Superintendent Annette Wallace said Worcester County Public Schools continues to lead the state in academic performance, announcing that every eligible district school earned a 4- or 5-star ESSA rating from the Maryland State Department of Education. "Worcester County Public Schools continues to lead the state in academic excellence," Wallace said, and the district will share a deeper analysis later in the school year.

The presentation, delivered by Dr. Tom Hamill, explained how star ratings are calculated (schools must earn at least 45 possible points to receive a rating; 75%+ yields 5 stars; 60–74.9% yields 4 stars) and walked through each building's percentage. Hamill reported two high schools — Pocomoke High School (77.5%) and Snow Hill High School (76.9%) — received 5 stars; the district’s middle and elementary schools were awarded 4 stars, with one small school excluded from ratings for insufficient points. "So we have 2 5 star schools at our high school and, all the rest of our schools were 4 stars," Hamill said.

Hamill and Wallace highlighted that student growth percentile (SGP) is a large component of the available points and that small shifts can change a school's star outcome. Hamill noted margins can be narrow: "Pocomoke Middle School is 1 student away from being a 3 star school," illustrating how a single student's outcome can affect a small school's rating. The presentation also showed chronic absenteeism improvements at the high school level and emphasized strategic staffing: Worcester County’s ratio of student-facing adults and per-pupil resource allocation were presented as likely contributors to higher-than-expected outcomes given local poverty levels.

The district compared its scores against statewide peers while controlling for poverty and per-pupil spending. Hamill calculated the statistical odds of some results, concluding they were highly unlikely to be random and indicating consistent outperformance. Superintendent Wallace said the district has begun conversations about creative calendar adjustments to reduce vacation-related chronic absenteeism in some communities.

Board members praised the results and asked for follow-up: Dr. Andes and others requested additional presentations on student growth metrics and multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS). Wallace said staff will return with deeper dives and that an embargoed AIB/MSDE dashboard and executive summary will be shared when allowed. The district also noted interest from national education outlet The 74 in its literacy work.

The board is expected to receive more detailed data and proposals in future meetings, including potential calendar options and a deeper MTSS presentation.