Best Public Schools in Leonardtown, MD

The city of Leonardtown, Maryland, is home to four public schools serving students from elementary through high school, all part of the highly-rated St. Mary's County Public Schools district, which ranks in the top 28% of Maryland districts.

Two schools stand out for distinct strengths. Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary is the top performer in mathematics, with a 58.3% proficiency rate that nearly doubles the district average, and it also boasts the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (18.8%) and the lowest percentage of students receiving free/reduced lunch (19.77%). In contrast, Leonardtown High is an English Language Arts powerhouse, achieving an 83.1% proficiency rate that dramatically exceeds both district and state averages, though it faces challenges in mathematics, where its proficiency (32.2%) falls below the district average. Leonardtown Middle shows consistent improvement, rising to the 88th percentile in state rankings, and excels in Algebra I with a 65.6% proficiency rate—more than double the district average. Leonardtown Elementary has the highest rate of students receiving free/reduced lunch (32.42%) and the lowest math and ELA scores among the elementary and middle schools.

Key takeaways include a notable spending gap, with elementary schools spending over $2,000 more per student than middle and high schools, yet this does not guarantee equal performance, as Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary significantly outperforms Leonardtown Elementary despite similar spending. All four schools have chronic absenteeism rates below the district average of 27.3%, indicating a district-wide strength in attendance. The data also reveals a clear link between socioeconomic status and academic performance, with schools serving fewer economically disadvantaged students generally achieving higher test scores.