New SAT scores show Anne Arundel County’s Class of 2017 beating the state and national averages for public schools but still failing to close a persistent gap in the performance by some minority students.

While Maryland students in public schools scored an average of 528 in evidence-based reading and writing and 518 in math, county students averaged 541 for reading and 530 for math, results released by Anne Arundel County Public Schools show.

Changes were made to the exam in spring 2016. The College Board made a formerly mandatory essay portion optional and no longer penalizes students for guessing wrong. County public school students scored significantly higher on the new test — the Class of 2016 averaged 502 on the old critical reading portion and averaged 504 in math.

School officials tell students the SAT is not some big exam that will decide their future, but rather one of many steps they need to take to meet their goal.

“We tell our kids all the time, they’re not defined by these scores,” said Jen Bender, AVID coordinator and instructor at Arundel High School.

The achievement gap is more about poverty and a lack of resources than about race, Bender said — the system is trying to provide the resources in school.

There remains a wide gap between different groups of students. The average cumulative score for the Class of 2017 was 1,125 for white students, 1,106 for Asian students, 942 for black students and 1,011 for Hispanic/Latino students. Students who identified as two or more races had the highest average score at 1,134.

“We, like other districts, must continue to find ways to close gaps that exist between our student groups,” county schools Superintendent George Arlotto said in a statement released with the results.

Annapolis Republican committeeman resigns

A recently elected Annapolis Republican Central Committee member has resigned over a $200 fine he contests as unwarranted. Patrick Allison vacated his post representing Ward 7 after confusion surrounding the fine and what he said was a perceived lack of help rectifying the situation.

The city Board of Supervisors of Elections levied Allison the fine for failing to file an affidavit of candidate and treasurer. The affidavit ensures a candidate does not intend to spend or receive more than $100 for their campaign. Allison said he hand-delivered the affidavit to the city clerk’s office on July 19.

The filing deadline was Aug. 22, and the penalty for late filing is $20 per day for the first six days, and $10 every day after for a maximum of $250.

Board of Supervisors of Elections Chairwoman Eileen Leahy sent Allison a letter on Aug. 25 informing him that the board had not received the required paperwork. On Sept. 5, Allison wrote a letter back asking for a fee waiver.

The board did not have any discretion to wave this fee or any related fines, wrote city spokeswoman Rhonda Wardlaw in an email.

Allison provided the city with a copy of the affidavit Sept. 5. He did not keep copies of his filed certificate of candidacy and affidavit because he thought he could “trust the city,” he said. He said that while he was on vacation, he received a letter notifying him of a fine of $250 — which was miscalculated and adjusted to $200. He paid the fine, but said he’d “go after” the money eventually.

ARCC chairman Randy Landis said the committee will be able to fill Allison’s position with another volunteer who is appointed, not elected.

—?Danielle Ohl, Baltimore Sun Media Group