Montgomery County Public Schools

school year 2020-2021

Annual Report to the Community

Dear Community:

On behalf of the Montgomery County Board of Education, we are pleased to present the 2021 Annual Report to the Community.

The mission of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is to provide every student with the academic, creative problem solving, and social-emotional skills to be successful in college and career and thrive in their future. Our goal is to create a school system where academic success is not predictable by race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, language proficiency or disability.

The Annual Report to the Community for the 2020–2021 school year is the story of a school system that, for years, experienced steady growth in enrollment and student achievement. However, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic created a dramatic shift in the enrollment and academic achievement data. Enrollment dropped as families made choices to relocate, home school or enroll their children in private schools. The school system and community quickly had to re-imagine public education due to the pandemic. Virtual learning allowed the school system to continue providing instruction to students. This pivot occurred in the spring of 2020 and continued to evolve as the district stood up the infrastructure to maintain engagement with students and families. The spring of 2021 found the district in a hybrid model, with some students returning to classrooms and others continuing to attend classes from home.

Teachers, school leaders and support professionals found new ways to engage students online and to meet an increasing need for critical student services. Meal services, social and psychological supports, and other important system operations were adjusted for this new reality.

MCPS made investments in virtual and hybrid learning, including new technologies, online platforms and professional development for staff to become proficient. Online services, videos and other virtual programs provided resources to improve mental health and psychological well-being as the community adapted to this new reality. It was not enough to continue the pre-pandemic upward trajectory of academic achievement.

Virtual learning, although allowing some students to thrive, left the majority with learning disruptions. The district saw literacy and mathematics scores much lower than in previous years in the key grades of 2, 5, 8 and 10.

The school year wrapped up with students celebrating in-person graduations at their home schools, and the system began planning for the next school year that would continue to see significant impacts from COVID-19.

During the spring of 2020 and throughout the early summer, stakeholder groups continued to meet and improve upon their work developing the next blended-learning and virtual learning plan that would support a hoped return to school for the fall of 2020.

The plan was designed to provide a flexible and high-quality learning experience for students. However, health metrics were not met, and the new year began in a virtual-only model to ensure safety for students and staff.

On March 1, 2021, students returned to classrooms for in-person learning in phases. MCPS was committed to returning students to school buildings as quickly and safely as possible. This included mandatory face coverings, physical distancing and frequent hand-washing to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

In June, Dr. Monifa B. McKnight was named Acting Superintendent of Schools. On July 1, she became Interim Superintendent, after being appointed to a one-year term lasting until June 30, 2022. She began her tenure with PROSPER, a framework that maintained a Students First approach to operations.

Included in this report to the community are:

  • Highlights from the 2020-2021 school year
  • An at-a-glance look at MCPS demographics
  • Data on student performance, graduation, services and our workforce
  • An All Means All approach to serving students and closing the opportunity gap
  • Stakeholder workgroups and other important work to prepare for a new school year during pandemic conditions
  • Information on our operating and capital budgets

Thank you to the more than 24,000 educators, administrators and staff who helped turn our vision into reality with high-quality instruction, and our mission to create access and opportunity for our students every day. And thank you to our partners, parents and community for your support, input and engagement.

Sincerely,

Brenda Wolff
President
Montgomery County Board of Education

Monifa B. McKnight, Ed.D.
Interim Superintendent of Schools

Mission

Every student will have the academic, creative problem solving, and social emotional skills to be successful in college and career.

Vision

We inspire learning by providing the greatest public education to each and every student.

Core Purpose

Prepare all students to thrive in their future.

Core Values

Learning, Relationships, Respect, Excellence, Equity.

MCPS 2020-2021 School System/Enrollment

Who we are

View Enrollment & Schools

Our School System

MCPS Enrollment 2020-2021

MCPS 2020-2021 Student Demographics

Student Demographics 2020-2021

View 2020-2021 Student Demographics

Student Demographics 2020-2021

MCPS Student Demographics 2020-2021

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Services

View 2020-2021 Services

Services 2020-2021

MCPS Services 2020-2021

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Our Workforce

View Workforce by Type

Our Workforce 2020-2021

MCPS Workforce 2020-2021

2020-2021 Maryland State Department of Education Report Card

2020-2021 MSDE Report Card

Due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, Report Card results for the 2020-2021 school year will not be published.

