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SMCPS reviews Maryland School Report Card; officials say chronic absenteeism skews ratings
Summary
District staff presented the 2025 Maryland School Report Card on Nov. 5, highlighted enrollment (16,905) and a 91.9% attendance rate, and warned that the state measure of chronic absenteeism (students absent 10%+ of days) is a major factor lowering some schools’ star ratings despite stable average-daily-attendance figures.
St. Mary’s County Public Schools officials presented the 2025 Maryland School Report Card to the board on Nov. 5 and urged the public to review detailed school data at mdreportcard.org. The district reported total enrollment of 16,905 and an overall attendance rate of 91.9 percent; statewide release of graduation-rate details has not yet occurred, presenters said.
Chief Academic Officer Katie Khodofrax and Donna Thorstenson, director of accountability and reporting, explained how the state converts indicator points into a percent and then into a five-star rating (75% and above = five stars). They noted some schools fell short of higher star ratings by tenths of a percentage point — Evergreen Elementary, for example, rose to 74.9 percent and missed a five-star threshold by 0.1 percentage point.
The presentation focused on chronic absenteeism — defined by the state as students absent 10 percent or more of school days — and its strong weight in the report-card formula. Presenters and Superintendent Dr. Smith said a school can show average daily attendance near 90.5 percent but still receive low points for chronic absenteeism because the state metric counts students who miss two days per month as chronically absent. Spring Ridge Middle School was cited as an example: average daily attendance ticked up slightly but chronic-absence points remained low under the state calculation.
District staff said they run monthly attendance reports, share lists of students who meet the chronic-absence definition with principals and MTSS or PST teams, and deploy targeted interventions. Examples included small-school efforts such as a morning engagement program that improved attendance for specific students. Staff emphasized schools use the reports to reach out to families and build plans for students who are missing school frequently for reasons that can include illness, suspension, family obligations or medical appointments.
Board members questioned whether the MCAP assessments and the report-card methodology accurately reflect student learning and progress. Officials noted that other measures (PSAT, SAT, AP, dual-enrollment participation) show strong outcomes for many SMCPS students and said statewide accountability measures are under revision. The district pledged to continue monitoring attendance, supporting school-based interventions and communicating context about report-card metrics to the public.
No formal board action was taken; the report was provided as an informational presentation.
