Summary:
Saint Leonard, Maryland, is home to a single public school, St. Leonard Elementary, which serves students from Pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade as part of the highly-rated Calvert County Public Schools district.
With 401 students and a favorable student-teacher ratio of 12.6:1, the school demonstrates a notable "3rd Grade Peak" in math proficiency, where 59.7% of students meet standards—far exceeding the state average of 42.6%. However, this strength sharply declines in 4th and 5th grades, where math proficiency drops to around 28%, significantly below the district average of 48.9% and 43.2% respectively. In English Language Arts, 3rd graders also shine with 69.4% proficiency, above the district's 66.7%, but overall ELA proficiency across all grades (55.1%) lags behind the district's 66.6%. The school spends a substantial $21,782 per student, yet its overall state ranking sits at the 65th percentile (304th out of 864 Maryland elementary schools), suggesting resources may not be fully translating into top-tier results.
A critical challenge is chronic absenteeism, affecting 19.4% of students—higher than the district's 17.3%—which likely contributes to the proficiency gaps in upper grades. While the school outperforms state averages in math (39.2% vs. 27.1%) and science (38.5% vs. 32.4%), it underperforms its own district in ELA and science. This creates an unusual dynamic where math instruction appears to be a relative strength, but ELA strategies may need alignment with the district's successful approach. For parents, the key takeaway is that St. Leonard Elementary provides a strong early foundation, but families should be aware of the math decline after 3rd grade and the need to address chronic absenteeism to ensure sustained academic growth.
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