Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is a public school district that serves Montgomery County, Maryland. With 210 schools, it is the largest school district in the state of Maryland. For the 2022–2023 school year, the district has 13,994 teachers, 86.4 percent of whom had a master’s degree or equivalent, serving 160,554 students at its 210 schools. In 2010, MCPS was awarded a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. As of 2022, the county spends approximately half of its annual budget(46%) on its public school system. The Board of Education includes a student member, elected by all secondary students, who has full voting rights, except for negative personnel action. The current SMOB is Arvin Kim. The superintendent of schools is Dr. Monifa McKnight.

History

1800s–1940s

Until 1860, only private schools existed in Montgomery County for those who could afford an education. Montgomery County Public Schools was established in 1860 for white children. The school system got off to a shaky start when the American Civil War, Civil War caused local schools to be disabled, vandalized and closed. Raid (military), Depredations by both Union Army, Union and Confederate States Army, Confederate armies caused schools to close in 1862 and they didn't reopen until 1864. In 1872, the Maryland General Assembly appropriated state money so there could be schools for children of color and the county established a Racial segregation, segregated school system. In 1892, Rockville High School (Maryland), Rockville High School opened. A second Rockville Colored High School opened in 1927, thus prompting the whites only school to change its name to Richard Montgomery High School in order to avoid confusion. The high school is the oldest in the county. The first class of 12 seniors graduated in 1897. Gaithersburg High School, the second high school to serve the county, was established in 1904. In the 1900s, the school budget started to see the effects of suburbanization. In 1908, there were 6,483 students and a budget of . The school system saw even more growth in 1912 after the United States Congress passed a "non-resident" law that excluded Montgomery County school children from enrolling in Washington, D.C., schools, which were known for their higher quality. By 1921, the school budget had grown to more than . The county's first Board of Education was named by legislative enactments in 1817; the first Board consisted of nine men. A woman was appointed to the board in 1920: Mrs. A. Dawson Trumble, who served a five-year term that led to a steady succession of female members. Edwin W. Broome, who was superintendent during 1916–1953, combined One-room school, one-room schoolhouses into multi-room operations at the beginning of his tenure, reducing the number of schools from 108 to 66 by 1949. At that point, school enrollment was over 22,000. When Broome took the job, there were five high schools, all in the northern portion of the county. He built two secondary schools for Silver Spring, Maryland, Silver Spring and two for Bethesda, Maryland, Bethesda, and also pushed high schools to add the Twelfth grade, 12th grade.

1950s–present

In the early 1950s, elementary students of color attended one of four elementary schoolsLinden, Ken-Gar, Takoma Park, Maryland, Takoma Park, and Maryland Route 190, River Roadall of which were considered substandard. Older students of color attended Lincoln Junior High School and George Washington Carver High School (Rockville, Maryland), George Washington Carver High School in Rockville, Maryland, Rockville. Montgomery County was the one of the first seven counties in Maryland to start to desegregation, desegregate its public schools, which it began in September 1955, following the ''Brown v. Board of Education'' ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States that ordered the desegregation of all schools nationwide. Montgomery County completed the School integration in the United States, integration of its schools in 1960–1961. In 1961, the school system had 85,000 students and a budget, having become the largest system in the Washington metropolitan area, Washington suburbs. Prior to 1961, separate schools were maintained for black children. At that time, students from Rockville's George Washington Carver High School were rezoned to the previously all-white schools across the county. MCPS saw enrollment numbers peak in 1972 when they reached 127,912. However, as a result of the that followed, enrollement decrease the next ten years, hitting a low of 91,030 in 1983. This prompted the closure of 60 schools. However, with more than 96,000 students and 13,000 staff members in 155 schools in 1986, the school system was still one of the 20 largest in the nation. Enrollment was back over 100,000 by 1990. Dr. Paul L. Vance became the county's first black superintendent in 1991, when there were 107,000 students and 174 schools. When he left in 1999, MCPS had 129,000 students in 185 schools. Over the next 10 years, enrollment grew to more than 150,000. In 2014, the Board modified the school calendar to remove all references to the Christianity, Christian and Jews, Jewish religious holidays of Christmas, Easter, Yom Kippur, and Rosh Hashanah. The amendment was in response to a campaign by the initiative “Equality for Eid” (E4E), which sought for Montgomery County Public School closures on the Islam, Muslim holidays of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. The amendment received some media attention. Criticism of the amendment came from a variety of sources, including Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett and United States House of Representatives, Congressman John Delaney (Maryland politician), John Delaney. For the 2022–2023 school year, the district has 210 schools and an enrollment of 160,554 students.

