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Govans Elementary

Q: Is Govans Elementary a good school?

Govans Elementary ranks 628 th of 865 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades PK, KG-5

628^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 865 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 27% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Govans Elementary is a PK-5 school in Baltimore, MD, serving 410 students as part of the Baltimore City Public Schools district, which ranks near the bottom of the state. The school serves a high-poverty community, with about 69% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and has historically ranked in the bottom 20% of Maryland elementary schools. However, it has shown a notable upward trend, moving from the 6th percentile in 2022-2023 to the 27th percentile in 2025-2026, and spends significantly more per student ($28,783) than nearby high-performing schools in Baltimore County.

One key differentiator is math performance: 19% of Govans students were proficient in math in 2025-2026, which is higher than nearby city schools like Leith Walk Elementary/Middle (5.4%), Waverly Elementary/Middle (6.5%), and Walter P. Carter Elementary/Middle (2.8%), and above the district average (13.3%). Another bright spot is chronic absenteeism, which has dropped dramatically from 54.9% in 2021-2022 to 32.3% in 2024-2025, a much steeper decline than the district average. This improvement suggests effective strategies to get students back in class, a critical foundation for academic growth.

Interesting comparisons highlight stark contrasts with nearby schools. Just 1.5 miles away, Stoneleigh Elementary (91st percentile) and Rodgers Forge Elementary (99th percentile) in Baltimore County Public Schools have far lower poverty rates and much higher test scores, reflecting how district boundaries can create vastly different educational realities. Additionally, Tunbridge Public Charter School, just 0.23 miles away, serves a similar demographic but achieves dramatically better results (59th percentile, with 31.7% math and 60% ELA proficiency), suggesting that a different school model can produce higher outcomes in the same neighborhood. Govans' upward trajectory is promising but fragile, as 5th-grade science proficiency is only 13.2% and math proficiency remains below 20%.

410

Students ?

13.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$28,783

Per pupil spending ?

69.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5801 York Road
Baltimore, MD 21212

(410) 396-6396

District: Baltimore City Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

84.6%

Hispanic:

8.0%

White:

5.4%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Govans Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 6th percentile in 2016 → 27th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 21 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (25% vs 39% meeting standards)

!Science scores 19 pts below the Maryland average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school25%

District avg23%

Maryland avg39%

628^th of 865

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Bottom 27%▲ up 22 pts since 2016

From bottom 6% (2016) to bottom 27% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

28^th of 103Elementary Schools in the Baltimore City Public Schools

24^th of 24Baltimore City Public Schools among Maryland districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2026	25.0	628 of 865	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.7	720 of 865	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.9	742 of 859	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.4	804 of 855	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	19.6	704 of 862	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	9.3	794 of 802	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	17.3	707 of 853	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.2	696 of 857	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	13.3	761 of 847	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	9.6	797 of 845	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	16.5	740 of 859	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	20.0	743 of 867	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	54.7	421 of 847	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	42.9	559 of 857	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	38.0	587 of 853	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	62.6	361 of 855	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	66.0	315 of 850	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	27.7	686 of 838	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	72.8	209 of 818	74.4%	★★★★☆
2006	80.8	134 of 804	83.3%	★★★★☆
2005	80.8	128 of 805	84.1%	★★★★☆
2004	84.8	54 of 803	93.3%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	12.2	496 of 504	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	12.7	755 of 796	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Female (2021)5th percentile+4 vs school

African American (2021)2nd percentile~ school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts35%-17 vs state

Mathematics19%-8 vs state

Science13%-19 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, April 22, 2016

Govans Elementary is a hidden gem. Ms Taylor has turned the school around in her ten years as principal. The school has experienced teachers who go above and beyond for all the kids. Our son is one of very few white kids at the school. When a child bullied him on the way home from school, Ms Taylor walked him home. When a kid stole his scooter in the neighborhood over a weekend, Ms Taylor went to that child's house even though he was now a middle schooler. In his first week at the school, his second grade teacher asked if she could buy The Lord of the Rings for him because she didn't have any books at his level in the classroom. Ms Taylor arranged for Johns Hopkins CTY to come and administer a test on-site after I told her my son had found the Prometric testing center too intimidating. When his friend started calling him a punk because he walked away from a fight in the neighborhood, staff did a restorative practices circle with them that got the friendship back on track. Being at Govans has restored our son's confidence and let him grow intellectually and socially. Neighborhood kids knock on our door to come in or ask him out to play. He walks himself to and from school. He has a childhood that is becoming increasingly rare these days.

Since becoming a charter school with the Baltimore Curriculum Project in 2015, there is more school-based autonomy, more support for teachers, and a rigorous academic and social program. The academic program includes teaching "core knowledge" to expand understanding when reading texts, and the classroom management uses Restorative Practice circles to defuse conflict with the kids. The school is a Year 2 school and in the process of determining if it will be renovated or rebuilt. Don't let old online reviews fool you, visit Govans before you choose a charter school out of the neighborhood or a private school. Close Quote

