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C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School

Q: Is C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School a good school?

C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School ranks 399 th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

399^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 864 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 54% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School in Waldorf, MD, is a mid-sized school serving 598 students in grades PK through 5, and it stands out as a high-performing academic outlier within the Charles County Public Schools district. The school has maintained a consistent 3-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past five years, placing it in the 52nd to 54th percentile statewide—a sign of stable, effective systems that many nearby schools lack.

Barnhart’s strongest differentiator is its mathematics performance. In the 2025-2026 school year, it achieved a 40.2% proficiency rate in math, which is more than double the district average of 17% and significantly higher than the state average of 27.1%. This is a stark contrast to neighboring schools like Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer Elementary School (12.4%) and J. P. Ryon Elementary School (18.2%). In English Language Arts, Barnhart’s 46.1% proficiency rate is slightly above the district average and far exceeds schools like Eva Turner Elementary School (20.8%) and Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Elementary School (18.5%). Notably, Barnhart achieves these results despite 60.5% of its students being eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a classic example of a school "beating the odds" compared to peers with similar or lower poverty rates.

However, Barnhart faces two key challenges. Chronic absenteeism stands at 23.8%, which is slightly better than the district average but higher than high-performing neighbors like Billingsley Elementary School (18.5%) and William A. Diggs Elementary School (13.7%). Additionally, while the school excels in math and is competitive in ELA, its 5th-grade science proficiency is a notable weakness at 21.3%, below the district and state averages. This suggests that Barnhart’s effective instructional strategies may be heavily focused on literacy and numeracy, presenting a clear opportunity for targeted improvement in science education.

598

Students ?

16.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,356

Per pupil spending ?

60.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4800 Lancaster Circle
Waldorf, MD 20603

(301) 645-9053

District: Charles County Public Schools

Students who attend C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Mattawoman Middle School
High:	Westlake High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

68.2%

Hispanic:

17.4%

Two or more races:

8.4%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 52nd percentile in 2016 → 54th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Maryland median (54th percentile)

Worth a look

!Science scores 11 pts below the Maryland average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg31%

Maryland avg39%

399^th of 864

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Top 46%▲ up 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 22Elementary Schools in the Charles County Public Schools

20^th of 25Charles 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	51.7	399 of 864	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.2	397 of 865	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.6	404 of 859	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.1	408 of 855	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.7	394 of 862	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	30.1	481 of 802	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.2	361 of 853	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.7	333 of 857	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	62.4	294 of 847	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	48.8	404 of 845	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	44.6	435 of 859	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2014	59.2	409 of 867	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	56.1	404 of 847	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	42.5	563 of 857	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2011	15.1	761 of 853	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	25.0	726 of 855	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	24.8	722 of 850	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	27.0	696 of 838	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	77.5	156 of 818	80.9%	★★★★☆
2006	71.7	231 of 804	71.3%	★★★★☆
2005	76.9	172 of 805	78.6%	★★★★☆
2004	74.1	210 of 803	73.8%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	39.1	295 of 504	41.5%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	29.5	498 of 796	37.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	40.1	310 of 546	43.2%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	29.0	494 of 788	37.3%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)43rd percentile+3 vs school

African American (2021)41st percentile~ school

Female (2021)37th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2021)37th percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts46%-6 vs state

