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Empowerment Academy

Q: Is Empowerment Academy a good school?

Empowerment Academy ranks 648 th of 865 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades PK, KG-8

648^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 865 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 25% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Empowerment Academy is a public charter elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Baltimore, MD, with 305 students. It is part of the Baltimore City Public Schools district, which is ranked 24 out of 25 districts in Maryland and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. Empowerment Academy has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Maryland elementary schools over the past decade, with a current ranking of 648 out of 865 schools and a 1-star rating.

Empowerment Academy faces significant challenges, including extremely high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 45.7% to 58.1% in recent years, which are significantly higher than the state and district averages. The school's test scores are also consistently below the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, only 10.8% of Empowerment Academy students were proficient or better in MCAP Mathematics, compared to 12.6% for Baltimore City Public Schools and 26.5% for the state. Despite a relatively low student-teacher ratio and high per-student spending, Empowerment Academy has not shown significant improvement in its performance over the past decade.

The challenges faced by Empowerment Academy are not unique, as the nearby schools, such as Belmont Elementary, Matthew A. Henson Elementary, and Harlem Park Elementary/Middle, also struggle with low test scores, high chronic absenteeism, and low rankings. This suggests that the issues are systemic within the Baltimore City Public Schools district, and may be related to the high rates of poverty in the area, as indicated by the high percentages of free and reduced-price lunch recipients at Empowerment Academy and the surrounding schools.

344

Students ?

11.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$22,994

Per pupil spending ?

79.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

851 Braddish Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21216

(443) 984-2381

District: Baltimore City Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

97.4%

Hispanic:

1.5%

White:

0.9%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Empowerment Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 60th percentile in 2014 → 25th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (22% vs 36% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 35 percentile points since 2014

!Social Studies scores 27 pts below the Maryland average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school22%

District avg20%

Maryland avg36%

Elementary school

648^th of 865

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Bottom 25%▼ down 15 pts since 2015

From bottom 40% (2015) to bottom 25% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

213^th of 337

Maryland public middle schools ?

Bottom 37%▲ up 4 pts since 2015

From bottom 32% (2015) to bottom 37% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

32^nd 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2025	22.7	648 of 865	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.4	550 of 859	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.1	594 of 855	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	24.2	640 of 862	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.4	542 of 853	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	21.7	655 of 857	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	15.9	717 of 847	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	10.5	784 of 845	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	35.8	517 of 859	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	64.6	346 of 867	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2013	66.0	292 of 847	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	63.8	345 of 857	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	69.3	252 of 853	70.5%	★★★★☆
2010	74.2	215 of 855	74.9%	★★★★☆
2009	63.9	341 of 850	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	57.7	413 of 838	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2007	74.5	192 of 818	76.5%	★★★★☆
2006	81.6	123 of 804	84.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	8.2	791 of 796	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2025	32.5	213 of 337	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.6	192 of 328	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	18.4	267 of 322	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.8	243 of 333	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.6	205 of 316	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.7	186 of 328	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	42.6	179 of 317	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2016	20.9	246 of 314	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	31.0	213 of 315	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2014	76.9	83 of 339	75.5%	★★★★☆
2013	70.9	99 of 316	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2012	74.1	87 of 314	72.3%	★★★★☆
2011	79.9	58 of 309	81.2%	★★★★☆
2010	78.5	65 of 324	79.9%	★★★★☆
2009	77.5	68 of 301	77.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	44.7	155 of 273	43.2%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	22.8	230 of 288	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

Female (2021)1st percentile

Middle school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)43rd percentile

Male (2021)20th percentile

By subject vs Maryland (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts40%-11 vs state

Social Studies12%-27 vs state

Mathematics11%-16 vs state

Algebra I9%-12 vs state

Science9%-20 vs state

3.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, October 16, 2013

The teachers are not experienced enough to offer a variety of learning experiences. Also, there are only a handful of teachers (4) for the entire middle school. Close Quote

