PGCPS superintendent addresses federal Title IX review, free summer meals
Federal investigators opened a Title IX review of PGCPS, and Shawn Joseph paired that scrutiny with a summer meals rollout serving all children 18 and younger.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights opened Title IX investigations into Prince George’s County Public Schools and three other Maryland districts on June 23, putting Shawn Joseph’s system under federal scrutiny as summer begins. The inquiry will examine whether policies allowing boys to compete on girls’ athletic teams and access girls’ intimate facilities violate Title IX, and federal officials have warned that funding could be at risk if districts are found out of compliance.
PGCPS is fully aware of the inquiry and is working with the Maryland State Department of Education and peer districts to gather information and ensure compliance.
Joseph also highlighted the district’s summer meals rollout as part of PGCPS’s responsibility to support students beyond the classroom. The Department of Food and Nutrition Services began the 2026 Summer Meals Program on June 29, with free meals first available to students in district summer programs at designated sites. Starting July 1, all children and teens ages 18 and younger could receive free breakfast and lunch at participating sites even if they were not enrolled in a summer program, and additional community meal sites were scheduled to begin serving lunch on July 7.
Food insecurity is a significant concern in Prince George’s County, and a recent study of low-income children in the county examined summer meal participation, food insecurity and diet quality.
The district’s broader priorities for the coming school year are literacy and math achievement, student attendance, organizational development, college and career readiness, and support for special education and multilingual learners. PGCPS serves 200 schools and centers, operates on a $2.3 billion annual budget and employs more than 22,000 people, while state enrollment projections put the system at about 126,000 students in September 2025 and about 123,400 in September 2026.
The district has also restored nearly $20 million in state funding through an immunization compliance initiative, expanded tuition-free dual enrollment across all high schools and finalized three employee union contracts.
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