Wicomico schools: 96% of schools earn 3+ stars; district highlights $140,000+ in grants and staff/student awards
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Summary
District staff told the board that 96% of Wicomico County schools earned 3-star ratings or higher under Maryland’s accountability system; administrators also reported more than $140,000 in grants for student supports and several 'Extra Mile' staff awards and student recognitions.
Wicomico County Public Schools reported positive results from Maryland’s star-rating accountability system and detailed recent grants and recognitions during the board’s Dec. 9 meeting.
Karen (district presenter) explained the state’s star system and said, "65% of the points come directly from achievement measures," noting that other components include school quality indicators such as attendance and survey responses. According to the presentation, 96% of WCPS schools are rated three stars or higher; 13 schools are 3-star and nine are 4-star. Two sites — Willards and the evening high school — did not have enough points to receive a rating this year. The district also reported six schools increased their star rating compared with the prior year.
Superintendent Dr. Mike Stauffer and Dr. Briggs emphasized the district’s statewide standing: WCPS was one of 14 districts that did not receive letters of concern from the Accountability Implementation Board (AIB) and will participate in a forthcoming interim evaluation contracted by the AIB.
The board also heard a summary of grants awarded in November totaling over $140,000. Major awards cited by Dr. Reger include nearly $75,000 from the Maryland State Department of Education (McKinney-Vento) to support students experiencing homelessness with tutoring, transportation assistance and supplies. Other grants support school food-bank programs, arts residencies, CTE competition supports, mental-health services, and student-merch programs for evening high school. Several community foundations and local groups also provided modest awards to support school programs and food insecurity efforts.
Staff and student recognitions included three "Extra Mile" award winners for November — Andrea Miller (Parkside CTE), Dawn Mitchell (Salisbury Middle community school coordinator) and Amber Singleton (athletic trainer) — and student holiday-card artwork selected from three students across elementary, middle and high schools.
What’s next The district encouraged the public to review school-level detail on the Maryland Report Card website and said the AIB’s interim evaluation will involve surveys and an on-site visit.
