Nine schools up, every school shining: a small Maryland county's report card glows

Garrett County, in Maryland's rural west, has something to show its families. In the state's 2026 School Report Card, all 11 of its public schools earned three- or four-star ratings, and nine of them increased their score on the state's accountability points. Broad Ford School posted the biggest leap, up 13 percentage points in a year. Two schools — Yough Glades Elementary and Northern Middle — climbed to a higher star level, and five more finished within three points of the next level up. The ratings weigh achievement, progress, English proficiency, graduation and school quality — which is to say, they measure whether a small county's steady work is paying off. It is.

SDG 4 · Quality education