Visit the Website

MCPS is committed to an All Means All approach for student success. While many of our students achieve at the highest levels, not all have had the access, opportunities and resources needed to meet their full potential. MCPS is committed to addressing disparities in student outcomes by closing gaps in opportunity and achievement for all students, in all classrooms, in all of our schools. The MCPS All In: Equity and Achievement Framework continues to provide the purpose, path and plan to ensure success for all students.

Read the One Page Flyer about the Equity and Achievement Framework to learn more

The mission of Montgomery County Public Schools is to ensure every student has the academic, creative problem solving and social-emotional skills to be successful in college, career and community, regardless of his or her background. While many of our students achieve at the highest levels, not all have had the opportunities, support and resources needed to meet their full potential. MCPS is committed to addressing disparities in student outcomes by closing gaps in opportunity and achievement for all students, in all classrooms, in all of our schools.

Expanding Opportunity

Access precedes achievement. That is why MCPS is committed to providing and expanding access to and increasing instructional time in a variety of programs that are proven to enhance student learning for all students. MCPS has expanded opportunity in three key areas:

Expanded Language and Literacy Enrichment Opportunities

In addition to our traditional language immersion programs, MCPS now has two-way local school immersion programs. These students receive 50 percent of their instruction in English and 50 percent in another target language. MCPS has also expanded access to elementary enrichment with additional seats and universal screenings, and more home school enrichment to ensure all students, regardless of ZIP code, are considered for the program.

Extended Learning Time

To combat summer learning loss over the summer, which mostly affects students in families impacted by poverty, MCPS expanded access and instruction time to existing summer programs (ELO SAIL, ELO STEP and the BELL program) and, in July 2019, MCPS will expand the school year by 30 days at two Title I elementary schools (Roscoe R. Nix and Arcola).

Early Exposure to Learning

MCPS is increasing Pre-K seats and expanding to full-day learning experiences across the county; embedding Science, Engineering, Technology and Math (STEM) opportunities in the elementary core curriculum; and expanding art initiatives in schools with a high number of students impacted by poverty.

Unleashing Potential

It is our responsibility to ensure students leave school with meaningful options for their futures. These options can be credit-bearing college courses, the skills and licenses needed to begin a meaningful career, or for many of our students, both.

Breaking Barriers to Rigorous Coursework and College Assessments

Time after time, we see that when students are challenged and supported, they rise to the occasion. MCPS has expanded access to Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses, with a focus on increasing participation by typically underrepresented student groups. In addition, all MCPS students have access to an assessment (SAT, ACT or Career Certificates) to support post-high school plans.

Career and Community Ready

MCPS has enhanced and expanded its career-ready offerings. Programs range from information technology and engineering to aviation, finance and teaching. Some programs offer a two-year associate degree by the time students graduate from high school, at no cost or at a reduced cost. MCPS is also expanding the Career Readiness Education Academy to serve students who are unlikely to meet all graduation requirements prior to turning 21, and to students with limited or interrupted formal educations.

Support for Students

Our investment in programs like Minority Scholars and Achieving Collegiate Excellence and Success help students who come from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds by providing mentors, coaching and a sense of belonging.

Intentional Teaching Strategies

Successful student learning requires intentional and informed teaching. This requires looking beyond aggregate data from standardized testing and asking these questions:

  • Is each student learning?
  • Are they learning enough?
  • How do we know?
  • If they are not learning, why not?
  • What are we going to do about it?
Data is a flashlight

Data can help educators better understand how the student is learning. This requires looking at multiple measures of a student’s learning to determine where they are making progress and where additional support may be needed. These measures include quizzes, exams and essays at the classroom level, as well as standardized state testing data. Using new, robust data tools, educators can better monitor student performance and implement supports or offer greater challenges to meet student needs.

