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Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School

Q: Is Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School a good school?

Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School ranks 326 th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

326^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 864 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 62% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School in La Plata, MD, is a mid-sized school serving 663 students from Pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade, and it stands out as a top-performing school within the Charles County Public Schools district.

Mitchell consistently outperforms the district and state averages in both Mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA). For example, its math proficiency rate of 37.6% is more than double the district average of 17%, and its ELA proficiency rate of 54.3% is nearly 9 points higher than the district average. This strong academic performance is a clear differentiator from nearby schools like Eva Turner Elementary School and Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Elementary School, which have significantly lower proficiency rates. The school also excels in the early grades, with 3rd-grade math and ELA scores that are well above district and state averages, setting a strong foundation for future learning. Mitchell has maintained a stable ranking in the top 38% of Maryland elementary schools over the past five years, making it a reliable choice for families.

One interesting finding is that Mitchell is a "bright spot" within its district, which is ranked in the bottom 20% of Maryland districts. The school's success is supported by a lower rate of economic disadvantage, with only 36.35% of students qualifying for Free and Reduced Lunch, compared to over 68% at some nearby schools. Additionally, Mitchell is effectively managing chronic absenteeism, reducing it from 28.8% to 24.3% over the past few years, which is lower than the district average. While the school excels overall, there are equity gaps, as it is less effective at serving its low socio-economic status students and White students compared to other groups. Despite this, Mitchell's efficient use of resources—with per-student spending that is not the highest in the area—demonstrates that it is a model of fiscal and academic efficiency within its community.

663

Students ?

18.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,623

Per pupil spending ?

36.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

400 Willow Ln
La Plata, MD 20646-3916

(301) 934-4687

District: Charles County Public Schools

Students who attend Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Piccowaxen Middle School
High:	La Plata High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

51.3%

African American:

24.3%

Hispanic:

11.9%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 69th percentile in 2016 → 62nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Maryland average (44% vs 39% meeting standards)

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

✓Above the Maryland median (62nd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 7 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school44%

District avg31%

Maryland avg39%

326^th of 864

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Top 38%▼ down 6 pts since 2016

From top 31% (2016) to top 38% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd 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	60.4	326 of 864	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.3	276 of 865	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.2	365 of 859	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.0	358 of 855	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.4	328 of 862	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.4	270 of 802	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.0	261 of 853	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.4	274 of 857	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	72.2	239 of 847	71.8%	★★★★☆
2016	68.0	264 of 845	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	63.5	289 of 859	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2014	63.6	361 of 867	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	51.1	451 of 847	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	65.8	315 of 857	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	68.9	257 of 853	69.9%	★★★★☆
2010	61.1	380 of 855	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2009	57.1	421 of 850	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	63.6	339 of 838	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2007	36.9	563 of 818	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2006	40.2	530 of 804	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2005	50.2	446 of 805	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2004	62.5	354 of 803	55.9%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	45.7	216 of 504	57.1%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	49.3	286 of 796	64.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	32.2	393 of 546	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	52.0	266 of 788	66.2%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	27.4	36 of 52	30.8%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	36.9	299 of 528	43.4%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Male (2021)66th percentile~ school

Female (2021)64th percentile~ school

African American (2021)57th percentile-9 vs school

White (2021)43rd percentile-23 vs school

Multi-racial (2021)31st percentile-36 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)28th percentile-38 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts54%+3 vs state

Mathematics38%+10 vs state

Science34%~ state avg

4.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, August 15, 2017

The staff is very responsive to students and parents. My kids are happy here. It is great to see staff taking initiative to help kids get ahead! They seem to do a great deal to help families in need. Close Quote

Schools Near Walter J. Mitchell 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
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
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
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
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
Mary B. Neal Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	12105 St. George's Dr	Waldorf	20602	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 638-2617	626	40	15.6	48.6%	21 (3.4%)	474 (75.7%)	62 (9.9%)	24 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	43 (6.9%)	33	546^th of 864 public elementary schools	36.8%		44.3	458^th of 865 public elementary schools	47.1%	88	32.0	16.8	22.9	23.8	38.1	38.6	33.3	36.6	26.4	$20,646	$947	$19,699
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
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
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
Eva Turner Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1000 Bannister Cir	Waldorf	20602	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 645-4828	494	34	14.5	68.2%	21 (4.3%)	351 (71.1%)	97 (19.6%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	20 (4.0%)	11.4	803^rd of 864 public elementary schools	7.1%		12.7	799^th of 865 public elementary schools	7.6%	4	12.5	13.0	3.0	9.4	21.4	30.4	10.4	20.8	3.1	$21,506	$2,089	$19,417
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Piccowaxen Middle School
High : La Plata High School

Is Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School a good school?

Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School ranks 326^th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School?

Students at Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School are 51% White, 24% African American, 12% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 663 students attended Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School.

What district is Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School in?

Charles County Public Schools

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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.