What do the Top Performing High Schools in BCPS have in Common?

By. Maggie Litz Domanowski (Opinions are my own and do not reflect those of the Baltimore County Board of Education)

According to the Maryland Report Card, the *top performing 2024 High Schools in BCPS are as follows:

1. Western School of Technology - 5 Stars (99th Percentile)

   1. 91.8% Proficient in English Language Arts

   2. 19.9% Proficient in Math

2. Eastern Tech High - 5 Stars (99th Percentile)

   1. 56% Proficient in Math

3. George Washington Carver for Arts & Tech - 5 Stars (97th Percentile)

   1. 86.3% Proficient in English Language Arts

   2. 26.2% Proficient in Math

4. Hereford High School - 5 Stars (96th Percentile)

   1. 84.5% Proficient in English Language Arts

   2. 28.2% Proficient in Math

5. Towson High School - 4 Stars (78th Percentile)

   1. 70.4% Proficient in English Language Arts

   2. 30.7% Proficient in Math

6. Catonsville High School - 4 Stars (66% Percentile)

   1. 68.8% Proficient in English Language Arts

   2. 17.1% Proficient in Math

   (*If there was a higher star rated Baltimore County Public High School in 2024, the proficiency rates for English Language Arts and Math were lower than those posted above.)

What do they all have in common? For starters, the top three schools are all Magnet High Schools.

Our most recent student member of the board, Ugonma Chike-Kalu, was a 2025 graduate of Western School of Technology. Western Tech offers eleven unique and award winning magnet programs focused on career and college readiness. Magnet Programs include: Health Professions, Automotive Services, Cosmetology, Culinary Arts/ Restaurant Management, Environmental Science, Environmental Technology, Graphic Print, Information Technology/ Artificial Intelligence Pathway, Information Technology/ Network Programing, Mechanical Construction & Plumbing, and Sports Science. All admissions require an application. In 2024, Western Tech had 954 enrolled students and a school allocation budget of $368,090. Western Tech received $83,057 in the FY2026 adopted budget, a nearly 80% decrease in their school allocated budget.

Eastern Technical High School is a magnet school of choice offering ten career major programs for students in grades 9 – 12. Boasting its top 5% ranking of all high school nationwide according to Newsweek Magazine, and "one of America's Top High Schools" by U.S News and World Report on their website. Hard to tell exactly from their website but one van assume that Eastern Tech also accepts students by application only. In 2024, Eastern Tech had an enrollment of 1,276 students and an allocation budget of $403,163. In the 2026 adopted budget Eastern Tech's school budget has been cut by 72%, $113,603.

George Washington Carver Center for Arts & Technology another application only, Magnet High School, enrolled 1,015 students in 2024 with a school allocation budget of $348,078. In the 2026 adopted budget, G.W. Carver's budget has also been cut to $87,662, a 75% decrease.

Hereford, Towson, and Catonsville High Schools are "home schools" with magnet programs. This means that if your address falls within their zone, you student will be assigned there but they do offer magnet programs that students living outside their area can apply to; or could apply to.

At the last Baltimore County Board of Education meeting held on Tuesday, August 12, Board Members, self included, voted to pause and/or sunset magnet programs at seven (7) different Baltimore County Public Schools: Wellwood International, Woodmoor Elementary, Middle River Middle, Stemmers Run Middle, Windsor Mill Middle, Milford Mill Academy, Sudbrook Magnet Middle, and Patapsco High Schools. During the meeting, members were told that the reasons for these actions was because of low enrollment or interest in these particular magnet programs. We were also not that by continuing to pause and/or sunset these specific programs, no students would be affected. After receiving feedback from our educators and community members, I decided to do my own research.

In prior years, Magnet Programs were partially funded by the "Magnet Programs" federal grant. The original federal grant period for Magnet Programs ran from 10/1/2017 through 9/30/2022 but was extended via "an approved no-cost extension" through 9/30/2023. In other words, federal funds for Magnet Programs have not been available for the 2025 school year and are not be available in 2026. Which begs the questions, is it really lack or interest or lack of "free money" to fund these programs that's driving the pauses and sunsets?

As evident by the results, Magnet Programs and Magnet Schools work. Federal Grants helped us figure that out. Just because those grants ended doesn't mean our programs should. When something works, you don't cut it because the "free money" is gone. You prioritize it in your operating budget.