Culturally Competent Educators

To be as efficient as possible, the human brain takes shortcuts in processing information. Unfortunately, these shortcuts can sometimes unintentionally create bias and lead to stereotyping. For educators, this can lead to expectations for a student based on race, ethnicity or gender, instead of ability. To combat this implicit bias and to help teachers better connect with students of all backgrounds, MCPS has developed mandatory cultural competency training for all educators.

A Highly Qualified, Diverse Workforce

To ensure that our growing diverse student body has access to high-quality teachers from backgrounds as diverse as they are, MCPS has engaged in targeted recruitment to encourage diverse applicants to become educators in our system. We are also creating pathways to develop our diverse pool of support professionals into certified teachers.

Supporting our families

MCPS is committed to providing supports and identifying resources for families through our multilingual parent community coordinators and pupil personnel workers. We are also continuing to invest in language services work to increase access to timely translations and interpretations for families where English is not the primary language.

Among its many responsibilities, the Montgomery County Board of Education has the critical task of developing and revising policies that allow MCPS to fulfill its mission and establishing a budget for the school system. To do this, the Board engages directly with tens of thousands of parents, students, staff and community members through cluster meetings, budget hearings, school visits and more. Learn More ⟶

During the 2020-2021 school year, a total of 8 Board of Education policies and MCPS regulations were either amended, revised or rescinded. Some of the amendments and revisions were technical or non-substantive.

The Board of Education added one new policy, amended four policies, added one new regulation and revised two regulations.

MCPS Board of Education

New Board of Education Policies
  • ACI, Sexual Harassment of MCPS Employees - On June 29, 2021
Amended Board of Education Policies
  • ACA, Nondiscrimination, Equity, and Cultural Proficiency - On June 29, 2021
  • ACF, Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Harassment of Students - On June 29, 2021
  • IQD, Extracurricular Activities - on March 23, 2021
  • JEE, Student Transfers - on October 6, 2020
New MCPS Regulations
  • EGF-RB, Retention and Disclosure of MCPS Video Records - On May 27, 2021
Revised MCPS Regulations
  • JEA-RC, Enrollment and Placement of International and Foreign Students - On March 5, 2021
  • IGP-RA, Comprehensive Health Education Instructional Program - On September 2, 2020

Board of Education announces the conditional appointment of Dr. Monifa B. McKnight as acting/interim superintendent

03/11/2021

During its March 11, 2021, business meeting, the Montgomery County Board of Education approved the appointment of Deputy Superintendent Dr. Monifa B. McKnight as the acting/interim superintendent for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). Effective June 1, 2021, Dr. McKnight will serve as acting superintendent and will fully assume the position of interim superintendent beginning July 1, 2021. The appointment is conditional upon approval by the Maryland State Superintendent of Schools and following contract negotiations with the Board of Education. The appointment will be confirmed at a future Board meeting.

Related


Board Members

Vice President Brenda Wolff

Brenda Wolff
President

Karla Silvestre

Karla Silvestre
Vice President

Judith Docca

Judith Docca
District 1

President Shebra L. Evans

Shebra L. Evans
District 4

Jeanette Dixon

Jeanette Dixon
At-Large

Patricia B. O'Neill

Patricia B. O'Neill
District 3

Rebecca Smondrowski

Rebecca Smondrowski
District 2

Nick Asante, Student Member

Nick Asante
Student Member

Improve
Teaching and Learning

  • Increase opportunities for students to participate in rigorous coursework, programs, and co-curricular activities including in the STEM areas
  • Expand achievement-focused extracurricular programs to all middle schools to increase outcomes and opportunities for students
  • Expand home-school model special education programs
  • Ensure effective mathematics instruction through robust materials, focused support, and approaches to scheduling
Strategic Goals

