Prince George's County Public Schools
Prince George's County Public Schools
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Prince George's County Public Schools

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Prince George's County Public Schools

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Prince George's County Public Schools

Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) is a public school district that serves Prince George's County, Maryland. During the 2024–25 academic year, the district enrolled around 133,000 students and operated over 200 schools. PGCPS is the second-largest school district in Maryland, the third-largest district in the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area, the 18th-largest in the United States, and the nation's largest school district with a majority-black student population.

Headquartered in Upper Marlboro, PGCPS is the county's sole school district. The Prince George's County Board of Education (BoE) comprises 14 members who oversee the Superintendent.

Dr. Shawn Joseph currently serves as interim Superintendent for the 2025–2026 school year.

In 1899, Laurel High was founded as the first high school in Prince George's County. Situated at Montgomery and Eighth Streets in Downtown Laurel, it began with nine teachers and 59 students, with the 1900 graduating class being all women. The school's roof served as a Civil Defense aircraft spotting station during World War II. By 1965, the school relocated to a more expansive campus. The original building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, now functions as a community center.

In 1952, the school district permitted black students to attend grades 1–12. Before this, black students in the county were limited to the 11th grade, while only white students could progress to the 12th grade.

PGCPS ran three high schools exclusively for black students before desegregation: Marlboro Colored High (now Frederick Douglass High School) in Upper Marlboro, Lakeland High School in College Park and Fairmont Heights High School.

In 1974, Prince George's County became the nation's largest school district mandated to implement a busing plan to address segregation. Despite the county's over 80% white demographic at the time, specific communities near Washington, D.C. had denser black populations. Although school boundaries were based on communities, the NAACP contended they mirrored segregated housing patterns. Consequently, a federal court mandated a school busing plan. A 1974 Gallup poll indicated that 75% of the county opposed forced busing, with just 32% of black respondents in favor.

The court-mandated busing commenced abruptly mid-school year, excluding final-year high school students. This swift transition disturbed regular school activities and affected family life due to altered schedules, transportation challenges, and disrupted extracurriculars.

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