LEONARDTOWN — The St. Mary’s County Board of Education has appointed Rachel Sichko as assistant principal, 12-month, at Chopticon High School.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. J. Scott Smith announced the personnel action after the board’s regular meeting May 20, 2026. Sichko currently serves as assistant principal, 11-month, at the same high school. She holds a master’s degree from Towson University and a bachelor’s degree from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania.
The board also received notice of two administrative transfers, all effective July 1, 2026.
Patrick James will move from assistant principal, 11-month, at Margaret Brent Middle School to assistant principal, 11-month, at Chopticon High School.
Craig Jewett will transfer from assistant principal, 12-month, at Spring Ridge Middle School to assistant principal, 12-month, at Esperanza Middle School.
The changes affect leadership at one high school and three middle schools within St. Mary’s County Public Schools. The district operates four high schools and five middle schools and serves nearly 17,000 students across Southern Maryland.
Chopticon High School is located in the Mechanicsville area. Margaret Brent Middle School, Spring Ridge Middle School and Esperanza Middle School are among the district’s five middle schools.
July 1 is the standard effective date for administrative appointments and transfers in the district as it prepares for the new school year. The announcement was issued May 21, 2026, by the superintendent’s office.
No additional details about the reasons for the moves or any impact on school operations were released. The board makes such personnel decisions at its monthly meetings.
Sichko’s move from an 11-month to a 12-month contract at Chopticon represents an internal promotion. James’ transfer brings him to the high school level while remaining in an 11-month role. Jewett’s lateral move keeps him in a 12-month position but shifts him to a different middle school.
The appointments and transfers are routine actions that help maintain administrative staffing as the 2026-27 school year approaches. St. Mary’s County Public Schools has followed this process for similar changes in prior years.
All three individuals are expected to assume their new or continued roles on the first day of the district’s administrative contract year.
