St. Mary’s County School Officials Propose Phased High School Redistricting Starting In 2026-27

LEONARDTOWN, Md. — St. Mary’s County Public Schools on Feb. 3 presented the Board of Education with the superintendent’s redistricting recommendation to phase in high school redistricting beginning in the 2026-27 school year, while taking no immediate action at the elementary or middle school levels and instead monitoring enrollment trends for the next two years before making decisions that could affect those schools.

The proposal was discussed during a redistricting work session that included a presentation from CannonDesign, followed by the superintendent’s recommendation, which was delivered by Chief Operating Officer Michael Watson and Director of Capital Planning Kimberly Howe. Board members emphasized that CannonDesign’s findings are advisory and that final redistricting decisions rest with the Board of Education.

“The real recommendations are going to come from SMCPS, not from the CannonDesign Group,” St. Mary’s County Board of Education Chair Karen Bailey said.

Current St. Mary’s County Public Schools redistricting information, updates and timelines can be found on the SMCPS redistricting webpage.

A public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. Feb. 18 in the Board of Education meeting room, located at 23160 Moakley St. in Leonardtown, giving residents an opportunity to comment on the superintendent’s recommendation before the board considers final action later this spring.

High schools: Phased Boundary Changes Starting With Current Eighth Graders

Under the superintendent’s recommendation, high school boundary changes would be phased in gradually, beginning with students currently in eighth grade, rather than applying changes to all high school students at once. School system administrators told the board that rising 10th-, 11th- and 12th-graders would remain at their current high schools during the transition.

Watson said the phased approach reflected feedback received during the redistricting community engagement process. “We’ve heard [from] the community, like the rising 10th, 11th and 12th graders of next year, right? They all remain in their same school continuity, friends, classes, etc., for athletic, extracurricular programs,” Watson told the board.

The phased implementation would continue year by year until full adoption, allowing enrollment to be redistributed among Leonardtown High School, Chopticon High School and Great Mills High School while limiting immediate disruption to students already enrolled.

Family Considerations And Student Transfers

During the discussion, board members and administrators addressed how families with students in multiple grade levels could be affected. Watson described scenarios in which transfer requests could be considered to avoid separating siblings, depending on available capacity and board policy.

Board Chair Karen Bailey summarized that goal during the exchange, saying, “Basically, you don’t want to split a family.”

Watson also told the board that student transfers following redistricting would continue to be governed by Board of Education policy, noting that unrestricted transfers could undermine the purpose of redistricting.

STEM Stays At Great Mills High School

Board member Dorothy Andrews asked whether the district’s STEM program would expand to all high schools or remain at Great Mills High School.

Superintendent Scott Smith said the program, which serves nearly 170 students, would remain at Great Mills due to existing facilities and partnerships.

“It would be cost-prohibitive to try to replicate that at all three schools,” Smith said, citing specialized equipment, science labs and partnerships connected to Naval Air Station Patuxent River.

Elementary And Middle Schools: No Action In 2026-27

School officials stated that no elementary or middle school boundaries would change for the 2026-27 school year.

Howe told the board, “The short-term recommendation for the 26-27 school year is no action,” explaining that middle school boundaries need to remain aligned with elementary feeder patterns.

Smith said the district needs additional time to assess enrollment trends.

“The recommendation before you in its final form would not lock you into any decision,” Smith said. “It’s monitoring for the next two years to see whether enrollment goes up and goes down.”

White Marsh Elementary School: Enrollment To Be Monitored, No Closures Now

While CannonDesign presented long-term options that included the possible closure of White Marsh Elementary School, Smith emphasized that no school is closing now and that any future closure would require extensive review and community engagement.

School leaders emphasized that the White Marsh Elementary near-term plan is to monitor enrollment before any action. Smith stressed the seriousness of any closure decision and why the recommendation is to take time.

“We’ve never actively closed a school in the history of St. Mary’s County Public Schools without building a new one,” Smith said. “This would be the first time we ever just closed a school, and it ceases to exist.”

Funding for White Marsh project maintenance and upkeep would primarily be at the county level without help from the state of Maryland, a concern noted directly by Andrews.

Howe said state participation would be difficult under current conditions. “It would be a significant challenge for the state to participate in that project, given the capacity utilization we have at other buildings [where] the students could be incorporated,” she said.

Transportation: New Routes Likely, Multiple Scenarios Outlined

Howe described transportation as a major implementation challenge for redistricting, noting, “Transportation is one of the pieces that’s the most complicated.” She said additional routing work would follow board action and would be developed over the summer.

“Find My School” Tool Highlighted For Address Lookups

Watson also highlighted a new “Find My School” online tool that allows families to enter an address and see current and proposed school assignments if redistricting is approved. District officials said the tool would be made available to accompany the redistricting materials.

Next steps For Redistricting

The Board of Education will hold a public hearing Feb. 18 to receive community input on the superintendent’s redistricting recommendation. A final presentation is scheduled for March 4, with board action expected March 18. District officials said families affected by boundary changes must be notified by April 30.

Fast Facts: How To Comment On SMCPS Redistricting

Public hearing: Feb. 18, 2026, at 6 p.m.

Public hearing location:
Board of Education meeting room
23160 Moakley St.
Leonardtown, MD 20650

Mailed written testimony:
St. Mary’s County Public Schools
Superintendent’s Office
23160 Moakley St., Suite 109
Leonardtown, MD 20650

Emailed written testimony:
boe@smcps.org

Watch the St. Mary’s County Board of Education redistricting work session:

---