If your child’s school got a lower star rating on this year’s Maryland School Report Card, it’s probably not a cause for alarm.

Five-star ratings were harder to come by. Only one middle school — Chesapeake Science Point Charter School in Anne Arundel County — got a five-star rating. Just 10 high schools in the region got five stars.

It’s unlikely the region’s schools are getting worse. Chronic absenteeism, defined as a student missing 10% of school days a year, became such a problem during the pandemic that the Maryland State Department of Education changed its school-rating formula for a year. This year, it’s back to normal.

Maryland gives schools one to five stars based on academic and nonacademic factors. This year’s ratings are the fourth time the state has used this rating system. It was paused during the pandemic.

A school can earn up to 100 points based on indicators such as academic achievement, academic progress, the proficiency of English language learners, chronic absenteeism, and whether a school has a well-rounded curriculum.

Overall, Howard County had the largest proportion of five-star schools in the region — 12 of 75 schools got the state’s highest rating. But that’s less than half the number Howard County earned in 2022.

Search by school name or by county on our interactive tables to see how the area’s highest-rated schools compare.

Liz Bowie contributed reporting.