Schools Near Empowerment Academy

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
Empowerment Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	851 Braddish Avenue	Baltimore	21216	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(443) 984-2381	344	30	11.4	79.7%	3 (0.9%)	335 (97.4%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	22.7	648^th of 865 public elementary schools	25.1%		28.4	550^th of 859 public elementary schools	36.0%	98	26.5	28.1	0.0	0.0	5.3	7.7	10.8	32.4	34.4	32.4	35.7	65.8	33.3	39.7	9.1	0.0	20.0	12.5	$22,994	$3,716	$19,278
Billie Holiday Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	2400 W Mosher Street	Baltimore	21216	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-0506	242	22	11.0	86.0%	2 (0.8%)	229 (94.6%)	9 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)								(n/a)																			$31,423	$6,416	$25,006
Mary Ann Winterling Elementary at Bentalou	Public	PK, KG-5	220 N Bentalou Street	Baltimore	21223	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-1385	296	16	18.5	92.2%	0 (0.0%)	283 (95.6%)	10 (3.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	7.8	852^nd of 865 public elementary schools	1.5%		9.5	826^th of 859 public elementary schools	3.8%	26	5.2	5.3	2.4				4.3	13.8	23.7	9.5				15.2		0.0			$26,929	$5,369	$21,559
Rosemont Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	2777 Presstman Street	Baltimore	21216	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-0574	294	19	15.4	90.1%	4 (1.4%)	288 (98.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14.7	759^th of 865 public elementary schools	12.3%		10.2	814^th of 859 public elementary schools	5.2%	55	36.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	8.5	6.4	28.0	14.8	4.4	31.4	31.1	19.6	22.9		4.4	6.5	10.6	$25,006	$5,902	$19,105
Belmont Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1406 N Ellamont Street	Baltimore	21216	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-0579	177	12	15.3	90.4%	0 (0.0%)	170 (96.0%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.8%)	14.6	760^th of 865 public elementary schools	12.1%		8.5	836^th of 859 public elementary schools	2.7%	76	12.0	18.2	8.3				12.7	28.0	18.2	25.0				23.9		0.0			$31,890	$7,289	$24,601
Matthew A. Henson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1600 N Payson Street	Baltimore	21217	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-0776	199	13	15.9	85.9%	4 (2.0%)	177 (88.9%)	15 (7.5%)	2 (1.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26	600^th of 865 public elementary schools	30.6%		16.7	697^th of 859 public elementary schools	18.9%	97	36.0	35.7	24.2				31.4	16.0	27.6	18.2				20.7		0.0			$28,098	$5,944	$22,154
Harlem Park Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	1401 W Lafayette Avenue	Baltimore	21217	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-0633	402	30	13.4	93.5%	3 (0.7%)	388 (96.5%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.2%)	8.2	847^th of 865 public elementary schools	2.1%		5	858^th of 859 public elementary schools	0.1%	11	10.3	0.0	2.4	2.5	6.8	13.6	6.3	23.1	3.4	7.3	15.0	22.4	8.5	14.1		0.0	2.2	10.9	$20,251	$4,743	$15,508
Mary E. Rodman Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3510 W Mulberry Street	Baltimore	21229	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-0508	431	32	13.6	86.5%	3 (0.7%)	395 (91.6%)	20 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.0%)	12.9	792^nd of 865 public elementary schools	8.4%		9.4	827^th of 859 public elementary schools	3.7%	35	26.8	3.9	6.7				12.6	24.7	16.2	15.3				18.9		3.3			$22,594	$4,694	$17,900
New Song Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	1530 Presstman Street	Baltimore	21217	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(410) 728-2091	182	13	14.0	87.4%	0 (0.0%)	182 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7.7	853^rd of 865 public elementary schools	1.4%		22.9	609^th of 859 public elementary schools	29.1%	244	4.8	0.0	5.9	0.0	26.7	5.9	6.7	9.5	12.5	17.6	15.8	53.3	17.6	20.0		0.0	11.8	11.8	$24,869	$4,763	$20,107
Frederick Elementary	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	2501 Frederick Avenue	Baltimore	21223	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-0830	320	20	16.0	88.8%	12 (3.8%)	239 (74.7%)	50 (15.6%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.0%)	5.3	863^rd of 865 public elementary schools	0.2%		7.4	843^rd of 859 public elementary schools	1.9%	20	1.9	0.0	0.0				0.7	5.8	8.5	10.9				8.3		0.0			$30,078	$6,680	$23,398

Frequently Asked Questions about Empowerment Academy

What is the racial makeup of Empowerment Academy?

Students at Empowerment Academy are 97% African American, 1% Hispanic.

Is Empowerment Academy a good school?

Empowerment Academy ranks 648^th of 865 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Empowerment Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 344 students attended Empowerment Academy.

What district is Empowerment Academy in?

Baltimore City Public Schools

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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.