Focus on
Learning, Accountability, and Results

  • Increase the number of Equal Opportunity Schools
  • Redesign alternative programs, online pathways to graduation and dropout recovery
  • Expand access to enriched and accelerated instruction
  • Increase pathways for career opportunities in Cybersecurity, Public Safety/EMT/Firefighter Academy, Agricultural Science and Aviation
  • Expand access to Maryland Seal of Biliteracy
  • Implement extended-year program at two elementary schools beginning July 2019
  • Launch recovery education program
  • Expand restorative justice initiative
  • Expand the arts initiative program to elementary schools in the Gaithersburg and Germantown areas
  • Implement Finance Park program for all MCPS seventh graders through a partnership with Junior Achievement at Thomas Edison High School of Technology
  • Expand the BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life) summer program for elementary school students
  • Expand the two-way language immersion program to two additional elementary schools
  • Explore ways to provide language programs to all elementary school students
  • Expand the Pre-K program
  • Create and implement a plan to address academic issues for Limited English Proficient (LEP) students in middle and high schools that will lead to graduation from high school
Explore Data Dashboards of Student Progress ⟶

Ongoing Success

AP/IB Course Enrollment
(All High School Students)

Asian White Black or African American Hispanic/Latino Other
# % # % # % # % # %
2021 5621 75.1 9506 67.7 4652 42.5 5393 34.6 1403 61.0
2020 5798 77.0 10326 71.0 5172 47.9 6087 39.0 1446 65.3
2019 5575 76.2 10082 68.9 4985 47.0 5741 38.9 1396 64.8

AP/IB Exam Performance: Exam Scores of 3 or Higher
(All High School Students)

Asian White Black or African American Hispanic/Latino Other
# % # % # % # % # %
2021 7321 76.6 9692 73.4 1473 42.0 1843 50.2 1289 71.3
2020 9079 81.5 13039 79.8 2553 55.7 3086 61.9 1720 78.0
2019 8833 78.4 13214 78.9 2508 48.1 3083 55.0 1696 76.6

IB Exam Performance: Exam Scores of 4 or Higher
(All High School Students)

Asian White Black or African American Hispanic/Latino Other
# % # % # % # % # %
2021 562 92.4 1067 92.9 429 77.3 445 76.5 181 95.3
2020 749 64.7 1111 65.4 445 57.0 538 57.4 147 64.2
2019 674 83.6 995 82.6 341 54.5 433 57.0 141 73.8

PSAT Exam Participation
(Grade 10 Students)

Asian White Black or African American Hispanic/Latino Other
# % # % # % # % # %
2021 No Data
2020 1,866 96.4 3,619 94.3 2,495 89.0 3,109 82.0 516 94.2
2019 1,744 97.2 3,575 95.2 2,462 89.7 3,120 85.4 525 95.6

ACT Exam Participation and Performance
(High School Graduates)

Asian White Black or African American Hispanic/Latino Other
# Mean Score # Mean Score # Mean Score # Mean Score # Mean Score
2021 251 30 861 28 148 22 102 24 78 28
2020 455 29 1514 28 505 21 350 22 148 26
2019 561 27 1676 27 624 20 397 22 150 26

SAT Exam Participation and Performance
(High School Graduates)

Asian White Black or African American Hispanic/Latino Other
# Mean Score # Mean Score # Mean Score # Mean Score # Mean Score
2021 1174 1313 1634 1274 739 1067 511 1061 244 1283
2020 1618 1256 2674 1217 2125 980 2319 945 435 1170
2019 1560 1252 2580 1228 1948 999 1920 971 395 1196

AP Exams Taken
(All High School Students)

Asian White Black or African American Hispanic/Latino Other
# # # # #
2021 9553 13211 3506 3672 1808
2020 11144 16336 4585 4985 2204
2019 11269 16754 5210 5601 2214

IB Exams Taken
(All High School Students)

Asian White Black or African American Hispanic/Latino Other
# # # # #
2021 608 1149 555 582 190
2020 1157 1699 781 938 229
2019 806 1205 626 759 191

