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Piney Ridge Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

44^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 865 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 95% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Piney Ridge Elementary is a public elementary school in Sykesville, Maryland, serving 583 students in grades PK-5. It is part of the highly-ranked Carroll County Public Schools district, which is ranked 2nd out of 25 districts in the state.

Piney Ridge Elementary consistently ranks among the top 50 elementary schools in Maryland, with a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's proficiency rates in MCAP Mathematics and English Language Arts are significantly higher than the Carroll County and Maryland state averages across all grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, Piney Ridge Elementary's proficiency rates were 70.5% in Mathematics and 74.3% in English Language Arts, compared to 40.5% and 66.5% for the Carroll County district, and 26.5% and 50.8% for the state of Maryland. The school also outperforms nearby schools in the district, such as Winfield Elementary, Mechanicsville Elementary, Carrolltowne Elementary, and Freedom District Elementary.

Piney Ridge Elementary has a relatively low percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients, ranging from 19.41% to 21.1% over the past few years, which is lower than the nearby Carroll County schools. The school also spends more per student ($13,225 to $14,842 over the past few years) and maintains a lower student-teacher ratio (15.4 to 15.8) compared to the district average. These factors, along with the school's consistent academic excellence and diverse student population, contribute to its outstanding performance and reputation within the Carroll County Public Schools district.

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%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Piney Ridge Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 95th percentile in 2015 → 95th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Maryland average (70% vs 38% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 5% 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 (2024-2025) ?

This school70%

District avg52%

Maryland avg38%

44^th of 865

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Top 5%▬ steady since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd 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
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 (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts74%+24 vs state

Mathematics70%+44 vs state

Science53%+28 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

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MCAP Mathematics (2025)				MCAP English Language Arts (2025)				MCAP Science (2025)	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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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%)	93.9	44^th of 865 public elementary schools	94.9%		91.5	65^th of 859 public elementary schools	92.4%	21	73.6	73.1	64.5	70.5	78.2	77.8	66.7	74.3	53.2	$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%)	88.6	96^th of 865 public elementary schools	88.9%		85.3	117^th of 859 public elementary schools	86.4%	21	78.6	68.0	48.3	63.8	73.2	76.0	62.1	70.0	41.4	$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%)	86.2	121^st of 865 public elementary schools	86.0%		88.4	93^rd of 859 public elementary schools	89.2%	28	83.0	66.3	55.9	67.7	72.0	70.5	59.3	66.8	33.1	$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%)	93	61^st of 865 public elementary schools	92.9%		90.2	78^th of 859 public elementary schools	90.9%	17	75.5	66.9	59.8	67.7	73.0	78.3	68.8	73.7	52.6	$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%)	94.6	39^th of 865 public elementary schools	95.5%		92.2	60^th of 859 public elementary schools	93.0%	21	82.1	80.0	64.0	75.5	80.0	77.8	69.3	75.8	48.9	$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%)	85.7	126^th of 865 public elementary schools	85.4%		83.7	135^th of 859 public elementary schools	84.3%	9	66.7	65.4	42.9	58.3	62.1	70.4	72.6	68.3	42.9	$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%)	82.1	159^th of 865 public elementary schools	81.6%		81.6	152^nd of 859 public elementary schools	82.3%	7	75.7	50.0	52.3	60.5	70.0	55.3	61.3	62.7	35.5	$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%)	97	17^th of 865 public elementary schools	98.0%		96.1	27^th of 859 public elementary schools	96.9%	10	83.8	67.1	71.0	73.9	89.7	79.5	87.1	85.2	59.7	$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%)	26.2	596^th of 865 public elementary schools	31.1%		35.8	481^st of 859 public elementary schools	44.0%	115	21.6	16.1	15.0	17.7	32.0	42.9	33.3	36.6	7.7	$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%)	88	99^th of 865 public elementary schools	88.6%		85	120^th of 859 public elementary schools	86.0%	21	62.7	61.6	48.8	57.5	69.5	83.6	66.7	72.8	44.0	$19,583	$1,041	$18,542

Frequently Asked Questions about Piney Ridge Elementary

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 5.1% of Maryland elementary schools.

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

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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.