This petition will be presented to the Baltimore County Board of Education and BCPS Superintendent in support of immediate action to secure Community School and Low-Performing School resources for Nottingham Middle School.

General Background

In August 2024, Nottingham Middle School (NMS) opened its doors in a new building with a new name. The previous year, Golden Ring Middle School was closed, and the entire student population transitioned to NMS. In addition, smaller groups of students were redistricted to Nottingham from neighboring schools.

Before the opening of Nottingham, Golden Ring and most of the schools involved in the redistricting were designated as Title I schools, Community Schools, and/or Low-Performing Schools (LPS). These designations provided critical resources, including but not limited to:

Community School Facilitator
Food pantry access
Transportation assistance
Wraparound family services
Additional staff positions
Incentives that support the recruitment and retention of experienced and highly qualified teachers
Ability to continue financial incentives for National Board Certified teachers. As a result of the designation changes, each National Board Certified teacher who moved with their students from Golden Ring and the other redistricted schools has lost $7,000 annually in compensation.
Although Nottingham inherited substantially the same student population and needs, it did not inherit any of these supports.

Low-Performing School Status (LPS) Background

When Nottingham opened, families and staff were informed that the school would need to establish its own eligibility for LPS designation despite serving many of the same students who previously received these services.

During the 2024–2025 school year, BCPS leadership stated that they would pursue an appeal for Nottingham to be added to the 2025–2026 LPS list if the school received less than a 3-star rating on the Maryland Report Card. After its first year, Nottingham received a 2-star rating, performing below the majority of BCPS middle schools that currently receive the Low-Performing School designation, demonstrating an ongoing need for additional supports. However, no request was ever submitted. More recently, BCPS leadership has stated that they do not intend to request LPS designation for Nottingham now or in future years.

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has recognized Nottingham's unique circumstances and its ability to demonstrate student need through both historical data from students' prior schools and current data from Nottingham itself. During the spring of 2025, MSDE indicated that while there is no formal appeal process for LPS designation, the Department would consider Nottingham's inclusion if the BCPS Superintendent submitted a formal request supported by the school's data.

Community School Status Background

BCPS leadership initially stated that Nottingham would become a Community School after two years, similar to the timeline used for Rossville Elementary School. However, in February 2026, BCPS informed Nottingham that it would not receive Community School designation for the 2026–2027 school year, delaying access to these crucial services for at least another year.

Once again, MSDE officials were supportive of Nottingham's unique situation and advised BCPS that questions regarding Nottingham's eligibility for Community School funding should be directed to the Maryland Department of Budget and Management through a formal request. To the knowledge of Nottingham families and staff, no such request has been submitted.

How Can You Help?

Many families of Nottingham’s 1,200 students previously benefited from Community School and LPS resources; however, those supports did not follow them to NMS and remain unavailable today. The students, staff, and families of Nottingham Middle School respectfully request your support in restoring these essential services and resources as soon as possible.

By signing this petition, you are asking the BCPS Superintendent to take the following actions no later than June 16, 2026:

Submit a formal letter to the Maryland State Department of Education requesting that Nottingham Middle School receive the Low-Performing School designation for the 2025–2026 and 2026–2027 school years, including all supporting data compiled by Nottingham staff and previously provided to BCPS leadership.
Submit a formal request to the Maryland Department of Budget and Management seeking Community School designation and funding for Nottingham Middle School for the 2026–2027 school year.
Provide copies of both requests to the Baltimore County Board of Education and Nottingham Middle School leadership.
Nottingham Middle School students deserve the same opportunities, programs, services, and supports that were previously available to them and that continue to be available to many of their siblings and peers throughout the Nottingham feeder pattern. With your signature, you can help ensure that Nottingham students, families, and staff receive the support necessary to thrive.

Thank you for standing with the Nottingham Middle School community.