April 10, 2025

Dear CCPS Community,

Earlier today, an incident occurred at Billingsley Elementary School when a student brought a loaded handgun to school, which unfortunately discharged. I am deeply grateful that no students or staff members were injured. My heartfelt thanks go out to the principal, her dedicated staff, and the school resource officer (SRO) who acted quickly to ensure everyone’s safety.

As a precaution, the school was dismissed early. Billingsley staff, along with school system pupil personnel workers, transportation and the Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) Office of School Safety and Security staff, worked tirelessly to manage the logistics and ensure all students safely made it home. I also want to thank our families for their cooperation and for following protocols during today’s early dismissal.

At this moment, our main priorities are to collaborate with law enforcement in a thorough investigation of the incident and to provide the necessary support to Billingsley staff, students and their families. To allow everyone time to process what happened, Billingsley Elementary School will be closed tomorrow for both students and staff. Support services from the CCPS Student Services Department will be available on-site at Billingsley to offer assistance and counseling for students, staff and families. All other CCPS schools will operate as normal tomorrow.

This is a situation that no student, teacher, staff member, parent or community member should ever have to face. I recognize the emotional impact this has on our community, and I am committed to keeping everyone informed as we learn more about what happened. We will be hosting a community meeting after spring break to discuss the incident and answer questions with the Billingsley community. More information will be shared at a later date.

Above all, I am incredibly thankful that no one was hurt or injured. School safety is not just a responsibility of our schools—it is a shared commitment that involves all of us working together. I encourage you to have open, age-appropriate conversations with your children about the importance of making safe and responsible choices. Let’s work together to help keep our schools safe, supportive and nurturing for all.

Thank you for your continued support, understanding, and commitment to the safety and well-being of our CCPS community.

Sincerely,

Maria V. Navarro, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools