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Phoenix International School of the Arts

Public, Charter Grades 6-8

279^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 337 Maryland Middle Schools

Better than 17% of Maryland middle schools

Summary

Phoenix International School of the Arts is a public charter middle school located in La Plata, Maryland, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 167 students. The school is part of the Charles County Public Schools district, which is ranked 21 out of 25 in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Phoenix International School of the Arts has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Maryland middle schools, ranking 279 out of 337 in the 2024-2025 school year.

Phoenix International School of the Arts has significantly higher chronic absenteeism rates compared to the district and state averages, with a 27.0% chronic absenteeism rate in the 2023-2024 school year. The school also consistently underperforms the district and state averages on standardized tests, with only 3.7% of students proficient or better in MCAP/Mathematics and 30.1% proficient or better in MCAP/English Language Arts in the 2024-2025 school year. Additionally, the school has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 43.11% in the 2023-2024 school year.

When comparing Phoenix International School of the Arts to nearby schools in the same district, it becomes clear that the school is an outlier in terms of academic performance. For example, Piccowaxen Middle School, which is 10.85 miles away, had significantly higher proficiency rates in both mathematics and English language arts, outperforming the district and state averages. The high chronic absenteeism rate and the relatively high proportion of economically disadvantaged students at Phoenix International School of the Arts may be contributing factors to the school's underperformance, and addressing these underlying issues could be crucial in improving academic outcomes.

243

Students ?

16.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,265

Per pupil spending ?

42%

Free/discounted lunch ?

95 Catalpa Dr
La Plata, MD 20646

(301) 202-4159

District: Charles County Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

78.6%

Two or more races:

9.1%

Hispanic:

7.4%

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At a glance

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (16% vs 37% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (17th percentile)

!Social Studies scores 29 pts below the Maryland average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school16%

District avg28%

Maryland avg37%

279^th of 337

Maryland public middle schools ?

Bottom 17%

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

9^th of 9Middle Schools in the Charles County Public Schools

21^st of 25Charles County Public Schools among Maryland districts

By subject vs Maryland (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts30%-21 vs state

Science12%-19 vs state

Social Studies10%-29 vs state

Mathematics4%-23 vs state

Algebra I0%-21 vs state

★

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Schools Near Phoenix International School of the Arts

