ENGAGE PGCPS: 2025-26 Year in Review! (06/15/26)

Top Stories

2025-26 School Year-In-Review!

^{The Momentum Across PGCPS Is Real}

In the 2025–26 school year, Prince George’s County Public Schools moved forward with focus and intention, aligning systemwide around excellence and accountability to build momentum, accelerate student progress, and strengthen outcomes for families.

Stabilizing the Future Through Fiscal Leadership

Facing the largest single-year budget adjustment in district history, we confronted a $150 million structural deficit with discipline, transparency and a focus on students — avoiding teacher layoffs and positioned the system for long-term sustainability.

A Clear Vision: The Five Big Rocks

The district aligned its work around five strategic priorities designed to accelerate achievement and strengthen outcomes for students and families. Focused on mathematics and literacy, attendance, organizational development, college and career readiness, and support for special education and multilingual learners, the “Big Rocks” established a clear, focused roadmap for long-term success.

Mathematics and Literacy
Special Education and Multilingual Learners
Attendance
Organizational Development
College and Career Readiness

These "Big Rocks" established a clear, focused roadmap for long-term success.

Expanding Pathways to College & Career

An expansion of “Dual in the Schools” is bringing tuition-free college coursework directly into every high school through partnerships with Prince George’s Community College and County Government. By removing financial and transportation barriers, more students now have access to college credits, career certifications and expanded pathways to economic mobility.

A new fast-track admissions agreement with Bowie State University offers graduating seniors a more seamless pathway to higher education. The initiative eliminates traditional application barriers and has already generated more than 600 scholarships totaling $1.6 million in student support.

Health Compliance That Recovered Millions

Through an aggressive, multi-pronged districtwide compliance effort, PGCPS reduced immunization noncompliance cases from 4,000 to just 44 — restoring nearly $20 million in critical state funding. The achievement reflects a relentless commitment to operational precision and student-centered accountability.

Toward a Stronger Transportation System

^{Achieved an uprecedented 96% driver fill rate}

Targeted recruitment and operational improvements helped the district drive down bus driver vacancies and achieve an unprecedented 96% driver fill rate while launching innovative “grow-your-own” and non-CDL driver initiatives to strengthen the transportation workforce. The district also rolled out a new bus app, enhancing reliability, transparency and real-time communication for families.

Learn More about PGCPS Transportation Updates

Advancing Transparency & Public Trust

Powerful new public dashboards now provide real-time insight into student growth, graduation trends, chronic absenteeism and staffing vacancies. These tools offer families, staff and stakeholders greater visibility into district performance and progress.

Building the Nation's Greenest & Most Innovative Schools

PGCPS earned national recognition for Blueprint Schools Phase II, reinforcing leadership in innovative school modernization. The district also earned national honor for environmental excellence in indoor air quality, while achieving a record-breaking 164 certified Maryland Green Schools — the highest total of any district in the state.

Accelerating Talent & Staffing Success

PGCPS achieved a 52% reduction in teacher vacancies while expanding innovative recruitment and talent pipeline strategies to place more high-quality educators in classrooms, including cutting SPED teacher vacancies by nearly two-thirds to ensure more educators are directly supporting students with diverse needs.

Learn More about PGCPS Talent & Staffing Success

New Leadership

Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy appointed Dr. Shawn Joseph as superintendent! Dr. Joseph has guided the district as Interim Superintendent since July 2025, and his appointment follows a milestone year focused on budget stabilization, talent acquisition, operational efficiency, and expanding student pathways to ensure long-term sustainability and equity across all school communities.

Learn more + view additional SY25-26 highlights.