Mathematics40%+13 vs state

Science21%-11 vs state

4.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, July 27, 2012

GREAT JOB Blue Jays!!!!!! Close Quote

Schools Near C. Paul Barnhart Elementary 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 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
C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4800 Lancaster Circle	Waldorf	20603	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 645-9053	598	36	16.6	60.5%	13 (2.2%)	408 (68.2%)	104 (17.4%)	19 (3.2%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	50 (8.4%)	51.7	399^th of 864 public elementary schools	53.8%		51.2	397^th of 865 public elementary schools	54.1%	2	53.7	38.5	26.3	40.2	44.2	53.1	40.0	46.1	21.3	$19,356	$2,322	$17,035
William B. Wade Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2300 Smallwood Dr W	Waldorf	20603	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 932-4304	651	40	16.2	57.1%	33 (5.1%)	447 (68.7%)	81 (12.4%)	23 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (10.3%)	32.2	554^th of 864 public elementary schools	35.9%		32.4	538^th of 865 public elementary schools	37.8%	16	27.4	15.2	20.2	21.0	35.8	41.8	41.9	39.9	21.5	$17,227	$688	$16,539
Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2820 Jenifer School Ln	Waldorf	20603	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 932-9603	661	41	16.1	59.9%	22 (3.3%)	428 (64.8%)	137 (20.7%)	25 (3.8%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	45 (6.8%)	20.4	676^th of 864 public elementary schools	21.8%		20.8	675^th of 865 public elementary schools	22.0%	1	22.7	10.8	5.0	12.4	30.7	37.3	29.6	32.9	15.0	$16,941	$745	$16,196
Arthur Middleton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1109 Copley Ave	Waldorf	20602	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 645-3338	774	49	15.7	48.8%	34 (4.4%)	456 (58.9%)	193 (24.9%)	24 (3.1%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	65 (8.4%)	23.5	641^st of 864 public elementary schools	25.8%		33.5	525^th of 865 public elementary schools	39.3%	116	27.4	24.6	8.3	20.5	30.1	41.1	25.0	31.7	11.7	$18,013	$1,948	$16,066
Billingsley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	10069 Billingsley Road	White Plains	20695	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 753-2088	687	45	15.2	49.3%	39 (5.7%)	485 (70.6%)	91 (13.2%)	19 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (7.7%)	36.6	506^th of 864 public elementary schools	41.4%		32.8	533^rd of 865 public elementary schools	38.4%	27	31.4	26.9	14.8	23.8	37.2	51.9	33.9	41.3	24.8	$17,514	$905	$16,608
Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	820 Stone Ave	Waldorf	20602	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 645-3686	497	34	14.6	77.9%	15 (3.0%)	325 (65.4%)	113 (22.7%)	4 (0.8%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (7.4%)	11.1	811^th of 864 public elementary schools	6.1%		14	775^th of 865 public elementary schools	10.4%	36	14.6	5.5	7.1	9.2	24.7	17.8	13.1	18.5	12.0	$21,243	$2,706	$18,537
Berry Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	10155 Berry Rd	Waldorf	20603	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 638-2330	726	45	16.1	52.9%	38 (5.2%)	461 (63.5%)	111 (15.3%)	36 (5.0%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	78 (10.7%)	54.8	365^th of 864 public elementary schools	57.8%		42.2	475^th of 865 public elementary schools	45.1%	110	42.7	27.3	24.5	30.9	58.5	47.5	50.5	51.8	39.6	$16,150	$679	$15,470
Dr. Gustavus Brown Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	421 University Dr	Waldorf	20602	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 645-1330	412	32	12.8	67.7%	12 (2.9%)	253 (61.4%)	108 (26.2%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (8.5%)	29.4	581^st of 864 public elementary schools	32.8%		28.1	574^th of 865 public elementary schools	33.6%	7	40.4	19.3	20.4	26.8	42.1	22.8	35.2	33.3	10.7	$21,532	$1,746	$19,786
William A. Diggs Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2615 Davis Rd	Waldorf	20603	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 753-2081	876	52	16.8	41.0%	67 (7.6%)	595 (67.9%)	124 (14.2%)	33 (3.8%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	54 (6.2%)	36	515^th of 864 public elementary schools	40.4%		37.8	497^th of 865 public elementary schools	42.5%	18	31.0	22.0	20.9	24.6	41.5	41.5	38.1	40.4	25.9	$15,627	$730	$14,897
J. P. Ryon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	12140 Vivian Adams Dr	Waldorf	20601	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 645-3090	640	44	14.5	68.4%	31 (4.8%)	366 (57.2%)	186 (29.1%)	8 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (7.7%)	20.2	677^th of 864 public elementary schools	21.6%		17.5	725^th of 865 public elementary schools	16.2%	48	20.4	20.2	13.1	18.2	22.3	32.3	26.8	27.1	16.9	$18,854	$1,897	$16,958

Frequently Asked Questions about C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School

How many students attend C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 598 students attended C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School.

Is C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School a good school?

C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School ranks 399^th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School in?

Charles County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School?

Students at C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School are 68% African American, 17% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 2% White.

What schools do graduates of C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School attend?

Students who attend C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Mattawoman Middle School
High : Westlake High School

Rate C. Paul Barnhart Elementary 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.