Public schools again rank high in Maryland

Congratulations to Worcester County Public Schools, which this week were recognized — again — as one of the top-performing school systems in the state.

That’s based on the annual report card the state issues annually to each Maryland school districts, and this year Worcester’s institutions garnered consistently high marks.

That is certainly true on this end of the county, where all but one school received four out of a possible five stars. Earning four stars based on academic performance, student success and a host of other criteria were Buckingham Elementary, Berlin Intermediate, Showell Elementary, Stephen Decatur Middle and Stephen Decatur High School

The lone exception to this four-star parade was Ocean City Elementary, which, as it happens, received five stars for its performance last year.

As school Superintendent Lou Taylor observed on the report cards’ release by the Maryland Board of Education yesterday, this county’s system consistently outperforms its counterparts across the state.

That doesn’t happen by accident or by virtue of good luck, not when these high performance standards are reported year after year. It’s because of the work that teachers and staff put in to ensure that the children in their charge get their best efforts, with the expectation that the children themselves will respond in kind.

Most everyone understands the main attraction this area offers to families is living near the beach and all the recreational opportunities associated with that.

As parents know, however, other things are important too, maybe even more important. So as great as being close to the beach is, it’s also good for them to know that the schools their children will attend or are attending are pretty great themselves.