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Gale-Bailey Elementary School

Q: Is Gale-Bailey Elementary School a good school?

Gale-Bailey Elementary School ranks 475 th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

475^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 864 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 45% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Gale-Bailey Elementary School is a small, rural school in Marbury, MD, serving 344 students from Pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade as part of the Charles County Public Schools district.

This school stands out for its exceptional support of students from low socio-economic backgrounds, ranking in the 84th percentile statewide for this group—a remarkable achievement that far exceeds its overall state ranking. Gale-Bailey consistently outperforms its district averages in both Math and English Language Arts, making it a bright spot within a lower-performing district. The school invests heavily in its students, spending $23,360 per pupil—significantly more than nearby schools like William A. Diggs Elementary School—and maintains a low student-teacher ratio of 12.2:1, allowing for more individualized attention. This is especially beneficial given that over half of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Compared to its nearest neighbor, Indian Head Elementary School, which serves a similar demographic, Gale-Bailey significantly outperforms it in every subject and grade level, highlighting the effectiveness of its strategies.

However, the school faces notable challenges. While English Language Arts proficiency (47.6%) approaches the state average, Math proficiency (24.7%) lags behind, with a concerning "5th grade cliff" where proficiency drops from 35.1% in 3rd grade to just 12.3% in 5th grade. Science scores are also a weakness, falling well below state averages. Additionally, chronic absenteeism remains a persistent issue at 28.2%, higher than many nearby peers like Billingsley Elementary School (18.5%). Targeted interventions in STEM and attendance are key areas for improvement to build on the school's strong foundation with its most vulnerable students.

344

Students ?

12.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,360

Per pupil spending ?

51.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4740 Pisgah Marbury Rd
Marbury, MD 20658

(301) 743-5491

District: Charles County Public Schools

Students who attend Gale-Bailey Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	General Smallwood Middle School
High:	Henry E. Lackey High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

38.4%

African American:

31.7%

Hispanic:

17.4%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Gale-Bailey Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 53rd percentile in 2016 → 45th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (33% vs 39% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school33%

District avg31%

Maryland avg39%

475^th of 864

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Bottom 45%▼ down 8 pts since 2016

From top 47% (2016) to bottom 45% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

9^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	40.3	475 of 864	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.7	453 of 865	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.3	466 of 859	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.2	444 of 855	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.6	403 of 862	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	34.9	415 of 802	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.9	479 of 853	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.2	465 of 857	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2017	52.1	376 of 847	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	50.1	395 of 845	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	58.3	329 of 859	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	49.4	519 of 867	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	39.5	567 of 847	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	40.7	585 of 857	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	35.0	615 of 853	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	53.4	463 of 855	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2009	28.1	683 of 850	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	36.5	608 of 838	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	72.4	215 of 818	73.7%	★★★★☆
2006	68.9	270 of 804	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2005	65.5	301 of 805	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2004	59.2	391 of 803	51.3%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	47.9	191 of 504	62.1%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	37.9	395 of 796	50.4%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	65.1	85 of 546	84.4%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	36.0	405 of 788	48.6%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	19.9	417 of 528	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆

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)84th percentile+36 vs school

African American (2021)62nd percentile+14 vs school

Female (2021)50th percentile~ school

Male (2021)49th percentile~ school

White (2021)21st percentile-27 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts48%-4 vs state

Mathematics25%~ state avg

Science19%-14 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, May 5, 2016

This is by far the best elementary school I've dealt with so far in Charles County. The Principal, teachers, staff and special resources staff are all kind, talented and caring. My son has thrived so much in the three years he's been there, educationally and socially. I have observed the staff and teachers there really caring about the children in all aspects of education, and I'm very impressed. Close Quote

