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Maurice J. McDonough High School

Q: Is Maurice J. McDonough High School a good school?

Maurice J. McDonough High School ranks 107 th of 227 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

107^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 227 Maryland High Schools

Better than 53% of Maryland high schools

Summary

Maurice J. McDonough High School in Pomfret, MD, is a mid-sized school serving 1,163 students in grades 9-12 within the Charles County Public Schools district, and it has achieved a remarkable turnaround from a low-performing school to a solid 3-star institution ranking in the 53rd percentile statewide.

The school’s standout strength is its exceptional English Language Arts (ELA) program, with 68.6% of students proficient in 2025-2026—a rate that is 23 percentage points higher than the district average and even surpasses nearby high-performing La Plata High School (63.0%). This success starkly contrasts with a critical weakness in mathematics, where only 3.5% of students are proficient, far below the state average of 27.1%. While math challenges are common across the district, McDonough’s scores are among the lowest, highlighting a need for targeted intervention. On a positive note, the school boasts a strong 90.5% graduation rate, on par with the district average, and a low 4.5% dropout rate, outperforming nearby schools like Thomas Stone High School (82.3% graduation, 11.5% dropout). However, chronic absenteeism remains a concern at 30.1%, higher than the district average of 26.6% and top peers like North Point High School (20.6%).

An interesting finding is that McDonough achieves these outcomes with a lower per-student spending of $18,227 compared to some lower-performing peers, such as Henry E. Lackey High School ($19,573), suggesting efficient resource use. The school’s free/reduced lunch rate of 40.93% is moderate, lower than St. Charles High School (50.28%) but higher than La Plata (30.98%), indicating that socioeconomic factors don’t fully explain its ELA success. Overall, McDonough offers a compelling choice for families prioritizing strong reading and writing skills, with a clear need for math support and improved attendance.

1,163

Students ?

15.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,227

Per pupil spending ?

40.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7165 Marshall Corner Rd
Pomfret, MD 20675

(301) 934-2944

District: Charles County Public Schools

Feeder schools for Maurice J. McDonough High School:

Elementary:	Billingsley Elementary School
	Dr. James Craik Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

53.1%

White:

20.7%

Hispanic:

16.4%

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Compare Maurice J. McDonough High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 47th percentile in 2015 → 53rd in 2026

Strengths

✓90% graduate within 4 years

✓Ranking is trending up — up 6 percentile points since 2015

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Charles County Public Schools

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (22% vs 38% meeting standards)

!Mathematics scores 24 pts below the Maryland average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school22%

District avg29%

Maryland avg38%

107^th of 227

Maryland public high schools ?

Top 47%▲ up 16 pts since 2016

From bottom 37% (2016) to top 47% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 8High 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	40.8	107 of 227	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	40.2	106 of 220	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.1	49 of 146	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.1	96 of 225	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.2	26 of 32	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.9	122 of 138	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.0	123 of 197	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	25.8	134 of 180	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	38.3	147 of 233	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	48.7	123 of 233	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2014	64.3	121 of 231	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	47.6	113 of 185	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2012	41.5	124 of 187	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	26.2	150 of 183	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	50.4	140 of 220	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2009	57.5	125 of 213	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	62.1	111 of 214	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2007	51.5	107 of 209	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2006	51.2	108 of 204	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2005	55.3	80 of 204	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2004	47.8	92 of 201	54.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	44.9	23 of 31	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	38.6	29 of 40	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

White (2021)28th percentile+9 vs school

Female (2021)26th percentile+7 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts69%+17 vs state

