Best Public Schools in Perryville, MD

The city of Perryville, Maryland, is served by three public schools—Perryville Elementary, Perryville Middle, and Perryville High—all part of the Cecil County Public Schools district, which ranks in the lower third of Maryland districts. These schools serve approximately 1,793 students and show a clear performance divide: the high school is the standout, while the elementary school faces significant challenges.

Perryville High School is the strongest performer, earning a 4-star rating and ranking in the top 30-40% of Maryland high schools. Its English Language Arts proficiency (68.4%) far exceeds the state average (51.7%), and it has a strong graduation rate. However, its math proficiency is an extreme outlier at just 1.6%, suggesting a major issue with Algebra I instruction. In contrast, Perryville Elementary has a 1-star rating and ranks in the bottom 27% of Maryland elementary schools, with test scores well below district and state averages in every subject. It also has the highest rate of students receiving free/reduced lunch (56%), indicating high economic need. Perryville Middle sits in the middle with a consistent 3-star rating, performing on par with the district average—except in Algebra I, where 43.5% of its students are proficient, more than double the state average of 21.3%.

Chronic absenteeism is a systemic problem, with the middle and high schools both above 24%, compared to the district average of 21.9%. Spending per student is highest at the elementary school ($18,181) and lowest at the high school ($16,753), yet the high school outperforms in ELA, suggesting that resource allocation alone does not drive success. The elementary school’s state ranking has also dropped sharply from the 53rd percentile to the 24th percentile in just two years, a worrying trend that demands attention. Overall, parents should note the high school’s strong ELA program, the middle school’s exceptional math pipeline, and the elementary school’s urgent need for improvement.