No child left behind. Well, almost no child.

If your gas station sucks, you simply use another gas station. If your school district sucks, you have to move. This is not something I would expect to read about one of the best public school systems in the Country:

Nine schools miss targets

In August, state officials released a report detailing whether elementary and middle schools met progress targets on a battery of tests called the Maryland School Assessment, which measure students' proficiency in math and reading from third grade through high school. Those progress targets also are mandated by No Child Left Behind.

Nine Howard County schools missed the targets in 2007, including Oakland Mills Middle, Murray Hill Middle, Bonnie Branch Middle, Dunloggin Middle, Harper's Choice Middle, Wilde Lake Middle, Bollman Bridge Elementary, Rockburn Elementary and Phelps Luck Elementary.

Two of those schools -- Oakland Mills and Murray Hill -- also missed targets in 2006, leading state officials to call for improvements at the schools.