Summary:
The eight elementary schools in Queen Anne's County Public Schools serve students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, often with split-grade configurations (PK-2 and 3-5), and are located in a Maryland district ranked 6th in the state with a 4-star rating.
There is a clear performance divide between the schools on Kent Island and those on the mainland. Matapeake Elementary School is the top academic performer, boasting the highest state ranking (82nd percentile), a 4-star rating, and the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (12.6%). It significantly outperforms district averages in Math (57% proficient vs. 31.7%) and ELA (62.3% vs. 57.9%). Bayside Elementary School also excels, with strong Math (51.9%) and ELA (60.3%) scores. In contrast, Sudlersville Elementary School faces the greatest challenges, with the lowest state ranking (27th percentile, 1-star), the highest free/reduced lunch rate (69.52%), and the lowest test scores—its ELA proficiency (29.5%) is less than half the district average. Church Hill Elementary School presents a puzzling case: despite having the second-highest spending per student ($21,073), its 4th-grade Math proficiency (26.4%) is the lowest in the district, suggesting that resource allocation alone does not guarantee success.
Notably, Grasonville Elementary School stands out as a resilient performer, achieving strong Math scores (42.9% overall, 47% in 5th grade) despite having the highest free/reduced lunch rate (46.4%) among PK-5 schools. The split-grade feeder system complicates comparisons: Kent Island Elementary School (PK-2) feeds into Bayside (3-5), and Centreville Elementary School (PK-2) feeds into Kennard Elementary School (3-5), making it difficult to track a student's full academic journey. Overall, while spending is directed toward higher-need schools, the data shows that effective instruction and consistent strategies, as seen at Matapeake and Bayside, are more critical than spending levels alone.
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