The Charles County school system (CCPS) is a public school system run by the publicly-elected Charles County Board of Education and is funded by Charles County, Maryland through taxpayer money allocated by the Charles County Board of Commissioners.

Located south of Washington, D.C., in Charles County, Maryland, The stated mission of CCPS is "to provide an opportunity for all school-aged children to receive an academically challenging, quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares for life, in an environment that is safe and conducive to learning."'Charles County Board of Education' Retrieved August 22, 2012.

History Public education in Charles County started in the late 1860s with the construction of one-room school houses across the county. These schools continued to be built until the 1920s, and were in use until the 1950s. The Charles County Public School system was established in 1916. In 1926, a tornado struck the town of La Plata, destroying the La Plata Elementary School and killing 13 children.

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. +NameSeatElected (most recently)Term endsLength of serviceNotesMaria Navarro, Ed.D*Superintendent of SchoolsJune 2025June 20292nd TermFirst elected by the board in June 2021 and began serving as superintendent on July 1, 2021; Navarro was re-elected for a second term in June 2025 which began on July 1, 2025, taking her tenure as superintendent through June 2029, where the board will vote on a possible third term if Navarro chooses to continue her tenure.Nicole Kreamer**ChairpersonNovember 2022December 20261st TermElected to Chairperson position in January 2026.Samichie Thomas***Vice ChairpersonOctober 2023December 20261st TermChosen by the board to replace Cindy Coulby, who resigned from her position in January 2023. Elected to Vice Chairperson position in January 2026. Thomas will not seek a second term as she is running for county commissioner. Of no relation to Brenda Thomas. Letonya Smalls, Ed.DAt-LargeNovember 2024December 20281st TermWill not seek a second term. Dottery Butler-WashingtonBoard MemberNovember 2022December 20261st TermDavid HancockBoard MemberNovember 2022December 20262nd TermFirst elected in November 2018. In 2025, Hancock announced that he would not seek re-election, but would serve out the remainder of his second term. Hancock was the first of the current board members to announce his departure. Yonelle Moore Lee, Esq.Board MemberNovember 2022December 20261st TermWill not seek a second term. Bridgette PattersonBoard MemberOctober 2025December 20261st TermFilling a vacant seat formerly held by Linda Warren of Commissioner District 4, who resigned on August 1, 2025. Patterson will not seek a second term.Jamila SmithBoard MemberNovember 2022December 20261st TermBrenda ThomasBoard MemberNovember 2022December 20261st TermWill not seek a second term as she is running for county commissioner. Of no relation to Samiche Thomas.Munachi ObinaliStudent MemberJune 2026June 20272nd Term * 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. +Student Members of the Charles County Board of EducationNameSchoolTermNumberCommentsBenjamin YoungLa Plata High School1994-951stTia GripperWestlake High School1995-962ndDanny AlleyNot Listed1996-973rdDesire VoincheNot Listed1997-984thJasmine Hyejung YoonWestlake High School1998-995thAaron MerkiMcDonough High School1999-006thAvery Posey, Jr.Lackey High School2000-017thLindsey AdkissonLa Plata High School2001-038th and 9thServed 2 terms.Smiti NathanThomas Stone High School2003-0410thC. J. CanigliaThomas Stone High School2004-0511thBrian FrazeeThomas Stone High School2005-0612thAndrew Van WoerkomWestlake High School2006-0713thAshin ShahThomas Stone High School2007-0814thDiane BerringerMcDonough High School2008-0915thKyle GrusholtMcDonough High School2009-1016thEmmanuel BakareThomas Stone High School2010-1117thTaylor BrooksWestlake High School2011-1218thAzeezat AdelekeNorth Point High School2012-1319thAmit PatelMcDonough High School2013-1420thGeorgia BensonWestlake High School2014-1521stPearson BensonWestlake High School2015-1622ndBrother of Georgia Benson.Da'Juon WashingtonNorth Point High School2016-1723rdDrew CarterSt. Charles High School2017-1824th1st Student member from St. Charles High School.Krisha PatelWestlake High School2018-1925thDeJuan WoodsThomas Stone High School2019-2026thIan HerdLa Plata High School2020-2227th*1st voting Student member; served 2 terms.Amira AbujumaNorth Point High School2022-2328thTreasure PerkinsThomas Stone High School2023-2429thSam VirkNorth Point High School2024-2530thMunachi ObinaliLa Plata High School2025-2731stReelected in 2026. * 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 See also College of Southern Maryland public community college with campuses across Southern Maryland, including Charles County Southern Maryland Athletic Conference athletic league whose members include Charles County high schools List of school districts in Maryland Notes

References

External links Charles County Public Schools