SMCPS Looks To Redistrict
Process To Begin Soon
For St. Mary’s County the FY26 budget process has been tough, but the process is nearing an end and some final decisions. County Commissioners held a public forum on April 22nd, where educators from St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS) showed up to advocate for the additional $5.3M requested by the Board of Education (BOE) for their budget this year.
At the BOE’s April 23rd meeting, Superintendent Scott Smith emphasized key points to juxtapose how county government has grown in comparison to the school system over the last few years. The county’s FY25 budget saw an $18.6 million increase proposed for overall government spending, and staffing across departments has grown significantly since 2020 — 164 new county government positions (a 35% increase), 52.75 more in the Sheriff’s Office (15% increase), and 90 in the school system (4%).
While county employees, including those in the Sheriff’s Office, have received a 7.16% compensation increase, the school system faces the opposite reality. The BOE is now preparing for additional cuts to balance a projected $6.4 million shortfall — an amount equal to eliminating 90 positions.
“We’re going to have some very difficult decisions to make,” Smith stated. “I do need the community to hear — there is no way we can cut 90 positions. You have to be methodical about right-sizing an organization to the available revenue, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
That methodical approach includes a deep look at redistricting, which hasn’t been undertaken comprehensively in St. Mary’s County since the late 1990s. Now, with growth slowing and school enrollment either declining or stagnant, the BOE will turn its attention to engaging in this process.
Policy JCAA governs the redistricting process. Superintendent Smith is required to annually “report to the BOE any need for redistricting.” The redistricting process timeline starts in June when enrollment projections are analyzed and a recommendation for redistricting is created. A July assessment of school capacities and utilization, with and without relocatables, is used by staff to develop proposals. By October, the latest school year enrollment data is analyzed to confirm a need for redistricting. Then a School Bound Advisory Committee is created and presents proposals to the Superintendent and BOE in November. The BOE holds a public hearing on the redistricting proposal in January, with final BOE approval in February and notification to the community starting in March.
Charts showing current flow of students. Efforts will focus on sending students to the same school, rather than splitting—see Evergreen, Banneker, Green Holly, Oakville, Piney Point Elementary Schools.
Regulation JCAA-R details the responsibilities of the School Boundary Advisory Committee (SBAC), charged with advising the Superintendent on the redistricting recommendations. All proposals are developed by SMCPS administrative staff “incorporating facility, transportation and educational staff members.” Proposals are forwarded to the SBAC for review and comment. The BOE uses the SBAC’s feedback when deciding which ones to forward for public hearing. SBAC members are one site administrator and one citizen representative (a member of the PTA or PTO) from each school. This policy will be revised in May 2025, which will likely change these details ahead of the coming redistricting process.
Current redistricting considerations include:
School consolidation or closures to address small schools with high operational costs.
Reductions in staffing: administrators, teachers, specialists, support services, and more.
Class size increases and fewer program (Pre-K, Academies, Sports, etc) offerings to balance budgets.
Reduced operating and capital expenses, including utilities, maintenance, and future construction.
Savings from bus route consolidation and fewer facility needs.
Potentially not accepting waivers for kids to attend schools based on daycare location, or children of school staff.
The redistricting plan could also unify school communities. For example:
All of Evergreen Elementary may shift to Esperanza Middle School, avoiding splits between Esperanza and Leonardtown Middle.
Banneker Elementary students may all feed into Margaret Brent Middle and then into Chopticon High, simplifying transitions.
Leonardtown High School, currently at 2,200 students, could see relief as Chopticon and Great Mills average closer to 1,500 students.
Redistricting decisions won't just affect class rosters — they’ll ripple through families, traffic patterns, and staff routines. Shifts in start times could lead to kids of all school levels sharing a bus, and restructured bus routes and school days. School start times, for example, vary widely now:
Elementary start times: 8:00, 8:25, 8:35, 8:45, and 9:00 a.m.
Middle schools start at 7:20 or 7:45 a.m.
High schools all begin at 8:00 a.m.
Once certainty, though, is that rising seniors will finish out their education at their current high school.
From the SMCPS Presentation.
The district may contract with a consultant — with a projected cost of up to $300,000 — to guide the planning, analysis, and engagement required. If a school is closed it could be repurposed for another use by the school system. Unused school buildings revert to county government unless sold, and any outstanding state-funded capital construction bonds could require partial payback.
