High Schools in Allegany County Public Schools

Allegany County Public Schools, ranked 12th out of 25 districts in Maryland, oversees four high schools serving approximately 2,417 students in grades 9-12 across a mix of comprehensive schools and a specialized career center. Allegany High stands out as the academic leader, boasting the highest state ranking (96th of 227), a 92.0% graduation rate, and exceptional English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency at 64.6%, well above the state average of 51.7%. In contrast, Fort Hill High shows volatile performance, swinging from a high ranking of 61st to a low of 138th, and struggles with the highest chronic absenteeism rate (45.4%) and dropout rate (7.0%) in the district. Mountain Ridge High School serves the largest enrollment (743 students) with the lowest per-student spending ($15,211) and a 90.7% graduation rate, while the Center for Career & Technical Education (CCTE) is a unique specialist serving only 11th and 12th graders, with the highest per-pupil spending ($29,020) but the lowest test scores in math (4.2%) and ELA (30.6%).

Key metrics reveal a district with stark contrasts. Math proficiency is a universal crisis, with all schools falling far below the state average of 27.1%; Fort Hill leads the district at just 18.5%, while CCTE languishes at 4.2%. ELA is a relative strength, with Allegany (64.6%) and Fort Hill (57.0%) exceeding state averages. Chronic absenteeism is pervasive, ranging from 38.0% at CCTE to 45.4% at Fort Hill, all above the district average of 33.6%. Graduation rates are solid, with Allegany (92.0%) and Mountain Ridge (90.7%) leading, while dropout rates vary from 4.0% at Allegany to 7.0% at Fort Hill. Economic need is high, with free/reduced lunch rates between 48.59% (Mountain Ridge) and 53.59% (Fort Hill).

Interesting findings include the "Career Center Paradox," where CCTE receives the highest funding and smallest class sizes (11.5:1) yet produces the lowest test scores, suggesting its mission is workforce skill development rather than academic test performance. Spending does not correlate with outcomes, as the lowest-spending school (Mountain Ridge) achieves middle-of-the-pack scores. The district's math crisis demands systemic intervention, while addressing chronic absenteeism—especially at Fort Hill—is critical for improving overall performance. Allegany High's strong ELA results show that foundational reading skills are effective, but quantitative reasoning remains a significant challenge across all schools.