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Mars Estates Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

814^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 864 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 6% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Mars Estates Elementary is a PK-5 school in the Essex/Middle River area of Baltimore, serving about 400 students as part of the Baltimore County Public Schools district. The school has faced significant academic challenges in recent years, with its state ranking dropping from the 38th percentile to the 6th percentile over the past five years. While the school benefits from a low student-to-teacher ratio of 14.6:1 and spends a substantial $23,567 per student—well above the district average—these resources have not yet led to improved test scores, with math proficiency at just 8.1% and ELA proficiency at 19.7%.

When compared to nearby schools, the differences are striking. Just 0.42 miles away, Deep Creek Elementary faces similar struggles with 7.6% math and 22.6% ELA proficiency. However, only 1.5 miles away, Orems Elementary achieves 36.4% math and 45.2% ELA proficiency, while Middleborough Elementary spends over $5,000 less per student but achieves nearly four times the math proficiency rate. This suggests that the challenges at Mars Estates are highly localized and not simply a reflection of the community or district. A key factor appears to be chronic absenteeism, which affects 32.6% of students—the second-highest rate among nearby schools—making it difficult for academic interventions to take hold.

Despite these struggles, there are some nuanced strengths. Historically, the school ranked in the 68th percentile for serving low-income students, suggesting it has been relatively effective at supporting its most disadvantaged learners. However, a concerning pattern emerges in 5th grade, where ELA proficiency drops to just 12.2% compared to 22.8% in 3rd grade, indicating a possible "5th grade cliff" that warrants investigation. The school's high spending and low results create a resource paradox, pointing to the need for a strategic audit to ensure funds are directed toward proven solutions like addressing absenteeism and improving curriculum alignment. For parents, this means the school has potential but requires focused effort to turn around its trajectory.

400

Students ?

14.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,567

Per pupil spending ?

75.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1500 E Homberg Ave
Baltimore, MD 21221-3717

(410) 887-0154

District: Baltimore County Public Schools

Students who attend Mars Estates Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Stemmers Run Middle
High:	Kenwood High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

54.5%

Hispanic:

23.5%

White:

10.8%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 24th percentile in 2016 → 6th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (13% vs 39% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (6th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 18 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school13%

District avg34%

Maryland avg39%

814^th of 864

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Bottom 6%▼ down 18 pts since 2016

From bottom 24% (2016) to bottom 6% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

108^th of 108Elementary Schools in the Baltimore County Public Schools

18^th of 25Baltimore County 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	10.8	814 of 864	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	17.3	727 of 865	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.1	725 of 859	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.1	644 of 855	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.7	535 of 862	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.9	484 of 802	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	18.4	687 of 853	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.4	642 of 857	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	20.7	662 of 847	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	22.7	642 of 845	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	15.4	756 of 859	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	43.1	577 of 867	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	28.3	666 of 847	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	23.6	715 of 857	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	19.3	740 of 853	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	16.8	782 of 855	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	15.9	787 of 850	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	15.7	767 of 838	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	83.9	79 of 818	90.3%	★★★★★
2006	84.5	81 of 804	89.9%	★★★★★
2005	55.8	393 of 805	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2004	71.8	232 of 803	71.1%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	41.7	258 of 504	48.8%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	29.4	499 of 796	37.3%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	52.6	172 of 546	68.5%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	34.3	426 of 788	45.9%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	31.7	329 of 528	37.7%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)68th percentile+29 vs school

African American (2021)49th percentile+9 vs school

Male (2021)46th percentile+6 vs school

White (2021)38th percentile~ school

Female (2021)37th percentile~ school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts20%-32 vs state

