BOOST program helps provide educational opportunities for Marylanders

When Joshua Smoot first started at Archbishop Curley High School, he attended his freshman retreat, where he learned about the “Curley Man of the Year” award given at commencement.

“We talked about the award, which is given to the senior who exemplifies all of the Curley ideals,” said Smoot, a BOOST scholarship recipient. “They told us one of us would achieve that one day. I always looked up to that and thought about it.”

After four successful years at the Baltimore school, Smoot was named the Curley Man of the Year at the 2022 commencement ceremony – one of his proudest achievements to date. Smoot is thankful for the BOOST scholarship for helping his family make his Curley education possible.

“I feel very grateful I got to attend Curley,” said Smoot, 20.

The BOOST (Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today) scholarship program provides funds to help students from limited-income families attend Catholic and other nonpublic schools.

Smoot, a parishioner of Sacred Heart of Mary in Graceland Park, is one of approximately 23,000 students who have received BOOST scholarships since the program started in 2016. BOOST is a state-run, state-funded scholarship program authorized by the Maryland Legislature.

In April, the Maryland General Assembly approved funding for BOOST at $9 million, the same level as last year. It also approved $2.5 million for BOOST-­participating schools to share for nursing/health services and school security.

According to the Maryland Department of Education, BOOST scholarships hit an all-time high in 2023. During the 2022-23 school year, there were 3,250 BOOST recipients, all of whom were eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

In the Archdiocese of Baltimore, there were more than 700 BOOST scholarship recipients last year at archdiocesan and independent Catholic schools.

Smoot, who attended Our Lady of Hope/St. Luke School in Dundalk, said going to Curley with help from BOOST enabled him to get involved in many programs. He took advantage of every opportunity, serving as president of the student government, running track and cross country, and belonging to the National Honor Society.

He also participated in the Franciscan Youth Ministry and the FLEX Team (Franciscan Leaders Encountering Christ).

“This helped me get closer to Jesus Christ and helped me become a leader,” said Smoot, who is a sophomore majoring in civil engineering at York College of Pennsylvania.

His interest in engineering started early. Growing up, he built tree houses and worked on his bikes. At Curley, he was on the robotics team and took engineering classes.

“The brotherhood at Curley helped me learn how to achieve greatness and how to be a man,” Smoot said. “Being a Curley graduate is a great sense of pride. I’m thankful for all the brothers I’ve met along the way.”

Curley helped Smoot push himself to work hard in school and take honors and AP classes, he said.

“I would not be in the place I am today attending York College of Pennsylvania if it weren’t for my time at Curley,” he said.

Smoot said it’s important to keep funding BOOST “so people can experience what I have been able to experience, and that they are allowed to have the same opportunities I had to attend Catholic school.”

In March, hundreds of Catholic school students from across Maryland converged on Annapolis to make lawmakers aware of how BOOST and other programs help children.

Nefertari Lee, whose two sons received a Catholic education at Calvert Hall College High School in Towson with the help of BOOST scholarships, was among those who attended the March 5 rally at Lawyers Mall in Annapolis. She noted that many state and federal leaders send their children to nonpublic schools. All people should have that option, she said.

“This should be a family decision,” she said. “I lived in Baltimore City, where some of the most underfunded public schools are located. It’s not like Montgomery County, which is doing very well. But this is our reality. If it’s not working, we need those options.”

Lee said there is a misconception that BOOST fully funds private education.

“It doesn’t,” she said. “I still paid on average $1,000 a month and worked three jobs to pay tuition. BOOST was a help.”

Gregory Farno, chancellor for education for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, said programs such as BOOST are critical for helping parents make choices about education for their children – especially in economically challenged areas such as Baltimore City and Western Maryland.

“We know that if we can get the children into our schools, great things will happen,” he said.

Kevin J. Parks contributed to this story.

For students interested in the BOOST scholarship, applications close May 10. Visit marylandpublicschools.org/Pages/boost/index.aspx

Editor’s Note: The date of the application deadline was updated in this story at 12:20 p.m. on May 2, 2024 after the state extended the deadline.

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