Charles County Public Schools

Public education in Charles County started in the late 1860s with the construction of one-room school houses across the county. The Charles County Public School system was established in 1916. Schools in Charles County were segregated by race. All-Black schools in the county included the McConchie One-Room School (now an exhibit at the Charles County Fair) and Pomonkey High School, which later became Matthew Henson Middle School. The all-Black Bel Alton High School, which operated from 1938 to 1966, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2025. Schools began to be integrated during the 1966-67 school year after the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education and the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Racial tensions continued with student protests against racial injustice occurring at La Plata High School in 1969. Established in 1903, the first high school in the county was the McDonough Institute, the predecessor to Maurice J. McDonough High School. The McDonough Institute closed in 1927 after the establishment of La Plata High School. The county's first charter school, the Phoenix International School of the Arts, opened in 2023. == Board of Education ==

An eight-member elected Board of Education serves the educational needs and interests of Charles County. The board is made up of 1 at-large member, 8 board members and 1 student member (the Superintendent of Schools is elected/re-elected by the board members and not the public). The board establishes educational and fiscal policy, provides overall direction and governs Charles County Public Schools. Board members serve four-year terms. The Student Board member serves a one-year term, unless otherwise noted. The next election for all Board Members, as well as the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson, is in November 2026, while the next election for the At-Large member is in November 2028. Following legislation passed in the 2021 Maryland General Assembly Regular Session, the Board of Education will consist of 10 members following the 2022 Maryland gubernatorial election. The school board will have 1 at-large member, 2 members from each commissioner district (8 total), and 1 voting student member. The student member gained a vote in all matters except capital and operating budgets, personnel decisions, and a few other minor exclusions. The legislation also restricted board members to serving no more than 3 consecutive terms. * denotes Superintendent of Schools. ** denotes Chairperson of Board of Education. *** denotes Vice Chairperson of Board of Education. == Student Member of the Board ==

The Charles County Board of Education is one of few Boards of Education in the nation to have a voting Student Board member. The Student Member of the board has a vote on all matters except capital and operating budgets, personnel decisions, and a few other minor exclusions. • While Lindsey Adkisson's two terms were counted separately, Ian Herd's were counted together. ==Schools==

High schools • La Plata (La Plata) • Henry E. Lackey (Indian Head) • Maurice J. McDonough (Pomfret) • North Point (Waldorf) • St. Charles (Waldorf) • Thomas Stone (Waldorf) • Westlake (Waldorf) Middle schools • Theodore G. Davis (Waldorf) • Glymont (Potomac Heights) • John Hanson (Waldorf) • Matthew Henson (Pomonkey) • Mattawoman (Waldorf) • Piccowaxen (Newburg) • Milton M. Somers (La Plata) • Benjamin Stoddert (St. Charles) Elementary schools • C. Paul Barnhart (Waldorf) • Berry (Waldorf) • Billingsley (White Plains) • Dr. Gustavus Brown (Waldorf) • Dr. James Craik (Pomfret) • William A. Diggs (Waldorf) • Gale-Bailey (Marbury) • Dr. Thomas L. Higdon (Newburg) • Indian Head (Indian Head) • Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer (Waldorf) • Malcolm (Malcolm) • T.C. Martin (Bryantown) • Mary H. Matula (La Plata) • Arthur Middleton (Waldorf) • Walter J. Mitchell (La Plata) • Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy (Nanjemoy) • Dr. Samuel A. Mudd (Waldorf) • Mary Burgess Neal (Waldorf) • J.C. Parks (Pomonkey) • J.P. Ryon (Waldorf) • Margaret J. Thornton (White Plains) • Eva Turner (St. Charles) • William B. Wade (Waldorf) Charter schools • Phoenix International School of the Arts (La Plata) Other • Special Education Department, Assistive Technology Center • Adult Education Services, External Diploma Program, Adult Services Center • Early Learning Center • F.B. Gwynn Educational Center • Judy Center • Adult Education Services, Lifelong Learning Center • Nanjemoy Creek Environmental Education Center • Robert D. Stethem Educational Center • James E. Richmond Science Center == Notes ==