St. Mary's County Public Schools
Public school district · St. Mary's County · Maryland · NCES district ID 2400600
St. Mary's County Public Schools spent $17,088 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 78% of the other Maryland districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $18,114). Its 26 schools enrolled 16,905 students in 2024-25; 45.3% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $18,215 per student, up 6.6% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 91% (Maryland: 85.8%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Maryland districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to St. Mary's County Public Schools in enrollment (6,841 to 27,598 students) and St. Mary's County Public Schools itself.
Where the money came from
$331,410,000 in revenue: 45.3% state, 43.4% local and 11.3% federal. Total spending including $19,775,000 of capital outlay was $323,141,000, or $18,473 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$150,077,000 45%
- Local$143,932,000 43%
- Federal$37,401,000 11%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 24 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
17,493 students in 2022-23, 17,223 students in 2023-24, 16,905 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 17,493 | 1031.4 | 17.0 |
| 2023-24 | 17,223 | 1036.4 | 16.6 |
| 2024-25 | 16,905 | 1029.4 | 16.4 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$89,552,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $5,119 per student
St. Mary's County Public Schools booked $89,552,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 1,094 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $81,865 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 45 in 100 Maryland districts with a figure (state median $84,230, 23 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Maryland teacher salary at $75,766 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $70,676,000 | 78.9% |
| Special education | $12,329,000 | 13.8% |
| Vocational | $3,422,000 | 3.8% |
| Other programs | $3,125,000 | 3.5% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,425 in 2018-19, $4,643 in 2019-20, $4,844 in 2020-21, $4,979 in 2021-22, $5,119 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in St. Mary's County Public Schools scored proficient or above: 52% in reading and 33% in math, against 45.1% in reading and 24.6% in math across Maryland. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Maryland, not across states.
| Subject | This district | Maryland | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 52% | 45.1% | 8,823 |
| Math | 33% | 24.6% | 8,717 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
91% of the 1,371 students in St. Mary's County Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 85.8% across Maryland. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Maryland | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 91% | 85.8% |
| Students in the class | 1,371 | 67,829 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
19 elementary schools, 7,969 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evergreen Elementary School | 715 | 16.9 | 15.2% | Not Title I |
| Park Hall Elementary | 569 | 14.9 | 52.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Benjamin Banneker Elementary | 543 | 13.7 | 31.3% | Eligible, no program |
| Chesapeake Charter School | 539 | 14.2 | 19.3% | Not Title I |
| Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary | 516 | 14.9 | 17.1% | Not Title I |
| Leonardtown Elementary | 509 | 16.5 | 26.1% | Not Title I |
| Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary | 479 | 17.7 | 32.6% | Not Title I |
| Green Holly Elementary School | 478 | 12.5 | 52.3% | Schoolwide program |
| George Washington Carver Elementary | 460 | 12.1 | 70.9% | Schoolwide program |
| Piney Point Elementary | 435 | 16.3 | 30.6% | Not Title I |
| Dynard Elementary | 422 | 17.3 | 33.9% | Eligible, no program |
| Hollywood Elementary | 414 | 15.7 | 24.6% | Not Title I |
The other 7 elementary schools
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington Park Elementary | 383 | 12.4 | 69.2% | Schoolwide program |
| Greenview Knolls Elementary | 294 | 12.4 | 47.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Oakville Elementary | 291 | 14.6 | 32.3% | Not Title I |
| Mechanicsville Elementary | 273 | 16.0 | 27.5% | Not Title I |
| Town Creek Elementary | 220 | 13.5 | 50.9% | Eligible, no program |
| White Marsh Elementary | 220 | 14.4 | 30.0% | Not Title I |
| Ridge Elementary | 209 | 13.5 | 47.4% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
4 middle schools, 3,595 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leonardtown Middle | 969 | 17.3 | 20.9% | Not Title I |
| Spring Ridge Middle | 913 | 15.0 | 54.8% | Eligible, no program |
| Margaret Brent Middle | 878 | 16.4 | 31.2% | Not Title I |
| Esperanza Middle | 835 | 15.8 | 34.7% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
3 high schools, 5,341 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leonardtown High | 2,118 | 22.1 | 18.0% | Not Title I |
| Great Mills High | 1,697 | 19.1 | 49.3% | Eligible, no program |
| Chopticon High | 1,526 | 19.4 | 28.5% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact St. Mary's County Public Schools
- Website: smcps.org
- Phone: (301) 475-5511
- Office: 23160 Moakley Street, Leonardtown, MD 20650
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about St. Mary's County Public Schools
- Maryland districts by spending per studentSt. Mary's County Public Schools ranks 19 of 24 Maryland districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($17,088).#19 of 24
- Every school district in MarylandSt. Mary's County Public Schools is the number 12 by size of 25 Maryland districts, with 17,493 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#12 of 25
- Washington County Public SchoolsThe next larger Maryland district: 22,297 students in fall 2022, $17,937 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$17,937
- Calvert County Public SchoolsThe next smaller Maryland district: 15,461 students in fall 2022, $14,606 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$14,606
- Compare St. Mary's County Public Schools with Washington County Public SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Leonardtown High, its largest high school2,118 students in 2024-25, 22.1 per teacher.2,118
- Teacher salary spending across MarylandSt. Mary's County Public Schools spent $81,865 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $84,230); spending, not a salary.$81,865
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about St. Mary's County Public Schools
How many schools and students are in St. Mary's County Public Schools?
26 schools were open in 2024-25 (19 elementary, 4 middle, 3 high), enrolling 16,905 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does St. Mary's County Public Schools spend per student?
$17,088 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Maryland median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $18,114 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $18,215 per student, up 6.6% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does St. Mary's County Public Schools' money come from?
$331,410,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 45.3% state, 43.4% local and 11.3% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in St. Mary's County Public Schools live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,891 of the 20,407 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 9.3%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does St. Mary's County Public Schools spend on teacher salaries?
$89,552,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $5,119 per student. Divided by the 1,094 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $81,865 per teacher, more than 45 in 100 Maryland districts (state median $84,230). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Maryland teacher salary at $75,766 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in St. Mary's County Public Schools do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in St. Mary's County Public Schools scored proficient or above: 52% in reading and 33% in math, against 45.1% in reading and 24.6% in math across Maryland. Maryland's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in St. Mary's County Public Schools?
91% of the 1,371 students in St. Mary's County Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 85.8% across Maryland. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is St. Mary's County Public Schools' NCES district ID?
2400600. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25