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Caroline County Public Schools

At a glance

15^thof 25 Maryland districts▼ 1

Better than 40% of Maryland districts

Elementary 5 Middle 2 High 3Grades PK, KG-12

204 Franklin Street
Denton, MD 21629·(410) 479-1460·All Maryland district rankings →

Statewide performance 2018–2026

2026: better than 40% of districts

Schools

5,648

Students

Top rankedPreston Elementary School277^th of 864 Maryland elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Ridgely Elementary School up 39 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Federalsburg Elementary School 11.5 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

3★

2★

1★

1 school without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

Compare Maryland districts →See the top-ranked Maryland schools →

Summary:

The Caroline County Public Schools district in Maryland serves approximately 5,648 students across nine schools, including five elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools, and is ranked 15th out of 25 districts in the state.

Within the district, Preston Elementary School stands out as the top performer, achieving the highest state ranking (68th percentile) and strong math scores despite a high rate of economic disadvantage. In contrast, Federalsburg Elementary School is the most challenged, with the lowest test scores and highest per-student spending ($22,995), showing that increased funding does not guarantee success. At the middle school level, Colonel Richardson Middle School excels in advanced math, with a 52% Algebra I proficiency rate that far exceeds the district average of 17%. For high schools, Colonel Richardson High School leads with a 91.3% graduation rate and a low 4.6% dropout rate, while North Caroline High School has a lower graduation rate (83.0%) and higher dropout rate (12.9%) but performs better in Geometry.

Key district-wide challenges include a systemic weakness in mathematics, with only 23.7% of students proficient compared to the state average of 27.1%, and chronic absenteeism affecting every school, averaging 28.0%. The district's middle schools are a bright spot for advanced math, but this success does not carry over to high school. Overall, Greensboro Elementary School has the lowest chronic absenteeism (20.8%), while Lockerman Middle School has the lowest per-student spending ($15,746). Parents should note that school performance varies widely, with factors like instructional quality and school culture playing a larger role than funding levels.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCAP Mathematics (2026)							MCAP English Language Arts (2026)								MCAP Algebra I (2026)	MCAP Geometry (2026)	MCAP Science (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MCAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 10th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Algebra I End of Course	MCAP Geometry End of Course	MCAP Science 5th Grade	MCAP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Colonel Richardson High School	Public	9-12	25320 Richardson Rd	Federalsburg	21632	Caroline County	Caroline County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 479-3678	528	40	13.2	65.9%	291 (55.1%)	128 (24.2%)	50 (9.5%)	13 (2.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (8.5%)	41.6	102^nd of 227 public high schools	55.1%		42.4	100^th of 220 public high schools	54.5%	2							5.5							67.9	67.9	3.9	11.5			$20,348	$1,583	$18,765
Colonel Richardson Middle School	Public	6-8	25390 Richardson Rd	Federalsburg	21632	Caroline County	Caroline County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 479-1462	390	29	13.4	68.5%	220 (56.4%)	84 (21.5%)	37 (9.5%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (11.3%)	52.2	148^th of 339 public middle schools	56.3%		56	135^th of 337 public middle schools	59.9%	13				13.7	17.8	7.3	16.2				50.5	57.3	50.4		53.0	52.0			28.3	$19,945	$1,637	$18,308
Denton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	303 Sharp Rd	Denton	21629	Caroline County	Caroline County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 479-1660	596	50	11.9	62.4%	351 (58.9%)	91 (15.3%)	58 (9.7%)	17 (2.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	77 (12.9%)	54.4	372^nd of 864 public elementary schools	56.9%		53.9	378^th of 865 public elementary schools	56.3%	6	36.8	30.5	31.2				32.8	52.9	54.9	52.7					53.4			29.0		$18,834	$2,623	$16,211
Federalsburg Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	302 S University Ave	Federalsburg	21632	Caroline County	Caroline County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 479-2761	415	36	11.5	81.2%	148 (35.7%)	160 (38.6%)	29 (7.0%)	11 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (16.1%)	22.8	649^th of 864 public elementary schools	24.9%		26.2	594^th of 865 public elementary schools	31.3%	55	20.4	22.2	9.0				16.5	40.8	37.0	26.9					34.1			10.4		$22,995	$2,613	$20,381
Greensboro Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	625 N Main St	Greensboro	21639	Caroline County	Caroline County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 479-3885	840	65	12.9	76.7%	335 (39.9%)	31 (3.7%)	421 (50.1%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (6.1%)	46.9	436^th of 864 public elementary schools	49.5%		47.5	425^th of 865 public elementary schools	50.9%	11	43.4	36.0	21.9				33.7	46.9	48.2	41.6					45.6			23.5		$18,965	$2,480	$16,485
North Caroline High School	Public	9-12	10990 River Rd	Ridgely	21660	Caroline County	Caroline County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 479-2332	1,238	80	15.4	62.0%	686 (55.4%)	137 (11.1%)	307 (24.8%)	16 (1.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	91 (7.4%)	43.9	93^rd of 227 public high schools	59.0%		42.6	98^th of 220 public high schools	55.5%	5							12.9							62.9	62.9	5.6	43.6			$16,883	$1,615	$15,268
Preston Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	225 Main St	Preston	21655	Caroline County	Caroline County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 479-2897	381	28	13.6	60.1%	271 (71.1%)	32 (8.4%)	46 (12.1%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.3%)	66.8	277^th of 864 public elementary schools	67.9%		62.9	310^th of 865 public elementary schools	64.2%	33	55.4	49.3	27.7				45.8	55.4	52.2	51.1					53.1			42.6		$20,066	$2,685	$17,381
Ridgely Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	118 N Central Ave	Ridgely	21660	Caroline County	Caroline County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 479-3243	433	35	12.3	59.6%	298 (68.8%)	48 (11.1%)	54 (12.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.2%)	42.9	456^th of 864 public elementary schools	47.2%		38.2	495^th of 865 public elementary schools	42.8%	39	28.3	43.9	23.3				31.1	39.6	54.4	32.9					41.5			25.7		$19,934	$2,447	$17,488
Lockerman Middle School	Public	6-8	410 Lockerman St	Denton	21629	Caroline County	Caroline County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 479-2760	827	58	14.2	60.6%	458 (55.4%)	87 (10.5%)	203 (24.5%)	10 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	69 (8.3%)	51.7	152^nd of 339 public middle schools	55.2%		44.2	177^th of 337 public middle schools	47.5%	25				23.6	20.0	6.3	21.5				57.7	44.6	46.6		49.6	68.3			23.9	$15,746	$1,408	$14,338
Caroline Career & Technology Center	Public	9-12	10855 Central Ave	Ridgely	21660	Caroline County	Caroline County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 479-0100	0	10	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Dorchester County Public Schools	8.81 mi	13	21^st
Talbot County Public Schools	12.21 mi	8	14^th
Wicomico County Public Schools	20.22 mi	25	16^th
Queen Anne's County Public Schools	22.72 mi	14	6^th
Kent County Public Schools	34.27 mi	5	19^th

See the top MD Maryland districts

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Maryland State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.