Only 42% of Latino students in kindergarten through third grade met reading benchmarks in fall 2026, compared with more than 73% of their white and Asian classmates, according to data Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) presented to the Board of Education on Thursday, Oct. 22.

The fall assessment results, first reported by Bethesda Magazine, show racial and economic achievement gaps that persist across every subject and grade level the district tested.

Overall, 61.2% of K-3 students met the DIBELS foundational reading benchmark. But the numbers split sharply by race: 64.2% of Black students hit the mark, while just 42.1% of Latino students did. White, Asian and multiracial students all exceeded 73%.

The pattern held in math. On the mCLASS assessment for kindergarten through fifth grade, 51.9% of students overall reached the goal. Latino students came in at 31%, Black students at 43.1%. White students hit 75.2% and Asian students 71.4%.

Students from low-income families fared worse still. Only 46% of students who qualify for Free and Reduced-price Meals (FARMS) met the DIBELS reading benchmark. In mCLASS math, 30.9% of FARMS students and 24.4% of students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) reached the goal.

Board member Rita Montoya voiced frustration at the Oct. 22 meeting, particularly as the district rolls out new regional high school programming it has said will promote equity.

"I raised my hand high for the regional model program … because I was told we were going to make sure that our Black and Latino students … would be ready and eligible and competitive," Montoya said, according to Bethesda Magazine.

Montoya said she does not want Black and Latino students admitted to the programs only to struggle once enrolled.

Superintendent Thomas Taylor framed the data as a call to action. He told the board the district's goal is to improve learning experiences, not simply post better numbers, Bethesda Magazine reported.

Taylor also said the district expected good news from upcoming Maryland State Report Card results.

Stephanie Brant, a director in MCPS Curriculum Implementation and School Support, told Bethesda Magazine the fall scores represent a baseline for how students entered the 2026-27 school year. She said the district is rolling out a new math curriculum and deploying Cross Functional Teams. Those teams are groups of specialists in equity, special education and literacy that work directly with schools to provide tailored support, according to the MCPS website.

Not all the news was bleak. A cohort of students who scored 44.2% on DIBELS as kindergartners in fall 2025 improved to 63.3% as first graders in fall 2026, according to the presentation data.

School-level breakdowns for Potomac-area schools were not included in the available data. The district plans to share individual student academic profiles each semester and send letters to families of at-risk students each quarter.