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.

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
At a Glance 2020-2021
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.





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 WebsiteAll In: Equity and Achievement Framework
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
All Means All
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:
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).
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Board of Education
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.
MCPS Board of Education
- ACI, Sexual Harassment of MCPS Employees - On June 29, 2021
- 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
- EGF-RB, Retention and Disclosure of MCPS Video Records - On May 27, 2021
- 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
Brenda Wolff
President
Karla Silvestre
Vice President
Judith Docca
District 1
Shebra L. Evans
District 4
Jeanette Dixon
At-Large
Patricia B. O'Neill
District 3
Rebecca Smondrowski
District 2
Nick Asante
Student Member
Strategic Key Bodies of Work by Focus Area
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

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
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
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 Workshops | 66 |
Total Number of Parents/Caretakers Who Attended | 1,019 |
Average Attendance | 15.4 |
Number of Workshops Conducted in Other Languages | 8 |
Number of Children Served in Childcare | None (workshops held virtually) |
Number of Parents/Caretakers Who Completed Evaluations | 165 |
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
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
FY16 | 94% |
FY17 | 94% |
FY18 | 96% |
FY19 | 97% |
FY20 | 97% |
FY21 | 91% |
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.
FY16 | 42 |
FY17 | 43 |
FY18 | 39 |
FY19 | 54 |
FY20 | 20 |
FY21 | 10 |
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 connectivity | 1Gbps backbone to 10Gbps backbone |
Network connectivity | 20Gbps to 60Gbps |
Continued Reimagine, Reopen,
Recovery-Plan for the Fall of 2020
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.
Reimagine, Reopen, Recover MCPS Spring 2021:
Recovery of Education 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 ⟶
Operating Budget
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)

Capital Improvements
Budget and Highlights
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
- Neelsville Middle School
- Poolesville High School