Focus on
Human Capital

  • Continue and expand work at the district and school level in MCPS recruitment, hiring and retention efforts
  • Increase and improve pathways for support professionals to become classroom teachers
  • Provide advancement opportunities for other support professionals in other career fields within MCPS

Focus on Human Capital

MCPS Workforce: Demographic Profile

  FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021
Percent Percent Percent Percent Percent Percent
Female 73.90% 73.80% 73.80% 73.7% 74.1% 74.0%
Male 26.10% 26.20% 26.20% 26.3% 25.9% 26%
TOTAL 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
  FY2016 FY2017 FY2018 FY2019 FY2020 FY2021
American Indian or Alaskan Native 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2%
Asian 7.9% 8.0% 8.2% 8.5% 8.8% 8.8%
Black or African American 17.7% 18.0% 18.0% 18.3% 18.1% 18.4%
Hispanic 11.3% 12.0% 12.5% 13.2% 13.8% 14.5%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1%
Two or More 1.3% 1.4% 1.4% 1.4% 1.5% 1.5%
White 61.5% 60.5% 59.6% 58.2% 57.5% 56.4%
TOTAL 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
  FY2016 FY2017 FY2018 FY2019 FY2020 FY2021
Under 20 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.01%
20 - 29 years 12.00% 12.60% 12.70% 12.50% 12.30% 12.20%
30 - 39 years 21.40% 21.90% 22.10% 22.10% 22.10% 22.20%
40 - 49 years 24.90% 24.80% 25.00% 25.40% 25.50% 25.40%
50 - 59 years 26.70% 26.40% 26.00% 25.60% 25.60% 25.90%
60+ years 14.90% 14.40% 14.20% 14.40% 14.40% 14.40%
TOTAL 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

1. Data reflects the number of permanent employees by head count. Temporary and substitute employees are not included.

2. Data was captured on October 15.

Focus on Human Capital

MCPS Workforce: Retention of Teachers

(new hire data based on fiscal year)

Fiscal Year # of Teachers Hired   Total # of Terminations
FY2010 FY2011 FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 FY2015 FY2016 FY2017 FY2018 FY2019 FY2020 FY2021
# % # % # % # % # % # % # % # % # % # % # % # % # %
FY2010 639 31 4.90% 42 6.60% 35 5.50% 24 3.80% 22 3.40% 19 3.00% 16 2.50% 15 2.30% 15 2.30% 18 2.8% 11 1.7% 12 1.9% 260 40.7%
FY2011 492     30 6.10% 23 4.70% 23 4.70% 11 2.20% 39 7.90% 22 4.50% 20 4.10% 14 2.80% 9 1.8% 4 0.8% 5 1.0% 200 40.7%
FY2012 881         61 6.90% 44 5.00% 39 4.40% 62 7.00% 32 3.60% 27 3.10% 22 2.50% 21 2.4% 15 1.7% 21 2.4% 344 39.0%
FY2013 720             76 10.60% 57 7.90% 71 9.90% 44 6.10% 35 4.90% 38 5.30% 19 2.6% 15 2.1% 12 1.7% 367 51.0%
FY2014 978                 79 8.10% 79 8.10% 48 4.90% 45 4.60% 35 3.60% 33 3.4% 19 1.9% 28 2.9% 366 37.4%
FY2015 972                     32 3.30% 62 6.40% 59 6.10% 40 4.10% 53 5.5% 19 2.0% 20 2.1% 285 29.3%
FY2016 720                         54 7.50% 60 8.30% 41 5.70% 30 4.2% 18 2.5% 16 2.2% 219 30.4%
FY2017 1,349                             148 11.00% 84 6.20% 61 4.5% 49 3.6% 60 4.4% 402 29.8%
FY2018 1,074                                 112 10.40% 85 7.9% 47 4.4% 60 5.6% 304 28.3%
FY2019 1,009                                     112 11.1% 64 6.3% 59 5.8% 235 23.3%
FY2020 1,221                                         121 9.9% 97 7.9% 218 17.9%
FY2021 1,093                                             121 9.9% 129 11.8%
Totals 11,148                                                 3,329 29.9%

