Executive Summary

Talbot County Public Schools (TCPS) is rated Meets on three of the five Blueprint pillars (Teachers and Leaders, More Resources for Students, and Governance and Accountability) and Approaching on two (Early Childhood Education and College and Career Readiness). On governance, the Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) approved all seven components of the 2024 plan on December 19, 2024, which released FY2025 funds.^[1][2] On workforce, teacher retention reached 71.9% in 2025-26, above the 70.6% district target, and teacher vacancies fell to 4.^[1]

In early childhood, TCPS operates universal full-day Pre-K for four-year-olds at all five elementary schools and launched its first mixed-delivery partner, enrolling 12 three-year-olds and 11 four-year-olds in private Pre-K in 2025-2026.^[3][4] Judy Center sites doubled from 2 to 4.^[1] Total Pre-K enrollment was 274 in 2025-2026, down from a peak of 284, and the district reports needing about 100 more slots to reach its mixed-delivery target.^[1]

In academics, grades 3-8 math proficiency has risen every year, from 17.4% in 2021-2022 to 23.2% in 2025-2026, but remains below the 25% threshold. Grades 3-8 ELA proficiency stands at 43.7%.^[1] Chronic absenteeism fell from 29.6% to 25.2% between 2021-2022 and 2024-2025, but remains about 10 points above the SY26 target.^[1][3] Priorities ahead include closing the $2,902 gap to the $60,000 minimum teacher salary due 7/1/26, raising school-level compliance with the 75% minimum funding requirement (1 of 8 schools fully compliant in the FY25 budget analysis), and completing the MTSS redesign.^[1]