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WCPS reports near-flat enrollment, fewer students eligible under new free/reduced counting rules
Summary
District enrollment was nearly flat year-to-year (K–12 down 114 students); staff reported a 7% drop in free-and-reduced eligibility driven by a state counting change (end of a hold-harmless metric) that may reduce compensatory-education funding under the Maryland Blueprint law.
Washington County Public Schools staff presented the district’s annual enrollment report at the Dec. 9 board meeting, reporting a net K–12 decline of 114 students compared with Sept. 30, 2024. The district’s elementary grades were up by about 43 students, middle schools down 18 and high schools down 144. Presenters said these changes represent a small overall shift (about 0.5%) and described the 20-year enrollment trend as relatively flat.
Facilities and finance staff also reported a roughly 7% decrease in students counted as eligible for free and reduced-price meals compared with the prior year. Presenters cautioned board members that the change reflects a state-level counting adjustment — the removal of a "hold harmless" metric for schools participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (universal free meal program) — rather than a clear demographic shift in need. Under the revised approach required by the Maryland Blueprint law and related state guidance, compensatory education eligibility is being recalculated; MSDE has not yet provided a replacement metric the state had previously promised.
Staff warned the board that, if the new counting method remains in place, districts across the state could see artificially lower compensatory-education numbers used for certain formula-based funding allocations. The district said it is working with MSDE and the governor's office to seek a hold-harmless approach or corrected metric, and staff will provide school-by-school free-and-reduced and CEP (Community Eligibility Provision) lists upon request.
Board members asked several follow-up questions about which schools are in CEP, the effect on Title I and other federal funds (staff said Title I should not be affected by the state counting change because federal calculations use different metrics), and whether a shift in CEP status would affect local budgeting. Staff promised a school-by-school breakdown and continued trend analysis to model impacts for FY 2027 and beyond.
The board did not adopt any immediate changes to food-service policy or district budgets at the meeting; staff will return with more analysis and a list of CEP schools and free/reduced counts.