Governance and budget

MCPS, which covers the entire county as its school district, is governed by a Board of Education that provides leadership and oversight for MCPS by setting goals, establishing policies, and committing resources to benefit its student population. The board’s work is guided by its vision, mission, core purpose, and core values. In 1977 the Maryland General Assembly amended Section 3-901 of the Education Article of the Annotated Code of the Public General Laws of Maryland to create a student member of the board of education with a one-year term. Since 1978, the eight-member school board has included a seat for this student board member. Between 1978 and 1982 a small representative assembly of students selected the student member. David Naimon, the first student member of the board, served during the 1978–1979 school year. Traci Williams, who served during the 1980–1981 school year, was the first African American to serve as student member. Williams passed away in December 2008. Shortly after, the MCPS board released a declaration recognizing her impact on the county and her legacy, as well as sending condolences to her family. Since 1982, all middle- and high-school (secondary) students enrolled in the public school system directly elected student board members. Kurt Hirsch, the first student member directly elected by secondary students, served during the 1982–1983 school year. During the 1989 session of the Maryland General Assembly, Section 3-901 was again amended and established a Limited voting, limited vote for the student member. In 1995 Charles A. McCullough II, Charles McCullough was the first African American to be directly elected as student member of the board, serving during the 1995–1996 school year. Since 2016, the student member has full voting rights, except for negative personnel. The student member of the board can vote on matters related to collective bargaining, capital and operating budgets, and school closings, re–openings and boundaries. The student member of the board cannot vote on negative personnel actions. The student member of the board is not paid but receives a $5,000 college scholarship, student service learning hours, and one honors-level social studies credit. Bethesda bus depot, Potomac (20100325-DSC01295)

Bethesda bus depot, Potomac (20100325-DSC01295)

The Board of Education student member for the 2022–2023 school year is Arvin Kim, a junior at Walt Whitman High School (Maryland), Walt Whitman High School. Kim was elected with 58.7 percent of the vote, with nearly 56,000 students voting. MCPS funding comes mostly from Montgomery County (66%) and the State of Maryland (27%), with additional funds from federal government grants (3%), enterprise funds (3%), and other sources (1%). MCPS operates under the jurisdiction of an elected Board of Education. Its current members are:

Students

The MCPS student population has continued to grow over the years. The district saw a record enrollment of 161,554 students at the start of the 2022–2023 school year. MCPS serves a diverse student body, with 44.8% Hispanic, 14.4% White, 21.8% Black, 13.9% Asian, and 5.1% two or more races. Graduates from the class of 2018 earned $364 million in college scholarships, an increase of more than $14 million over the previous year. The class of 2017 outperformed their peers in the state of Maryland, and the nation as a whole, on Advanced Placement (AP) exams, based on AP Cohort Results released by the College Board. In 2017, more than 7,000 MCPS graduates (66%) took one or more AP exams. The percentage of students receiving a college-ready score of 3 or higher on at least one exam rose to 52%; this was higher than the 31% of the public school graduates in Maryland and 23% of the national graduates. The total number of AP test taken declined from 41,048 in 2019 to 31,750 in 2021. The number of passing scores saw an increase from 71.5% in 2019 to 75.1% in 2020, however they delined again in 2021 to 68.1%.

Academics

MCPS has established certain criteria for students to graduate high school. Students must achieve 22 credits to graduate, with each semester course worth 0.5 credits. The necessary credits include, among others, the following requirements for the class of 2025:https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/curriculum/0212.21_GraduationAtAGlance_Classof2025%20(1).pdf * 4 credits — English. * 4 credits — Math: At least 1 Algebra and 1 Geometry. * 3 credits — Science: At least 1 Life science (e.g., Biology), and 1 Physical science. * 3 credits — Social studies: 1 credit each of Government, U.S. history, and World history. * 1 credit — Technology: Students can choose among Computer Science, Engineering, or other technology-related courses. * Other credit requirements include: Physical Education, Health Education, Fine arts, and Electives. In addition to these credit requirements, other requirements for graduation include: four years of enrollment, student service learning, and assessments. During the 2017–2018 school year, the district launched data dashboards to focus on learning, accountability and results. Continuous monitoring of students' progress ensures that students have timely support, focused interventions, acceleration, and enrichment. Readiness data helps the district to monitor students' progress and plan accordingly. The district has placed an emphasis on preparing students for both college and career. In April 2018, the College Board and Project Lead the Way awarded more than 3,000 students in the U.S. for their accomplishments in the 2016–2017 school year. Compared to other school districts, MCPS had the most students who'd earned the Project Lead the Way#AP + PLTW, AP + PLTW Student Achievements, followed by districts in Illinois and Texas, and its neighboring Howard County Public School System in Maryland. Wheaton High School, which focuses on project-based learning, had the second-most students with the achievement, behind Stevenson High School (Lincolnshire, Illinois), Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Illinois. Every high school offers courses linked to a variety of careers. A program implemented at Magruder High School during the 2018–2019 school year allows students to get a head start on careers in aviation. In May 2018, students from Northwest High School (Maryland), Northwest High School were the first in the district to graduate with a two-year degree in general engineering from Montgomery College as well as a high school diploma. In May 2018, five Northwood High School (Montgomery County, Maryland), Northwood High School students were the first MCPS students to complete the Middle College Program at their school, which allowed them to earn an associate degree from Montgomery College as well as a high school diploma. MCPS is one of the few school districts in the nation that offers comprehensive services at the elementary, middle, and high school level for twice exceptional students. Twice exceptional students have a unique profile of significant strengths and weaknessesthey are gifted and talented and also meet the criteria for an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a Section 504 plan. Twice exceptional students access accelerated and enriched instruction with appropriate supports and services at their local school, within a magnet/choice program, or within a special education discrete service. Language immersion programs are offered at several elementary and middle schools.