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 Geometry (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 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 All Grades	MCAP Algebra I End of Course	MCAP Geometry End of Course	MCAP Science 8th Grade	MCAP Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Phoenix International School of the Arts	Public, Charter	6-8	95 Catalpa Dr	La Plata	20646	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(301) 202-4159	243	15	16.2	42.0%	10 (4.1%)	191 (78.6%)	18 (7.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	22 (9.1%)	20	279^th of 337 public middle schools	17.2%					(n/a)	0.0	9.8	0.0	3.7	22.1	39.3	30.0	30.1	0.0		12.5	10.5	$18,265	$418	$17,847
Milton M. Somers Middle School	Public	6-8	300 Willow Lane	La Plata	20646	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 934-4663	671	49	13.6	43.2%	189 (28.2%)	331 (49.3%)	72 (10.7%)	33 (4.9%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	43 (6.4%)	58.5	126^th of 337 public middle schools	62.6%		44.5	147^th of 328 public middle schools	55.2%	21	22.7	21.7	2.6	20.0	62.7	53.4	51.8	55.9	26.0	54.5	29.1	35.6	$19,744	$706	$19,038
Benjamin Stoddert Middle School	Public	6-8	2040 Saint Thomas Dr	Waldorf	20602	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 645-1334	920	54	17.0	59.8%	34 (3.7%)	595 (64.7%)	209 (22.7%)	18 (2.0%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (6.7%)	23.3	256^th of 337 public middle schools	24.0%		15.2	279^th of 328 public middle schools	14.9%	23	7.5	5.6	4.4	8.7	24.9	34.0	29.1	29.6	29.2		15.4	21.8	$15,552	$545	$15,007
Matthew Henson Middle School	Public	6-8	3535 Livingston Rd	Indian Head	20640	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 375-8550	701	38	18.4	48.5%	81 (11.6%)	440 (62.8%)	98 (14.0%)	19 (2.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	61 (8.7%)	30.6	220^th of 337 public middle schools	34.7%		26.2	220^th of 328 public middle schools	32.9%		12.3	9.5	0.0	8.5	42.2	36.3	29.8	36.2	7.8		17.0	28.6	$17,015	$518	$16,497
Theodore G. Davis Middle School	Public	6-8	2495 Davis Road	Waldorf	20603	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 753-2082	999	65	15.3	46.7%	49 (4.9%)	696 (69.7%)	115 (11.5%)	56 (5.6%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	77 (7.7%)	50.2	152^nd of 337 public middle schools	54.9%		44.4	148^th of 328 public middle schools	54.9%	4	21.5	17.6	5.5	18.8	51.2	60.8	46.5	52.8	47.1	63.6	22.8	25.4	$15,169	$672	$14,496
John Hanson Middle School	Public	6-8	3165 John Hanson Dr	Waldorf	20601	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 645-4520	727	59	12.3	56.8%	73 (10.0%)	435 (59.8%)	130 (17.9%)	13 (1.8%)	7 (1.0%)	2 (0.3%)	67 (9.2%)	32.5	212^th of 337 public middle schools	37.1%		23.1	234^th of 328 public middle schools	28.7%	22	9.5	9.7	0.0	10.1	30.3	38.1	44.2	37.6	19.3		25.1	24.8	$17,563	$771	$16,792
Mattawoman Middle School	Public	6-8	10145 Berry Rd	Waldorf	20603	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 645-7708	862	49	17.5	54.2%	31 (3.6%)	614 (71.2%)	117 (13.6%)	41 (4.8%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	56 (6.5%)	29.4	225^th of 337 public middle schools	33.2%		22	241^st of 328 public middle schools	26.5%	16	7.9	13.1	4.9	10.1	37.9	42.9	37.0	39.2	17.2		12.0	12.1	$15,536	$760	$14,776
General Smallwood Middle School	Public	6-8	4990 Indian Head Hwy	Indian Head	20640	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 743-5422	500	36	13.8	59.8%	143 (28.6%)	235 (47.0%)	71 (14.2%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (9.6%)	37.2	195^th of 337 public middle schools	42.1%		25.2	226^th of 328 public middle schools	31.1%	31	8.1	14.8	0.0	14.6	38.1	47.6	44.2	43.5	48.5		21.7	25.8	$20,543	$602	$19,940
Piccowaxen Middle School	Public	6-8	12834 Rock Point Rd	Newburg	20664	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 934-1977	578	43	13.4	33.2%	345 (59.7%)	114 (19.7%)	49 (8.5%)	12 (2.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	56 (9.7%)	62.7	116^th of 337 public middle schools	65.6%		61.8	98^th of 328 public middle schools	70.1%	18	24.3	23.7	1.4	23.8	55.5	56.2	59.6	57.0	31.3	71.4	33.3	36.8	$18,498	$398	$18,100
Gwynn Park Middle	Public	6-8	8000 Dyson Rd	Brandywine	20613	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 372-0120	702	39	18.0	56.1%	27 (3.8%)	537 (76.5%)	110 (15.7%)	6 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.0%)	26.2	239^th of 337 public middle schools	29.1%		21.1	246^th of 328 public middle schools	25.0%	7	3.9	11.4	1.0	6.1	39.7	37.0	30.2	35.7	14.8		13.5	21.0	$18,265	$1,018	$17,247

Frequently Asked Questions about Phoenix International School of the Arts

What is the racial makeup of Phoenix International School of the Arts?

Students at Phoenix International School of the Arts are 79% African American, 9% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic, 4% White.

How many students attend Phoenix International School of the Arts?

In the 2024-25 school year, 243 students attended Phoenix International School of the Arts.

Is Phoenix International School of the Arts a good school?

Phoenix International School of the Arts ranks in the bottom 17.2% of Maryland middle schools.

What district is Phoenix International School of the Arts in?

Charles County Public Schools

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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.