Recently, the Montgomery County school system was shortlisted as one of the finalists for a national education award. The aim of the the award is to reward urban school districts for increasing student performance and reducing achievement gaps. The school system is among five finalists out of 100 eligible districts nationwide for the Broad Prize for Urban Education. The award of US$2 million prize, annually recognises urban school districts 'making the greatest progress in America in raising student achievement.'
The Montgomery system, has over the past decade pumped in extra resources into schools with the largest numbers of low-income and English-language-learning students. Many indicators have risen accordingly, and the school system is the first in the Washington area to be so honored. The other finalists are Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (N.C.), Gwinnett County Public Schools (outside Atlanta), Socorro Independent School District (El Paso) and Ysleta Independent School District (El Paso).
