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Living
in Southern Maryland
Public Education
Both St. Mary's and Calvert County
Public Schools are governed by a five-member Board of Education. In the
St. Mary's County
public school system, there are currently 16 elementary
schools, 5 middle schools, 3 high schools, special education schools,
and 1 vocational-technical school. Kindergarten is mandatory for all five-year
olds on a half-day basis. In addition, there is a half-day, four-year-old
program for students in selected schools. In Calvert
County, there are 11 elementary schools, 6 middle
schools and 3 high schools, a vocational tech school, a special environmental
training program called "CHESPAX,"
and the Arthur
Storer Planetarium. Located at Calvert High School,
the planetarium is available students and the community as a unique cultural
facility that enables students and visitors to explore their world and
our cosmos in ways not possible in an ordinary classroom. Charles
County students are served by 19 public elementary
schools, 7 public middle schools, and 5 public high schools. Facilities
exist for vocational and technical training, adult education, and special
education. Children and adults facing
developmental challenges will find expert assistance at the Melwood
centers throughout the region. For test scores
and other public school information call Charles County Public Schools
at (301) 870-3814. St.
Mary’s County Public Schools may be reached by
calling 301-475-4230. For information on Calvert County schools, call
the Calvert
County Public Schools at 410-535-1700.
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Non-Public
and Parochial Schools
Currently, there are several non-public and
parochial schools in Southern Maryland that serve students from the kindergarten
level through high school. Click here for the names and phone numbers
of St.
Mary’s County private schools, or here for Calvert
County private schools, or here for Charles
County private schools.
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Universities
and Colleges
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The
College of Southern Maryland (CSM), formerly Charles
County Community College, is a regionally accredited institution that
prides itself on delivering quality higher education programs and services
to more than 60 percent of the tri-county residents who attend higher
education institutions. CSM also offers programs in Europe to Department
of Defense (DOD) personnel stationed there through the "Maryland in Europe"
program with the University of Maryland University College.
CSM offers an array of associate's
degree programs and brokers four-year degree programs locally through
partnerships with colleges and universities such as University of Maryland
University College (UMUC), Johns Hopkins University (JHU), Towson University,
and Capitol College. The college also offers job and career training opportunities,
wellness and fitness activities, theater and fine arts programs, and personal
enrichment courses, and serves the business community through programs
offered by the Economic and Community Development Institute. CSM prepares
its students for transfer to four-year colleges and provides them with
the tools and resources necessary to succeed in a competitive workplace.
The college also focuses on workforce development with the participation
of local businesses interested in growing and maintaining a healthy economy
and community.
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The College of Southern Maryland
is now one institution serving all of Southern Maryland. It operates four
campuses in the tri-county area, offering programs in Europe as well.
The La Plata Campus, nestled on 173 wooded acres off of Mitchell Road
and the Waldorf Center at Old Washington Road, are both located in Charles
County. The Calvert County Campus is located in Prince Frederick and the
St. Mary's County Campus is situated in Leonardtown.
St. Mary's College
of Maryland, founded in 1840, is a public honors
college offering the academic excellence of private education with the
openness and affordability of public schools. St. Mary's graduates have
gained recognition as being among the finest students in Maryland higher
education. The average SAT scores of entering freshmen are the highest
of any college in the state. The capstone of the St. Mary's experience,
the St. Mary's Project, engages seniors in a program of independent research
of the kind found only in a few prominent colleges. In 1999, these distinctions
led St. Mary's College of Maryland to be ranked by U.S. News and World
Report as the number one public liberal arts college in the nation. For
more information on St. Mary's College , check out the website or call
301-862-0380
The Southern Maryland Higher
Education Center is a multi-purpose, multi-instructional,
and multi-institutional higher education facility located in St. Mary's
County. Created to serve the expanding needs of all of Southern Maryland,
nine universities participate, including George Washington University,
Strayer College, Towson State University, Bowie State University, the
University of Maryland, and Johns Hopkins University. Twenty-three masters
and upper division programs are offered. These educational opportunities
will serve the needs of the technical population at the NAWCAD and our
quickly growing local community. For more information on the Southern
Maryland Higher Education Center, call 301-737-2500.
For those wishing graduate degrees, several higher education institutions
are located at or near NAWCAD, and throughout the region via the University
of Maryland's University College, among others.
Graduate programs currently offered in the area include: MA and MS degrees
in Aerospace Technology, Computer Systems, Computer Science, Contract
Management, Electrical Engineering, and Human Resource Management.
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Housing
Southern Maryland offers a great
selection of location, style, age, and price range to anyone seeking a
home. Old established neighborhoods, historic victorian-era homes, farms,
town homes, and newly constructed subdivisions are all available to accommodate
the sudden popularity of Lord Baltimore's little colony. Waterfront cottages,
single family homes, town homes, and condominium apartments are available
for sale or rent in in Southern Maryland. Lot sizes range from less than
a quarter acre to over 100 acres in the more rural areas. Let your horses
roam across the rolling pastures of a farmette. Select from home sites
that are heavily wooded and private, or cleared and ready for swing sets.
With miles and miles of shoreline, an abundance of prime waterfront homes
await you. Watch bald eagles soar above peaceful waterfront lots available
along the county's various rivers, creeks and tributaries. Sit back amid
the autumn colors and listen to migrating geese calling as they pass by,
or take in a spectacular Southern Maryland sunset. Boating and fishing
enthusiasts will enjoy boat slips, piers and beaches that may be included
with Chesapeake Bay front or river front homes overlooking the scenic
Patuxent, Wicomico, or Potomac Rivers.
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Commuters who work in Northern Virginia
and Washington, D.C. find a "better quality of life" in the rural atmosphere
of Charles, Calvert, and St. Mary's Counties. Families are able to get
larger homes and more land for their dollar than they can in the Washington,
D.C. metropolitan area or heavily congested Dulles corridor.
According to the 2002 year end records of the Southern Maryland Association
of REALTORS® , the median home sales price in Calvert County was $190,000,
while Charles County's median was $169,900 and in St. Mary's County
it was $170,000. Although all three represent increases over the prior
year's numbers, all are still significantly lower than the average home
price in the metro area--the perfect opportunity to buy. One to two bedroom
condominium apartments are available in the $70,000's and $80,000's
while our newer homes on larger home sites may average $280,000. Waterfront
homes are reasonably priced compared to many other waterfront areas. Home
purchasers can expect to pay in excess of $300,000 for water frontage.
Southern Maryland homes come in many
styles, but most following traditional architectural
styles, such as ramblers/ranchers, two stories, or cape cods. Contemporary
style and custom built homes are also obtainable. All residential areas
are convenient to schools, parks, shopping centers, libraries, and health
care facilities. From "starter" homes to retirement communities, Southern
Maryland has something to offer everyone. Southern Maryland Realtors can
lead the way as you search to find the perfect home for you and your family.
Portions of our MLS database of available residential properties may be
accessed by the public via our website, or prospective buyers may choose
to contact a Southern Maryland Realtor to obtain greater detail about
a home. We also have Realtors ready to help you take advantage of commercial
properties, farms, and undeveloped residential lots.
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The best way to get
to know Southern Maryland, of course, is not to read about it, but to
come and experience it for yourself. Whether relocating to the area
to take a position at the Navy facilities, or to satisfy a desire to
move further from densely populated urban areas, you and your family
will need assistance in finding a new home. When you're ready
to consider living in Southern Maryland, Southern Maryland REALTORS® will be ready to help you begin experiencing our community from your
own front porch!
Copy of original work provided courtesy of Rose Crowley with significant
additions, updates and corrections made by the Southern Maryland
Association of Realtors.
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