1. This chart shows the cohort of teachers hired in a fiscal year and (reading across the line) the number from that cohort that terminated employment in subsequent fiscal years.
2. This chart does not include retirements.
3. The count of teachers who were hired during the year, who may have been termed or or maybe on Leave

Focus on
Community Partnerships and Engagement

  • Continue KID Museum partnership
  • Establish partnerships in community career-focused areas
  • Expand College Tracks program to additional high schools
  • Expand Achieving Collegiate Excellence and Success (ACES) program to an additional high school
  • Expand middle and early college program partnership with Montgomery College beginning in 9th grade
Learn More ⟶

Focus on Community Partnerships and Engagement

Central Office Partnerships

216 Partners / 147 Programs
Organization Type Total %
Non-profit Organization 129 24
Educational Institution   89 17
Private Business/Corporation 199 37
Government 88 17
Association  5 1
Other 5 1
Union   1 0
Faith-based 9 2
Foundation 7 1
Total 532 177

Parent Academy data for 2020-2021 Annual Report

Total Number of Workshops66
Total Number of Parents/Caretakers Who Attended1,019
Average Attendance15.4
Number of Workshops Conducted in Other Languages8
Number of Children Served in ChildcareNone (workshops held virtually)
Number of Parents/Caretakers Who Completed Evaluations165

Parent/Caretaker Feedback

Participants were asked to complete an evaluation form at the end of each workshop. The feedback and suggestions are used to determine workshop topics and other program improvement.

The numbers below reflect the number of parents who said they strongly agree or agree.

Attending the workshop was a valuable use of time. 98.8%
I will take what I learned at this workshop and use it at home with my child. 98.8%
The presenter was clear and the information was easy for me to understand. 99.4%

Parent/Guardian Feedback
for Optional Section by Demographic Breakdown

We are interested in knowing the diversity of the parents and guardians participating in parent workshops. The numbers below identify gender, race and ethnicity of the parents/guardians who completed the optional section on the workshop evaluation form.

Female:91.4%
Male:6.7%
Unspecified non-binary:1.8%
Chose not to answer:1.2%*

Race/Ethnicity

American Indian:None
Asian:31%
Black or African American:25.4%
Hispanic/Latino:18.4%*
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander:None
White:42.3%
Two or More Races:1.4%
Chose not to answer:13.9%*

*Calculated from TOTAL number of people completing evaluation

NOTE: The data reflects the impact of the pandemic and a pivot from face-to-face learning to remote learning.

Focus on
Operational Excellence

  • Upgrade, streamline and improve systems for greater efficiency in budgeting, finance and human resources
  • Implement improvement initiatives for business operations in schools
  • Restructure central office support for schools
Learn More ⟶

Focus on Operational Excellence

The bus transportation information featured here reflects pandemic operations in the 2020-2021 school year, in which the school system had fewer bus trips as a result of both hybrid and in-person learning.

Percent of On-time Bus Arrival

FY1694%
FY1794%
FY1896%
FY1997%
FY2097%
FY2191%

Preventable Bus Accidents

All school bus accidents are determined preventable/non-preventable by the MCPS Accident Review Board and State of Maryland guidelines. The Department of Transportation set a target of not more than 45 preventable accidents per year to gauge efforts around safety training, review, and accident mitigation.

FY1642
FY1743
FY1839
FY1954
FY2020
FY2110

Meals Served

10,079,838 meals overall from July 1, 202 – June 30 2021


Office of Technology and Innovation

This information reflects the technology response for the successful pandemic operations during the 2020-2021 school year in which most classes and school operations utilized technology.

Number of Chromebooks distributed and supported:160,000
Number of staff devices distributed and supported:25,000
Number of successful online classes held:5,400,000
Number of MiFi devices distributed to community:15,000
Number of trainings held to support our community:758
Number of community support Issues resolved:62,468

Increase in bandwidth to support on-line, hybrid and in-person instruction:

WAN connectivity1Gbps backbone to 10Gbps backbone
Network connectivity20Gbps to 60Gbps

During the spring of 2020 and throughout the early summer the same development stakeholder groups that had so expertly guided the fast implementation of the Continuity of Learning Plan continued and improved upon their work to develop the next blended-learning and virtual learning plan that would support a hoped return to school for Fall 2020.

