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Choptank Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

840^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 864 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 3% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Choptank Elementary School in Cambridge, MD, serves 319 students from Pre-K through 5th grade and is part of the Dorchester County Public Schools district, which faces significant systemic challenges.

Choptank Elementary is in a state of acute academic distress, consistently ranking in the bottom 3% of all elementary schools in Maryland over the last four years. The school has the highest concentration of poverty among nearby schools, with nearly all students (95%) qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. This is far higher than South Dorchester School (49.57%) and White Marsh Elementary (57.09%). Test scores are critically low: math proficiency is just 3.8%, English Language Arts is 18.9%, and 5th grade science is 0%. In contrast, nearby White Marsh Elementary achieves 48% math proficiency and South Dorchester School reaches 65.4% ELA proficiency. The school also faces a severe chronic absenteeism crisis, with 46% of students missing significant amounts of school—nearly triple the rate at South Dorchester School (16.2%) and White Marsh Elementary (15.2%).

Despite these challenges, Choptank spends significantly more per student ($25,055) than the state average and maintains a low student-to-teacher ratio. This "spending paradox" suggests that the issues are not primarily about a lack of funding, but rather about the profound impact of poverty and absenteeism. There is one small positive data point: 4th grade ELA proficiency reached 28%, the school's highest rate for any subject or grade, offering a potential model for improvement. The success of schools like South Dorchester School and White Marsh Elementary demonstrates that high performance is possible within the same region, highlighting that Choptank's challenges are concentrated in its specific, high-poverty catchment area.

319

Students ?

11.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$25,055

Per pupil spending ?

95%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1103 Mace's Lane
Cambridge, MD 21613

(410) 228-4950

District: Dorchester County Public Schools

Students who attend Choptank Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Mace's Lane Middle School
High:	Cambridge-South Dorchester High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

72.1%

Hispanic:

14.4%

Two or more races:

7.8%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Choptank Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 32nd percentile in 2015 → 3rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (10% vs 39% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (3rd percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 29 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school10%

District avg26%

Maryland avg39%

840^th of 864

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Bottom 3%▼ down 33 pts since 2016

From bottom 35% (2016) to bottom 3% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 7Elementary Schools in the Dorchester County Public Schools

21^st of 25Dorchester 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	8.3	840 of 864	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.4	762 of 865	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	7.1	846 of 859	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.1	837 of 855	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.1	835 of 862	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	16.0	727 of 853	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.9	666 of 857	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	24.7	620 of 847	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	33.0	546 of 845	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	29.7	581 of 859	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2014	16.6	763 of 867	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	8.0	813 of 847	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	3.6	827 of 857	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	13.8	776 of 853	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	13.9	803 of 855	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	22.1	740 of 850	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	23.7	713 of 838	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	83.1	87 of 818	89.4%	★★★★☆
2006	89.8	18 of 804	97.8%	★★★★★
2005	89.4	17 of 805	97.9%	★★★★★
2004	84.7	55 of 803	93.2%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	11.3	768 of 796	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	17.3	539 of 546	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	10.2	777 of 788	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Female (2021)4th percentile

