About

The Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) mission is to inspire, innovate & motivate. FCPS serves over 48,000 students and an estimated residential population around 291,000 in 12 municipalities spread across 667 square miles. FCPS provides a diverse and inclusive learning environment, where excellence in college and career preparedness are paramount. The commitment to our community is to provide exceptional education and equity for "every child, every day".

Frederick County students consistently outpace their state and national peers in academic achievement measures. Students in our class of 2024 received $88 million in scholarship offers*. FCPS’s Class of 2024graduation rate was 94.3% (compared to Maryland's 87.6% average), while our dropout rate was 3.0%(compared with the state's 8.3% average). We balance top-rate academics with the personal care and individual attention you would expect in a small-town community. Frederick County's investment in public education is an investment in our future. Our operating budget for FY2025 budget of $940,773,379 with nearly 46% of our funding coming from the local county government.

*All scholarship data is self-reported

Together, FCPS and our community are working to realize the increased academic achievement of ALL students, closing the gap between the highest and lowest performing students while providing an equitable learning environment for all.

FCPS Fast Facts

Data for number of schools, student numbers and demographics, and benefited staffing totals.

Notable Numbers

  • FCPS achievements exceed Maryland averages with scores that consistently surpass national averages on the College Board SAT. Returning to pre-pandemic participation levels, our mean 2024 SAT score was 1012, compared to Maryland public schools at 998 and US public schools at 1024.
  • On a 1–5-star scale, 73% of our 63 state-rated schools achieved 4 or 5 stars (2023-2024). Across Maryland, only 41.2% of schools earned 4 stars or 5 stars.
  • FCPS’s Class of 2024 graduation rate was a high 94.3% (compared to Maryland's 87.6% average), while our dropout rate was 3.0% (compared with the state's 8.3%).
  • Students in our class of 2024 received $88 million in scholarship offers.

*All scholarship data is self-reported

Students & Staff

  • September 30, 2024 enrollment was over 48,000 students.
  • Based on official September 30, 2024 enrollment data, the FCPS student demographics are: 49% White; 21% Hispanic/Latino; 14% Black or African American; 8% Asian; 7% Multiracial; less than 1% American Indian/Alaskan Native and Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian.
  • In the 2024-2025 school year, over 18,000 students (32%) are eligible for free or reduced-price meals, about 5,900 (12%) receive Special Education services, and English is not the primary language for over 3,800 (8%).
  • Of the over 7,000 employees, more than 2,900 are teachers, over 1400 work in Special Education, more than 200 are counselors or psychologists and over 300 are paraprofessionals. The remainder are bus drivers, food service workers, custodians, media specialists, office staff and other central office support and administrative staff.