through the Events and Survey portion of the redistricting website is required.  Participants are limited to adults and high school students. 

The survey is open to all St. Mary’s County residents, including parents, students, employees, community members, and other stakeholders. The survey will be available from September 26, 2025, to October 6, 2025.

The survey will be distributed online and made available in English and Spanish. Respondents will self-report demographic information and their relationship to St. Mary’s County Public Schools.

Survey results will assist with planning decisions by highlighting community priorities, identifying underrepresented groups, and ensuring broad and equitable engagement. This data will help shape facility recommendations, communication strategies, and ongoing outreach efforts to align with the needs and voices of the community.

Redistricting helps ensure schools are used efficiently, prevents overcrowding, supports equitable access to programs, and prepares for future growth or changes in enrollment. It’s a normal and necessary part of long-term school system planning.

The Board of Education of St. Mary’s County approves all final boundary decisions, based on recommendations from the Superintendent, community input, and expert analysis from planning consultants.

Not all students will be affected. If your address is within an area proposed for redistricting, you will be notified well in advance. SMCPS will share maps, plans, and options for review before any changes take effect.

We encourage you to participate in the public input process. Feedback is collected through community meetings and surveys (coming soon) and is taken seriously during final planning.

Board Policy JCAA requires that parents/guardians be notified of new school assignments by April 30th of each year.  School boundary changes, if approved, would take effect for the 2026-27 school year.

The Board of Education policy on redistricting is JCAA School Boundary Realignment and can be found here.

The community forums will not be livestreamed, but will be recorded and made available on our Youtube channel.

Contact Form

You can contact our team online using this form: Contact Us.

Public Comment

You can also attend Board of Education meetings and participate in Public Comment.

Public Comment is one of the most important ways for our community to share feedback, raise concerns, and help guide decision-making in both our schools and county government. It provides residents with a structured opportunity to have their voices heard by leaders who make policy and budgetary decisions that affect every student, family, and community member.

Learn how Public Comment allows your voice to be heard.