Education Welcome to the Charles County Chamber of Commerce Don't miss our online 2000 Buyer's Guide , a complete listing of Chamber of Commerce member businesses by business classification. More than 20,000 students are currently enrolled in Charles County public schools. Charles County's seven-member Board of Education establishes educational and fiscal policy, provides overall direction and governs the county's public school system. Like school systems across the state, the county's public school system is fiscally dependent on the county government for funding.
Schools are the largest consumer of the county budget.
There are 72 staff members for every 1000 students enrolled in the school system. Within the school system there a number of special centers, two adult services centers, an adult learning center, an alternative school, a career and technology center, an environmental education center and a learning center. In addition, students attend College of Southern Maryland to upgrade job skills or for personal enrichment. The college occupies a 173-acre campus in La Plata and operates satellite campuses in St. Charles and Calvert and St. Mary's counties. In 1995, almost 15,000 students were enrolled in credit and or non-credit courses at College of Southern Maryland.