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Southern Middle

Q: Is Southern Middle a good school?

Southern Middle ranks 175 th of 339 Maryland middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

175^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 339 Maryland Middle Schools

Better than 48% of Maryland middle schools

Summary

Southern Middle in Lusby, MD, is a public school serving 442 students in grades 6-8, located in the highly-rated Calvert County Public Schools district. While the district ranks among the top in Maryland, Southern Middle has consistently received a 2-star rating over the past six years, with academic performance significantly below district and state averages. The school spends more per student ($20,483) than nearby peers, yet outcomes lag behind, suggesting that resources are not translating into academic gains.

The most pressing issue at Southern Middle is chronic absenteeism, which stands at 26.9%—dramatically higher than nearby Plum Point Middle (19.0%) and Mill Creek Middle (13.8%). This is a persistent problem, with rates remaining above 26% for three years. Academic performance is also a major concern: only 16.1% of students are proficient in math (compared to the district average of 37.9%), and 45.1% are proficient in English Language Arts (compared to 66.6% district-wide). The 8th grade math proficiency rate is an alarming 1.1%, indicating a severe cumulative learning gap. Interestingly, students who take advanced Algebra I perform adequately, highlighting a "two-tiered" math program where most students struggle.

Despite these challenges, there are some positive signs. English Language Arts proficiency has shown a slight upward trend, improving from 37.6% to 45.1% over two years. The school also performs well for Hispanic students (88th percentile) and male students (66th percentile). However, a stark comparison with Mill Creek Middle, located just 3.1 miles away with a similar student population, reveals that Southern Middle's high absenteeism is likely a primary driver of its poor performance. For parents, the key takeaway is that while the school invests heavily in resources, addressing chronic absenteeism and providing targeted math support are critical areas for improvement.

442

Students ?

14.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,483

Per pupil spending ?

50.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

9615 H G Trueman Rd
Lusby, MD 20657-2804

(443) 550-9250

District: Calvert County Public Schools

Students who attend Southern Middle usually attend:

High:

Calvert High

Feeder schools for Southern Middle:

Elementary:

St Leonard Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

58.4%

African American:

21.0%

Two or more races:

11.3%

See top rated Maryland middle schools

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 36th percentile in 2024 → 48th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 48th (2026) from a 36th-percentile low (2024)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (29% vs 37% meeting standards)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Mathematics scores 11 pts below the Maryland average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school29%

District avg50%

Maryland avg37%

175^th of 339

Maryland public middle schools ?

Bottom 48%▼ down 16 pts since 2016

From top 36% (2016) to bottom 48% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 6Middle Schools in the Calvert County Public Schools

3^rd of 25Calvert 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	44.1	175 of 339	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.9	192 of 337	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.8	209 of 328	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.6	186 of 322	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.3	210 of 333	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.6	164 of 303	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.7	171 of 316	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	56.5	133 of 328	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	59.1	118 of 317	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	57.7	113 of 314	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	62.6	110 of 315	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	82.4	55 of 339	83.8%	★★★★☆
2013	79.5	62 of 316	80.4%	★★★★☆
2012	71.1	98 of 314	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	72.8	86 of 309	72.2%	★★★★☆
2010	74.8	89 of 324	72.5%	★★★★☆
2009	73.8	84 of 301	72.1%	★★★★☆
2008	73.2	88 of 283	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2007	35.7	170 of 264	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2006	38.1	157 of 254	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2005	43.9	149 of 255	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2004	46.5	136 of 252	46.0%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	28.7	198 of 259	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	32.5	203 of 303	33.0%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	74.5	25 of 207	87.9%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	49.0	124 of 273	54.6%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	58.4	99 of 288	65.6%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	27.9	98 of 136	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	23.3	167 of 210	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2021)88th percentile+42 vs school

Male (2021)66th percentile+20 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)55th percentile+9 vs school

Female (2021)33rd percentile-13 vs school

Multi-racial (2021)28th percentile-18 vs school

African American (2021)24th percentile-22 vs school

White (2021)20th percentile-25 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts45%-7 vs state

Science21%-10 vs state

Algebra I19%~ state avg

Mathematics16%-11 vs state

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Schools Near Southern Middle