Schools Near Govans Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCAP Mathematics (2026)							MCAP English Language Arts (2026)							MCAP Algebra I (2026)	MCAP Geometry (2026)	MCAP Science (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MCAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Algebra I End of Course	MCAP Geometry End of Course	MCAP Science 5th Grade	MCAP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Govans Elementary	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	5801 York Road	Baltimore	21212	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-6396	410	31	13.4	69.3%	22 (5.4%)	347 (84.6%)	33 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.0%)	25	628^th of 865 public elementary schools	27.4%		17.7	720^th of 865 public elementary schools	16.8%	92	18.3	19.7	18.9				19.0	42.4	34.4	26.4				34.7			13.2		$28,783	$6,241	$22,543
Tunbridge Public Charter School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	5504 York Road	Baltimore	21212	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	Yes	No	No	No	(410) 323-8692	493	26	18.9	42.8%	47 (9.5%)	386 (78.3%)	23 (4.7%)	4 (0.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (6.3%)	57	353^rd of 865 public elementary schools	59.2%		48.4	418^th of 865 public elementary schools	51.7%	65	56.6	15.7	38.9	11.9	21.6	32.4	31.7	63.0	47.1	57.4	54.2	56.9	82.4	60.0	85.7		29.6	35.3	$20,779	$3,682	$17,097
Leith Walk Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	5915 Glennor Road	Baltimore	21239	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-6380	910	65	14.1	80.2%	12 (1.3%)	833 (91.5%)	47 (5.2%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (1.3%)	13.4	776^th of 865 public elementary schools	10.3%		18.8	703^rd of 865 public elementary schools	18.7%	73	14.1	5.2	8.0	2.7	2.7	2.5	5.4	32.9	25.8	13.8	25.7	36.0	12.6	24.3			8.0	1.7	$21,336	$4,372	$16,964
Northwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5201 Loch Raven Boulevard	Baltimore	21239	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-6377	641	38	17.0	76.4%	11 (1.7%)	578 (90.2%)	34 (5.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (2.3%)	26	618^th of 865 public elementary schools	28.6%		35.6	510^th of 865 public elementary schools	41.0%	108	21.2	18.8	20.0				20.1	36.8	37.0	31.5				35.2			15.7		$23,063	$4,298	$18,766
Walter P. Carter Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	820 E 43rd Street	Baltimore	21212	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-6271	834	53	15.8	86.9%	6 (0.7%)	777 (93.2%)	35 (4.2%)	2 (0.2%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	9 (1.1%)	7.8	844^th of 865 public elementary schools	2.4%		9.2	843^rd of 865 public elementary schools	2.5%	1	6.3	3.7	1.1	0.0	1.1	5.5	2.8	20.9	8.4	13.3	21.6	18.2	16.3	16.3			3.4	3.3	$22,495	$4,482	$18,013
Lois T. Murray Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	820 E 43rd Street	Baltimore	21212	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 396-7463	33	12	2.7	75.8%	2 (6.1%)	27 (81.8%)	2 (6.1%)	2 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Roland Park Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	5207 Roland Avenue	Baltimore	21210	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 396-6420	1,371	73	18.7	33.0%	434 (31.7%)	634 (46.2%)	93 (6.8%)	112 (8.2%)	4 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	91 (6.6%)	83.3	148^th of 865 public elementary schools	82.9%		77.6	204^th of 865 public elementary schools	76.4%	56	55.2	50.0	43.2	41.0	40.2	5.0	44.6	70.4	61.1	61.9	75.1	67.6	70.0	68.5	46.3	84.4	45.8	51.0	$16,989	$3,502	$13,487
Yorkwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5931 Yorkwood Road	Baltimore	21239	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-6364	294	21	14.3	82.0%	1 (0.3%)	274 (93.2%)	7 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.1%)	18.8	700^th of 865 public elementary schools	19.1%		23.1	640^th of 865 public elementary schools	26.0%	60	23.1	5.5	15.4				13.5	33.3	16.4	38.5				27.8			12.8		$25,164	$4,735	$20,429
Rodgers Forge Elementary	Public	K-5	250 Dumbarton Rd	Baltimore	21212	Baltimore city	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 887-3582	412	24	17.0	9.5%	292 (70.9%)	29 (7.0%)	22 (5.3%)	33 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	35 (8.5%)	98.5	6^th of 865 public elementary schools	99.3%		98.2	7^th of 865 public elementary schools	99.2%	1	90.2	76.2	81.4				81.9	93.3	84.3	87.9				88.1			81.4		$19,124	$1,159	$17,965
Stoneleigh Elementary	Public	K-5	900 Pemberton Rd	Baltimore	21212	Baltimore city	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(443) 809-3600	645	39	16.4	18.4%	427 (66.2%)	93 (14.4%)	65 (10.1%)	30 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (4.5%)	91.2	80^th of 865 public elementary schools	90.8%		90.6	86^th of 865 public elementary schools	90.1%	6	65.3	55.9	56.5				59.3	71.8	73.0	80.9				75.2			67.2		$15,947	$1,109	$14,838

Frequently Asked Questions about Govans Elementary

Is Govans Elementary a good school?

Govans Elementary ranks 628^th of 865 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Govans Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 410 students attended Govans Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Govans Elementary?

Students at Govans Elementary are 85% African American, 8% Hispanic, 5% White, 2% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Govans Elementary attend?

Students who attend Govans Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Booker T. Washington Middle
Middle : Stadium School
Middle : The Crossroads School
Middle : Vanguard Collegiate Middle
High : Academy for College and Career Exploration
High : Augusta Fells Savage Institute of Visual Arts
High : Baltimore City College
High : Baltimore Design School
High : Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women
High : Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
High : Baltimore School for the Arts
High : Benjamin Franklin High School at Masonville Cove
High : Carver Vocational-Technical High
High : City Neighbors High
High : ConneXions: A Community Based Arts School
High : Coppin Academy
High : Digital Harbor High School
High : Edmondson-Westside High
High : Forest Park High
High : Frederick Douglass High
High : Green Street Academy
High : Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High
High : National Academy Foundation
High : Patterson High
High : Paul Laurence Dunbar High
High : Reginald F. Lewis High
High : Renaissance Academy
High : The Reach! Partnership School
High : Vivien T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy
High : Western High

What district is Govans Elementary in?

Baltimore City Public Schools

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Latest Maryland data All new data »

2025–26 MCAP test scoresJul 28, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCAP test scoresAug 26, 2025

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.