Best Public Schools in Olney, MD

The city of Olney, Maryland, is home to five public schools within the highly-rated Montgomery County Public Schools district, serving students from elementary through middle school with a strong reputation for academic excellence and community engagement. Belmont Elementary stands out as the top academic performer, consistently ranking in the top 15% of Maryland elementary schools with a 5-star rating, achieving the highest math proficiency (60.2%) and the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (8.3%) in the city. In contrast, Brooke Grove Elementary presents a resource paradox: despite having the highest per-student spending ($24,409) and the smallest class sizes (11:1), it has the lowest academic performance and highest chronic absenteeism (16.8%), highlighting that financial resources alone do not guarantee outcomes. Among middle schools, Rosa M. Parks Middle leads with a higher state ranking (85th percentile) and exceptional English Language Arts proficiency (75.2%), while William H. Farquhar Middle excels in advanced math and science, with top Algebra I (48.6%) and Geometry (77.8%) proficiency rates.

Key metrics reveal a city-wide commitment to attendance, with every school reporting chronic absenteeism rates well below the district average of 22.6%, averaging just 13.4%. Olney Elementary also performs strongly, ranking in the 86th percentile with 57.6% math proficiency and a low free/reduced lunch rate (20.7%). The city-wide average for free/reduced lunch is 23.55%, with Belmont Elementary and Rosa M. Parks Middle having the lowest rates (around 16%), while Brooke Grove Elementary has the highest (34.87%). Per-student spending averages $20,668 city-wide, with Olney Elementary spending the least ($17,498) and Brooke Grove Elementary the most.

An interesting takeaway is the strong focus on literacy across all middle schools, with both Rosa M. Parks Middle and William H. Farquhar Middle significantly outperforming district and state averages in English Language Arts. Additionally, William H. Farquhar Middle shows a bimodal math distribution, where top students are accelerated into advanced courses like Algebra I and Geometry, leaving a smaller group in standard 8th-grade math. Overall, Olney schools benefit from a highly engaged community, as evidenced by low absenteeism, and offer a range of strengths from Belmont Elementary’s efficient success to Brooke Grove Elementary’s targeted resource allocation.