Schools

MCPS has 210 schools, comprising 136 elementary schools, 40 middle schools, 25 high schools, 5 special schools, 1 career and technology center, 1 early childhood learning center and 1 alternative education program. MCPS publishes school data annually. Its “Schools at a Glance” document provides information about enrollment, staffing, facilities, programs, outcome measures, and personnel costs for each school. The district has 39 National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, National Blue Ribbon Schools, a designation that recognizes public and private schools based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. The school system piloted an extended school years at two elementary schoolsArcola and Roscoe Nix elementary schoolsduring the 2018–2019 school year. The plan aims to help economically disadvantaged students, who lose the most ground during long summer breaks. As of 2022, the program is still in effect at these schools. School began July 6th for the 2022-2023 school year, giving students and additional 30 days of school. The county says this exteneded scheule provides students with interactive learning and social/emotional growth.

High schools

Middle schools

Argyle Middle School

John T. Baker Middle School

Benjamin Banneker Middle School

Briggs Chaney Middle School

Cabin John Middle School

Roberto Clemente Middle School

Eastern Middle School

William H. Farquhar Middle School

Forest Oak Middle School

Robert Frost Middle School

Gaithersburg Middle School

Herbert Hoover Middle School

Francis Scott Key Middle School

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Middle School

Kingsview Middle School
* Leland Junior High School (former) * Lakelands Park Middle School
website

A. Mario Loiderman Middle School

Montgomery Village Middle School

Neelsville Middle School

Newport Mill Middle School

North Bethesda Middle School

Parkland Middle School

Rosa M. Parks Middle School

John Poole Middle School

Thomas W. Pyle Middle School

Redland Middle School

Ridgeview Middle School

Rocky Hill Middle School

Shady Grove Middle School

Odessa Shannon Middle School

Silver Creek Middle School

Silver Spring International Middle School

Sligo Middle School

Takoma Park Middle School

Tilden Middle School

Hallie Wells Middle School

Julius West Middle School

Westland Middle School

White Oak Middle School

Earle B. Wood Middle School

Elementary schools

Notable alumni

The school system has several prominent graduates or former attendees, including: * Journalist Brian Stelter * Journalist Carl Bernstein * Journalist Connie Chung * Baseball Player Curtis Pride * Actor Daniel Stern (actor), Daniel Stern * TV Anchor Dan Hellie, Dan Heillie * Television and Film Writer Darren Star * Football Player Darnell Dockett, Darrell Docket * Comedian Dave Chappelle * Musician Dean Felber * Biologist Frederick Yeh * Media Personality Giuliana Rancic * Actress Goldie Hawn * Olympic gold medalist Helen Maroulis * Football Player Irvin Smith * Journalist John Harwood (journalist), John Harwood * Singer Joan Jett * Actor John Michael Higgins, John Micheal Higgins * Actor Jonathan Banks, Johnathan Banks * Rapper Logic (rapper), Logic * Comedian Lewis Black * Musician Mark Bryan * Media Personality Mia Khalifa * Actor Michael Ealy * 33rd and 35th President of Chile Michelle Bachelet * Creator of TV show Steven Universe, Rebecca Sugar * TV anchor Scott Van Pelt * Entrepreneur Shervin Pishevar * Actor Sylvester Stallone * Director/screenwriter Spike Jonze * Actor Sean Whalen * Actor Thomas Jane * Singer Tori Amos * Rapper Wale (rapper), Wale

References

External links

*
MCPS
at ''U.S. News & World Report''′s Best High Schools
MCPS
Maps and Geographic Information Systems *
Reviews of Montgomery County Public Schools Special Education Programs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland Education in Montgomery County, Maryland Public schools in Montgomery County, Maryland School districts in Maryland 1860 establishments in Maryland School districts established in 1860