UPDATE: Concerns Related to Criminal Misconduct and Evidence of Violations of Maryland State Law Within Worcester County Public School System

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Updated 10/25/23: Worcester County State’s Attorney Kristin Heiser and Sheriff Matt Crisafulli are disappointed with the Board of Education’s response to law enforcement’s serious concerns about school and student safety. The concerns pertain to criminal misconduct and delinquent acts occurring within Worcester County Public Schools and the failure to notify law enforcement. The Talk of…

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Worcester County Public Schools Announce New Safety Protocols

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Public schools in Worcester County are seeing a boost in school safety efforts as a result of the school system adopting the Standard Response and Reunification Protocols created by the I Love U Guys Foundation (https://iloveuguys.org). The Foundation conducted a full day of training with all school system administration and emergency services partners during WCPS’s…

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9 Worcester County Public Schools to Offer Free Meals for All Students

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Nine schools in the Worcester County public school system will offer free meals to all students beginning with the upcoming school year. Worcester County Public Schools will operate the Community Eligibility Provision, which will give all students at these nine eligible schools access to nutritious meals at no cost. Schools not currently certified in the…

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Worcester County Public Schools Wins $2.6 Million Competitive Stronger Connections Grant  

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Worcester County Public Schools (WCPS) will receive a grant that will provide funding to increase the school system’s capacity to provide students with safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environments. The over $2.6 million in funding is from the competitive Stronger Connections grant program under Title IV, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of…

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VIDEO | Two Berlin Intermediate School Students Charged In Plot To Stab Classmate

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A plot to do violence at Berlin Intermediate School was intercepted this week, and two students are facing charges.According to school officials and Worcester County Sheriff Matt Crisafulli, school resource deputies were told by school faculty members Wednesday about a specific threat made by a 13-year-old girl against a classmate. A preliminary investigation indicates that…

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Worcester Co. Schools Waive 1st-Semester Final Exams For High School Students

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First-semester final exams are waived for students at Worcester County Public Schools high schools. The Board of Education granted that waiver Tuesday afternoon. The rates of students in COVID-19 quarantine and protocol were among the reasons for the decision, as well as concerns apparently raised by teachers. The challenge of scheduling make-up tests for students…

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Expansion Project Underway At Stephen Decatur Middle School

Photo courtesy of Worcester County Public Schools
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Construction is underway on an expansion of Stephen Decatur Middle School in Worcester County. Officials and members of the public gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday. About a dozen classrooms and other facilities are being built. Currently, several portable classroom trailers are in use. The goal is to have the expansion at Stephen Decatur Middle…

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Ribbon Cut on New Showell Elementary School

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The ribbon was cut Friday on the new Showell Elementary School off Route 589. The school has actually been open since September of 2020 – however the coronavirus pandemic delayed the ribbon cutting and celebration of the new school. Today the first available time that officials could safely gather to celebrate the new school. The…

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Vacancy Filled On Worcester County Board of Education

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A law enforcement veteran who serves with the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office has been appointed to the County Board of Education. Nate Passwaters will represent District Six, the northern portion of Worcester County. The opening was created by the passing of former Board of Education President Eric Cropper Senior. “This has been a difficult process…

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Worcester Schools To Urge, But Won’t Require Face Coverings For Now

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Worcester County Public Schools students, teachers and staff will have the option of wearing a mask when classes resume. WCPS will “highly recommend” universal masking, in conjunction with CDC guidance. The school system’s “Responsible Return 2.0” plan will attempt to distance students three feet apart in classrooms, and six feet or more elsewhere in school…

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More Aid Goes To Md. Schools To Serve At-Risk Kids

New Showell Elementary School (photo courtesy of Worcester County Public Schools)
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Some Maryland schools are eligible for more grant support as they continue to address challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Governor Larry Hogan and the State Department of Education said Wednesday that ten programs will receive grants of $1-million dollars to help them meet the needs of at-risk students. The funding comes from the federal…

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Update: Worcester Co. Schools Reopen Buildings Jan. 19th

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Worcester County Public Schools will welcome groups of students back into buildings for in-person instruction next Tuesday January 19th. Teachers and staff are returning today. Students will take part in remote instruction this week in Worcester County Public Schools. “As we begin the transition to Stage Two of our Responsible Return plan, it is more…

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Worcester Co. Schools To Resume Hybrid Instruction

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Worcester County Public Schools plan to resume the school year Monday, January 4th with a return of small targeted groups of students for in-person instruction. Superintendent of Schools Lou Taylor said teachers and staff members have been trained for their specific roles and responsibilities regarding health and safety, and the school system is confident that…

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“Wrapped In Wellness” In A Worcester Co. School

photo courtesy of Worcester County Public Schools
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Santa and his helpers recently distributed hundreds of wellness bags to students of Glen Avenue Elementary School in Worcester County. According to Worcester County Public Schools, the school recently obtained a grant from The Donnie Williams Foundation to provide a digital thermometer for each family in the school. The bags also contain a Gator water…

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New Showell Elementary School Opens Amid Pandemic

New Showell Elementary School (photo courtesy of Worcester County Public Schools)
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The new Showell Elementary School has opened through the pandemic, and although Worcester County Schools have switched to all-virtual instruction temporarily the new building is a point of local pride. It’s nearly twice the size of the old Showell Elementary School, which opened in 1976. It has a number of architectural features designed to promote…

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Worcester Co. Schools To Stay All-Virtual Until Jan. 4th

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Worcester County Public Schools will remain in all-virtual instruction into early 2021. Schools have been conducting remote learning exclusively this week, and were hoping to reopen for in-person instruction after Thanksgiving. Superintendent Lou Taylor said Thursday that COVID metrics and rates of community transmission indicate that it’s safest to keep students learning remotely until January…

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Worcester Co. Schools Set Goal For In-Person Instruction

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Worcester County Public Schools will proceed with its ‘responsible return model’ and a virtual-learning-for-all model as the new school year starts. Governor Larry Hogan’s recent announcement that all Maryland school systems were authorized to safely plan for in-person instruction does not change Worcester County’s plans, but Superintendent Lou Taylor said it affirms them. Taylor said…

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Worcester Co. Schools To Begin With Distance Learning

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Students in Worcester County Public Schools will start the new academic with remote instruction September 8th, as the district hopes to progress in phases toward more in-person instruction. Superintendent of Schools Lou Taylor announced the decision Thursday, joined by members of the Board of Education, the Health Department, Worcester County Commissioners and educators. A model…

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