Summary:
Zip code 20059 contains exactly one school, Howard University Middle School of Mathematics and Science PCS, a public charter middle school serving grades 6 through 8 with 271 students, and it operates as its own single-school district, Howard University Middle School of Mathematics and Science P. Because there are no elementary or high schools in the immediate area, this school is the only embedded educational option for families living in zip code 20059, meaning students must leave the area before and after middle school.
The school stands out for its substantial resources: per-student spending of $37,402 and a favorable student-teacher ratio of 8.4 to 1. Despite these advantages, academic outcomes remain below DC averages. In 2025-26, only 14.6% of students were proficient in math compared to the state average of 28.2%, while 35.7% were proficient in ELA versus 39.6% statewide. The math trend is especially concerning: proficiency drops from 19.7% in 6th grade to just 6.8% in 8th grade, widening the gap to the state average from 8 points to nearly 18 points. ELA performance is comparatively stronger but also declines by 8th grade, where the proficiency gap reaches 12.8 points.
Perhaps the most striking finding is that this Mathematics and Science school struggles most in mathematics. Year-over-year math proficiency was essentially flat (14.5% to 14.6%), while ELA improved moderately from 30.4% to 35.7%. The school has earned 2 stars in each of the last three years, with rankings consistently in the low-to-mid 40th percentile. High spending and small class sizes have not translated into high math scores, raising questions about how resources are allocated. Additionally, 7th grade math data was not reported, and free/reduced-price lunch data is unavailable, limiting a full picture of the student population.
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