Schools Near Gale-Bailey 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
Gale-Bailey Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4740 Pisgah Marbury Rd	Marbury	20658	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 743-5491	344	28	12.2	51.7%	132 (38.4%)	109 (31.7%)	60 (17.4%)	4 (1.2%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (10.8%)	40.3	475^th of 864 public elementary schools	45.0%		44.7	453^rd of 865 public elementary schools	47.6%	22	35.1	29.2	12.3	24.7	47.4	54.2	43.1	47.6	18.8	$23,360	$851	$22,509
Indian Head Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4200 Indian Head Hwy	Indian Head	20640	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 743-5454	443	32	13.8	63.0%	71 (16.0%)	246 (55.5%)	72 (16.3%)	10 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (9.9%)	23.9	639^th of 864 public elementary schools	26.0%		17.9	717^th of 865 public elementary schools	17.1%	78	11.3	30.6	9.9	17.6	31.7	38.9	25.4	32.0	14.3	$21,006	$2,321	$18,685
J. C. Parks Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3505 Livingston Rd	Indian Head	20640	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 375-7444	653	39	16.7	59.7%	36 (5.5%)	406 (62.2%)	133 (20.4%)	19 (2.9%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (8.3%)	34.4	534^th of 864 public elementary schools	38.2%		28.5	567^th of 865 public elementary schools	34.5%	33	29.4	22.3	15.7	22.8	41.6	51.5	34.8	43.0	17.0	$16,878	$1,955	$14,923
Dr. James Craik Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7725 Marshall Corner Rd	Pomfret	20675	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 934-4270	520	39	13.3	39.0%	164 (31.5%)	211 (40.6%)	84 (16.2%)	13 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (9.2%)	51.9	397^th of 864 public elementary schools	54.1%		65.3	291^st of 865 public elementary schools	66.4%	106	33.3	38.3	27.0	32.7	43.9	48.8	49.4	47.4	37.1	$19,177	$874	$18,304
Mt Hope/Nanjemoy Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	9275 Ironsides Rd	Nanjemoy	20662	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 246-4383	269	24	11.2	56.1%	154 (57.2%)	69 (25.7%)	25 (9.3%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.7%)	53.8	378^th of 864 public elementary schools	56.3%		49.8	407^th of 865 public elementary schools	52.9%	29	48.6	37.2	28.9	37.4	54.3	41.9	46.7	47.2	30.4	$24,648	$1,867	$22,781
Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	400 Willow Ln	La Plata	20646	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 934-4687	663	36	18.4	36.3%	340 (51.3%)	161 (24.3%)	79 (11.9%)	9 (1.4%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	71 (10.7%)	60.4	326^th of 864 public elementary schools	62.3%		67.3	276^th of 865 public elementary schools	68.1%	50	47.3	32.2	33.7	37.6	60.4	55.2	48.1	54.3	33.7	$17,623	$1,113	$16,510
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
Mary H. Matula Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6025 Radio Station Rd	La Plata	20646	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 934-5412	610	42	14.5	40.5%	181 (29.7%)	260 (42.6%)	67 (11.0%)	25 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	77 (12.6%)	63.9	290^th of 864 public elementary schools	66.4%		60	337^th of 865 public elementary schools	61.0%	47	45.1	46.5	26.3	38.5	56.0	63.6	50.9	56.6	37.7	$20,021	$1,284	$18,737
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
F. B. Gwynn Educational Center	Public	PK, KG-8	5998 Radio Station Rd	La Plata	20646	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 934-3884	0	32	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)	0.0			0.0	18.2			13.3

Frequently Asked Questions about Gale-Bailey Elementary School

Is Gale-Bailey Elementary School a good school?

Gale-Bailey Elementary School ranks 475^th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Gale-Bailey Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 344 students attended Gale-Bailey Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Gale-Bailey Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Gale-Bailey Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : General Smallwood Middle School
High : Henry E. Lackey High School

What district is Gale-Bailey Elementary School in?

Charles County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Gale-Bailey Elementary School?

Students at Gale-Bailey Elementary School are 38% White, 32% African American, 17% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Rate Gale-Bailey 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.