Calvert County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jack Smith reported seven county public schools have attained impressive maintenance ratings from state officials. Smith shared with the Calvert County Board of Education (BOE) results of Maryland’s 2011-2012 maintenance inspection results. During the 2011 inspection Mutual Elementary School and St. Leonard Elementary School received superior ratings. In 2012, three Calvert schools—Mill Creek Middle, Windy Hill Elementary and Windy Hill Middle—were rated superior. Two schools—the Career and Technology Academy and Sunderland were inspected and rated good.

Smith made the announcement as part of his superintendent’s report at the BOE’s Thursday, April 18 meeting.

According to state information on Maryland’s School Inspection Program, schools are selected for inspections annually based on the facility’s previous inspection date. Schools that failed inspections the previous year are re-inspected.

The ratings system starts with superior being the highest rating attainable, followed by good, adequate, poor and not adequate.

“Not all school systems get this kind of rating,” BOE President Dr. Eugene Karol noted.

Smith credited the staffs at the inspected schools and personnel from Calvert County Public Schools’ (CCPS) Department of School Facilities for the attainment of the high ratings.

Harris Appointed   

The BOE unanimously approved Smith’s appointment of Christina Harris as CCPS’ new director of Special Education Services. Harris replaces Annette Lagana, who is retiring at the end of the current school year. Smith said Harris “is very well qualified” to lead the department. Harris has been serving as one of the department’s supervisors.

“Thank you for this opportunity,” said Harris, who described herself as “an advocate of learning for all students.”

Project Update

Calvert’s Director of School Construction George R. Leah Jr. reported the project to replace Northern High School (NHS) is approaching a significant stage. Leah said 15 architects have worked on responses to CCPS’ request for proposals (RFPs) on the project.  The RFPs are due Wednesday, April 24 with presentations by the individual firms planned for May.

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