Summary:
Forestville, Maryland, is home to four public elementary schools within the Prince George's County Public Schools district, serving grades PK-5 or PK-8 with a total of 1,462 students, all facing high levels of economic disadvantage.
The standout school in Forestville is Longfields Elementary, which dramatically outperforms its peers and the state averages in both math (43.6% proficiency vs. state 27.1%) and English Language Arts (60.7% vs. state 51.7%), earning a 4-star rating and a 70th percentile state ranking. This is especially notable because its poverty rate (89.84%) is only slightly lower than the other schools. In stark contrast, Samuel P. Massie Academy is the lowest-performing school, with a 0-star rating, a 4th percentile ranking, and the highest chronic absenteeism rate (37.8%). Andrew Jackson Academy shows a positive trajectory, improving from the 3rd to the 12th percentile, while North Forestville Elementary has declined from the 22nd to the 13th percentile.
Key metrics reveal a spending paradox: the highest-spending school (Andrew Jackson at $24,626 per student) is a low performer, while the top-performing Longfields spends a similar amount ($24,355). This suggests that how money is spent matters more than the total amount. Chronic absenteeism averages 30.4% across the district, with Massie Academy having the highest rate and Andrew Jackson the lowest. The data clearly shows that while poverty is a powerful headwind, school-level factors at Longfields Elementary prove it can be overcome, while the other schools continue to struggle with translating resources into academic success.
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