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 534 th of 865 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

534^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 865 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 38% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

J. C. Parks Elementary School in Indian Head, MD, serves 653 students from Pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade and is part of the Charles County Public Schools district, with nearly 60% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

J. C. Parks shows a notable strength in English Language Arts (ELA), where 43% of students are proficient, close to the district average. However, math proficiency is a significant challenge, with only 22.8% of students meeting standards—a 20.2 percentage point gap that is the largest among nearby schools. A bright spot is 4th grade ELA, where 51.5% of students are proficient, outperforming both the district (44%) and state (48.6%) averages. The school also excels with Hispanic and Multi-racial students, who rank in the 77th and 62nd percentiles statewide, respectively. Chronic absenteeism at 21.7% is a concern but is lower than the district average of 26.6%. In contrast, the closest comparable school, Dr. James Craik Elementary School, just 4 miles away, has lower poverty rates (39% vs. 60%) and higher test scores, with 32.7% proficient in math and 47.4% in ELA.

Despite spending $16,878 per student—comparable to peers—J. C. Parks struggles with math outcomes, suggesting resource allocation may need review. Schools like Berry Elementary School ($16,150 per student) achieve better results, highlighting a potential area for improvement. The school has maintained a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger, ranking at the 38th percentile in Maryland, and shows a positive trend in math proficiency, recovering from a dip to 22.8% in the most recent year. Overall, J. C. Parks offers strong ELA instruction, particularly in 4th grade, but faces persistent math challenges that warrant attention.

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: Holding steady — 34th percentile in 2016 → 38th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (31% vs 39% meeting standards)

!Science scores 15 pts below the Maryland average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school31%

District avg31%

Maryland avg39%

534^th of 865

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Bottom 38%▲ up 4 pts since 2016

From bottom 34% (2016) to bottom 38% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

20^th of 24Charles 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	34.4	534 of 865	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
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 (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts43%-9 vs state

Mathematics23%-4 vs state

Science17%-15 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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCAP Mathematics (2026)							MCAP English Language Arts (2026)							MCAP Algebra I (2026)	MCAP Geometry (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 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 Geometry End of Course	MCAP Science 5th Grade	MCAP Science 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%)	34.4	534^th of 865 public elementary schools	38.3%		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 865 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
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	640^th of 865 public elementary schools	26.0%		17.9	717^th of 865 public elementary schools	17.1%	77	11.3	30.6	9.9				17.6	31.7	38.9	25.4				32.0			14.3		$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%)	36	515^th of 865 public elementary schools	40.5%		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
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 865 public elementary schools	45.1%		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
Billingsley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	10069 Billingsley Rd	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 865 public elementary schools	41.5%		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
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%)	54.9	365^th of 865 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
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	555^th of 865 public elementary schools	35.8%		32.4	538^th of 865 public elementary schools	37.8%	17	27.4	15.2	20.2				21.0	35.8	41.8	41.9				39.9			21.5		$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%)	57.7	348^th of 865 public elementary schools	59.8%		55.9	362^nd of 865 public elementary schools	58.2%	14	45.6	28.4	18.9	27.6	22.6	26.4	30.5	66.9	47.9	49.1	64.2	76.8	61.5	61.1	95.7	28.6	28.4	39.6	$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%)	51.7	399^th of 865 public elementary schools	53.9%		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

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 534^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 »

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.