Baltimore, MD – According to the Baltimore Sun, the high school dropout rate in Baltimore City Public Schools reached a 15-year high in 2025, highlighting ongoing challenges in Maryland‘s education system despite significant funding increases.
Dr. Barbara Dezmon, a veteran educator with 35 years as a teacher and administrator in Baltimore County Public Schools, followed by 13 years as the Education Chair for the Maryland State Conference of the NAACP, expressed grave concerns about the implications of this trend. She warned that without reversal, the rising dropout rate would limit students’ future prospects, perpetuating cycles of poverty and substandard living conditions.
Data from the Maryland State Department of Education, analyzed by Project Baltimore, revealed that the four-year high school dropout rate in Baltimore City Public Schools climbed from 12.5% in 2021 to 20.8% in 2025—a 67% increase over five years. This marked the highest rate in 15 years, underscoring a steady upward trajectory since the early pandemic period.
The issue extends beyond Baltimore City. In Baltimore County Public Schools, the dropout rate rose from 8.5% in 2021 to 12.2% in 2025, representing a 43% increase. Dezmon criticized the acceptance of these failures within the public education system, arguing that it exacerbates the problem.
These developments occurred amid substantial financial investments under the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. Since 2021, per-student spending in Baltimore City Schools increased from $17,320 to $23,147, part of a broader $2 billion boost to Maryland public schools. Despite this, more students are leaving school without diplomas, prompting questions about the effectiveness of the funding allocation.
Baltimore City Schools attributed the surge primarily to the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges students faced during that time. The district emphasized its focus on early intervention, strong partnerships, and direct outreach to re-engage students. Meanwhile, Baltimore County Public Schools pointed to fears among Hispanic and multilingual learners related to recent federal immigration enforcement actions, though the rate began rising in 2021, predating some of these concerns.
To address the issue, Baltimore County Public Schools reported enhancing monitoring for early intervention, prioritizing instructional quality, and expanding credit recovery options. However, Dezmon contended that systemic issues lie at the heart of the problem, with decisions often favoring adult needs over those of students.
She highlighted inadequate teacher development as a key factor. In her earlier experience at Baltimore County Public Schools, the district developed its own curriculum and trained teachers accordingly. Now, reliance on purchased computer-based programs shifts emphasis to program administration rather than tailored instruction for individual student needs. This approach, she argued, contributes to repeated failures that discourage students from continuing their education.
“These children go to school year after year, failing,” Dezmon stated. “Why go to a place that makes you feel bad about yourself?”
Dezmon called for a fundamental overhaul in how Maryland school systems operate, including better management and more personalized education offerings. Reversing the dropout rate trend, she insisted, requires prioritizing student success to break the cycle of disengagement.
As Maryland continues to invest heavily in public education, the persistent rise in dropout rates serves as a stark reminder of the need for effective strategies to support at-risk students. For more information, visit Baltimore Sun.