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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	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 6th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	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 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Southern Middle	Public	6-8	9615 H G Trueman Rd	Lusby	20657	Calvert County	Calvert County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(443) 550-9250	442	31	14.2	50.5%	258 (58.4%)	93 (21.0%)	38 (8.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	50 (11.3%)	44.1	175^th of 339 public middle schools	48.4%		37.9	192^nd of 337 public middle schools	43.0%	17	19.1	21.0	1.1	16.1	50.4	43.8	42.1	45.1	19.3		20.7	$20,483	$1,332	$19,150
Mill Creek Middle	Public	6-8	12200 Southern Connector Blvd	Lusby	20657	Calvert County	Calvert County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(443) 550-9190	436	27	16.1	53.2%	269 (61.7%)	65 (14.9%)	24 (5.5%)	13 (3.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	63 (14.4%)	55.2	139^th of 339 public middle schools	59.0%		56.5	131^st of 337 public middle schools	61.1%	8	18.4	17.6	17.3	21.3	49.3	46.7	53.0	49.5	43.1		32.8	$20,256	$1,446	$18,810
Esperanza Middle	Public	6-8	22790 Maple Rd	Lexington Park	20653	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 863-4016	835	53	15.7	42.8%	404 (48.4%)	227 (27.2%)	80 (9.6%)	33 (4.0%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	86 (10.3%)	75.9	74^th of 339 public middle schools	78.2%		69.3	97^th of 337 public middle schools	71.2%	23	31.4	44.5	16.3	36.8	57.0	60.1	54.5	57.3	74.4		42.0	$16,699	$1,090	$15,609
Leonardtown Middle	Public	6-8	24015 Point Lookout Rd	Leonardtown	20650	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 475-0230	969	56	17.3	26.3%	727 (75.0%)	90 (9.3%)	57 (5.9%)	22 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	73 (7.5%)	86.7	40^th of 339 public middle schools	88.2%		85.2	49^th of 337 public middle schools	85.5%	9	51.7	49.7	17.0	46.1	71.0	68.9	62.7	67.5	65.6		43.2	$16,035	$943	$15,092
Calvert Middle	Public	6-8	655 Chesapeake Blvd	Prince Frederick	20678	Calvert County	Calvert County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(443) 550-8970	607	44	13.9	39.5%	353 (58.2%)	113 (18.6%)	58 (9.6%)	7 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	74 (12.2%)	72.5	89^th of 339 public middle schools	73.7%		73.9	80^th of 337 public middle schools	76.3%	9	21.9	21.5	15.1	23.9	74.1	70.1	61.2	68.8	50.8		34.6	$19,027	$1,339	$17,688
Spring Ridge Middle	Public	6-8	19856 Three Notch Rd	Lexington Park	20653	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 863-4031	913	61	14.9	63.7%	295 (32.3%)	324 (35.5%)	155 (17.0%)	28 (3.1%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	106 (11.6%)	52	149^th of 339 public middle schools	56.0%		44.5	173^rd of 337 public middle schools	48.7%	24	25.2	16.6	9.7	25.0	43.8	46.2	47.8	45.8	51.2	76.7	32.6	$16,552	$1,012	$15,540
Margaret Brent Middle	Public	6-8	29675 Point Lookout Rd	Mechanicsville	20659	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 884-4635	878	54	16.4	38.5%	691 (78.7%)	78 (8.9%)	40 (4.6%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	64 (7.3%)	75.4	79^th of 339 public middle schools	76.7%		67.6	102^nd of 337 public middle schools	69.7%	23	36.4	36.0	13.6	31.7	64.0	59.1	57.3	60.1	44.8		35.5	$16,197	$1,259	$14,939
Plum Point Middle	Public	6-8	1475 Plum Point Rd	Huntingtown	20639	Calvert County	Calvert County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(443) 550-9170	619	37	16.5	20.7%	450 (72.7%)	60 (9.7%)	48 (7.8%)	7 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (8.7%)	83.9	57^th of 339 public middle schools	83.2%		83.4	54^th of 337 public middle schools	84.0%	3	39.7	42.9	27.3	38.4	60.5	77.2	60.7	65.5	34.3	86.7	39.3	$16,466	$918	$15,548

Frequently Asked Questions about Southern Middle

Is Southern Middle a good school?

Southern Middle ranks 175^th of 339 Maryland middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Southern Middle in?

Calvert County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Southern Middle?

Students at Southern Middle are 58% White, 21% African American, 11% Two or more races, 9% Hispanic.

What high school do graduates of Southern Middle attend?

Students who attend Southern Middle usually go on to attend Calvert High

How many students attend Southern Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 442 students attended Southern Middle.

Rate Southern Middle!

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Latest Maryland data All new data »

2025–26 MCAP test scoresNewJul 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.