Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

J. C. Parks Elementary School

Q: Is J. C. Parks Elementary School a good school?

J. C. Parks Elementary School ranks 567 th of 865 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

567^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 865 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 34% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

J. C. Parks Elementary School is a public elementary school in Indian Head, Maryland, serving 651 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Charles County Public Schools district, which is ranked 21 out of 25 in Maryland and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

J. C. Parks Elementary School consistently underperforms compared to the district and state averages in both mathematics and English language arts proficiency. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's mathematics proficiency rate was 19.3%, compared to 16.9% for the district and 26.5% for the state. The school also has high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 27.0% to 30.9% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, 59.75% of the school's students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

When comparing J. C. Parks Elementary School to nearby schools in the same district, there are notable differences. For instance, Mary H. Matula Elementary School and Dr. James Craik Elementary School consistently outperform J. C. Parks Elementary School in both mathematics and English language arts proficiency, as well as having lower chronic absenteeism rates and lower percentages of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Despite the higher per-student spending at J. C. Parks Elementary School compared to the state average, these academic and demographic differences suggest a need for targeted interventions and additional resources to address the challenges facing the school.

653

Students ?

16.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,878

Per pupil spending ?

59.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3505 Livingston Rd
Indian Head, MD 20640

(301) 375-7444

District: Charles County Public Schools

Students who attend J. C. Parks Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Matthew Henson Middle School
High:	Henry E. Lackey High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

62.2%

Hispanic:

20.4%

Two or more races:

8.3%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare J. C. Parks Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 47th percentile in 2018 → 34th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (26% vs 38% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped from its 47th-percentile peak (2018) to 34th (2025)

!English Language Arts scores 14 pts below the Maryland average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school26%

District avg29%

Maryland avg38%

567^th of 865

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Bottom 34%▲ up 12 pts since 2015

From bottom 23% (2015) to bottom 34% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

21^st 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
2025	28.5	567 of 865	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.7	462 of 859	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.8	512 of 855	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.3	505 of 862	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.4	488 of 802	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.8	472 of 853	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.7	453 of 857	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2017	33.3	527 of 847	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2016	31.9	555 of 845	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	22.3	663 of 859	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	34.2	642 of 867	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	12.6	783 of 847	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	16.3	759 of 857	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	26.3	689 of 853	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	45.0	556 of 855	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2009	30.9	657 of 850	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	37.5	599 of 838	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	74.5	193 of 818	76.4%	★★★★☆
2006	62.9	329 of 804	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2005	65.0	309 of 805	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2004	65.3	318 of 803	60.4%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	33.4	342 of 504	32.1%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	37.4	401 of 796	49.6%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	54.7	81 of 347	76.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	48.6	215 of 546	60.6%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	27.4	517 of 788	34.4%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	52.4	20 of 52	61.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	39.6	288 of 528	45.5%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2021)77th percentile+38 vs school

Multi-racial (2021)62nd percentile+22 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)61st percentile+21 vs school

Female (2021)50th percentile+10 vs school

White (2021)45th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2021)34th percentile-5 vs school

African American (2021)32nd percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts36%-14 vs state

Mathematics19%-7 vs state

Science13%-12 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate J. C. Parks Elementary School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, October 2, 2015

I have serious concerns about the way the teachers at this school speak to children and the years of experience that they don't have as educators. Each year it seems as though a new "flock" of straight out of college teachers begin there careers at J.C. Parks. I have yet to see a lot of familiar faces each year at back to school night. My son has been enrolled there for 3 years. The curriculum is not challenging for gifted students and many of the assignments are remedial. I was bothered to discover that there is no longer a social studies curriculum for the fourth graders. We are in the process of transferring our son to a private school because JC Parks does not have a quality curriculum. If you are considering moving to the area, then I would highly suggest you visit the school first. This is our biggest regret. Close Quote

