Elementary Schools in Prince George's County Public Schools

This analysis examines Prince George's County Public Schools, a large Maryland district serving 137 elementary schools from pre-kindergarten through grade five, which ranks 22nd out of 25 districts in the state and shows a wide performance gap between its highest and lowest achieving schools.

The district's standout schools are overwhelmingly specialized magnet programs. Glenarden Woods Elementary is the top performer, ranking #2 in the state with 83% math and 91.1% ELA proficiency, while Heather Hills Elementary follows closely at #4 with 80.8% math and 91.7% ELA proficiency. Other high-performing magnets include Dora Kennedy French Immersion and Robert Goddard Montessori, the latter having the district's lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 5.1%. At the other end, Seat Pleasant Elementary ranks #858 out of 864 schools with only 4.1% math proficiency and a staggering 52.5% chronic absenteeism rate. Port Towns Elementary and Springhill Lake Elementary also face severe challenges with absenteeism above 40% and math proficiency below 10%.

Key metrics reveal systemic issues: the district averages 13.7% math proficiency versus the state's 27.1%, and 38.9% ELA proficiency versus 51.7% statewide. Chronic absenteeism averages 30.2% district-wide, with rates ranging from 5.1% to 56.5% at District Heights Elementary. Notably, Capitol Heights Elementary and Longfields Elementary achieve strong proficiency despite high free/reduced lunch rates, showing that effective leadership can overcome socioeconomic barriers. Per-student spending varies widely from $16,274 to $36,512, but higher spending does not guarantee better results—Doswell E. Brooks Elementary spends the most yet ranks in the 16th percentile, while Glenarden Woods spends relatively little but ranks #2 in the state.