Science10%-22 vs state

Mathematics8%-19 vs state

★

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Schools Near Mars Estates 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 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	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 All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Mars Estates Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1500 E Homberg Ave	Baltimore	21221	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-0154	400	27	14.6	75.8%	43 (10.8%)	218 (54.5%)	94 (23.5%)	9 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (9.0%)	10.8	814^th of 864 public elementary schools	5.8%		17.3	727^th of 865 public elementary schools	16.0%	87	8.6	4.7	10.4	8.1	22.8	24.4	12.2	19.7	10.0	$23,567	$2,999	$20,568
Deep Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	1101 E Homberg Ave	Baltimore	21221	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-0110	385	28	13.7	80.3%	35 (9.1%)	251 (65.2%)	62 (16.1%)	4 (1.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (8.1%)	11.5	802^nd of 864 public elementary schools	7.2%		12.6	801^st of 865 public elementary schools	7.4%	1	4.7	8.9	9.2	7.6	20.0	26.8	21.5	22.6	6.1	$20,623	$2,941	$17,682
Middlesex Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	142 Bennett Rd	Baltimore	21221	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-0170	448	36	12.5	80.4%	128 (28.6%)	146 (32.6%)	122 (27.2%)	9 (2.0%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (8.5%)	17.7	715^th of 864 public elementary schools	17.2%		10.2	832^nd of 865 public elementary schools	3.8%	117	16.7	15.9	6.8	13.5	25.7	29.0	30.0	28.1	15.4	$22,136	$2,851	$19,285
Middleborough Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	313 West Rd	Baltimore	21221	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 887-0160	288	21	13.8	48.3%	159 (55.2%)	64 (22.2%)	27 (9.4%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (11.8%)	46.6	438^th of 864 public elementary schools	49.3%		42.6	469^th of 865 public elementary schools	45.8%	31	28.9	38.0	28.6	32.1	45.5	42.0	40.5	42.6	34.9	$18,218	$1,363	$16,855
Hawthorne Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	125 Kingston Rd	Baltimore	21220	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-0138	499	37	13.6	83.2%	92 (18.4%)	259 (51.9%)	105 (21.0%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (7.6%)	13.3	778^th of 864 public elementary schools	10.0%		13.4	785^th of 865 public elementary schools	9.2%	7	13.3	14.3	8.0	12.2	12.1	31.4	12.0	19.7	9.8	$22,100	$3,289	$18,811
Sussex Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	515 S Woodward Dr	Baltimore	21221	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-0182	475	32	14.8	78.9%	136 (28.6%)	131 (27.6%)	136 (28.6%)	10 (2.1%)	5 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	56 (11.8%)	15.5	751^st of 864 public elementary schools	13.1%		15.6	746^th of 865 public elementary schools	13.8%	5	13.0	16.1	12.1	13.7	20.3	35.5	15.2	23.4	10.1	$19,256	$2,469	$16,787
Sandalwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	900 S Marlyn Ave	Baltimore	21221	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-0174	440	30	14.7	83.0%	16 (3.6%)	315 (71.6%)	73 (16.6%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.0%)	31.3	562^nd of 864 public elementary schools	35.0%		42.3	472^nd of 865 public elementary schools	45.4%	90	33.3	17.6	7.2	20.0	40.5	41.2	42.6	41.4	17.6	$21,644	$3,404	$18,240
Orems Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	711 Highvilla Rd	Baltimore	21221	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-0172	402	25	16.3	66.4%	139 (34.6%)	94 (23.4%)	119 (29.6%)	25 (6.2%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (5.2%)	48.6	423^rd of 864 public elementary schools	51.0%		50.3	405^th of 865 public elementary schools	53.2%	18	43.3	31.0	34.2	36.4	51.5	46.6	38.4	45.2	23.0	$20,697	$2,814	$17,883
Martin Boulevard Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	210 Riverton Rd	Baltimore	21220	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-0158	253	23	11.1	67.2%	36 (14.2%)	100 (39.5%)	82 (32.4%)	5 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	27 (10.7%)	27.1	607^th of 864 public elementary schools	29.7%		45.5	444^th of 865 public elementary schools	48.7%	163	37.1	26.9	13.2	25.3	40.5	29.6	28.9	33.3	7.9	$25,770	$3,093	$22,677
Essex Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	100 Mace Ave	Baltimore	21221	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 887-0117	481	29	16.4	70.5%	206 (42.8%)	81 (16.8%)	129 (26.8%)	9 (1.9%)	5 (1.0%)	3 (0.6%)	48 (10.0%)	30.8	569^th of 864 public elementary schools	34.1%		28.4	570^th of 865 public elementary schools	34.1%	1	42.2	12.9	13.9	22.1	51.6	24.6	32.1	35.5	21.0	$19,225	$2,696	$16,528

Frequently Asked Questions about Mars Estates Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Mars Estates Elementary?

Students at Mars Estates Elementary are 55% African American, 24% Hispanic, 11% White, 9% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What district is Mars Estates Elementary in?

Baltimore County Public Schools

Is Mars Estates Elementary a good school?

Mars Estates Elementary ranks in the bottom 5.8% of Maryland elementary schools.

How many students attend Mars Estates Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 400 students attended Mars Estates Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Mars Estates Elementary attend?

Students who attend Mars Estates Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Stemmers Run Middle
High : Kenwood High

Rate Mars Estates Elementary!

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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.