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AUGUST 16, 2019
SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY
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West Ocean City resident Tommy Hinkle catches WMO first-place white marlin, again – Page 79
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WCPS shows high marks in recent ranking Wor. comes in at third for 2020 best school districts
ELIZABETH BONIN/OCEAN CITY TODAY
LOOKING FOR A KEEPER Andrea Roose, visiting Ocean City from Schellsburg, Pennsylvania, fishes at the inlet on Sunday evening.
Ridership slightly down this year Buses and trams have seen fewer guests in comparison to July and August of 2018 By Josh Kim Staff Writer (Aug. 16, 2019) Members of the Ocean City Transportation Committee scratched their heads during a meeting on Tuesday, as they attempted to understand why bus and tram ridership numbers were down this July and the first 11 days of August. “[In] August, the ridership is overall down by five percent compared to last year,” Transit Manager Mark Rickards said. Rickards did point out that the number was slightly skewed because
they were comparing by dates rather than days of the week. Last year, there were two Saturdays compared to this year’s two Sundays. The former is the busiest day of the week, while the latter is the slowest. Furthermore, although there was an overall decrease in ridership, there was 45 percent increase in ridership during the White Marlin Open this year—from 1,949 riders last year, to 2,832 riders this year. Councilman Dennis Dare was puzzled by the lower number of riders, as actual deployments were up the first 11 days of August. Rickards said that the increase in deployment was based on the addition of school bus drivers and also new drivers hired throughout the
month of July. Public Works Director Hal Adkins said, however, that he does not believe deployment and ridership have a direct correlation. Despite the decrease, Rickards reassured the group that the lower numbers were not indicative of a failing bus system. “Overall, ridership is still very good,” Rickards said. “We’re very strong [in] Midtown. We have many, many full buses.” In addition, Rickards said that the bus has been consistently on schedule, with buses taking no longer than 10 minutes between each stop. Mayor Rick Meehan, however, wanted to see the timing of the buses separated from the daytime shift and See COMMITTEE Page 5
By Rachel Ravina Staff Writer (Aug. 16, 2019) The Worcester County public school system has moved up in the standings to the third best district in the state, according to Niche.com, an education and workplace assessment website. The website analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Education, gradua- Denise Shorts tion rates and teacher quality to arrive at its rankings of school districts in Maryland for 2020. Worcester County was ranked fourth last year. The Pittsburgh-based company offers ratings, reviews and profiles to connect people with information about neighborhoods, schools, colleges, and jobs. Denise Shorts, chief academic officer for prekindergarten through eighth grade, said she was excited for the county’s school district to receive the recognition. “We are incredibly proud of earning this distinction,” Shorts said. “We work diligently to ensure our students have authentic learning experiences, access to rigorous curricula, and have highly qualified educators delivering instruction.” There are roughly 6,800 students who attend 14 educational instructions within Worcester County public schools. According to Niche.com, 43.2 percent of students are eligible for free and reduced meals. Fifty-six percent of students are at least proficient in math while 58 percent of students are proficient in reading, according to state test scores. See TEACHERS Page 5