Montgomery County Public Schools is a public school district that serves Montgomery County, Maryland. With 204 schools, it is the largest school district in Maryland and the 199th largest in the United States. As of the 2016–2017 school year, the district had 12,673 teachers serving 159,242 students at 204 schools. In 2010, MCPS was awarded a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The county spends approximately half of its annual budget on its public school system. The Montgomery County Public Schools had an approved annual budget of $9.99 billion for the 2018 fiscal year, a 2.6% increase from the 2017 annual budget of $2.46 billion. The Board of Education includes a student member of the board who has full voting rights, except in certain cases. The superintendent of schools is Dr. Jack R. Smith.`HistoryUntil 1860, private schools existed in Montgomery County for those who could afford an education. Montgomery County Public Schools was established in 1860 for white children. The school system got off to a shaky start—the Civil War caused local schools to be disabled, vandalized and closed. Depredations by both Union and Confederate armies caused schools to close in 1862 and they didn't reopen until 1864.In 1872, the Maryland State Assembly appropriated state money so there could be schools for children of color and the county established a segregated school system.In 1892, Rockville High School opened; it later was named Richard Montgomery High School. The high school is the oldest in the county. The first class of 12 seniors graduated in 1897.In the 1900s, the school budget started to see the effects of suburban growth. In 1908, there were 6,483 students and a budget of $76,000. The school system saw even more growth in 1912 after the U.S. Congress passed a "non-resident" law that excluded Montgomery County school children from enrolling in Washington, D.C., schools, which were known for their higher quality. By 1921, the school budget had grown to more than $316,000.
