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South Dorchester School

Q: Is South Dorchester School a good school?

South Dorchester School ranks 238 th of 865 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-8

238^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 865 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 72% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

South Dorchester School is an elementary school serving 240 students in grades PK-8 in Church Creek, Maryland, which is part of the Dorchester County Public Schools district. Despite the district's 2-star rating, South Dorchester School consistently outperforms the county and state averages on MCAP assessments, with 38.3% of students proficient or better in Mathematics and 69.8% proficient or better in English Language Arts in the 2024-2025 school year.

The school's academic performance is particularly strong in MCAP Algebra I, with 40% proficiency compared to just 6.7% for Dorchester County and 21.4% for Maryland. South Dorchester School also maintains a relatively low student-teacher ratio and high per-student spending, suggesting it is well-resourced. However, the school faces challenges with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 19.8% to 57.1% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average.

While South Dorchester School's overall academic performance is impressive, especially given its high poverty rate, with 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, the school's performance for white students is relatively lower compared to other subgroups. This suggests the presence of a racial achievement gap that warrants further investigation and targeted interventions. Overall, South Dorchester School stands out as a relatively high-performing school within its district, but addressing chronic absenteeism and the racial achievement gap should be priorities for the school and district.

230

Students ?

14.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,962

Per pupil spending ?

49.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3485 Golden Hill Road
Church Creek, MD 21622

(410) 901-6934

District: Dorchester County Public Schools

Students who attend South Dorchester School usually attend:

High:

Cambridge-South Dorchester High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

85.7%

Hispanic:

4.8%

Two or more races:

4.8%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare South Dorchester School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 79th percentile in 2015 → 72nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Maryland average (55% vs 36% meeting standards)

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Dorchester County Public Schools

✓Above the Maryland median (72nd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 7 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school55%

District avg26%

Maryland avg36%

Elementary school

238^th of 865

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Top 28%▼ down 6 pts since 2015

From top 21% (2015) to top 28% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

32^nd of 337

Maryland public middle schools ?

Top 9%▲ up 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 7Elementary Schools in the Dorchester County Public Schools

19^th of 25Dorchester County Public Schools among Maryland districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2025	72.0	238 of 865	72.5%	★★★★☆
2024	80.8	159 of 859	81.5%	★★★★☆
2023	63.0	286 of 855	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	73.1	235 of 862	72.7%	★★★★☆
2021	70.2	178 of 802	77.8%	★★★★☆
2019	80.4	163 of 853	80.9%	★★★★☆
2018	81.0	162 of 857	81.1%	★★★★☆
2017	85.7	128 of 847	84.9%	★★★★☆
2016	82.5	153 of 845	81.9%	★★★★☆
2015	77.7	183 of 859	78.7%	★★★★☆
2014	81.9	132 of 867	84.8%	★★★★☆
2013	75.7	182 of 847	78.5%	★★★★☆
2012	77.8	149 of 857	82.6%	★★★★☆
2011	90.8	1 of 853	99.9%	★★★★★
2010	89.1	5 of 855	99.4%	★★★★★
2009	87.1	32 of 850	96.2%	★★★★★
2008	82.1	104 of 838	87.6%	★★★★☆
2007	68.8	266 of 818	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2006	51.1	438 of 804	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2005	65.7	297 of 805	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2004	50.8	459 of 803	42.8%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	72.1	144 of 796	81.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	73.1	152 of 788	80.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	43.5	275 of 528	47.9%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2025	91.2	32 of 337	90.5%	★★★★★
2024	94.8	10 of 328	97.0%	★★★★★
2023	86.9	31 of 322	90.4%	★★★★★
2022	88.7	34 of 333	89.8%	★★★★★
2021	73.2	68 of 303	77.6%	★★★★☆
2019	98.2	2 of 316	99.4%	★★★★★
2018	93.5	19 of 328	94.2%	★★★★★
2017	80.2	61 of 317	80.8%	★★★★☆
2016	85.4	33 of 314	89.5%	★★★★☆
2015	83.6	37 of 315	88.3%	★★★★☆
2014	81.7	60 of 339	82.3%	★★★★☆
2013	92.3	4 of 316	98.7%	★★★★★
2012	85.7	31 of 314	90.1%	★★★★★
2011	81.4	51 of 309	83.5%	★★★★☆
2010	90.5	3 of 324	99.1%	★★★★★
2009	77.5	67 of 301	77.7%	★★★★☆
2008	82.9	44 of 283	84.5%	★★★★☆
2007	56.0	115 of 264	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	55.7	110 of 254	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2005	26.0	191 of 255	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	44.1	146 of 252	42.1%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	76.7	55 of 288	80.9%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	50.0	105 of 210	50.0%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

Female (2021)82nd percentile+4 vs school

Male (2021)81st percentile+3 vs school

White (2021)48th percentile-30 vs school

Middle school

Male (2021)81st percentile+3 vs school

White (2021)50th percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2024-2025) ?