Male (2021)1st percentile

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)1st percentile

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts19%-33 vs state

Mathematics4%-23 vs state

Science0%-32 vs state

4.0

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Schools Near Choptank 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 Algebra I (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 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 Science 5th Grade	MCAP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Choptank Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1103 Mace's Lane	Cambridge	21613	Dorchester County	Dorchester County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 228-4950	319	27	11.8	95.0%	16 (5.0%)	230 (72.1%)	46 (14.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (7.8%)	8.3	840^th of 864 public elementary schools	2.8%		14.4	762^nd of 865 public elementary schools	11.9%	78	8.3	4.0	0.0				3.8	17.6	28.0	10.4				18.9		0.0		$25,055	$5,903	$19,151
Maple Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5225 Egypt Rd.	Cambridge	21613	Dorchester County	Dorchester County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 228-8577	483	33	14.6	79.7%	97 (20.1%)	183 (37.9%)	160 (33.1%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (7.9%)	28.2	593^rd of 864 public elementary schools	31.4%		25.4	606^th of 865 public elementary schools	29.9%	13	27.9	20.6	9.8				19.8	43.3	34.9	34.4				37.7		18.0		$23,531	$4,964	$18,567
Sandy Hill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1503 Glasgow Road	Cambridge	21613	Dorchester County	Dorchester County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 228-7978	393	33	11.9	80.9%	74 (18.8%)	234 (59.5%)	50 (12.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (8.4%)	18.3	708^th of 864 public elementary schools	18.1%		17	731^st of 865 public elementary schools	15.5%	23	22.0	14.0	6.1				13.6	34.1	30.0	29.2				30.9		8.2		$25,218	$5,510	$19,707
White Marsh Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4322 Lovers Ln	Trappe	21673	Talbot County	Talbot County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 476-3144	289	23	12.7	57.1%	178 (61.6%)	32 (11.1%)	55 (19.0%)	8 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.5%)	69.2	262^nd of 864 public elementary schools	69.7%		76.4	210^th of 865 public elementary schools	75.7%	52	62.8	45.2	35.0				48.0	60.5	61.9	45.0				56.0		35.9		$18,503	$1,807	$16,696
Warwick Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	155 Main Street	Secretary	21664	Dorchester County	Dorchester County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 943-3588	346	23	15.0	51.2%	283 (81.8%)	23 (6.6%)	17 (4.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (6.4%)	48.3	425^th of 864 public elementary schools	50.8%		70.2	256^th of 865 public elementary schools	70.4%	169	48.9	34.8	15.8				32.1	46.7	65.2	28.1				47.6		25.9		$19,026	$2,650	$16,376
South Dorchester School	Public	PK, KG-8	3485 Golden Hill Road	Church Creek	21622	Dorchester County	Dorchester County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 901-6934	230	16	14.3	49.6%	197 (85.7%)	7 (3.0%)	11 (4.8%)	4 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.8%)	72.6	249^th of 864 public elementary schools	71.2%		72	238^th of 865 public elementary schools	72.5%	11	41.2	47.8	50.0	32.0	40.9	10.5	40.4	58.8	52.2	65.0	68.0	72.7	72.4	65.4	80.0	33.3	42.9	$19,962	$2,889	$17,073
Hurlock Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	301 Charles St.	Hurlock	21643	Dorchester County	Dorchester County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 943-3303	391	29	13.4	75.4%	149 (38.1%)	145 (37.1%)	48 (12.3%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	45 (11.5%)	33.6	538^th of 864 public elementary schools	37.7%		41.5	477^th of 865 public elementary schools	44.9%	61	39.5	23.0	16.1				24.4	36.8	45.9	35.7				40.5		12.7		$23,879	$4,784	$19,095
Preston Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	225 Main St	Preston	21655	Caroline County	Caroline County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 479-2897	381	28	13.6	60.1%	271 (71.1%)	32 (8.4%)	46 (12.1%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.3%)	66.8	277^th of 864 public elementary schools	67.9%		62.9	310^th of 865 public elementary schools	64.2%	33	55.4	49.3	27.7				45.8	55.4	52.2	51.1				53.1		42.6		$20,066	$2,685	$17,381
Vienna Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4905 Ocean Gateway	Vienna	21869	Dorchester County	Dorchester County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 943-3775	183	16	11.8	56.3%	127 (69.4%)	20 (10.9%)	17 (9.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (9.8%)	52.2	395^th of 864 public elementary schools	54.3%		64	299^th of 865 public elementary schools	65.4%	96	30.8	58.6	16.7				38.4	34.6	65.5	44.4				49.3		26.3		$22,610	$2,756	$19,854
Easton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	307 Glenwood Ave	Easton	21601	Talbot County	Talbot County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 822-0686	1,075	97	11.0	75.2%	294 (27.3%)	192 (17.9%)	486 (45.2%)	35 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	68 (6.3%)	25.7	620^th of 864 public elementary schools	28.2%		22.8	645^th of 865 public elementary schools	25.4%	25	23.5	14.6	19.0				19.1	24.5	36.4	36.2				32.1		23.4		$19,911	$2,490	$17,421

Frequently Asked Questions about Choptank Elementary School

What district is Choptank Elementary School in?

Dorchester County Public Schools

Is Choptank Elementary School a good school?

Choptank Elementary School ranks in the bottom 2.8% of Maryland elementary schools.

How many students attend Choptank Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 319 students attended Choptank Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Choptank Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Choptank Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Mace's Lane Middle School
High : Cambridge-South Dorchester High School

What is the racial makeup of Choptank Elementary School?

Students at Choptank Elementary School are 72% African American, 14% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 5% White.

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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.