MCPS Superintendent Monifa McKnight celebrated and recapped the 2022-2023 school year in a community letter.
McKnight congratulated the nearly 12,000 students who graduated this school year. “You have demonstrated resilience, perseverance, and adaptability to change,” she wrote.
McKnight also emphasized progress made in MCPS this year, including in student performance. 92 percent of MCPS schools earned a score of 3 stars or higher in the Maryland Report Card released this spring.
“This remarkable achievement serves as a testament to the quality of education and the unwavering pursuit of excellence within the MCPS community,” the letter reads.
MCPS worked with the Board of Education and the County Council to pass the operating budget for the 2023-2024 school year earlier this month. This budget includes a significant increase in investment to make up for learning disruption during the pandemic, according to McKnight’s letter.
Important work to address student safety and combat racism and hate in schools will continue, McKnight said. Revised safety plans are being crafted to help prevent the use of illegal drugs in school restrooms. The Antiracist System Action Plan was presented to the Board of Education in May to address findings from the Antiracist System Audit.
McKnight highlighted a new regulation allowing students to carry Narcan at school. Narcan can help save lives following opioid overdoses, including fentanyl. Throughout this year, MCPS collaborated with other county entities to combat the growing fentanyl crisis.
She also shared that the 2023-2024 Back to School Fair will be held Aug. 26 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Westfield Wheaton. The 2023-2024 school year will begin Aug. 28.
Read McKnight’s full message here.
