Best Public Schools in Hyattsville, MD

The 14 public schools in Hyattsville, Maryland, part of the Prince George's County Public Schools district, serve a highly economically disadvantaged community (with an average free/reduced lunch rate of ~87%) and include 10 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 1 high school, presenting a mixed picture of standout successes and significant challenges.

For parents, the standout performer is Cesar Chavez Elementary, which ranks in the 61st percentile statewide—the highest in the city—with strong ELA (62.3%) and Math (28.5%) proficiency, despite a lower free/reduced lunch rate of 65%. Hyattsville Elementary also shines, jumping to the 51st percentile with ELA scores (53.3%) above the state average. In contrast, Rosa L. Parks Elementary and Langley Park-McCormick Elementary are in the lowest percentiles (2nd and 8th, respectively), with critically low proficiency rates. The city's only high school, Northwestern High, is a major concern with a 68.8% graduation rate and 27.7% dropout rate, alongside 43.4% chronic absenteeism. Middle schools like Nicholas Orem Middle show some strength in ELA (42.6%) but all three middle schools struggle in Math (7-9.5% proficiency).

Key insights reveal that chronic absenteeism varies widely even among high-poverty schools—Langley Park-McCormick Elementary has a low 8.1% rate while Edward M. Felegy Elementary School has 42.4%—suggesting school climate matters. Additionally, higher per-student spending does not guarantee success; the three highest-spending schools (including Chillum Elementary at $25,022) are among the lowest-performing, while Cesar Chavez Elementary achieves top results with a modest $18,842 per student. Overall, while some schools defy the odds, the district faces systemic challenges in math proficiency and high school retention.