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Johnston Square Elementary

Q: Is Johnston Square Elementary a good school?

Johnston Square Elementary ranks in the bottom 0.1% of Maryland elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend Johnston Square Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 271 students attended Johnston Square Elementary.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Johnston Square Elementary?

Students at Johnston Square Elementary are 96% African American, 3% Hispanic.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

864^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 865 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 0% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Johnston Square Elementary is a public elementary school in Baltimore, Maryland, serving 244 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Baltimore City Public Schools district, which is ranked 24th out of 25 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Johnston Square Elementary consistently ranks among the lowest-performing elementary schools in Maryland, with proficiency rates in MCAP tests that are significantly lower than the Baltimore City Public Schools and Maryland state averages across all grades and subjects. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 2.2% of students were proficient or better in MCAP Mathematics, compared to 12.6% in the district and 26.5% statewide. The school's performance in English Language Arts is also very low, with only 3.7% of students proficient or better, compared to 31.2% in the district and 50.8% statewide. Additionally, Johnston Square Elementary has consistently high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 48.7% to 65.7% in recent years, significantly higher than the district and state averages.

While the nearby schools, such as Baltimore Montessori Public Charter School, Cecil Elementary, and Dallas F. Nicholas Senior Elementary, also perform poorly compared to the state average, they generally outperform Johnston Square Elementary in academic metrics and have lower rates of chronic absenteeism. The analysis of Johnston Square Elementary's data reveals a school that is consistently underperforming, with significant challenges related to academic achievement, chronic absenteeism, and socioeconomic status, indicating the need for targeted interventions and support to improve the educational outcomes for its students.

271

Students ?

16.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$25,290

Per pupil spending ?

94.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1101 Valley Street
Baltimore, MD 21202-5542

(410) 396-1477

District: Baltimore City Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

96.3%

Hispanic:

3.3%

Two or more races:

0.4%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Johnston Square Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 99th percentile in 2006 → <1st in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (3% vs 38% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (<1st percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 99 percentile points since 2006

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school3%

District avg21%

Maryland avg38%

864^th of 865

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Bottom 1%▼ down 3 pts since 2017

From bottom 4% (2017) to bottom 1% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

103^rd of 104Elementary Schools in the Baltimore City Public Schools

24^th of 25Baltimore 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
2025	5.0	864 of 865	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.7	862 of 862	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.1	815 of 857	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	8.5	817 of 847	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	1.0	861 of 867	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	20.3	757 of 855	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	65.4	323 of 850	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2008	74.6	218 of 838	74.0%	★★★★☆
2007	83.5	85 of 818	89.6%	★★★★☆
2006	90.1	12 of 804	98.5%	★★★★★
2005	86.8	64 of 805	92.0%	★★★★★
2004	87.6	14 of 803	98.3%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	10.8	776 of 796	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)3rd percentile

By subject vs Maryland (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts4%-47 vs state

Mathematics2%-24 vs state

Science0%-26 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, October 4, 2017

I'm so glad this is my grandson's last year. He only gets math homework, the principal and staff are rude and unprofessional. The kids are all over the place, in the halls on cell phones. Close Quote