The MCPS Fall 2020: Reimagine, Reopen, Recover Guide provided an overview of the Board of Education approved blended learning and virtual-only learning model needed for the beginning of the 2020–2021 school year. MCPS, like other school districts across the nation, had to re-imagine every aspect of its work to provide students with an education that prepares them to thrive in their futures. The plan was designed to provide a flexible and high-quality learning experience for students. During the spring and summer, as stakeholder groups hoped for a return to school in the fall, they continued to hone the blended learning and virtual learning plans. However, health metrics were not met, and the new year began in a virtual-only model to ensure safety for students and staff.

State of Maryland and local health guidance and the development of a Metrics Matrix to guide any return to buildings unfortunately forced a decision to begin the year in a virtual only model to ensure safety for students and staff.

STUDENTS:

  • Connected with teachers daily and/or weekly
  • Participated in live and pre-recorded classroom sessions
  • Received and completed new assignments
  • Received feedback from teachers
  • Attended regularly scheduled check-ins with teacher
  • Completed assignments
  • Contacted teacher with questions about assignments

PARENTS:

  • Reviewed school-specific schedules and guidance from teachers
  • Reviewed districtwide guidance on plans for grading
  • Reviewed MCPS weekly community messages
  • Supported their child(ren) with checking and submitting assignments
  • Contacted their child(ren)’s school(s) to resolve questions

STAFF:

  • Connected with students daily through check-ins and/or classroom session
  • Delivered instruction through live and/or prerecorded classroom sessions
  • Provided individual or group feedback on assignments

Remote Learning Included

  • Direct instruction
  • Independent work for students to complete at a pace that works for them
  • Live teacher support
  • Submission of assignments
  • Remote learning provides both structure and flexibility for students, teachers and families.

Read the full Fall 2020 reopening guide ⟶

The spring 2021 Guide provided an overview of the district’s plans for virtual and in-person learning experiences; extracurricular activities and athletics; operations, safety and logistics. Students began a phased return to a combination of in-person and virtual learning on March 1, 2022. This was the first time in many months that students would be in MCPS school buildings and the experience significantly different from prior to the pandemic as face coverings, physical distancing and frequent hand-washing were required to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Instruction was delivered in four separate ways

Direct Instruction:

  • Students are physically in the building with staff.
  • Primary instruction is face-to-face and in-person model.
  • Can be for all or a portion of the day.

Simultaneous Instruction:

  • Students are physically in the building with staff.
  • The classroom teacher and another staff member support students in-person and virtually at the same time.
  • Requires the assignment of staff to provide equal attention to both virtual and in-person students.

Support instruction:

  • Students are physically in the building with access to school staff to support their learning.
  • Students receive supervision and individualized support to successfully access virtual learning.
  • While students are enrolled and engaged in a virtual class, the support they receive will extend beyond just supervising their learning. This extended support could be, but is not limited to the following:
    • Academic interventions or small group instruction in English Language Arts/Math
    • Direct teaching opportunities that are conducive to the virtual schedule
    • Re-teaching and review of concepts from virtual instruction
    • Structured class discussions or peer-to-peer collaborative learning opportunities
    • Outside of the virtual class periods, there will be opportunities for students to attend recess, lunch, and specials (art, music, physical education)
    • Social-emotional learning or well-being activities

Virtual Only instruction

  • Students are physically at a non-campus setting.
  • Students remain enrolled and engaged in a virtual class.