Social Studies77%+38 vs state

English Language Arts70%+19 vs state

Science53%+24 vs state

Algebra I40%+19 vs state

Mathematics38%+12 vs state

★

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Schools Near South Dorchester School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MCAP Mathematics (2025)							MCAP English Language Arts (2025)							MCAP Algebra I (2025)	MCAP Science (2025)		MCAP Social Studies (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MCAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Algebra I End of Course	MCAP Science 5th Grade	MCAP Science 8th Grade	MCAP Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
South Dorchester School	Public	PK, KG-8	3485 Golden Hill Road	Church Creek	21622	Dorchester County	Dorchester County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 901-6934	230	16	14.3	49.6%	197 (85.7%)	7 (3.0%)	11 (4.8%)	4 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.8%)	72	238^th of 865 public elementary schools	72.5%		80.8	159^th of 859 public elementary schools	81.5%	79	60.9	54.5	25.9	30.4	35.7	9.1	38.3	52.2	59.1	48.1	87.0	82.1	88.5	69.8	40.0	37.0	69.2	76.9	$19,962	$2,889	$17,073
Maple Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5225 Egypt Rd.	Cambridge	21613	Dorchester County	Dorchester County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 228-8577	483	33	14.6	79.7%	97 (20.1%)	183 (37.9%)	160 (33.1%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (7.9%)	25.4	606^th of 865 public elementary schools	29.9%		13.9	740^th of 859 public elementary schools	13.9%	134	25.4	15.4	5.1				15.5	42.9	38.5	32.1				38.0		5.0			$23,531	$4,964	$18,567
Choptank Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1103 Mace's Lane	Cambridge	21613	Dorchester County	Dorchester County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 228-4950	319	27	11.8	95.0%	16 (5.0%)	230 (72.1%)	46 (14.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (7.8%)	14.4	762^nd of 865 public elementary schools	11.9%		7.1	846^th of 859 public elementary schools	1.5%	84	13.8	0.0	1.9				5.9	29.8	30.0	21.2				26.8		8.9			$25,055	$5,903	$19,151
Patuxent Appeal Elementary Campus	Public	PK, KG-5	11655 Hg Trueman Rd	Lusby	20657	Calvert County	Calvert County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(443) 550-9710	641	45	14.1	59.8%	365 (56.9%)	121 (18.9%)	54 (8.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	99 (15.4%)	61	325^th of 865 public elementary schools	62.4%		46.7	403^rd of 859 public elementary schools	53.1%	78	53.6	39.2	36.1				42.7	67.0	46.1	41.7				51.1		24.1			$21,045	$2,426	$18,619
Judith P. Hoyer Early Childhood Center	Public	PK, KG-5	1405 Glasgow Road	Cambridge	21613	Dorchester County	Dorchester County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 221-5268	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Sandy Hill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1503 Glasgow Road	Cambridge	21613	Dorchester County	Dorchester County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 228-7978	393	33	11.9	80.9%	74 (18.8%)	234 (59.5%)	50 (12.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (8.4%)	17	731^st of 865 public elementary schools	15.5%		11.3	802^nd of 859 public elementary schools	6.6%	71	19.2	10.2	9.3				13.2	30.8	26.5	20.9				26.4		9.1			$25,218	$5,510	$19,707
Dowell Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	12680 H G Trueman Rd	Lusby	20657	Calvert County	Calvert County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(443) 550-9480	541	40	13.6	47.3%	373 (68.9%)	53 (9.8%)	37 (6.8%)	9 (1.7%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	66 (12.2%)	58.8	347^th of 865 public elementary schools	59.9%		52.7	355^th of 859 public elementary schools	58.7%	8	48.5	39.1	28.0				38.6	56.3	58.2	46.5				53.6		20.8			$17,732	$1,577	$16,155
St Leonard Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5370 St Leonard Rd	Saint Leonard	20685	Calvert County	Calvert County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(443) 550-9760	401	32	12.6	48.6%	233 (58.1%)	80 (20.0%)	39 (9.7%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (11.2%)	67.5	275^th of 865 public elementary schools	68.2%		63.1	288^th of 859 public elementary schools	66.5%	13	38.1	45.3	33.3				38.6	50.8	71.7	60.0				60.2		36.1			$21,782	$2,832	$18,950
Lexington Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	46763 Shangri La Dr	Lexington Park	20653	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 863-4085	383	31	12.4	76.0%	47 (12.3%)	197 (51.4%)	84 (21.9%)	7 (1.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (12.0%)	20.9	673^rd of 865 public elementary schools	22.2%		14	739^th of 859 public elementary schools	14.0%	66	10.5	9.5	16.4				12.2	17.5	32.3	36.1				28.9		12.5			$22,618	$3,474	$19,144
Green Holly Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	46060 Millstone Landing Rd	Lexington Park	20653	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 863-4064	478	38	12.4	63.0%	157 (32.8%)	168 (35.1%)	81 (16.9%)	21 (4.4%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	47 (9.8%)	56.9	355^th of 865 public elementary schools	59.0%		59.3	309^th of 859 public elementary schools	64.0%	46	56.6	40.0	32.1				42.9	58.5	40.0	37.7				45.3		25.0			$25,215	$2,575	$22,640

Frequently Asked Questions about South Dorchester School

How many students attend South Dorchester School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 230 students attended South Dorchester School.

What district is South Dorchester School in?

Dorchester County Public Schools

What schools do graduates of South Dorchester School attend?

Students who attend South Dorchester School usually go on to attend:

High : Cambridge-South Dorchester High School

What is the racial makeup of South Dorchester School?

Students at South Dorchester School are 86% White, 5% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% African American, 2% Asian.

Is South Dorchester School a good school?

South Dorchester School ranks 238^th of 865 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate South Dorchester School!

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Schools in Church Creek, MD

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Maryland State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.