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Elementary Schools in Frederick County Public Schools


At a glance
41
Schools
22,365
Students
6
5-star schools
Top rankedBlue Heron Elementary26th of 864 Maryland elementary schools
Biggest riser
Hillcrest Elementary up 99 spots statewide this year
Smallest classes
Hillcrest Elementary 10.2 students per teacher
SchoolDigger ratings
5★
4★
3★
2 schools without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)
Summary:

Frederick County Public Schools in Maryland oversees 41 elementary schools serving grades PK-5, a district ranked 5th out of 25 in the state with a 4-star rating, offering a diverse range of educational environments from large suburban campuses to small rural schools.

The district's top performers are led by Blue Heron Elementary, ranked 26th in Maryland with the highest math (74%) and second-highest ELA (82%) proficiency, and Centerville Elementary, ranked 27th with exceptional scores. Small schools like Wolfsville Elementary (163 students) achieve the district's top ELA rate (83.6%), while Sugarloaf Elementary boasts the lowest chronic absenteeism (6.0%). At the other end, Hillcrest Elementary faces the greatest challenges, ranking 629th in the state with the highest free/reduced lunch rate (91.05%) and low proficiency, while Waverley Elementary (18.8% math proficiency) and Lincoln Elementary also struggle significantly. The district's two charter schools show contrasting results: Frederick Classical Charter is a strong performer (ranked 94th), while Carroll Creek Montessori Public Charter is mid-range.

A key finding is that higher spending does not guarantee better outcomes—Lewistown Elementary spends the most per student ($37,522) but ranks in the 47th percentile, while Oakdale Elementary spends the least ($13,004) and ranks in the 81st percentile. Chronic absenteeism strongly correlates with low performance, with Lewistown (27.9%) and Emmitsburg Elementary (26.5%) among the most affected. The "Middletown Model" of split campuses—Middletown Primary (PK-2) and Middletown Elementary (3-5)—proves effective, with the combined school ranked 88th in the state.

AllElementaryMiddleHighAlternative
Ranking:
Map legend
E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private




Districts nearby

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.

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