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Friendship Valley Elementary

Q: Is Friendship Valley Elementary a good school?

Friendship Valley Elementary ranks 117 th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

117^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 864 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 86% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Friendship Valley Elementary is a mid-sized school in Westminster, MD, serving 518 students from Pre-K through 5th grade as part of the highly-regarded Carroll County Public Schools district, which ranks in the top 8% of all districts in Maryland. The school has earned a 4-star rating from Schooldigger for six consecutive years and has climbed from the 69th percentile in state rankings in 2019 to the 86th percentile in the most recent 2025-2026 data, showing consistent improvement over time.

The most striking feature of Friendship Valley is its exceptional performance in Mathematics, where 62.8% of all students were proficient in the 2025-2026 school year—a remarkable 35.7 percentage points above the state average and 20.9 points above the district average. This makes it a standout among nearby schools, significantly outperforming peers like William Winchester Elementary and Westminster Elementary in math proficiency. The school also demonstrates efficient resource use, spending $16,785 per student—much less than nearby Robert Moton Elementary ($27,177) while achieving stronger academic outcomes. Additionally, Friendship Valley has successfully managed chronic absenteeism, reducing it from a peak of 22.1% in 2022-2023 to 14.2% in 2024-2025, which is significantly better than the district average of 19.5% and much lower than neighbors like Robert Moton Elementary (26.0%).

While the school excels overall, there are areas for growth. Subgroup data suggests that the school is less effective at serving its White students and Special Education students compared to its female and male students, indicating a need to ensure equitable performance across all student populations. The contrast with nearby Robert Moton Elementary, which serves a higher percentage of students from low-income families and faces greater challenges, highlights how two schools in the same district can serve very different communities. Friendship Valley's consistent academic growth and strong math performance make it a compelling choice for families seeking a school that delivers results with efficient resource management.

518

Students ?

13.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,785

Per pupil spending ?

30.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1100 Gist Road
Westminster, MD 21157-5754

(410) 751-3650

District: Carroll County Public Schools

Students who attend Friendship Valley Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Westminster West Middle
High:	Westminster High

Racial breakdown:

White:

75.7%

Hispanic:

12.2%

African American:

5.8%

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Compare Friendship Valley Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 78th percentile in 2016 → 86th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Maryland average (63% vs 39% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 14% of Maryland elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school63%

District avg54%

Maryland avg39%

117^th of 864

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Top 14%▲ up 8 pts since 2016

From top 22% (2016) to top 14% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 21Elementary Schools in the Carroll County Public Schools

2^nd of 25Carroll 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	87.4	117 of 864	86.5%	★★★★☆
2025	78.7	194 of 865	77.6%	★★★★☆
2024	74.9	199 of 859	76.8%	★★★★☆
2023	84.5	120 of 855	86.0%	★★★★☆
2022	83.6	137 of 862	84.1%	★★★★☆
2021	73.7	159 of 802	80.2%	★★★★☆
2019	67.9	264 of 853	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.6	221 of 857	74.2%	★★★★☆
2017	76.6	203 of 847	76.0%	★★★★☆
2016	78.5	185 of 845	78.1%	★★★★☆
2015	79.5	172 of 859	80.0%	★★★★☆
2014	78.0	176 of 867	79.7%	★★★★☆
2013	74.0	205 of 847	75.8%	★★★★☆
2012	66.9	302 of 857	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	66.5	302 of 853	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2010	77.3	161 of 855	81.2%	★★★★☆
2009	71.1	265 of 850	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2008	77.9	169 of 838	79.8%	★★★★☆
2007	53.5	435 of 818	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2006	45.9	473 of 804	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2005	39.2	544 of 805	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2004	37.9	559 of 803	30.4%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	69.8	155 of 796	80.5%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	73.0	153 of 788	80.6%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	45.3	62 of 136	54.4%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	56.5	196 of 528	62.9%	★★★☆☆

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)

Male (2021)81st percentile~ school

Female (2021)81st percentile~ school

White (2021)63rd percentile-17 vs school

Special Education (2021)54th percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts68%+16 vs state