Schools Near J. C. Parks Elementary School

Load more schools when map is moved

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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MCAP Mathematics (2025)							MCAP English Language Arts (2025)							MCAP Algebra I (2025)	MCAP Science (2025)		MCAP Social Studies (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 6th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 8th 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 6th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Algebra I End of Course	MCAP Science 5th Grade	MCAP Science 8th Grade	MCAP Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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%)	28.5	567^th of 865 public elementary schools	34.5%		37.7	462^nd of 859 public elementary schools	46.2%	105	21.6	23.3	13.6				19.3	31.9	41.4	37.5				36.5		13.2			$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%)	65.3	291^st of 865 public elementary schools	66.4%		66.5	266^th of 859 public elementary schools	69.0%	25	39.7	36.1	43.2				39.3	46.6	62.2	58.1				56.3		33.8			$19,177	$874	$18,304
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%)	17.9	717^th of 865 public elementary schools	17.1%		15.5	720^th of 859 public elementary schools	16.2%	3	21.9	13.8	10.0				15.7	27.4	20.3	21.7				23.4		14.0			$21,006	$2,321	$18,685
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%)	37.8	497^th of 865 public elementary schools	42.5%		48.9	384^th of 859 public elementary schools	55.3%	113	25.2	24.3	22.9				24.1	36.7	45.9	41.4				41.4		20.0			$15,627	$730	$14,897
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%)	44.7	453^rd of 865 public elementary schools	47.6%		37.3	466^th of 859 public elementary schools	45.8%	13	40.0	25.4	19.0				26.9	57.8	46.7	40.6				47.3		18.8			$23,360	$851	$22,509
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%)	32.8	533^rd of 865 public elementary schools	38.4%		25.7	578^th of 859 public elementary schools	32.7%	45	37.6	25.2	15.3				26.0	33.0	40.2	29.7				34.3		17.4			$17,514	$905	$16,608
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%)	42.2	475^th of 865 public elementary schools	45.1%		26.8	566^th of 859 public elementary schools	34.1%	91	31.2	28.2	15.3				24.4	52.0	48.1	39.4				46.2		21.2			$16,150	$679	$15,470
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%)	32.4	538^th of 865 public elementary schools	37.8%		35.4	488^th of 859 public elementary schools	43.2%	50	29.0	18.9	14.2				20.2	38.3	33.0	42.1				37.9		19.1			$17,227	$688	$16,539
Accokeek Academy	Public, Magnet	K-8	14400 Berry Rd	Accokeek	20607	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 203-3200	1,445	90	16.0	45.8%	40 (2.8%)	976 (67.5%)	306 (21.2%)	61 (4.2%)	7 (0.5%)	9 (0.6%)	46 (3.2%)	55.9	362^nd of 865 public elementary schools	58.2%		50	376^th of 859 public elementary schools	56.2%	14	51.6	21.5	19.0	21.9	24.6	16.4	30.4	63.4	47.2	40.1	70.6	71.0	62.3	60.2	87.8	23.8	41.9	36.2	$17,059	$921	$16,138
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%)	51.2	397^th of 865 public elementary schools	54.1%		46.6	404^th of 859 public elementary schools	53.0%	7	55.7	38.8	23.4				39.5	50.0	53.8	28.7				43.7		20.0			$19,356	$2,322	$17,035

Frequently Asked Questions about J. C. Parks Elementary School

How many students attend J. C. Parks Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 653 students attended J. C. Parks Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of J. C. Parks Elementary School?

Students at J. C. Parks Elementary School are 62% African American, 20% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 6% White, 3% Asian.

Is J. C. Parks Elementary School a good school?

J. C. Parks Elementary School ranks 567^th of 865 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is J. C. Parks Elementary School in?

Charles County Public Schools

What schools do graduates of J. C. Parks Elementary School attend?

Students who attend J. C. Parks Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Matthew Henson Middle School
High : Henry E. Lackey High School

Rate J. C. Parks Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MDMaryland Elementary School Rankings

MDMaryland District Rankings

Schools in Indian Head, MD

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for J. C. Parks Elementary School!

Latest Maryland data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCAP test scoresAug 26, 2025

2023–24 school spending dataJul 30, 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.