Algebra II7%-20 vs state

Mathematics4%-24 vs state

Algebra I2%-19 vs state

★

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Schools Near Maurice J. McDonough High 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 Algebra I (2026)	MCAP Algebra II (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 6th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 10th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Algebra I End of Course	MCAP Algebra II End of Course	MCAP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Maurice J. McDonough High School	Public	9-12	7165 Marshall Corner Rd	Pomfret	20675	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 934-2944	1,163	74	15.7	40.9%	241 (20.7%)	618 (53.1%)	191 (16.4%)	19 (1.6%)	6 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	84 (7.2%)	40.8	107^th of 227 public high schools	52.9%		40.2	106^th of 220 public high schools	51.8%	1				3.5				68.6	68.6	2.5	6.8		$18,227	$504	$17,723
Robert D. Stethem Educational Center	Public	5-12	7775 Marshall Corner Rd	Pomfret	20675	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 932-1003	0	37	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	9.6	216^th of 227 public high schools	4.8%					(n/a)		0.0	0.0	0.0		0.0	6.3	19.2	10.3	0.0		0.0	$7,455	$347	$7,108
La Plata High School	Public	9-12	6035 Radio Station Rd	La Plata	20646	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 934-1100	1,217	74	16.4	31.0%	641 (52.7%)	326 (26.8%)	114 (9.4%)	31 (2.5%)	4 (0.3%)	4 (0.3%)	96 (7.9%)	39.8	114^th of 227 public high schools	49.8%		44.7	88^th of 220 public high schools	60.0%	26				5.3				63.0	63.0	1.7	10.0		$17,385	$350	$17,034
Henry E. Lackey High School	Public	9-12	3000 Chicamuxen Rd	Indian Head	20640	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 743-5431	1,033	63	16.3	59.6%	224 (21.7%)	578 (56.0%)	118 (11.4%)	18 (1.7%)	3 (0.3%)	4 (0.4%)	87 (8.4%)	29.5	146^th of 227 public high schools	35.7%		23.2	157^th of 220 public high schools	28.6%	11				5.3				52.2	52.2	2.5	16.4		$19,573	$634	$18,939
Westlake High School	Public	9-12	3300 Middletown Rd	Waldorf	20603	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 645-8857	1,216	74	16.4	51.2%	38 (3.1%)	888 (73.0%)	141 (11.6%)	61 (5.0%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.2%)	82 (6.7%)	25.3	162^nd of 227 public high schools	28.6%		24.2	154^th of 220 public high schools	30.0%	8				3.6				48.2	48.2	3.0	7.4		$17,638	$641	$16,997
North Point High School	Public	9-12	2500 Davis Rd	Waldorf	20603	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 753-1759	1,960	127	15.4	35.8%	183 (9.3%)	1,267 (64.6%)	235 (12.0%)	114 (5.8%)	8 (0.4%)	9 (0.5%)	141 (7.2%)	42.7	98^th of 227 public high schools	56.8%		45.5	85^th of 220 public high schools	61.4%	13				6.0				69.8	69.8	3.5	11.2		$17,647	$497	$17,150
St. Charles High School	Public	9-12	5305 Piney Church Rd	Waldorf	20602	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 753-2090	1,617	96	16.8	50.3%	95 (5.9%)	1,160 (71.7%)	222 (13.7%)	26 (1.6%)	3 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	111 (6.9%)	19.2	175^th of 227 public high schools	22.9%		25.6	149^th of 220 public high schools	32.3%	26				5.7				36.8	36.8	4.3	12.9		$16,666	$297	$16,369
Thomas Stone High School	Public	9-12	3785 Leonardtown Rd	Waldorf	20601	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 645-2601	1,230	85	14.4	56.4%	76 (6.2%)	781 (63.5%)	270 (22.0%)	23 (1.9%)	3 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	74 (6.0%)	18.2	177^th of 227 public high schools	22.0%		18.8	176^th of 220 public high schools	20.0%	1				0.6				38.9	38.9	0.0	3.2		$21,315	$1,293	$20,022
Gwynn Park High	Public, Magnet	9-12	13800 Brandywine Rd	Brandywine	20613	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 372-0140	1,147	67	17.1	47.7%	26 (2.3%)	865 (75.4%)	199 (17.3%)	20 (1.7%)	1 (0.1%)	8 (0.7%)	28 (2.4%)	26.3	156^th of 227 public high schools	31.3%		19.9	168^th of 220 public high schools	23.6%	12				8.7				46.4	46.4	8.7			$18,660	$1,061	$17,599
Friendly High	Public	9-12	10000 Allentown Rd	Fort Washington	20744	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 449-4900	894	61	14.6	63.5%	35 (3.9%)	468 (52.3%)	361 (40.4%)	15 (1.7%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.4%)	10 (1.1%)	16.6	186^th of 227 public high schools	18.1%		19.1	170^th of 220 public high schools	22.7%	16				2.1				35.5	35.5	2.1			$21,447	$1,472	$19,975

Frequently Asked Questions about Maurice J. McDonough High School

What district is Maurice J. McDonough High School in?

Charles County Public Schools

What schools feed into Maurice J. McDonough High School?

Maurice J. McDonough High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Billingsley Elementary School
Elementary : Dr. James Craik Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Maurice J. McDonough High School?

Students at Maurice J. McDonough High School are 53% African American, 21% White, 16% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Is Maurice J. McDonough High School a good school?

Maurice J. McDonough High School ranks 107^th of 227 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Maurice J. McDonough High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,163 students attended Maurice J. McDonough High School.

Rate Maurice J. McDonough High 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.