Evaluation of Maryland school district websites

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This page captures a snapshot of the information contributed by Sunshine Review users after they've studied the information made available on Maryland school district websites.

See also: School districts websites, state-by-state comparison, to compare what you can find on Maryland' school district websites to what can be found on school district websites in other states.

Reading the chart

In the chart below:

	means that information is included on the government website
	means that the information was not provided on the government website
P	means that information was partially provided

Check the Sunshine Review page about each school district for more detailed information about what information is available on the school district website, along with recommendations SR users have made for positive changes.

• See sample transparency legislation at the Sunshine Standard

Conclusions chart

2012

In 2012, Sunshine Review re-evaluated the 10 largest school districts: Montgomery County Public Schools, Prince George's County Public Schools, Baltimore City Public School System, Baltimore County Public Schools, Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Harford County Public Schools, Howard County Public Schools, Frederick County Public Schools, Carroll County Public Schools, and Charles County Public Schools. These school districts averaged a "B" website transparency grade, or 77%.

	Taxes?	Budget?	Meetings?	Elected officials?	Admin. Officials?	Contracts?	Audits?	Public records?	Academics?	Background checks?
Y	8	10	10	8	10	8	8	3	10	2
P	0	0	0	1	0	2	1	2	0	2
N	2	0	0	1	0	0	1	5	0	6

Comparison chart

School district	Grade	Taxes	Budget	Meetings	Elected Officials	Admin. Officials	Contracts	Audits	Public records	Academics	Background checks
Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Maryland	A+	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Baltimore City Public School System, Maryland	C-	N	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	N	N	Y	N
Baltimore County Public Schools, Maryland	B-	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	P
Carroll County Public Schools, Maryland	B-	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	N
Charles County Public Schools, Maryland	B-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	N	Y	N
Frederick County Public Schools, Maryland	B	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	N
Harford County Public Schools, Maryland	B	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	P
Howard County Public Schools, Maryland	A+	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland	B-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	P	Y	Y	N
Prince George's County Public Schools, Maryland	B	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	N

2010

In 2010, all of Maryland's school districts were evaluated by Sunshine Review. Maryland scored very high on six of the checklist items, earning an average grade of 62 percent, or a "C" transparency grade overall.

	Taxes?	Budget?	Meetings?	Elected officials?	Admin. Officials?	Contracts?	Audits?	Public records?	Academics?	Background checks?
Y	20	20	23	18	20	9	11	8	20	1
P	0	1	1	4	2	12	5	0	1	1
N	4	3	0	2	2	3	8	16	3	22

Comparison chart

Please check each district to see when it was last rated, if there is no time stamp then check the "History" tab to see when it was last edited.

School district	Grade	Taxes	Budget	Meetings	Elected Officials	Admin. Officials	Contracts	Audits	Public records	Academics	Background checks
Allegany County Public Schools, Maryland	B-	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	N
Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Maryland	A+	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Baltimore City Public School System, Maryland	C-	N	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	N	N	Y	N
Baltimore County Public Schools, Maryland	B-	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	P
Calvert County Public Schools, Maryland	B-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	N	Y	N
Caroline County Public Schools, Maryland	D-	N	N	Y	Y	Y	P	N	N	P	N
Carroll County Public Schools, Maryland	B-	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	N
Cecil County Public Schools, Maryland	C	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	N	Y	Y	N
Charles County Public Schools, Maryland	B-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	N	Y	N
Dorchester County Public Schools, Maryland	C	Y	P	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	Y	N
Frederick County Public Schools, Maryland	B	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	N
Garrett County Public Schools, Maryland	D	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	N	N	N	N
Harford County Public Schools, Maryland	B	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	P
Howard County Public Schools, Maryland	A+	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Kent County Public Schools, Maryland	D	P	P	Y	Y	Y	P	P	N	Y	N
Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland	B-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	P	Y	Y	N
Prince George's County Public Schools, Maryland	B	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	N
Queen Anne's County Public Schools, Maryland	B	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	N
Somerset County Public Schools, Maryland	C	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	P	Y	Y	N	N
St. Mary's County Public Schools, Maryland	D	Y	Y	Y	P	P	P	N	N	Y	N
Talbot County Public Schools, Maryland	C-	N	P	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	N	Y	N
Washington County Public Schools, Maryland	B	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	N
Wicomico County Public Schools, Maryland	B-	Y	Y	P	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N
Worcester County Public Schools, Maryland	D	Y	Y	Y	P	P	P	N	N	Y	N

Correcting errors

If you discover an error in this chart or on one of the articles about an Maryland school district, you can correct it immediately or report the error.