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Piney Ridge Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

51^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 864 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 94% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Piney Ridge Elementary in Sykesville, MD, is a top-tier school serving 578 students from Pre-K through 5th grade within the highly-ranked Carroll County Public Schools district, consistently earning a 5-star rating and ranking in the top 6% of all Maryland elementary schools over the past decade.

What truly sets Piney Ridge apart is its exceptional academic performance and efficiency. In the most recent school year, 65.5% of students were proficient in Math and 77.3% in English Language Arts—roughly 2.4 times the state average in Math and 1.5 times in ELA. This places the school in the 94th percentile statewide, a level of distinction matched only by nearby Linton Springs Elementary among its immediate Carroll County peers. Remarkably, Piney Ridge achieves these results while spending just $14,842 per student, the lowest in its peer group. For comparison, Winfield Elementary spends $2,600 more per student but ranks in the 75th percentile. This "Piney Ridge Paradox" of lower spending and higher performance suggests exceptional resource allocation and a strong school culture. The school also boasts a low chronic absenteeism rate of 11.5%, significantly better than the district average of 19.5% and among the best in the area.

While overall scores are stellar, there is a slight dip in math proficiency as students progress, with 3rd graders at 79% proficiency dropping to 57.3% by 5th grade—a trend seen in other area schools but more pronounced here. This may indicate an area for targeted support in upper elementary math. Additionally, when compared to elite Howard County schools like West Friendship Elementary (97th percentile) and Bushy Park Elementary (94th percentile), Piney Ridge matches their performance despite serving a higher-poverty population (20% free/reduced lunch) and spending significantly less. This highlights the exceptional value Piney Ridge offers within the Carroll County Public Schools system, making it a standout choice for families seeking a high-performing, efficient school.

578

Students ?

15.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,842

Per pupil spending ?

20.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6315 Freedom Avenue
Sykesville, MD 21784-8061

(410) 751-3535

District: Carroll County Public Schools

Students who attend Piney Ridge Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Sykesville Middle
High:	Century High

Racial breakdown:

White:

66.3%

Asian:

14.4%

African American:

8.1%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 91st percentile in 2016 → 94th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Maryland average (69% vs 39% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 6% of Maryland elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Carroll County Public Schools

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school69%

District avg54%

Maryland avg39%

51^st of 864

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Top 6%▲ up 3 pts since 2016

From top 9% (2016) to top 6% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st 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	93.4	51 of 864	94.1%	★★★★★
2025	93.9	44 of 865	94.9%	★★★★★
2024	91.5	65 of 859	92.4%	★★★★★
2023	93.7	50 of 855	94.2%	★★★★★
2022	95.1	39 of 862	95.5%	★★★★★
2021	82.9	108 of 802	86.5%	★★★★☆
2019	78.9	175 of 853	79.5%	★★★★☆
2018	89.5	78 of 857	90.9%	★★★★★
2017	91.4	73 of 847	91.4%	★★★★★
2016	90.5	79 of 845	90.7%	★★★★★
2015	93.9	45 of 859	94.8%	★★★★★
2014	85.5	66 of 867	92.4%	★★★★★
2013	83.7	67 of 847	92.1%	★★★★★
2012	85.9	26 of 857	97.0%	★★★★★
2011	87.2	21 of 853	97.5%	★★★★★
2010	88.6	11 of 855	98.7%	★★★★★
2009	86.5	38 of 850	95.5%	★★★★★
2008	88.2	16 of 838	98.1%	★★★★★
2007	7.8	757 of 818	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	21.7	670 of 804	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	14.6	717 of 805	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	18.8	681 of 803	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	72.2	35 of 128	72.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	83.2	98 of 796	87.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	78.0	124 of 788	84.3%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	63.4	167 of 528	68.4%	★★★☆☆

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)

Female (2021)88th percentile~ school

Male (2021)84th percentile~ school

Asian (2021)73rd percentile-14 vs school

White (2021)68th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts77%+26 vs state

Mathematics66%+38 vs state

Science59%+27 vs state

4.7

3 ratings · 1 written review

5★2

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, August 29, 2009

Piney Ridge is a very good school for our children's basic educational needs. The reliance Piney places on traditional teaching methods and materials assures success on state-mandated exams and is a strong focus throughout the year. At the same time, such a focus can be frustrating to students who are already academically strong and would benefit from a more differentiated approach. Parents must be prepared to supplement their children's educational needs with this in mind. On the positive side, Piney has a very strong PTA and volunteer corps. Discipline problems tend to be on the mild side, though bullying is a prominent issue that often goes unchecked, particularly in the intermediate grades. Close Quote

