High Schools in Carroll County Public Schools

The Carroll County Public Schools district in Maryland serves ten high schools, including seven comprehensive schools for grades 9-12 and three specialized programs, and is ranked 2nd out of 25 districts in the state with a 5-star rating.

For parents, the standout academic leader is Liberty High, which ranks 10th in the state and boasts exceptional English Language Arts proficiency (91.5%) and the lowest rate of economic disadvantage among comprehensive schools. Century High is a consistent performer, ranking 16th in the state and is the only comprehensive school with a chronic absenteeism rate below the district average. In contrast, Francis Scott Key High and Winters Mill High face the biggest challenges among comprehensive schools, with the highest chronic absenteeism and dropout rates. The specialized Gateway School serves the district's most at-risk students, spending $52,874 per student with a 4.5:1 student-teacher ratio, though it has the lowest test scores and highest absenteeism—a reflection of its intensive mission rather than failure.

A critical district-wide issue is mathematics performance, where only Westminster High (22.1% proficient) and Liberty High (39.4%) exceed the state average, while schools like South Carroll High (7%) and Winters Mill (7.7%) lag far behind. Chronic absenteeism is another major concern, with the district average at 19.5% and only Century High below that threshold. On a positive note, Manchester Valley High showed dramatic improvement, jumping from a 1-star to a 4-star school, while South Carroll High dropped from 4-star to 3-star, highlighting the volatility in school performance that parents should monitor.