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Colonel Richardson High School

Q: Is Colonel Richardson High School a good school?

Colonel Richardson High School ranks 103 rd of 227 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

103^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 227 Maryland High Schools

Better than 55% of Maryland high schools

Summary

Colonel Richardson High School in Federalsburg, MD, serves 528 students in grades 9-12 and is part of the Caroline County Public Schools district, with about 66% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

Colonel Richardson High School stands out for its exceptional English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency, with 67.9% of students proficient in the 2025-2026 school year—well above the state average of 51.7% and the highest among nearby schools like Easton High (62.5%) and North Caroline High School (62.9%). The school also boasts a strong graduation rate of 91.3%, significantly higher than the district average of 85.7% and far above North Caroline's 83.0%, while its dropout rate of 4.6% is less than half the district average. However, math proficiency is a critical weakness, with only 5.5% of students proficient compared to the state average of 27.1%, creating a stark 62.4 percentage point gap between ELA and math performance. The school spends $20,348 per student, which is 20% more than North Caroline High School ($16,883) and 24% more than Easton High ($16,469).

Chronic absenteeism remains a challenge at 29.0%, though it has improved from a high of 44.7% in 2021-2022 and is lower than nearby schools like North Dorchester High School (36.4%). The school's performance in Geometry is inconsistent, with proficiency dropping from 33.3% in 2024-2025 to 11.5% in 2025-2026, suggesting potential issues with curriculum or instruction. Overall, Colonel Richardson has shown a strong upward trend in state ranking, climbing from the 28th percentile in 2018-2019 to the 55th percentile for 2025-2026, earning a 3-star rating.

528

Students ?

13.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,348

Per pupil spending ?

65.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

25320 Richardson Rd
Federalsburg, MD 21632-2403

(410) 479-3678

District: Caroline County Public Schools

Feeder schools for Colonel Richardson High School:

Elementary:	Federalsburg Elementary School
	Preston Elementary School
Middle:	Colonel Richardson Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

55.1%

African American:

24.2%

Hispanic:

9.5%

See top rated Maryland high schools

Compare Colonel Richardson High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 55th percentile in 2015 → 55th in 2026

Strengths

✓91% graduate within 4 years

✓Above the Maryland median (55th percentile)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (25% vs 38% meeting standards)

!Geometry scores 33 pts below the Maryland average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school25%

District avg36%

Maryland avg38%

103^rd of 227

Maryland public high schools ?

Top 45%▲ up 25 pts since 2016

From bottom 30% (2016) to top 45% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2High Schools in the Caroline County Public Schools

15^th of 24Caroline 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	41.6	103 of 227	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	42.4	100 of 220	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.6	76 of 146	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.2	60 of 127	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	29.5	145 of 225	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.4	99 of 138	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.4	108 of 197	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	33.2	115 of 180	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	33.5	163 of 233	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2015	54.1	104 of 233	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2014	67.0	107 of 231	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	28.3	141 of 185	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	31.6	143 of 187	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	40.9	122 of 183	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	48.8	146 of 220	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2009	54.2	134 of 213	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	62.6	110 of 214	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2007	38.9	136 of 209	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2006	43.6	126 of 204	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2005	45.4	115 of 204	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2004	41.7	121 of 201	39.8%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts68%+16 vs state

Geometry12%-33 vs state

Mathematics6%-22 vs state

Algebra I4%-17 vs state

★

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Schools Near Colonel Richardson High School

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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 Algebra II (2026)	MCAP Geometry (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 All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 10th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Algebra I End of Course	MCAP Algebra II End of Course	MCAP Geometry End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Colonel Richardson High School	Public	9-12	25320 Richardson Rd	Federalsburg	21632	Caroline County	Caroline County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 479-3678	528	40	13.2	65.9%	291 (55.1%)	128 (24.2%)	50 (9.5%)	13 (2.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (8.5%)	41.6	103^rd of 227 public high schools	54.6%		42.4	100^th of 220 public high schools	54.5%	3	5.5	67.9	67.9	3.9		11.5	$20,348	$1,583	$18,765
Caroline Career & Technology Center	Public	9-12	10855 Central Ave	Ridgely	21660	Caroline County	Caroline County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 479-0100	0	10	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
North Caroline High School	Public	9-12	10990 River Rd	Ridgely	21660	Caroline County	Caroline County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 479-2332	1,238	80	15.4	62.0%	686 (55.4%)	137 (11.1%)	307 (24.8%)	16 (1.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	91 (7.4%)	43.9	94^th of 227 public high schools	58.6%		42.6	98^th of 220 public high schools	55.5%	4	12.9	62.9	62.9	5.6		43.6	$16,883	$1,615	$15,268
North Dorchester High School	Public	9-12	5875 Cloverdale Road	Hurlock	21643	Dorchester County	Dorchester County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 943-4511	526	36	14.8		299 (56.8%)	121 (23.0%)	60 (11.4%)	7 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (7.2%)	25.3	161^st of 227 public high schools	29.1%		19	172^nd of 220 public high schools	21.8%	11	16.3	38.6	38.6	16.8		13.6	$21,221	$3,066	$18,155
Easton High	Public	9-12	723 Mecklenburg Ave	Easton	21601	Talbot County	Talbot County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 822-4180	1,179	71	16.6	59.1%	561 (47.6%)	208 (17.6%)	334 (28.3%)	23 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (4.5%)	40	113^th of 227 public high schools	50.2%		35	123^rd of 220 public high schools	44.1%	10	6.2	62.5	62.5	3.9	21.1	0.0	$16,469	$1,528	$14,941

Frequently Asked Questions about Colonel Richardson High School

What schools feed into Colonel Richardson High School?

Colonel Richardson High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Federalsburg Elementary School
Elementary : Preston Elementary School
Middle : Colonel Richardson Middle School

What district is Colonel Richardson High School in?

Caroline County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Colonel Richardson High School?

Students at Colonel Richardson High School are 55% White, 24% African American, 9% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Colonel Richardson High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 528 students attended Colonel Richardson High School.

Is Colonel Richardson High School a good school?

Colonel Richardson High School ranks 103^rd of 227 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Colonel Richardson High School!

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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.