Schools Near Piney Ridge 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 (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 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
Piney Ridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6315 Freedom Avenue	Sykesville	21784	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3535	578	37	15.8	20.6%	383 (66.3%)	47 (8.1%)	40 (6.9%)	83 (14.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.2%)	93.4	51^st of 864 public elementary schools	94.1%		93.9	44^th of 865 public elementary schools	94.9%	7	79.0	60.5	57.3	65.5	79.0	82.4	71.8	77.3	59.1	$14,842	$710	$14,133
Eldersburg Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1021 Johnsville Road	Sykesville	21784	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3520	470	31	15.1	16.2%	372 (79.1%)	17 (3.6%)	29 (6.2%)	27 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.3%)	88.3	105^th of 864 public elementary schools	87.8%		88.6	96^th of 865 public elementary schools	88.9%	9	77.5	77.1	43.8	66.8	82.0	82.9	57.5	74.6	45.2	$16,076	$695	$15,380
Carrolltowne Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6542 Ridge Road	Sykesville	21784	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3530	593	40	14.6	14.5%	446 (75.2%)	25 (4.2%)	41 (6.9%)	46 (7.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.7%)	90.2	89^th of 864 public elementary schools	89.7%		86.2	121^st of 865 public elementary schools	86.0%	32	84.1	58.0	55.6	65.2	78.7	71.0	69.4	72.8	49.0	$15,763	$866	$14,897
Freedom District Elementary	Public	K-5	5626 Sykesville Road	Sykesville	21784	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3525	627	39	15.9	12.4%	519 (82.8%)	13 (2.1%)	31 (4.9%)	30 (4.8%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.5%)	29 (4.6%)	89.1	95^th of 864 public elementary schools	89.0%		93	61^st of 865 public elementary schools	92.9%	34	72.1	55.5	55.7	60.8	68.3	63.4	76.5	69.5	61.7	$13,463	$616	$12,847
Linton Springs Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	375 Ronsdale Road	Sykesville	21784	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3280	759	45	16.9	15.0%	660 (87.0%)	16 (2.1%)	47 (6.2%)	15 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	18 (2.4%)	93.2	54^th of 864 public elementary schools	93.8%		94.6	39^th of 865 public elementary schools	95.5%	15	71.9	79.6	67.4	73.1	64.8	77.3	81.5	74.8	59.0	$13,367	$609	$12,758
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
West Friendship Elementary	Public	K-5	12500 Frederick Road	West Friendship	21794	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-5512	367	28	12.9	8.2%	215 (58.6%)	24 (6.5%)	27 (7.4%)	78 (21.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	21 (5.7%)	96	24^th of 864 public elementary schools	97.2%		97	17^th of 865 public elementary schools	98.0%	7	75.9	74.3	63.2	70.6	72.4	85.7	84.2	81.4	72.4	$20,049	$884	$19,165
Hernwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9919 Marriottsville Rd	Randallstown	21133	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-0732	350	24	14.4	65.4%	7 (2.0%)	285 (81.4%)	35 (10.0%)	4 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.1%)	24.7	632^nd of 864 public elementary schools	26.9%		26.2	596^th of 865 public elementary schools	31.1%	36	15.7	17.5	15.0	16.1	27.5	36.4	35.0	33.1	21.7	$21,850	$2,341	$19,508
Lisbon Elementary	Public	K-5	15901 Frederick Rd	Woodbine	21797	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-5506	480	32	15.1	14.4%	333 (69.4%)	20 (4.2%)	52 (10.8%)	46 (9.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.8%)	89.9	92^nd of 864 public elementary schools	89.4%		88	99^th of 865 public elementary schools	88.6%	7	69.0	62.2	50.0	60.7	77.4	77.1	73.7	76.1	47.4	$19,583	$1,041	$18,542

Frequently Asked Questions about Piney Ridge Elementary

How many students attend Piney Ridge Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 578 students attended Piney Ridge Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Piney Ridge Elementary attend?

Students who attend Piney Ridge Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Sykesville Middle
High : Century High

What district is Piney Ridge Elementary in?

Carroll County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Piney Ridge Elementary?

Students at Piney Ridge Elementary are 66% White, 14% Asian, 8% African American, 7% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

Is Piney Ridge Elementary a good school?

Yes. Piney Ridge Elementary ranks in the top 5.9% of Maryland elementary schools.

Rate Piney Ridge 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.