Schools Near Johnston Square Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MCAP Mathematics (2025)							MCAP English Language Arts (2025)							MCAP Algebra I (2025)	MCAP Science (2025)		MCAP Social Studies (2025)	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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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 Science 5th Grade	MCAP Science 8th Grade	MCAP Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Johnston Square Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1101 Valley Street	Baltimore	21202	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-1477	271	17	16.4	94.5%	0 (0.0%)	261 (96.3%)	9 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	5	864^th of 865 public elementary schools	0.1%					(n/a)	7.7	0.0	0.0				2.2	5.0	3.8	2.4				3.7		0.0			$25,290	$5,509	$19,780
Dr. Bernard Harris Senior Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1400 N Caroline Street	Baltimore	21213	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-1452	300	21	14.6	93.7%	0 (0.0%)	286 (95.3%)	7 (2.3%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	4.9	865^th of 865 public elementary schools	0.0%					(n/a)	5.1	0.0	0.0				1.7	5.1	0.0	4.7				3.2		0.0			$25,987	$6,018	$19,969
Baltimore Montessori Public Charter School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	1600 Guilford Avenue	Baltimore	21202	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(410) 528-5393	604	31	19.4	53.6%	123 (20.4%)	398 (65.9%)	36 (6.0%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	41 (6.8%)	27.5	579^th of 865 public elementary schools	33.1%		24.2	594^th of 859 public elementary schools	30.8%	15	32.8	9.5	8.3	4.7	17.5	0.0	14.4	49.3	28.6	31.3	28.6	35.0	24.3	34.0	13.3	16.7	13.5	15.8	$20,781	$4,967	$15,815
Cecil Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2000 Cecil Avenue	Baltimore	21218	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-6385	348	22	15.8	85.1%	3 (0.9%)	328 (94.3%)	10 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.0%)	7.4	857^th of 865 public elementary schools	0.9%		6.3	853^rd of 859 public elementary schools	0.7%	4	16.1	5.0	0.0				7.5	14.3	4.9	4.0				8.2		2.0			$25,070	$4,804	$20,265
Dallas F. Nicholas Senior Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	201 E 21st Street	Baltimore	21218	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-4525	189	15	13.0	81.5%	2 (1.1%)	142 (75.1%)	35 (18.5%)	2 (1.1%)	1 (0.5%)	5 (2.6%)	2 (1.1%)	7.4	856^th of 865 public elementary schools	1.0%		10.2	815^th of 859 public elementary schools	5.1%	41	11.1	6.3	0.0				6.0	15.4	21.4	0.0				10.9		0.0			$33,806	$6,232	$27,574
Harford Heights Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1919 N Broadway Street	Baltimore	21213	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-9341	435	34	12.7	87.4%	5 (1.1%)	393 (90.3%)	30 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.6%)	21.8	669^th of 865 public elementary schools	22.7%		12.3	781^st of 859 public elementary schools	9.1%	112	43.4	11.5	8.2				22.4	32.5	28.8	12.3				24.3		2.9			$27,664	$5,785	$21,879
Sharp-Leadenhall Elementary/Middle	Public	K-8	1919 N Broadway Street	Baltimore	21213	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 396-4325	23	9	2.5	82.6%	0 (0.0%)	21 (91.3%)	2 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)							21.1							26.3
Elmer A. Henderson: A Johns Hopkins Partnership	Public	PK, KG-8	2100 Ashland Avenue	Baltimore	21205	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(443) 642-2060	636	44	14.4	82.4%	6 (0.9%)	610 (95.9%)	13 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	15	754^th of 865 public elementary schools	12.8%		10.5	811^th of 859 public elementary schools	5.6%	57	21.9	1.9	9.2	7.5	4.4		8.3	23.4	17.3	24.6	22.6	42.0	32.2	27.6	3.4	6.2	6.8	3.5	$23,823	$5,200	$18,623
Collington Square Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	1409 N Collington Avenue	Baltimore	21213	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-9198	230	15	15.8	89.6%	3 (1.3%)	204 (88.7%)	19 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	8.2	846^th of 865 public elementary schools	2.2%		7.3	844^th of 859 public elementary schools	1.7%	2	0.0	9.1	4.8	0.0	0.0	3.1	2.2	12.5	4.8	20.0	2.0	22.6	28.6	13.9		4.7	0.0	12.5	$25,362	$5,886	$19,476
Midtown Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	1398 W Mount Royal Avenue	Baltimore	21217	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(410) 225-3257	184	12	15.3	70.1%	13 (7.1%)	162 (88.0%)	3 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.6%)	21	670^th of 865 public elementary schools	22.5%		44.5	423^rd of 859 public elementary schools	50.8%	247	22.7	14.3	15.0	0.0	5.0	16.7	12.3	27.3	28.6	20.0	38.1	60.0	55.6	37.7		15.0	33.3	16.7	$25,174	$6,275	$18,899

Frequently Asked Questions about Johnston Square Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Johnston Square Elementary?

Students at Johnston Square Elementary are 96% African American, 3% Hispanic.

What district is Johnston Square Elementary in?

Baltimore City Public Schools

Is Johnston Square Elementary a good school?

Johnston Square Elementary ranks in the bottom 0.1% of Maryland elementary schools.

How many students attend Johnston Square Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 271 students attended Johnston Square Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Johnston Square Elementary attend?

Students who attend Johnston Square 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

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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.