To see the full Reimagine, Reopen, Recover MCPS Spring 2021: Recovery of Education Guide ⟶

The Montgomery County Board of Education on Thursday (June 11) adopted a $2.76 billion Operating Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021. The budget represents a $74.9 million increase, or a 2.8 percent increase, over the current fiscal year budget. This funding level reflects the County Council’s vote to fund the school district at the minimum level required by the state’s Maintenance of Effort law given the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is less than what the Board of Education requested from the county. The budget will allow Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) to maintain the operational and instructional infrastructure of the school system and to keep its focus on excellence and equity. On June 11, 2019, the Montgomery Board of Education approved the final Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2020.

Learn more about the FY 2021 Operating Budget


Funding Sources

Total Revenue = $2,755,507,059

(Dollars in Millions on chart)

Expenditures

Total Expenditures = $2,755,507,059

(Dollars in Millions on chart)

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is the largest school district in Maryland, with an official 2021–2022 enrollment of 158,232 students. MCPS has seen a steady increase in enrollment since the 2007–2008 school year. The COVID-19 health pandemic impacted our student enrollment, as well as the student enrollment of many public schools across the country. Our enrollment of 158,232 students for the 2021–2022 school year is a one-year decrease of 2,332 students and, while this represents a second year of a decline in student enrollment, the decline is at a slower rate than we experienced from the 2019–2020 school year to the 2020–2021 school year. It is anticipated that in the near future, MCPS will experience pre-COVID-19 health pandemic student enrollment growth again.

At its November 18, 2021, meeting, the Board of Education’s Requested FY 2023 Capital Budget and FY 2023–2028 Capital Improvements Program was approved for Montgomery County Public Schools.


New Schools, Additions, Revitalizations (SF) Opened FY2021

School Type Sq. Ft.
A. Mario Loiederman MS Addition 16,972
Walt Whitman HS Addition 74,500
Takoma Park MS Addition 58,391
Total 149,863

New Construction & Major Capital Projects

Projects during the 2020–2021 school year and completed for the beginning of school in September 2021.

Completed 149,863 square feet of new school construction for major projects

  • Completed three major capital projects for school opening in September 2021:
    • Three addition projects
      • A. Mario Loiederman Middle School
      • Takoma Park Middle School
      • Walt Whitman High School
  • Completed major systemic replacement/improvement projects for school opening in September 2021:
    • Fire Code Safety Upgrades
    • Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Replacement Projects
    • Improved Access to Schools and ADA Compliance Projects
    • Planned Life-Cycle Asset Replacement and Restroom Renovation Projects
    • Relocatable Classroom Placement and Relocation
    • Roof Replacement Projects
    • Security Vestibule Major Improvements/Additions
    • Special Education and Other Program Improvement Projects
    • Technology Modernization
  • Construction is ongoing for nine capital projects
    • Three new schools
      • Clarksburg Elementary School #9
      • Gaithersburg Elementary School #8
      • Charles W. Woodward High School (Reopening)
    • One addition project
      • John F. Kennedy High School
    • Five replacement projects
      • Burnt Mills Elementary School
      • Stonegate Elementary School
      • South Lake Elementary School
      • Woodlin Elementary School
      • Odessa Shannon Middle School
  • Construction is complete or planning is under way for the following Security Vestibules
    • Bannockburn Elementary School
    • Damascus Elementary School
    • DuFief Elementary School
    • Fairland Center
    • Forest Knolls Elementary School
    • Grosvenor Center
    • A. Mario Loiederman Middle School
    • Newport Mill Middle School
    • North Lake Center
    • Northwest High School
    • Radnor Center
    • Rosemary Hills Elementary School
    • Watkins Mill Elementary School
  • Planning/design is under way for nine capital projects
    • Six addition projects
      • Highland View Elementary School
      • Dr. Ronald E. McNair Elementary School
      • William Tyler Page Elementary School
      • Westbrook Elementary School
      • Parkland Middle School
      • Silver Spring International Middle School
    • Two new school projects
      • JoAnn Leleck Elementary School (Grades 3–5)
      • Crown High School
    • One replacement/expansion project
      • Northwood High School
  • Planning/design under way for two Major Capital Projects
    • Neelsville Middle School
    • Poolesville High School