Food Service Program

School Social Worker Each of the Worcester County Public Schools have a School Social Worker available to them. School Social Workers are licensed social workers who have specialized training in mental health, behavioral concerns, positive behavioral support, academic, and classroom support, consultation with teachers, parents, and administrators. School Social Workers are instrumental in furthering the mission that every student achieves academic goals and realizes their own personal successes. School Social Workers emphasize home, school and community collaboration in order to meet student behavioral health needs.

Special Education

Worcester County Public Schools provides special education services for children ages birth through 21 who are identified as having a disability that adversely affects the child's educational performance and requires specialized instruction to address the unique needs of the child. The Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team determines the types of services that will be provided based on the needs of the child. Disabilities can include any one of the following categories: speech and language impairment, autism, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, other health impaired, emotional disability, orthopedic disability, deaf and hearing impaired, blind and visually impaired, learning disability, traumatic brain injury, and developmental delay.

Students with disabilities are guaranteed a free, appropriate public education. Under certain circumstances, extended school year services are available for students with disabilities, who are found to be eligible for them. Parents of students or pre-school children whom they suspect may have an educational disability should contact the child’s school or the Child Find Facilitator at the Board of Education office.

Children under the age of three who are experiencing a delay in development or who have a diagnosed condition that has a high probability of delay, may be eligible for early intervention services through the Worcester County Infants and Toddlers Program. Early intervention services are provided at no cost to families through a coordinated effort by Worcester County Public Schools, Worcester County’s Health Department, the Department of Social Services, and other public and private agencies. For eligible children (from age three to the beginning of the school year following the child’s fourth birthday), families may choose to receive services through the Individualized Family Services Plan (IFSP) or the IEP option with school enrollment. Referrals can be made by contacting the Child Find Facilitator at the Board of Education.

Title I Programs

Currently, Worcester County Public Schools has three school-wide Title I schools — Buckingham Elementary School, Pocomoke Elementary School, and Snow Hill Elementary School. Designation as a Title I school is based on the economics of the surrounding area. Title I schools receive financial assistance from the federal government to support high-quality instruction and the achievement of students in core academic subjects. Title I funds are used to provide professional development, highly qualified instructional staff, supplemental learning opportunities, instructional materials and activities that promote parent involvement.

Worcester County Public Schools participates in the National School Lunch, Breakfast, and Afterschool Programs and offers nutritious meals every school day. Both breakfast and lunch service are available at all school locations. School meals offer a variety of food choices and meet nutrition standards established by the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act and the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Free and/or Reduced Price Meal Eligibility

For the 2022-2023 school year, those students who qualify for reduced priced meals will receive meal benefits at no cost as a result of Maryland state funding. Eligibility is typically determined