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Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

Q: Is Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School a good school?

Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School ranks 331 st of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

331^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 864 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 62% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School in Newburg, MD, is a mid-sized elementary school serving 428 students in grades PK-5 within the Charles County Public Schools district, a community with moderate economic diversity where about 40% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Higdon stands out for its exceptional support of students from low socio-economic backgrounds, ranking in the 88th percentile statewide for effectiveness with this group—a stark contrast to its overall 62nd percentile ranking. The school also excels in science, with 43.5% of 5th graders proficient, nearly double the district average and the highest among nearby schools like T. C. Martin Elementary School (24.4%) and Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School (33.7%). However, Higdon faces challenges with chronic absenteeism at 28.4%, significantly higher than nearby schools like White Marsh Elementary (18.8%) and Mechanicsville Elementary (19.3%). While English Language Arts proficiency is strong at 53.6%, outperforming the district (45.6%) and state (51.7%), mathematics proficiency has declined to 33.7%, below the state average of 27.1%.

Higdon was a high-performing 4-star school before the pandemic but dropped to 2 stars in 2020-2021 and has since stabilized at a 3-star rating, though it has not returned to its pre-pandemic ranking. The school spends $21,137 per student, higher than many peers like Mary H. Matula Elementary School ($20,021) and T. C. Martin Elementary School ($17,319), yet its overall performance lags behind schools in the higher-ranked St. Mary's County Public Schools district, such as White Marsh Elementary (93rd percentile) and Dynard Elementary (71st percentile). This suggests Higdon has specific strengths, particularly in science and supporting disadvantaged students, but needs targeted interventions in math and attendance to fully recover.

428

Students ?

15.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,137

Per pupil spending ?

40%

Free/discounted lunch ?

12872 Rock Point Rd
Newburg, MD 20664-2514

(301) 934-4091

District: Charles County Public Schools

Students who attend Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Piccowaxen Middle School
High:	La Plata High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

68.9%

African American:

16.4%

Two or more races:

8.4%

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Compare Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 46th percentile in 2021 → 62nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 62nd (2026) from a 46th-percentile low (2021)

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

✓Above the Maryland median (62nd percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school44%

District avg31%

Maryland avg39%

331^st of 864

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Top 38%▼ down 15 pts since 2016

From top 24% (2016) to top 38% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd 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	59.8	331 of 864	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	64.6	294 of 865	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.2	373 of 859	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.6	374 of 855	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.3	380 of 862	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	33.9	430 of 802	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	76.9	205 of 853	76.0%	★★★★☆
2018	79.6	174 of 857	79.7%	★★★★☆
2017	75.4	213 of 847	74.9%	★★★★☆
2016	76.5	200 of 845	76.3%	★★★★☆
2015	71.9	235 of 859	72.6%	★★★★☆
2014	68.6	303 of 867	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2013	66.2	289 of 847	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	50.5	489 of 857	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	60.9	370 of 853	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2010	61.4	379 of 855	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	60.8	378 of 850	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	45.4	534 of 838	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2007	53.6	434 of 818	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2006	64.2	313 of 804	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2005	55.7	394 of 805	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2004	50.1	462 of 803	42.5%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	51.2	165 of 504	67.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	41.5	368 of 796	53.8%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	68.4	67 of 546	87.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	32.9	445 of 788	43.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	25.2	385 of 528	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆

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)88th percentile+41 vs school

African American (2021)67th percentile+21 vs school

Female (2021)54th percentile+7 vs school

Male (2021)44th percentile-3 vs school

White (2021)27th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts54%~ state avg

Science44%+11 vs state

Mathematics34%+7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Dr. Thomas L. Higdon 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
Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	12872 Rock Point Rd	Newburg	20664	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 934-4091	428	28	15.2	40.0%	295 (68.9%)	70 (16.4%)	18 (4.2%)	3 (0.7%)	5 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	36 (8.4%)	59.8	331^st of 864 public elementary schools	61.7%		64.6	294^th of 865 public elementary schools	66.0%	37	41.7	28.8	30.4	33.7	55.0	53.8	52.2	53.6	43.5	$21,137	$1,349	$19,788
Dynard Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	23510 Bushwood Rd	Chaptico	20621	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 769-4804	422	24	17.2	39.6%	324 (76.8%)	37 (8.8%)	22 (5.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	36 (8.5%)	67.5	271^st of 864 public elementary schools	68.6%		70.6	250^th of 865 public elementary schools	71.1%	21	37.1	44.8	44.7	42.4	50.8	58.2	60.5	56.9	39.5	$17,408	$1,004	$16,404
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
White Marsh Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	29090 Thompson Corner Rd	Mechanicsville	20659	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 472-4600	220	15	14.3	35.5%	149 (67.7%)	23 (10.5%)	25 (11.4%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (9.1%)	88	110^th of 864 public elementary schools	87.3%		93.2	58^th of 865 public elementary schools	93.3%	52	80.6	62.8	46.7	62.1	83.3	62.8	64.4	69.4	54.3	$20,517	$969	$19,548
Mechanicsville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	28585 Three Notch Rd	Mechanicsville	20659	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 472-4800	273	17	15.9	36.6%	222 (81.3%)	13 (4.8%)	21 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	15 (5.5%)	62.4	298^th of 864 public elementary schools	65.5%		69.5	259^th of 865 public elementary schools	70.1%	39	37.8	54.8	34.4	41.4	56.8	61.9	45.9	53.6	32.8	$18,653	$1,096	$17,557
Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	37840 New Market Turner Rd	Mechanicsville	20659	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 472-4500	479	27	17.6	38.4%	385 (80.4%)	30 (6.3%)	28 (5.8%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (6.7%)	56.3	356^th of 864 public elementary schools	58.8%		42.4	470^th of 865 public elementary schools	45.7%	114	52.5	30.0	32.1	37.1	62.7	44.3	45.7	50.0	32.1	$17,427	$945	$16,483
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
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
T. C. Martin Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6315 Olivers Shop Rd	Bryantown	20617	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 274-3182	538	33	16.3	37.0%	232 (43.1%)	177 (32.9%)	63 (11.7%)	8 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (10.8%)	46.6	439^th of 864 public elementary schools	49.2%		52.1	387^th of 865 public elementary schools	55.3%	52	39.8	29.1	24.4	31.3	53.8	52.3	32.1	47.1	24.4	$17,319	$1,347	$15,972
Benjamin Banneker Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	27180 Point Lookout Rd	Loveville	20656	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 475-0260	543	40	13.7	36.6%	416 (76.6%)	55 (10.1%)	25 (4.6%)	8 (1.5%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	36 (6.6%)	54.8	366^th of 864 public elementary schools	57.6%		59.1	344^th of 865 public elementary schools	60.2%	22	32.1	36.0	27.9	32.0	50.6	52.8	48.8	50.8	39.5	$21,411	$1,540	$19,871

Frequently Asked Questions about Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

What district is Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School in?

Charles County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School?

Students at Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School are 69% White, 16% African American, 8% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 1% American Indian.

Is Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School a good school?

Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School ranks 331^st of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 428 students attended Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Piccowaxen Middle School
High : La Plata High School

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Latest Maryland data All new data »

2025–26 MCAP test scoresNewJul 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.