Elementary Schools in Charles County Public Schools

The 22 elementary schools in Charles County Public Schools, serving grades PK-5 in a suburban Maryland district ranked 20th out of 25 statewide, show a clear divide between a few high-performing schools and several others facing significant challenges. Mary H. Matula Elementary School stands out as the district's top performer, holding a 3-star rating for three consecutive years and achieving the highest overall ELA proficiency at 56.6%, while Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School leads in overall math proficiency at 37.6%. At the other end, Eva Turner Elementary School and Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Elementary School have received 0-star ratings with the lowest proficiency rates in both math (around 9%) and ELA (around 20%).

A key finding is that higher spending per student does not guarantee better results—the three lowest-performing schools are among the top four in per-student spending, while top performer Matula spends a more moderate $20,021 per student. Chronic absenteeism emerges as the strongest predictor of low performance, with the three lowest-performing schools having rates above 32%, compared to the district average of 26.6%. Notably, C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School significantly outperforms Dr. Gustavus Brown Elementary in both math (40.2% vs. 26.8%) and ELA (46.1% vs. 33.3%), despite serving similar student populations with high free/reduced lunch rates, suggesting that school-level leadership and teaching quality can make a substantial difference.

On a positive note, Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School is a standout in science, achieving 5th-grade proficiency rates of 43.5%—nearly double the district average. Berry Elementary School has shown the most dramatic improvement, jumping from the 34th to the 58th percentile in state ranking over three years. However, a common concern across many schools is a decline in math proficiency as students move from 3rd to 5th grade, pointing to a potential weakness in the upper elementary math curriculum.