Mathematics63%+36 vs state

Science52%+19 vs state

★

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Schools Near Friendship Valley 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
Friendship Valley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1100 Gist Road	Westminster	21157	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3650	518	37	13.8	30.3%	392 (75.7%)	30 (5.8%)	63 (12.2%)	13 (2.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	17 (3.3%)	87.4	117^th of 864 public elementary schools	86.5%		78.7	194^th of 865 public elementary schools	77.6%	77	58.7	69.4	59.8	62.8	64.0	68.2	70.1	67.6	51.7	$16,785	$707	$16,079
PRIDE School	Public	K-5	1100 Gist Road	Westminster	21157	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3653	6	1	9.0		3 (50.0%)	2 (33.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (16.7%)								(n/a)										$7,513	$599	$6,914
Robert Moton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1413 Washington Road	Westminster	21157	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 751-3610	440	47	9.4	59.3%	247 (56.1%)	47 (10.7%)	99 (22.5%)	18 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.6%)	29.4	582^nd of 864 public elementary schools	32.6%		46.4	439^th of 865 public elementary schools	49.2%	143	33.3	24.2	17.6	23.9	29.2	36.9	29.3	31.9	22.4	$27,177	$2,466	$24,711
Cranberry Station Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	505 North Center Street	Westminster	21157	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 386-4440	593	40	15.0	44.4%	387 (65.3%)	57 (9.6%)	85 (14.3%)	27 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.2%)	69.5	260^th of 864 public elementary schools	69.9%		65.8	286^th of 865 public elementary schools	66.9%	26	64.4	45.1	37.6	48.3	59.8	58.8	49.5	55.9	34.7	$15,250	$1,138	$14,112
William Winchester Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	70 Monroe Street	Westminster	21157	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3230	587	39	15.2	40.0%	397 (67.6%)	60 (10.2%)	106 (18.1%)	7 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.7%)	72.9	243^rd of 864 public elementary schools	71.9%		83.6	146^th of 865 public elementary schools	83.1%	97	70.8	54.1	27.5	51.9	61.3	60.4	51.6	58.1	38.5	$16,048	$934	$15,114
Westminster Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	811 Uniontown Road	Westminster	21158	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3222	564	40	14.1	41.5%	369 (65.4%)	37 (6.6%)	72 (12.8%)	32 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	52 (9.2%)	66.8	279^th of 864 public elementary schools	67.7%		71	249^th of 865 public elementary schools	71.2%	30	63.5	39.8	30.6	41.7	55.6	60.2	54.6	56.8	37.0	$17,847	$1,331	$16,516
Sandymount Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2222 Old Westminster Pike	Finksburg	21048	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3215	640	40	16.1	28.0%	502 (78.4%)	36 (5.6%)	56 (8.8%)	22 (3.4%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.3%)	73.5	239^th of 864 public elementary schools	72.3%		72.1	237^th of 865 public elementary schools	72.6%	2	52.7	52.9	44.6	50.0	58.2	67.1	55.4	59.8	36.0	$14,603	$766	$13,837
Mechanicsville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3838 Sykesville Road	Sykesville	21784	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3510	510	33	15.3	15.5%	457 (89.6%)	18 (3.5%)	8 (1.6%)	15 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	11 (2.2%)	89.1	96^th of 864 public elementary schools	88.9%		85.7	126^th of 865 public elementary schools	85.4%	30	72.0	72.0	47.6	64.1	67.9	75.3	70.2	71.3	49.4	$15,410	$640	$14,770
Winfield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4401 Salem Bottom Road	Westminster	21157	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3242	724	53	13.6	22.0%	655 (90.5%)	14 (1.9%)	14 (1.9%)	20 (2.8%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	16 (2.2%)	76.5	214^th of 864 public elementary schools	75.2%		82.1	159^th of 865 public elementary schools	81.6%	55	73.1	51.8	39.5	54.3	66.7	64.2	51.8	61.0	36.0	$17,442	$884	$16,558
Runnymede Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3000 Langdon Drive	Westminster	21158	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3203	625	45	13.9	34.4%	500 (80.0%)	40 (6.4%)	36 (5.8%)	6 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	41 (6.6%)	74.4	228^th of 864 public elementary schools	73.6%		73	231^st of 865 public elementary schools	73.3%	3	68.4	36.8	47.8	49.1	62.0	52.6	65.6	59.4	45.1	$17,634	$856	$16,777

Frequently Asked Questions about Friendship Valley Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Friendship Valley Elementary?

Students at Friendship Valley Elementary are 76% White, 12% Hispanic, 6% African American, 3% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Is Friendship Valley Elementary a good school?

Friendship Valley Elementary ranks 117^th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Friendship Valley Elementary in?

Carroll County Public Schools

What schools do graduates of Friendship Valley Elementary attend?

Students who attend Friendship Valley Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Westminster West Middle
High : Westminster High

How many students attend Friendship Valley Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 518 students attended Friendship Valley Elementary.

Rate Friendship Valley Elementary!

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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.